CLONED!, THE GIG, ACADEMIA NUTS and More Top NYMF's 2014 Awards for Excellence

The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) has announced the winners of the NYMF 2014 Awards for Excellence. Awards are voted on by the NYMF jury and the awards were presented at the closing night celebration on July 27th at Arena Events Space.

The NYMF 2014 Awards for Excellence are as follows:

Excellence in Writing (Music)

*Douglas J. Cohen, The Gig

Honorable Mention

Cardozie Jones & Sean Willis, Madame Infamy

Excellence in Writing (Lyrics)

*Douglas J. Cohen, The Gig

Honorable Mention

Becca Anderson & Dan Marshall, Academia Nuts

Excellence in Writing (Book)

*Rick Kunzi & Justin Zeppa, Bayonets of Angst

Honorable Mention

Becca Anderson & Dan Marshall, Academia Nuts

Excellence in Direction

*Thomas Caruso, Academia Nuts

Honorable Mentions

Igor Goldin, The Gig

Michelle Tattenbaum, Mother Jones and the Children's Crusade

Excellence in Choreography (tie)

*Jason Sparks, Propaganda! The Musical

*Sta? Kmie?, The Mapmaker's Opera

Honorable Mention

Jeffry Denman,Valueville

Excellence in Overall Design

*The Snow Queen

Frances Nelson McSherry, Costume Design; David Lee Cuthbert, Lighting Design/Projection Design, Haddon Kime & Rick Lombardo, Sound Design

Honorable Mention

Bayonets of Angst

Seth Easter, Scenic Design; Candida K. Nichols, Costume Design; Zach Blane, Lighting Design; Harrison Adams, Sound Design

Outstanding Orchestrations or Arrangements

*Michael Gibson, The Gig

Honorable Mention

Mark Buys, The Mapmaker's Opera

Outstanding Musical Direction

*Jonathan Smith, The Gig

Honorable Mention

Anna Ebbesen and Dolores Duran-Cefalu, The Snow Queen

Outstanding Ensemble Performance

*Bayonets of Angst

Michael Abbott Jr., Ryan Andes, Herndon Lackey, Ian Lowe, Brian Charles Rooney, J. Robert Spencer, Paul Whitty

Honorable Mention

The Gig

Stephen Berger, Larry Cahn, Doug Eskew, Kate Fahrner, Nick Gaswirth, Michael Minarik, Kevin Pariseau, Dee Roscioli, Steve Routman, Bruce Sabath, Donna Vivino

Outstanding Individual Performances

• Larry Cahn, The Gig
• Rachel Dunham, Oprahfication
• Alexis Fishman, Der Gelbe Stern (The Yellow Star)
• Alyse Alan Louis, Academia Nuts
• Kenita Miller, Propaganda! The Musical
• Erin Leigh Peck, Mr. Confidential
• Brian Charles Rooney, Bayonets of Angst
• Jennifer Simard, Academia Nuts
• J. Robert Spencer, Bayonets of Angst
• Lynne Wintersteller, Mother Jones and the Children's Crusade

Play-by-Play Best New Musical Award

*Academia Nuts

Book and Lyrics by Becca Anderson & Dan Marshall; Music by Julian Blackmore

Best of Fest Audience Prize

*Cloned!

Book by Jacey Powers & Dan Wolpow; Music by Adam Spiegel; Lyrics by Dan Wolpow; Additional Story by Adam Spiegel

First Runner-Up

Deployed

Book, Music, and Lyrics by Jessy Brouillard

Second Runner-Up

Mother Jones and the Children's Crusade

Book, Music, and Lyrics by Cheryl E. Kemeny

This year's NYMF Jury included: Blossom Chu (Patron); Michael Coco (New World Stages); Chris Caggiano (Critic); Seth Christenfeld (Critic); David Carpenter (Dede Harris Productions); Michael Dale (Critic, BroadwayWorld); Frank Evans (Manhattan Musical Theatre Lab); Peter Filichia (Critic); Aaron Glick (Stone Productions); Gabrielle Palitz (Producer); Hugh Hayes (Producer); Craig Horsley (Producer); Lily Hung (NYU-Tisch School of the Arts); Isaac Robert Hurwitz (Fox Stage Productions); Tim Jerome (Mainstreet Musicals, Inc.); Sheryl Kaller (Director); Lucas McMahon (Alchemation); Matthew Murray (Critic, TalkinBroadway.com); Greg Schaffert (Producer); Alison Sheehy (Actress); Lynn Spector (Dramaturg); Eric C. Webb (Davenport Theatrical).

The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) exists to revitalize musical theatre culture by discovering and promoting new musical theatre artists, producers and projects; nurturing a vibrant and innovative artistic community; and connecting one of America's greatest art forms with a diverse, contemporary audience.

Now in its eleventh year, the Festival is the largest musical theatre event in America. The preeminent site for launching new musicals and discovering new talent, the Festival provides an affordable platform for artists to mount professional productions that reach their peers, industry leaders, and musical theatre fans. More than 90 Festival shows have gone on to productions on and Off-Broadway, in regional theaters in 48 states, and in more than 20 countries worldwide. Festival alumni have received a wide array of awards including the Tony Award and the Pulitzer Prize. In 2013, NYMF received a special Drama Desk Award in recognition of its work "creating and nurturing new musical theatre, ensuring the future of this essential art form."

NYMF is the flagship program of National Music Theater Network, Inc., a 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organization. NYMF 2014 is presented in association with Fuzzrocket, TheaterMania, and Production Resource Group. NYMF is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, and from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency.

NYMF Memberships, which combine charitable contributions with valuable, flexible ticket packages and perks like early seating and tickets to individual events, are currently available for purchase at (212) 352-3101 or www.nymf.org/member. For more information, visit www.nymf.org.