BWW 2015 New York Cabaret Awards: Alan Cumming, Betty Buckley Are Top Celebs; Jane Monheit Takes 4th Straight for Jazz Vocalist; Todd Murray Wins for Best Show & Vocalist

Breaking News! The fourth annual BroadwayWorld New York Cabaret Awards results are official and for 2015 some bold-faced Broadway names, long-time cabaret stars, and some exciting newcomers were the people's choices this year. More than 32,000 votes were cast for performers and shows in 14 categories.

The biggest of the big-name winners are Broadway stars Alan Cumming and Betty Buckley, who captured the votes for "Best Show by a Celebrity" (Male and Female). Cumming, who performed his show Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs at Café Carlyle, was a landslide winner in his category, besting second place finisher Michael Feinstein. The race for "Best Show, Celebrity Female" was a lot closer with Buckley's Joe's Pub show, Dark Blue-Eyed Blues, beating Marilyn Maye's Her Way: A Salute to Frank Sinatra at Feinstein's/54 Below by just under 200 votes. Jane Monheit appears to have a lock on the "Best Jazz Vocalist (Female or Male)" Award, as she won that category for the fourth straight year, coming out ahead of Gabrielle Stravelli. The only performer to capture two voting awards this year is Todd Murray, who took the prizes for "Best Show, Male" (Mark Nadler finished second and Eric Comstock third) and "Best Vocalist, Male" (beating out Brian Charles Rooney) on the strength of his show Croon, performed this year at the Metropolitan Room.

While she may have come up short for "Best Show, Celebrity Female", Cabaret icon Marilyn Maye would not be denied as she captured the Award for "Best Director" for guiding "Best Show (Male)" nominee Danny Bacher for his show Swing That Music at the Metropolitan Room. Vocalist Jeff Harnar finished second to Maye in the "Best Director" category, but won the Award--along with KT Sullivan--for "Best Duo Show" for Part Two of their Stephen Sondheim songbook tribute Another Hundred People at the Laurie Beechman.

Veteran cabaret performer Carol Lipnik also nearly won two awards this year, taking the prize for "Best Musical Comedy or Alt Cabaret Show" (for her residency at Cafe Noctambulo at Pangea) and falling just short of winning for "Best Vocalist, Female," with that Award going to Broadway-style belter Lucia Spina, who consistently dazzled audiences in variety shows at Feinstein's/54 Below.

Long-respected Broadway and Cabaret Musical Director Alex Rybeck was technically a two-time Award winner this year as he not only won for "Best Musical Director" (Tedd Firth finished second), but was also honored with a special "Editor's Choice Award" for "Excellence in Songwriting." Other "Editor's Choice" Award winners include "Performer of the Year" Awards to Karen Mason and Mark Nadler, veteran cabaret star Steve Ross for "Dedication & Devotion to the Art of Cabaret," while Jim Caruso is receiving an award for "Excellence In Hosting Variety Show, Series, or Open Mic" for his work as host of Cast Party at Birdland. And for their standout 2015 show and CD Release, Duet, the award for "Excellence in Musicianship" is going to pianist Ian Herman and guitarist Sean Harkness.

(Note: Keep an eye out for an upcoming story on all the "Editor's Choice" Award winners later this week.)

Three relative cabaret newcomers were also 2015 Award winners, with latest Cabaret Scenes Magazine cover girl Celia Berk taking the prize for "Best Debut Show, Male or Female" (she also won a 2015 MAC Award for the same category), Kim Sutton just edging out Donna Hayes for "Best Show, Female," and Seth Sikes winning for "Best Tribute Show" for his Feinstein's/54 Below effort Seth Sikes Sings Mostly Judy Garland.

So our dear cabaret lovers, here are you 2015 BroadwayWorld New York Cabaret Award Winners:

Best Debut Show (Male or Female)
Celia Berk - You Can't Rush Spring - Metropolitan Room

Best Director
Marilyn Maye

Best Duo Show
KT Sullivan & Jeff Harnar - Another Hundred People: Sondheim Songbook - Laurie Beechman

Best Jazz Vocalist (Male or Female)
Jane Monheit

Best Musical Comedy or Alt Cabaret Show
Carol Lipnik Joe's Pub/Pangea

Best Musical Director
Alex Rybeck

Best Show, Celebrity Female
Betty Buckley - Dark Blue-Eyed Blues - Joe's Pub

Best Show, Celebrity Male
Alan Cumming - Sings Sappy Songs - Café Carlyle

Best Show, Female
Kim Sutton - Anchors Away - Don't Tell Mama

Best Show, Male
Todd Murray - CROON - Metropolitan Room

Best Tribute Show
Seth Sikes - Seth Sikes Sings Mostly Judy Garland - Feinstein's/54 Below

Best Variety Show or Recurring Series
54 Below Sings (Grand Hotel, 1776, etc) - Feinstein's/54 Below

Best Vocalist, Female
Lucia Spina

Best Vocalist, Male
Todd Murray

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