Paper Mill Playhouse Takes Home Two People's Choice Awards

Paper Mill Playhouse has won two 2015 Discover Jersey Arts People's Choice Awards. Paper Mill Playhouse was awarded, "Favorite Theater at See a Musical" and "Favorite Theater Camp" earlier today by the ArtPride New Jersey Foundation. The categories ranged from theater and performing arts center, to museum and gallery, to symphony and dance company (along with many more -- there were 16 in all). More than 100 nonprofit arts groups and arts districts were nominated for the 2015 Awards by members of the arts community. From the nominations, the public chose their favorites in the 16 categories, with nearly 15,000 ballots cast for arts organizations statewide. The Awards, which takes place annually to honor the work of New Jersey's vital, vibrant and diverse arts community, saw the greatest number of nominees and voters since its inception in 2008.

"Paper Mill Playhouse is both humbled and honored to receive two People's Choice Awards," remarked Todd Schmidt, Paper Mill Playhouse Managing Director. "These awards are a gift from the audiences and students we serve throughout the State of New Jersey."

Paper Mill Playhouse received a total of 6,934 votes in the category for "Favorite Theater at See a Musical" accounting for 72% of the votes cast and 2,838 votes for "Favorite Theater Camp" with nearly 38% of the vote.

"We are so thankful for the outpouring of support from community that we serve," said Mark S. Hoebee, Producing Artistic Director of Paper Mill Playhouse. "We are overjoyed to receive an award for our Paper Mill Players Theater Camp, part of our Theatre School which has served the community and the state for more than 25 years. Programs like our Theatre School, Adult Theater Classes, classes for students with autism and other developmental disabilities and our Summer Musical Theatre Conservatory give students a supportive environment in which to study and explore elements of performance and learn essential life skills."

Winners from the 2015 People's Choice Awards will be honored at the New Jersey Conference on Tourism, held March 12-13, 2015 at the Golden Nugget in Atlantic City. For detailed results and more information, visit JerseyArts.com/peopleschoice. The JerseyArts.com People's Choice Awards are coordinated through the Discover Jersey Arts program, a cosponsored project of the ArtPride New Jersey Foundation and New Jersey State Council on the Arts aimed at increasing the awareness of and participation in the arts.