ALL ABOUT HFF23 AWARDS

Each year at Hollywood Fringe, we celebrate the end of the festival with our Awards Ceremony and Closing Night Party (this year, it’s the evening of June 25th at The Bourbon Room!) Two types of awards are given out: Community Awards (“The Freaks”) & Discover Fringe Awards (formerly Sponsored Awards). Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about each type of award!

 

COMMUNITY AWARDS: The Community Awards, lovingly known as “The Freaks”, are determined by the Fringe community via a voting process. Fringe community members receive ballots in the last days of the festival via email. The productions with the most votes in a given category are announced as nominees hours prior to the ceremony via an email newsletter and website post, and the ultimate winners are revealed at the awards ceremony.

Who gets to vote on Community Awards? You will receive a ballot via email at the end of the festival to vote on Community Awards if you (1) are an HFF23 participant or venue manager added to a specific HFF23 project OR (2) reserve tickets for 3 or more shows on the Hollywood Fringe website OR (3) write 3 or more reviews for HFF23 shows.

Categories for HFF23 Community Awards:

• • • Top of the Fringe Award
    • Fringe International Award
    • Fringe First for World Premiere
    • Fringe Award for Cabaret & Variety
    • Fringe Award for Comedy
    • Fringe Award for Dance & Physical Theatre
    • Fringe Award for Drama
    • Fringe Award for Immersive & Games
    • Fringe Award for Musicals and Operas
    • Fringe Award for Solo Performance
    • Fringe Award for Two-Person Show

 

DISCOVER FRINGE AWARDS (formerly known as Sponsored Awards): Discover Fringe Awards are presented by outside organizations to commend excellence in a number of categories. These awards tend to be more specific than the community awards and may include monetary gifts or an extension to a show’s run. Hollywood Fringe participants must submit themselves for consideration, and winners are announced at the awards ceremony along with the community awards.

How to apply for Discover Fringe Awards:

Each Discover Fringe Award presenter will have different qualifications and requirements to be considered for their awards (which can be found on their individual award pages, located HERE). Some awards will have a form to fill out, and others will require that you contact them directly through the Hollywood Fringe website to submit yourself for consideration. Be thoughtful when you submit your show to be considered for an award, and remember not to overwhelm award presenters with messages or emails – they will do their very best to see as many shows as possible. 

Sample message:

“Hi <NAME>, my name is <NAME> and I’d love to be considered for <NAME OF AWARD> for my show <NAME OF SHOW>. <add information about why your show is qualified and should be considered for the award>. Thank you for your consideration! <NAME>”

You are welcome (but not required) to comp tickets for award presenters/judges. They will request comp tickets through the Hollywood Fringe website, and their title (award presenter, judge, etc.) will be specified with the comp request. 

2023 Discover Fringe Awards: (view them all and apply here)

• • • 2Cents’ Immersive Worlds Award, presented by 2Cents Theatre’s Loose Change
    • Best of the Broadwater, presented by The Broadwater
    • Ella Turenne Award, presented by Hollywood Fringe Access Advisory Committee
    • Springboard Award, presented by Fringe Management LLC
    • Hollywood Encore Producers’ Award, presented by Combined Artform
    • International Fringe Encore Series, presented by SoHo Playhouse
    • Jaxx’s Cultural Arts Envoy Award, presented by Jaxx Theatricals
    • No Room in the Green Room Award, presented by Make Believe Stage Productions, LLC
    • O Face Award for Most Orgasmic Production, presented by Orgasmico Theatre Company
    • Soaring Solo SOCIAL IMPACT AWARD, presented by Soaring Solo LLC
    • Splash Award, presented by Namba Performing Arts Space, Inc
    • The Loud Karma Emerging Women and Nonbinary Playwright’s Award, presented by Loud Karma Productions, LLC
    • The Theatre Theater Playwright Award, presented by Theatre Theater Podcast

This year, we are thrilled to help share art across the globe and create opportunities for artists to expand their reach. Through exciting collaborations with partnering Fringe Festivals, we are providing opportunity for their artists and ours. Each of these awards will include a performance opportunity in person at the following partner festivals:

• • • The Catania Off Fringe Festival Exchange Award, presented by Catania Off Fringe Festival in Catania, Italy
    • The San Diego International Fringe Festival Exchange Award, presented by San Diego International Fringe Festival in Tijuana, Mexico and/or San Diego, California
    • The Sydney Fringe Festival Exchange Award, presented by Sydney Fringe Festival in Sydney, Australia

VIEW ALL DISCOVER FRINGE AWARDS AND APPLY HERE!