The 56th Academy of Magical Arts Awards show took place at the United Theater on Broadway in downtown Los Angeles this May. The evening was hosted by John Archer, and nominees and other audience members were treated to performances by Kalin & Jinger, Mario Lopez, Kevin Li, Yann Frisch, Solange, and Cyril Takayama.
The recipients of the AMA showroom awards were Zabrecky for Close-Up Magician of the Year, Jon Armstrong for Parlour/Peller Magician of the Year, and Justin Willman for Stage Magician of the Year. Howard Hamburg won Lecturer of the Year.
LEFT: Yann Frish (left) is presented with the Dai Vernon Foundation Memorial Medal by Dave Egan (right) RIGHT: Al Schneider receives the AMA Creative Fellowship award
Solange performing in the awards show gala
Several magicians were also honored through Fellowships, with Mat Franco awarded the Magician of the Year Fellowship, Al Schneider the Creative Fellowship, Andi Gladwin and Joshua Jay of Vanishing Inc. the Literary Fellowship, Bébel the Performing Fellowship for Close-Up, Peter Marvey the Performing Fellowship for Stage Magic, Jim Steinmeyer the Lifetime Achievement Fellowship, and Daniel Cros the Masters Fellowship. Special Fellowships were also given to Barry Ross and Bill Tarr, Tom Gagnon, Bill Schmeelk, and Jason Latimer, while Zac Swan received the Junior Achievement Award from the AMA Junior Society.
John Gaughan, who has been making the wands given to AMA award winners for decades, also received a wand of his own in thanks for his work. And much to his surprise, Yann Frisch received the Max Maven Memorial Medal for Innovation in the Mystery Arts—a new annual honor funded by Max Maven’s estate and given by the Dai Vernon Foundation to a magician innovative in the art of magic.
Congratulations to all those who were recognized!
Photos by Najee Williams, Hocus Pocus Focus, courtesy of the Academy of Magical Arts
