Golden Lanyard Awards

2024 will be the fifth Golden Lanyard Awards! 

Awardees will be announced Sunday, August 11th at the
Closing Night Party at Can Can Wonderland.

Audience-driven Awards 

Spirit of the Fringe (1 recipient): Vote for the "Fringiest" production you saw in this year's Festival Season! Who made the boldest choices, took the most risks? Which piece took audiences on an adventure?

Audience Picks (3 recipients): Vote for your favorite production of the Festival Season!

Venue Picks (9 recipients): The top selling production at each Fringe-managed venue (based on the first 4 performances).

Fringe with Benefits Member Pick (1 recipient): A special award for our year-round champions, Fringe with Benefits members, to select their favorite production.

Artist-driven Awards

Artist Picks (3 recipients): Vote for one favorite company/production showcasing artistic achievement -- a prestigious, peer-given award! (ARTISTS: Paper ballots*** will be delivered at your technical rehearsal)

Underdog Award (1 recipient): Vote for the company -- producing here at Minnesota Fringe in the Festival for the first time -- which has taken the boldest risks, been the most ambitious newbie, and wowed you with their first show!

• To view a list of eligible shows, use the Features column on the 2024 Shows page to search for First-time Producers and First-time MN Fringe Festival Producers.

Staff-driven Awards 

Members of the year-round Fringe team recognize a production based on their organizational role... and/or their own fringe-tastic, creative prerogatives!

Special Awards 

The Beverlee Award honors the legacy of Beverlee Everett, mother of theater reviewer and playwright Matthew Everett. Each summer, Beverlee made the trip from Pennsylvania to Minnesota to tenaciously "Fringe-binge" with Matthew. Beverlee was a warm and wonderful presence to all who knew her. Our Fringe flame burns darker in her absence.

The Bryon Award honors the legacy of long-time Fringe Festival Theater Technician, Bryon Gunsch. As the Technical Director of the Bryant Lake Bowl Theater for over 20 years, Bryon was an essential member of their team as well as ours. This award will be bestowed on the Festival Tech who demonstrates Bryon's abundant creativity and resourceful ability to make theater magic with humble resources. The stage lights are dimmer in his absence.

***Artist ballots can be dropped in the designated collection boxes found at HUGE Improv Theater and Barbara Barker Center for Dance.