In the vein of the Tony Awards® and the Academy Awards® comes the International Circus Awards, the only one of its kind where companies, artists, and circus producers from around the globe can have their shows recognized for their outstanding achievements. The International Circus Awards celebrates extraordinary achievements within the global circus community by honoring the artists engaged in creating, performing, directing, and designing circus shows. Adjudication of each award is grounded in three guiding principles:
Originality : The show demonstrates an innovative, challenging, new, or experimental approach.
Impact : The show makes a meaningful contribution to the field by expanding knowledge; acting as a catalyst for future inquiry; raising awareness of an understudied issue; or promoting diversity in subject matter, participants, or audiences.
Excellence : The show exhibits an exceptional caliber and quality of execution within an award category
The awards are overseen and managed by the Contemporary Circus & Immersive Arts Center (CCIAC) in Troy, New York. In the inaugural year, a voting committee comprised of over 30 circus industry leaders and professionals were chosen to adjudicate the submitted shows and to present awards in 10 different categories. The categories include Outstanding Production, Outstanding Digital Production, Outstanding Performance by an Artist, Outstanding Achievement in Circography, Outstanding Achievement in Dramaturgy, Outsanding Achievement in Design, Outstanding Emerging Company, Audience Choice Award, and Community Impact Award as well as a guest award for the CircusTalk Critics Choice Award. The awards process will culminate in a digital ceremony airing on October 2, 2021. For more information visit www.internationalcircusawards.com
MEET THE AWARD WINNERS Outstanding Performance by an Artist(s) Phelani Ndakroka
SOUTH AFRICA
Outstanding Digital Production Moya – Zip Zap Circus & Sabine Van Rensburg , Brin Schoellkopf, Samuel Renaud SOUTH AFRICA, CANDA, UNITED STATES
Outstanding Achievement in Design Outstanding Achievement in Circography The Pulse – Gravity & Other Myths AUSTRALIA
Outstanding Achievement in Dramaturgy
Se prendre – LION LION CANADAClaudel Doucet, Cooper Lee Smith & Félix-Antoine Boutin
Outstanding Achievement in Design The Pulse – Gravity & Other Myths AUSTRALIA
Lighting and Set Design Geoff Cobham Composer Ekrem Eli Pheonix
Outstanding Emerging Company Sweat & Ink – Cirque Barcode CANADA
. Outstanding Production The Pulse – Gravity & Other Myths AUSTRALIA
Special Award Honoree – Community Impact Award
Uncle Junior Project – Veronica Blair UNITED STATES
Audience Choice Award AURA – Cirko Alebrije
MEXICO
CircusTalk Critics’ Choice Award
MEET THE NOMINEES Outstanding Performance by an Artist(s)
La Galerie – Machine de Cirque CANADAPauline Bonanni
*
Moya – Zip Zap Circus & Sabine Van Rensburg , Brin Schoellkopf, Samuel Renaud SOUTH AFRICA, CANDA, UNITED STATES
Phelelani Ndakrokra
*
O’DD – Race Horse Company FINLANDRauli Dahlberg
*
Passagers – Les 7 doigts de la main CANADASereno Aguilar, Sabine Van Rensburg + Cast
*
Sweat & Ink – Cirque Barcode CANADABarcode company
Outstanding Digital Production
Circus Days and Nights – Cirkus Cirkör SWEDEN
*
Moya – Zip Zap Circus & Sabine Van Rensburg , Brin Schoellkopf, Samuel Renaud SOUTH AFRICA, CANDA, UNITED STATES
*
Out Of Order – Les 7 doigts de la main CANADA
. Outstanding Achievement in Design
A Deer in the Headlights – Cirque Le Roux FRANCE
Costume Creation: Clarisse Baudinière Lighting Design: Pierre Berneron Sound Design: Jean-Marie Canoville Set Design: MOA, Benoit Art&Oh Cirque Le Roux
*
Circus Days and Nights – Cirkus Cirkör SWEDEN
Music: Philip Glass Libretto: David Henry Hwang & Tilde Björfors Based on the poems of Robert Lax Conductor: Minna Weurlander Director & Concept: Tilde Björfors Set & costume: Magdalena Åberg Choreography: Simon Wiborn & Methinee Wongtrakoon Light: Ellen Ruge & Robert Hvenström Sound: Avgoustos Psillas Rigging design: Saar Rombout
*
Moya – Zip Zap Circus & Sabine Van Rensburg , Brin Schoellkopf, Samuel Renaud SOUTH AFRICA, CANDA, UNITED STATES
Costumes: Christine Chapman, Portia Kewana & Belinda Weeber Lighting Design: Mosuli Ntshonga & Sabine Van Rensburg
*
Passagers – Les 7 doigts de la main CANADA
Scenography Ana Cappelluto Musical Director Colin Gagné Video Designer Johnny Ranger Lighting Designer Éric Champoux Costume Designer Camille Thibault-Bédard
*
The Pulse – Gravity & Other Myths AUSTRALIA
Lighting and Set Design Geoff Cobham Composer Ekrem Eli Pheonix
.
Outstanding Achievement in Circography
La Galerie – Machine de Cirque CANADA Overall Direction and Choreography: Olivier Lépine
*
Passagers – Les 7 doigts de la main CANADA Original idea: Shana Carroll Direction and choreography: Shana Carroll Assisted by: Isabelle Chassé
*
Se prendre – LION LION CANADAClaudel Doucet, Cooper Lee Smith & Félix-Antoine Boutin
*
Sweat & Ink – Cirque Barcode CANADA Director: Jean-Pierre Cloutier Artistic Direction: barcodeEric Bates, Alexandra Royer , Eve Bigel, Tristan Nielsen
*
The Pulse – Gravity & Other Myths AUSTRALIA Director: Darcy Grant and the Gravity & Other Myths Ensemble
Outstanding Emerging Company La Vrille du Chat – Back Pocket BELGIUM*
Piste, piste, piste – Portmanteau FINLAND
*
RAVEN – still hungry GERMANY
*
Se prendre – LION LION CANADA
*
Sweat & Ink – Cirque Barcode CANADA
. Outstanding Achievement in Dramaturgy Passagers – Les 7 doigts de la main CANADAShana Carroll
*
RAVEN – still hungry GERMANY Writing: still hungry Creative support: Bryony Kimmings Co-Direction: Rachel Hameleers
*
Se prendre – LION LION CANADA
Claudel Doucet Cooper Lee Smith Félix-Antoine Boutin
*
Sweat & Ink – Cirque Barcode CANADA Director: Jean-Pierre Cloutier Artistic Direction: barcodeEric Bates, Alexandra Royer , Eve Bigel, Tristan Nielsen
*
The Pulse – Gravity & Other Myths AUSTRALIADarcy Grant
*
Circus Days and Nights – Cirkus Cirkör SWEDEN Libretto: David Henry Hwang & Tilde Björfors Director & Concept: Tilde Björfors
. Outstanding Production
Circus Days and Nights – Cirkus Cirkör SWEDEN
*
La Galerie – Machine de Cirque CANADA
*
Moya – Zip Zap Circus & Sabine Van Rensburg , Brin Schoellkopf, Samuel Renaud SOUTH AFRICA, CANDA, UNITED STATES
*
O’DD – Race Horse Company FINLAND
*
Out Of Order – Les 7 doigts de la main CANADA
*
Passagers – Les 7 doigts de la main CANADA
*
Serge Fiori, Seul Ensemble – Cirque Éloize CANADA
*
SIX° – FLIP Fabrique CANADA
*
Sweat & Ink – Cirque Barcode CANADA
*
The Pulse – Gravity & Other Myths AUSTRALIA
Special Award Honoree – Community Impact Award
Uncle Junior Project – Veronica Blair UNITED STATES
. CircusTalk Critics Choice Award TAIWAN
*
?Que Paso? Fuerza Volante COLOMBIA
*
CANADA
*
*
AUSTRALIA
. Audience Choice Award Awarded to an overall production as chosen through voting by the general public. Links are provided to many Audience Choice Nominee profile pages & trailers below. Once you choose your nominee, visit the international Circus Awards Audience Choice Nominees page to vote HERE.
9.811 – Fundacja Sztukmistrze (Sztukmistrze Foundation)
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¿Que Paso? – Fuerza Volante
*
.
*
12th Night – Yes Ma’am Circus
A Deer in the Headlights – Cirque Le Roux
*
AURA – Cirko Alebrije
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Bite Club – Briefs Factory
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Blizzard – FLIP Fabrique
*
BOHEMIA – Noah Dach
*
. Brave Space – Aloft Circus Arts
*
Cara Vita: A Clown Concerto – Felicity Hesed
*
CASTING OFF – A GOOD CATCH CIRCUS
*
. Circus Days and Nights – Cirkus Cirkör
*
Different Trains – The Muse Brooklyn/ ABCirque
*
Disappearing Island – Formosa Circus Art
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. Dreams of the Small Gods – Zinnia Oberski
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Féria L’attraction – FLIP Fabrique
*
Glob – Les Foutoukours
*
Gradient – Fundacja Sztukmistrze (Sztukmistrze Foundation)
*
. HOTEL – Cirque Éloize
*
I Want To Touch You – Gravity & Other Myths
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Ikigai – razão de viver Instituição de Incentivo à Criança e ao Adolescente de Mogi Mirim (ICA)
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It’s Not Me, It’s You: A Paradise Lost Reimagining – Yes Ma’am Circus
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La Esperanza – La Gata Cirko
*
La Famille GoldenCrust – Les Deux de Pique
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. La Galerie – Machine de Cirque
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La Vrille du Chat – Back Pocket
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Life-Cycle – DynamO Théâtre and collectif À deux roux
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Limb(e)s – Ci
*
Mandragora – Jan Jedenak – Theatre of figural forms
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Melancholic Mambo – Thunar Circus
*
Moln – Kompani Giraff
*
MOSS – Formosa Circus Art
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Moya – Zip Zap Circus & Sabine Van Rensburg , Brin Schoellkopf, Samuel Renaud
*
Nowhere – Hybrid Movement Company
*
. O’DD – Race Horse Company
*
. Omnium: A Bold New Circus presents A Celebration of Diversity – Omnium: A Bold New Circus
*
. Oro (móvil) – Circo Dragón / ELCIRCA (Escuela latinoamericana de circo y artes )
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Out Of Chaos – Gravity & Other Myths
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. Out Of Order – Les 7 doigts de la main
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Passagers – Les 7 doigts de la main
*
.
Piste, piste, piste – Portmanteau
*
RagTag: A Circus in Stitches – Cirque Us
*
RAVEN – still hungry
*
RISA-Friction – RISA- Riia Kivimäki & Saku Mäkelä
*
Rustic – Cíclicus Espectacles
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Se prendre – LION LION
*
Serge Fiori, Seul Ensemble – Cirque Éloize
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SIX° – FLIP Fabrique
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Sweat & Ink – Cirque Barcode
*
T∞KY∞ -Too good to be Bug – SLOW CIRCUS PROJECT
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The Denial This is Forever – Eric McGill
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The Pulse – Gravity & Other Myths
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The Room on The Country of Last Things
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The Tao Line – The Muse Brooklyn/ ABCirque
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The Void Is Full of Stuff – Co. Nós No Bambu/ Poema Mühlenberg
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What Am I Worth – Extraordinary Bodies (the partnership between Diverse City and Cirque Bijou)
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WIR WOLLEN NIE NIE NIE – Raum 305
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Wukong: Before the Journey to the West – Formosa Circus Art
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You & I – Casus Circus
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VOTING COMMITTEE Agata Quintero, Executive Director – Escuela de Circo del Caribe Amy Cohen, Founder – Circus Culture Amy Dupain Vashaw, Audience & Program Development Director – Penn State Center for the Performing Arts Andrew Mannion, Artist in Residence of Scenic Design – Union College Anke Politz, Artistic Director – Chämeleon Theatre-Berlin Antonella Casella, Curator – Circus Arts Hub Chantal Djédjé Promotrice culturelle/ directrice – La fabrique Culturelle Charlie Barnett IV, Costume Designer Charlie Burrows, CEO & Founder – International Casting Agency Dong Hee Cho, Director – Seoul Street Arts Creation Center Gabriela Ricardes, Programatrice, Directrice Artistique Gwen Hsin-Yi Chang, Curator for 2021 Weiwuying Circus Platform Howard Richard, Artistic Counselor James Lemons, Executive Director – Lake Placid Center for the Arts Jessica Hentoff, Artistic/Executive Director – Circus Harmony Jodie Adams, Programmer & Producer – Assembly (Edinburgh Fringe) Julia Sanchez , Creative director – Cedacirc A.C Kim Campbell , Chief Content Officer and Editor in Chief – CircusTalk Lea Toran Jenner , Artist Linda Catalano, Quiet Riot – Creative Director/ Executive Producer Lori Jones, Director of Programming and Audience Development – Quick Center for the Arts Marco Antonio Coelho Bortoleto , Director Circus Research Lab (CIRCUS),Associated Professor, PhD – Critac/Enc-MTL /CARP CIRCUS Platform / University of Campinas in Brazil Monique Martin , Independent Producer & Curator Michiko Tanaka, Founder, Director – Setouchi Circus Factory Modou Fata Touré, Artiste de cirque / Directeur artistique SenCirk Nicolas Boivin Gravel, Circus Arts Teacher & Acrobatic Performances Conceptor Nicolas Germaine, Acrobatic Coach Louis Patrick Leroux , Professor and Associate Dean of Research – Concordia University & Montreal Working Group for Circus Research Philippe Bachman, Artistic Director & CEO – La Comete, SCÈNE Nationale Ruth Wikler, Deputy Director of Programming, Circus Arts – Tohu Sosina Wogayehu, Director – Ethiopian Circus Center Thomas Lenglart, Actor and Talent Management Specialist – Ubisoft Vladimir Amigo, Artist Yu-Lun Chiang, Co-Founder – Hsingho Co., Ltd. & HoooH vv .
International Circus Arts Database (ICDB ) – Who’s Who in the Circus Arts Do you study or work professionally in the field of circus and performing arts, or provide products and services to the industry?