This year, for the first time, at the conclusion of the National Puppetry Festival, performers were presented with awards from a judges panel comprised of distinguished artists in puppetry.
Best of the Festival (tie)
ADA/AVA by Manual Cinema & Lunatic Cunning by James Godwin
Best Performance (tie)
Billy the Liar by Toybox Theater with Cripps Puppets & The Joshua Show by Joshua Holden
Best Playwriting
The Reluctant Dragon by David Stephens’ All Hands Productions
Best Direction
D-Generation by Sandglass Theater
Best Design
ADA/AVA by Manual Cinema
Innovation in Puppetry
my dear Lewis by Kyle Loven
The Audience Award for Saturday
The Joshua Show by Joshua Holden
The Audience Award for Afternoon Show
Billy the Liar by Toybox Theater with Cripps Puppets
The Audience Award for Evening Show
Dick Myers’ Cinderella as performed by Seth Nehemiah Shaffer