The Bessies 2024 And 2025 Award Nominations Announced
The announcement event will be co-hosted by George Emilio Sanchez and Nicky Paraiso.
By: A.A. Cristi Jan. 15, 2026
The New York Dance and Performance Awards, known as The Bessies, will mark their 41st year with a public event announcing nominees for the 2024 and 2025 awards, alongside an update on the organization’s restructuring efforts.
The event will take place on Tuesday, January 20, at 7:00 p.m. (ET) at Dixon Place, located at 161A Chrystie Street in Manhattan. Admission is free, though in-person attendance is no longer available.
The event will be co-hosted by George Emilio Sanchez and Nicky Paraiso. In addition to announcing nominees across competitive categories, The Bessies will formally recognize recipients of the Service to the Field of Dance and Lifetime Achievement Awards for both award years.
For 2024, the Service to the Field of Dance award will be presented to Ballet Tech, and the Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Dyane Harvey-Salaam. For 2025, the Service to the Field of Dance award will be presented to Gibney Dance, and the Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Garth Fagan.
Nominations are determined by the Bessie Awards Selection Committee, an independent body of dance artists, presenters, producers, and writers. Eligible performances were presented between April 1, 2023 and March 31, 2024 for the 2024 awards, and between April 1, 2024 and March 31, 2025 for the 2025 awards. Competitive categories include Outstanding Choreographer/Creator, Outstanding Performer, Outstanding Revival, Outstanding Visual Design, Outstanding Sound Design or Music Composition, and Outstanding Breakout Choreographer.
In 2024, The Bessies began a restructuring process focused on long-term sustainability and future growth. Guided by its inaugural Board of Directors, the organization is moving toward independent nonprofit status, strengthening internal operations, and developing partnerships that support New York City’s dance community. As this work continues, The Bessies are currently on hiatus, and the viewing of dance works is temporarily paused as part of this transition.
THE 2024 BESSIE AWARDS NOMINATIONS
Outstanding Choreographer/Creator
Amanda Castro, Arielle Rosales, Brinda Guha
Can We Dance Here?
The Joyce Theater
Mai Le Ho
LayeRhythm: Rhythm Conductor
Nublu
Hyejin Jeong, Sung Hoon Kim, Jaeduk Kim
One Dance
David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center
Chanon Judson and mame Diarra Speis of Urban Bush Women
Haint Blu
St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, Harlem
Wanjiru Kamuyu
A disguised welcome… aka An Immigrant’s Story
The Chocolate Factory Theater
nia love
UNDERcurrents
Harlem Stage
Kyle Marshall
Onyx
The Joyce Theater
Sydnie L. Mosley, et al
PURPLE: A Ritual In Nine Spells
Clark Theater at Lincoln Center
Koma Otake
You
Danspace Project
Shamel Pitts | TRIBE
Touch of RED
New York Live Arts
Annie Rigney
Get Up My Daughter (for Martha Graham Company)
The Joyce Theater
Hofesh Shechter
Cave (for Martha Graham Company)
The Joyce Theater
Outstanding Revival
Big Apple Contest (1939)
Frankie Manning, restaged by Evita Arce, Latasha Barnes, Nathan Bugh, Caleb Teicher, and Eyal Vilner as part of SW!NG OUT
The Joyce Theater
Castor & Pollux (1980)
Mark Morris
The Joyce Theater
Dance (1979)
Lucinda Childs
New York City Center
The Rite of Spring (1975)
Pina Bausch, restaged with a specially created ensemble of dancers from countries across Africa
Park Avenue Armory
Outstanding Visual Design
Bob Crowley (sets), Natasha Katz (lighting), Luke Halls (projections)
Like Water for Chocolate, American Ballet Theatre
Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center
Reid & Harriet Design and Andrew Jordan (costume)
JEUX + A CHILD’S TALE, Christopher Williams
Baryshnikov Arts Center
Janet Wong (video design) and Robert Wierzel (lighting design)
Curriculum II, Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company
New York Live Arts
Tuçe Yasak (installation and lighting design), Hao Bai (video design)
Whale Fall Oracle, mayfield brooks
Performance Space New York
Outstanding Performer
LaTasha Barnes
SW!NG OUT!, Caleb Teicher and their Braintrust
The Joyce Theater
Lena Engelstein
Deepe Darknesse, Lisa Fagan and Lena Engelstein
The Collapsable Hole
Tamisha Guy
Rain (1989), Bebe Miller/A.I.M by Kyle Abraham
The Joyce Theater
Paul Hamilton
CEREMONIA, Antonio Ramos
Abrons Arts Center
Dyane Harvey
PURPLE: A Ritual In Nine Spells, Sydnie L. Mosley Dances
Clark Theater at Lincoln Center
Barrington Hinds
Curriculum II, Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company
New York Live Arts
Catherine Hurlin
Like Water for Chocolate, Christopher Wheeldon/American Ballet Theatre
Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center
Abdiel
Fort Greene Park
Edisa Weeks
3 Rites: Liberty, Edisa Weeks/DELIRIOUS Dances
Mark O’Donnell Theater
Ensemble
The Rite of Spring, Pina Bausch
Park Avenue Armory
Ensemble
Weathering, Faye Driscoll
New York Live Arts
Ensemble: The Missing Element
The Beatbox House
Works & Process at SummerStage in Marcus Garvey Park
Outstanding Breakout Choreographer
Baye & Asa
Fadi Khouri
Tiler Peck
Ogemdi Ude
Outstanding Sound Design or Musical Composition
Amanda Castro, Arielle Rosales, Brinda Guha, Ryan Stanbury, Okai Musik, AJ Jagannath
Can We Dance Here?, Soles of Duende
The Joyce Theater
yuniya edi kwon, Haruko Crow Nishimura, Joshua Kohl
Boy mother/faceless bloom, Juni One Set
New York Live Arts
Okwui Okpokwasili, Peter Born, Will Johnson, Deah Love Harriott
adaku, part 1: the road opens
BAM Fisher
Eyal Vilner Big Band
SW!NG OUT!
The Joyce Theater
THE 2025 BESSIE AWARDS NOMINATIONS
Outstanding Choreographer/Creator
Camille A. Brown
I am
The Joyce Theater
Rennie Harris
Jacob’s Ladder (for Dayton Contemporary Dance Company)
The Joyce Theater
Akram Khan
GIGENIS
The Joyce Theater
Ralph Lemon and Darrell Jones
Low
MoMA PS1
Lar Lubovitch
Many Angels (for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater)
New York City Center
Arturo Lyons and Omari Wiles
CATS: “The Jellicle Ball”
Perelman Performing Arts Center
Dianne McIntyre
In the Same Tongue
The Apollo Stages at The Victoria Theater
Earl Mosley
Unleashed
Ailey Citigroup Theater
Yoko Murakami
BLINK
Triskelion Arts
TweetBoogie
The TweetBoogie Experience
Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture
Urban Bush Women
Scat!..The Complex Lives of Al & Dot, Dot & Al Zollar
Perelman Performing Arts Center
Waacking Community (curated by Princess Lockeroo)
Fabulous Waacking Festival Winter Edition
Imperial Ballroom Dance Studio
Outstanding Revival
Big Bertha (1970)
Paul Taylor American Dance Company
The Joyce Theater
Grace (1999)
Ron Brown (for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater)
New York City Center
Quartiers libres revisited (2012)
Nadia Beugré
New York Live Arts
Recuerdo de Campo Amor (1985)
Talley Beatty (for Ballet Hispánico)
New York City Center
Outstanding Visual Design
Ximena Garnica and Shige Moriya
Set, Film, Costume
LEIMAY
HERE Arts Center
Jill Sigman
Set Design
Re-Seeding (Encounter #4: The Seamstress)
Out-FRONT! Festival at Judson Memorial Church
Clifton Taylor
Lighting
Many Angels, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
New York City Center
Cao Yuxi (JAMES)
Set Design
Dear Lord, Make Me Beautiful, Kyle Abraham
Park Avenue Armory
Outstanding Performer
Khalia Campbell
High Life, Ronald K. Brown/Evidence
The Joyce Theater
Shaquelle Charles
In the Same Tongue, Dianne McIntyre Group
The Apollo Stages at The Victoria Theater
Jeffrey Cirio / Yue Shi
Ein von Viel, Sabrina Matthews for Boston Ballet
New York City Center
Jacquelin Harris
Many Angels, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
New York City Center
Demetia Hopkins
In the Same Tongue, Dianne McIntyre Group
The Apollo Stages at The Victoria Theater
Niall Jones
JohnsonJaxxonJefferson
Danspace Project
Joy-Marie Thompson
JOYBOY
Triskelion Arts
King Molasses
Untitled 8/2 (Live) – Kendrick Lamar
Bushwig
Jake Roxander
Onegin, John Cranko/American Ballet Theatre
Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center
Symara Sarai
I want it to rain inside
New York Live Arts
Cast of CATS: “The Jellicle Ball”
Perelman Performing Arts Center
House of Juicy + House of Telfar
Performance as a House
The Whitney Museum
Outstanding Breakout Choreographer
Wendell Gray II
Amy Hall Garner
Ishita Mili
Anh Vo
Outstanding Sound Design or Musical Composition
Justin Ellington (sound design)
I am, Camille A. Brown
The Joyce Theater
Angie Pittman (singing), Cody Jensen (music composition)
Black Life Chord Changes, Angie Pittman
Out-FRONT! Festival at BAM Fisher Hillman Studio
Dave Price
GIGENIS, Akram Khan
The Joyce Theater
Mel Mercier (composer)
Begin Anywhere, John Scott
Irish Arts Center
ABOUT THE BESSIES
The New York Dance and Performance Awards have honored outstanding and groundbreaking creative work in the dance field for 41 years. Known as The Bessies in honor of dance educator Bessie Schönberg, the awards recognize choreography, performance, music composition, visual design, legacy, and service to the field of dance. Nominees are selected annually by an independent committee of artists, presenters, producers, and writers.
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