2012 MAC Awards Winners Announced - Full Awards List

The Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs announced the winners of the 2012 MAC Awards last night at the 26th Annual MAC Awards Show. The awards ceremony was held at B.B. King Blues Club, and the show was directed by Lennie Watts and produced by Julie Miller.

Awards in 23 categories were presented, including two brand new categories: Benefit, and Show of the Year. The winners of the MAC Awards were not known in advance to anyone other than the accounting firm, which is sworn to strict secrecy. Because even MAC does not know who the winners will be before the envelopes are opened on stage, every single nominee was rehearsed in advance so that they were prepared to take the stage and perform a song in the event they won an award.

Each year, MAC selects special honorees to be celebrated at the MAC Awards for their exemplary contributions to the cabaret community and beyond. This year, the theme of the MAC Awards show is The Year of the Songwriter. The honorees of the evening are all critically praised audience favorites, whose songs fill the cabaret venues every night of the year.

The winners are:

FEMALE VOCALIST
Janice Hall

MALE VOCALIST
Craig Pomranz

MAJOR ARTIST – MALE
Eric Michael Gillett

MAJOR ARTIST – FEMALE OR DUO
Terese Genecco

CELEBRITY ARTIST
Marilyn Maye

NEW YORK DEBUT – FEMALE
Lauren Fox

NEW YORK DEBUT – MALE
T. Oliver Reid

MUSICAL COMEDY PERFORMER / IMPERSONATION / CHARACTERIZATION
Joan Jaffe

DUO / GROUP
Tommy Femia & Rick Skye

VARIETY PRODUCTION / RECURRING SERIES
Wednesday Night at the Iguana

OPEN MIC
Salon

HOST – VARIETY SHOW / SERIES OR OPEN MIC
Dana Lorge

BENEFIT
Cabaret Cares

REVUE / SPECIAL PRODUCTION
Metrostar Talent Challenge

PIANO BAR / RESTAURANT SINGING ENTERTAINER
Alison Nusbaum

PIANO BAR / RESTAURANT INSTRUMENTALIST
Bill Zeffiro

MUSICAL DIRECTOR
Tracy Stark

DIRECTOR
Peter Napolitano

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
Jean-Pierre Perreaux

SONG
He’s On His Way: Music by Robby Stamper, lyrics by Ariana Rose

SPECIAL MUSICAL MATERIAL
Universal Truth: Music and lyrics by Bill Zeffiro

RECORDING
H2 (Sean Harkness, Mike Herriott): Home For The Holidays

SHOW OF THE YEAR
Terese Genecco: Terese Genecco & Her Little Big Band – Iridium

In addition to the winners of the above awards, MAC awarded six special honors, including:

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD presented to Ervin Drake by Phil Ramone
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD presented to David Friedman by Lucie Arnaz
BOARD OF DIRECTORS AWARD presented to Francesca Blumenthal by Sidney Myer
BOARD OF DIRECTORS AWARD presented to John Bucchino by Julie Miller
BOARD OF DIRECTORS AWARD presented to Julie Gold by Thomas Honeck
HANSON AWARD presented to Rosemary Loar by Lennie Watts

For more information about the Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs, please visit www.macnyc.com