ISLAND CITY STAGE to Receive Carbonell Awards' Bill von Maurer Honor

Gary Schweikhart, board president of the Carbonell Awards, South Florida's Theater & Arts Honors, has announced the recipient of the last of nine Special Awards that will be presented at the 49th annual Carbonell Awards Ceremony on Monday, November 16, at 7:30 pm at FAU's University Theatre in Boca Raton 33431.

'While we will be honoring specific people and productions in 20 competitive categories from approximately 100 shows presented between September 2025 and August 2026, the Carbonell board of directors has unanimously voted to also bestow this Special Award,' said Schweikhart.

THE George Abbott AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN THE ARTS

Stuart Meltzer, Founding Artistic Director of Zoetic Stage.

THE CHRISTINE DOLEN AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING DEBUT

Ali Tallman, Director of The 39 Steps for New City Players.

THE Jan McArt AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING SMALL THEATRE

Brévo Theatre

THE Vinnette Carroll AWARD FOR ADVANCING DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

Our Fund Foundation

THE Charlie Cinnamon AWARD

Michelle F. Solomon

THE RUTH FOREMAN AWARD

Margaret M. Ledford

THE BILL HINDMAN AWARD

Elena Maria Garcia

THE HOWARD KLEINBERG AWARD

Theatre Educators Inspiring the Next Generation

Gary Cadwallader, Palm Beach Dramaworks

Jairo Ontiveros, Arsht Center for the Performing Arts

Lori Slade Sessions, South Florida Cappies

STILL TO BE ANNOUNCED

120 Carbonell Award Finalists in 20 Categories – September 15

All the 2026 Special Award recipients were nominated by members of South Florida's theatre community with the Carbonell Board of Directors making the final selection. The 120 Carbonell Award Finalists will be based on accumulated scores from the nonprofit organization's pool of nearly 50 experienced and diverse volunteer judges—with seven judges from various counties assigned to each show. During the 2025-2026 season, Carbonell judges evaluated approximately 100 professional productions at more than 30 theatres throughout Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties.

This season's Carbonell Awards will be presented on November 16 at a glittery ceremony that is South Florida's version of Broadway's Tony Awards. Hundreds of actors, musicians, performers, writers, directors, back-stage technicians, producers, critics, designers, specialty artists, and diehard theater fans are expected to attend. The event is being produced and directed by Andrew Kato, Producing Artistic Director/Chief Executive of the Maltz Jupiter Theatre, with the award-winning Caryl Fantel serving as Music Director and Eloisa M. Ferrer as Coordinating Producer. Tickets for the ceremony and after party are only $45 and will go on public sale in mid-October.

Sponsors of the 49th Annual Carbonell Awards ceremony and after party include the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts; Aventura Arts & Cultural Center; BroadwayWorld; Broward Center for the Performing Arts; Broward Cultural Division; Carbonell Sculptures Ltd.; Cultural Council for Palm Beach County; Donald M. Ephraim Sun & Stars International Film Festival presented by MorseLife Health System; Florida Atlantic University Department of Theatre & Dance; Kravis Center for the Performing Arts; Legends Radio; Lesser, Landy, Smith & Siegel – Florida Injury Lawyers; Miami-Dade County Auditorium, The Dennis C. Moss Center; OutClique Magazine; South Florida Cultural Consortium; South Florida Theatre League; Mark Traverso & Conor Walton; Donald R. Walters, P.A.; and The Wick Theatre & Costume Museum.

ABOUT THE CARBONELL AWARDS

The Carbonell Awards fosters the artistic growth of professional theater in South Florida by celebrating the excellence and diversity of our theater artists, providing scholarships, and building audience appreciation and civic pride by highlighting achievements of our theater community. More than 30 professional theater companies in Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach Counties participate in the awards process every year. The Carbonell Awards also celebrate the accomplishments of local artistic leaders by presenting various Special Awards.

Along with New York's Drama Desk and Chicago's Joseph Jefferson Awards, the Carbonell Awards are among the nation's oldest regional arts awards and predate others, including Washington, D.C.'s Helen Hayes Awards. The Carbonell Awards are named after the internationally renowned sculptor Manuel Carbonell, who designed the signature solid bronze and marble award given annually to Carbonell Award winners. Over nearly half a century, the Carbonell family has donated more than $250,000 in awards. For more information, please visit www.carbonellawards.org.

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