FRIGID New York Reveals Winners Of 2026 New York City Fringe Festival Awards

FRIGID New York announces recipients of their annual New York City Fringe Festival Awards, which were bestowed to the winning festival participants at the closing night ceremony of the 2026 New York City Fringe Festival on Sunday, April 19th at Parkside Lounge.

Sell Out Awards

Awarded to shows that sold out at least one performance.
Follower; How to Poop in an Outhouse at -72°F; LIPSTICK; Muslim Writers Collective: LIVE; Notes on Collagen; Our Price to Pay; Panic In The Bathroom; PERRA PUTA LOCA BRUJA: A Latina's Reclamation Journey; Squire D. Rathbone, Esq.; Stations of Life; The Meeting; The Most Normal of My Weird Friends; The Village Cidiot; Thoughts & Prayers; WHO DOES YOUR LAUNDRY?; XOXO: Love Letters from NYC.

Total Sell Out

Awarded to shows that sold out every performance.
Apoloholics: Based On True Stories of People Who Apologize Too Much; Book Club; Desi SNL; Portia and Ellen; The Sexiest Man Alive.

Biggest Box Office

Awarded to the shows that earned the most in box office sales, for their venue.
Book Club (Overall Winner); PERRA PUTA LOCA BRUJA: A Latina's Reclamation Journey (Chain Studio); Stations of Life (UNDER St. Marks); The Total Veronica Experience (The Rat NYC); Thoughts & Prayers (Chain Mainstage); Book Club (wild project).

Extension Award

Awarded to shows who have been invited to participate in other FRIGID New York festivals this season.
Our Price to Pay (Queerly); The Last Audition (Little Shakes); The Third Choice (Gotham); PERRA PUTA LOCA BRUJA: A Latina's Reclamation Journey (Gotham); The Village Cidiot (Gotham); How to Poop in an Outhouse at -72°F (Gotham).

Audience Choice Award

Voted on by audience members and awarded to the local and touring shows with the most votes, for their venue.
Portia and Ellen (UNDER St. Marks, Local Artist); How to Poop in an Outhouse at -72°F (UNDER St. Marks, Touring Artist); Book Club (wild project, Local Artist); The Sexiest Man Alive (wild project, Touring Artist); Thoughts & Prayers (Chain Mainstage, Local Artist); Apoloholics: Based On True Stories of People Who Apologize Too Much (Chain Mainstage, Local Artist); ECHOS OF MY SILENCE (Chain Mainstage, Touring Artist); Your Love Isn't Love (Chain Studio, Local Artist); The Village Cidiot (Chain Studio, Touring Artist); Black Trashbag Magic (The Rat NYC, Local Artist); Presley Tweed: Fancy AF (The Rat NYC, Touring Artist).

Staff Choice

Voted on by NYC Fringe Festival staff members and awarded to the show with the most votes, for their venue.
How To Become a Saint (While Wearing Pants) (Overall Winner); House of Waffle (Chain Mainstage); WHO DOES YOUR LAUNDRY? (Chain Studio); Presley Tweed: Fancy AF (The Rat NYC); How to Poop in an Outhouse at -72°F (UNDER St. Marks); How To Become a Saint (While Wearing Pants) (wild project).

Theatre Beyond Broadway Critics Choice Award

These awards were chosen by the review staff of Theatre Beyond Broadway, official media sponsors of the 2026 New York City Fringe Festival.
Outstanding Solo Performance: All the Rage; Outstanding Ensemble: DESI SNL; Outstanding Direction: Megan Lummus for Crosswords; Excellence in New Work: soft.belly; Excellence in Technical Achievement: Matthew Hallock for How to Poop in an Outhouse at -72°F; Spirit of the Fringe Award: A Stan is Born; Spirit of the Fringe Award: Lunatic.

Special NYC Fringe Awards

These special awards are in honor of NYC Fringe Festival staff members who have passed on, but whose spirit lives on in these exemplary festival artists.

Hummingbird Favorite

For an artist that puts it all into their work to make the magic. Awarded to Hope Brannon from Slut Liturgy.

Jill Meirsch Spirit of the Festival Award