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Tonight, Sunday 17 March, the 2013 Fringe Awards were awarded to the best shows, artists and venues at this year’s Adelaide Fringe. 80 arts industry judges spent the past 4 weeks seeing hundreds of Fringe shows from all genres and visiting over a hundred art exhibitions.

Adelaide Fringe Director Greg Clarke congratulated all of the winners and nominees saying that the plethora of amazing shows this year had made all of the judge’s jobs incredibly difficult. Mr. Clarke said “This year’s Adelaide Fringe saw a wealth of talent unlike anything we’ve ever experienced before, from both returning Fringe artists and those performing and exhibiting in the Fringe for the first time, there were so many worthy winners.”

The coveted BankSA Pick of the Fringe Award ended up being given to two circus productions, Circolombia and Limbo. “We really want to thank all those who contribute to the prizes given as part of the awards, particularly to BankSA who contribute so much and to Underbelly who make it possible for one show to go over to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe,” Mr. Clarke said.

Artists receive cash prizes totaling $25,000 thanks to the generous support of Principal Partner BankSA, Adelaide Fringe, Underbelly, Erin Svigos Award, Adelaide Festival Centre and the Melbourne Fringe. Please see below for the full list of awards and winners.

Media Contacts:
Jeff Smith
0402 677 389
jeff@jpmedia.com.au

Emily Rice
0422 061 346
emily@adelaidefringe.com.au

*** ADELAIDE FRINGE AWARD WINNERS 2013 ***

BankSA Pick of the Fringe Award
Circolombia – Arts Projects Australia

BankSA Pick of the Fringe Award
Limbo – Strut & Fret, Underbelly Productions & Southbank Centre

BankSA TalkFringe Award
3 – MindBlown Productions

BankSA Best Cabaret
Tommy Bradson: Sweet Sixteen or The Birthday Party Massacre – Better Bradley Productions

BankSA Best Circus & Physical Theatre
Fright or Flight – The Birdcage & 3 is a Crowd
Sxip Shirey, for the music in Limbo [SPECIAL COMMENDATION]

BankSA Best Comedy
Kitty Flanagan: Hello Kitty Flanagan – A-List Entertainment

BankSA Best Comedy – Emerging
Wolf Creek: The Musical – SPUR

BankSA Best Dance
Life in Miniature – Anything Is Valid Dance Theatre

BankSA Best Music
Idea of North – The Idea of North

BankSA Best Theatre Performer
Lucy Hopkins – Le Foulard

BankSA Best Theatre Production
The Book of Loco – Alirio Zavarce & Sasha Zahra in association w/ Loose Canon Art Services
Sweet Child of Mine – Last Tuesday Society [SPECIAL COMMENDATION] 

BankSA Best Presentation for Children
Squaring the Wheel - Jens Altheimer
Chipolatas present “Gentlemen of the Road“ [SPECIAL COMMENDATION]

BankSA Best Visual Art & Design
TAR – Tony Kearney

BankSA Best Venue
Birdwood Exhibition Centre

Adelaide Festival Centre inSPACE: Development Award
The Book of Loco – Alirio Zavarce & Sasha Zahra in association w/ Loose Canon Art Services

Eran Svigos Award for Best Visual Art
Jess Dare – The Nature of Memory

Underbelly Edinburgh Award
Breaker – Solid Svid Theatre Company

Tour Ready Award – supported by Melbourne Fringe
Homage to Uncertainty – Emma Beech

John Chattaway Innovation Award
Leo – Arts Projects Australia

The Adelaide Critics Circle Best in Fringe Award
Glory Dazed – Holden Street Theatre Co Inc. & Second Shot Productions

The full list of nominees for the 2013 Fringe Awards can be found HERE

Announcing the success of this year’s Fringe, Director & Chief Executive, Greg Clarke said, “With a similar number of events as last year, but with those events being spread out over four weeks, audiences had a full extra week to experience shows recommended by their friends, family and the media.”

Mr. Clarke believes this year’s extraordinary success is due to the genuine enthusiasm of South Australians, exciting venues, accessible ticket prices but most importantly the high number of amazing shows.

This year, 92 Fringe shows were awarded four or more stars by The Advertiser with 10 receiving five star reviews. These included ‘smash hit’ circus shows Limbo and Freefall, theatre productions Leo and Angry Young Man, cabaret shows Frisky & Mannish Extra Curricular Activities and East End Cabaret: Notoriously Kinky; and comedians Arj Barker and Danny Bhoy.

Through FringeTIX, 1,024 performances sold out 90% or more of available tickets with 936 of those performances selling out 95%.

Mr. Clarke also highlighted that the talent and commitment of inaugural Fringe Ambassador Paul McDermott has significantly increased national media coverage resulting in increased audiences.

Minister Assisting the Minister for the Arts, the Hon. Chloë Fox said, “Once again, the Adelaide Fringe has confirmed its world class status. Record crowds have enjoyed the sheer energy, dynamism and excitement of this event. The South Australian Government is proud to be a part of this open-access festival.”

Fringe Chair Judy Potter added, “This year’s Fringe has been absolutely brilliant and these extraordinary ticket sales reaffirm its status as the most popular and diverse arts festival in Australia. As an open-access event with accessible ticket prices and hundreds of free events, the Adelaide Fringe is truly a festival for everyone.”

Adelaide Fringe’s Principal Partner BankSA, which recently announced renewed sponsorship of the Fringe for a further four years, also helped increased ticket sales through their Support Act program.

BankSA Managing Director Jane Kittel explained “This is an initiative in which BankSA supports those more unknown artists, by subsidising their ticket prices to keep those tickets at a low $10. 2,000 tickets were subsidised for nearly 120 different shows.”

Adelaide Fringe 2013 will conclude this Sunday 17 March with the Awards Ceremony held in the Fringe Club at which over $25,000 worth of prizes will be handed out to Fringe artists.

See the Adelaide Fringe 2013 award nominations here

The Adelaide Fringe Awards celebrate and recognise outstanding contemporary arts practice. Award winners are determined by a panel of expert industry professionals and peers. Adelaide Fringe celebrates innovation, collaborations, unique audience experiences, artistic excellence and originality. Read more about the Adelaide Fringe Awards >>

Winners will be announced at the Adelaide Fringe Awards on Sunday 17 March 2013, follow us on Twitter or Facebook for the live announcements.

BANKSA AWARD – BEST MUSIC

Between the Lines - Geordie Little
Idea of North
The Magnets : Homegrown
The Ray Charles Experience - Movin’ Melvin Brown
Tom Thum – Beating The Habit - Strut & Fret Production House

BANKSA AWARD – BEST CABARET

Candice McQueen: Nasty! - Melbourne Cabaret Festival
Geraldine Quinn – You’re the Voice: Songs for the Ordinary by an Anthemaniac
Tommy Bradson – Sweet Sixteen or The Birthday Party Massacre - Better Bradley Productions
TRIXIE AND MONKEY – FLIPPING AND STRIPPING - Flash in the Can & Pop-Up Productions

BANKSA AWARD – BEST THEATRE PRODUCTION

Angry Young Man - Holden Street Theatre Co Inc. & Mahwaff Theatre Co.
The Book of Loco - Alirio Zavarce & Sasha Zahra in association with Loose Canon Art Services
Le Foulard -  Lucy Hopkins
Leo - Arts Projects Australia

BANKSA AWARD – BEST THEATRE PERFORMER

Alirio Zavarce – The Book of Loco
Angry Young Man (ensemble)
Lucy Hopkins - Le Foulard
Tobias Wegner – Leo

BANKSA AWARD – BEST DANCE

East, Woman Shifting on the Time Axis - Water Reflection Dance Ensemble & The Garage International
Life in Miniature - Anything Is Valid Dance Theatre
Rip Drag Ruminate - Adelaide College of the Arts
Symphony of Strange - Gareth Hart

BANKSA AWARD – BEST CIRCUS & PHYSICAL THEATRE

The Candy Butchers - Strut & Fret Production House
Circolombia - Arts Projects Australia
Fright or Flight - The Birdcage and 3 is a Crowd
Limbo - Strut & Fret, Underbelly Productions and Southbank Centre
A Simple Space - Gravity & Other Myths

BANKSA AWARD – BEST PRESENTATION FOR CHILDREN

Chipolatas present ‘Gentlemen of the Road’
Squaring the Wheel - Jens Altheimer

BANKSA AWARD – BEST VENUE

The Birdcage
Birdwood Exhibition Centre
Howl the Moon
Tuxedo Cat

BANKSA AWARD – BEST COMEDY

Arj Barker – Go Time - Mary Tobin Presents
Celia Pacquola Delayed - Adams Management
A Little Less Conversation – Dave Callan
Kitty Flanagan – Hello Kitty Flanagan - A-List Entertainment
Sammy J – Potentially - Laughing Stock Productions

BANKSA AWARD – BEST COMEDY – EMERGING

Amos Gill: You’ve Changed
Georgie Carroll: Nurse Case Scenario
Kel Balnaves – Stop It! I don’t like it.
Thomas Green – Sign of the Times
Wolf Creek : The Musical

BANKSA AWARD – BEST VISUAL ART AND DESIGN

Forestal - Nic Brown
Helpmann Academy Graduate Exhibition 2013 - Helpmann Academy for the Visual & Performing Arts
The Nature of Memory - Jess Dare
Tar - Tony Kearney

BANKSA TALKFRINGE AWARD

3 – MindBlown Productions
Pants Down Circus – Pants Down Productions
Golden Phung Sell Out – INafield Production
Amos Gill: You’ve Changed
Jason Pestell: Let’s Go

The prize for the above awards is $500 generously donated by BankSA.

Other Awards being awarded at the Adelaide Fringe 2013 Awards include:

ERAN SVIGOS AWARD FOR BEST VISUAL ART

Nic Brown - Forestal
Jess Dare - The Nature of Memory

BANKSA AWARD – PICK OF THE FRINGE

Limbo - Strut & Fret, Underbelly Productions and Southbank Centre
Glory Dazed – Holden Street Theatre Co Inc. & Second Shot Productions
Freefall – Gravity & Other Myths
Leo - Arts Projects Australia
Circolombia - Arts Projects Australia
Le Foulard -  Lucy Hopkins
Tommy Bradson – Sweet Sixteen or The Birthday Party Massacre - Better Bradley Productions

No Shortlists:
ADELAIDE CRITICS CIRCLE BEST IN FRINGE AWARD
JOHN CHATAWAY INNOVATION AWARD
ADELAIDE FESTIVAL CENTRE inSPACE:development AWARD
TOUR READY AWARD – SUPPORTED BY MELBOURNE FRINGE
UNDERBELLY EDINBURGH AWARD