Did you have to see Mothers and Sons at Zach to realize what a consummate and serious actor Burke is? Because you were so used to his acerbically hilarious tour-de-force as Crumpet the Elf in the annual production of David Sedaris' Santaland Diaries? Well, now you know – it's not all in the timing, it's also in the skill and concentration and sheer, relentless talent that this popular performer brings to whatever role he's cast in.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Burke

view this award on its own page ›

Meandering: The human activity of meandering binds the two winners of this category. You'll need a map to navigate the entirety of East Austin Studio Tour (but if you hit the artist-dense Pump Project and Canopy, you'll have plenty to see), while the Pecan Street Festival is easy (as long as you remember that Sixth street used to go by a different name). Either way, you'll be up-close and personal with the artists and craftsfolk whose wares you're perusing – the best way, by any stretch of the legs, to see and buy art.

East Austin Studio Tour
916 Springdale Bldg. 2 #101
512/939-6665
www.eastaustinstudiotour.com

Pecan Street Festival
Sixth Street from Brazos to I-35
www.pecanstreetfestival.org

view this award on its own page ›

We raise a chorus of hallelujahs to the vault of heaven when considering the vocal wonders this world-premiering, Grammy-winning, Billboard-charting choral group led by the ever-ebullient Craig Hella Johnson has done in and for our music-loving town. Whether working with outside composers (Nico Muhly) or guest vocalists (Ruthie Foster) or just doing their own glorious eclectic thing, Conspirare not only breathes but soars on wings of polyphonous song.

Conspirare
505 E. Huntland #155
512/476-5775
www.conspirare.org

view this award on its own page ›

Walk into Gail Chovan's Blackmail Boutique on SoCo and you will immediately sense history on a hanger. There are the broad sweeping lines of Gothic architecture evinced in a lengthy dress – her inspiration, perhaps, coming from Notre Dame and the other buildings in Paris, where Chovan often summers. And then there's this meticulous maven's punky pomo deconstruction, a call-out to our contemporary moment. Regardless, Chovan is blessed with the broad sweep (of history).

Blackmail
1202 S. Congress
512/804-5881
www.blackmailboutique.com

view this award on its own page ›

With a lean toward sci-fi and the surreal, Tim Doyle’s work is delightfully out of this world. Star Wars and superhero fans alike will want a print (or five) of his fan art, and Doyle’s concert posters would make stylish additions to any music lover’s home. As a kid, Doyle only found joy “in comic books and television and video games.” Thankfully for the rest of us, he’s brought that joy to the Austin art scene.

512/940-3838
www.mrdoyle.com

view this award on its own page ›

Austin's Teutonic-looking maestro with the long hair and snazzy suits, ah, is there a busier composer in the Western world? Writing scores for feature films, conjuring soundtracks for theatre and dance companies, journeying to Japan to provide music for Allison Orr's choreographing of a professional baseball team, partnering with Peter Stopschinski to raise the roof with their Golden Hornet Project, readying to wrap up the final part of his Marfa Triptych, holding down a monthlong residency with his Golden Arm Trio at Dive Bar in August – no wonder our readers give Reynolds the biggest ups here.

Graham Reynolds
www.grahamreynolds.com

view this award on its own page ›

Artistic Director Stephen Mills exploded onto the Austin arts scene during the 1999-2000 season, eventually landing his current role, attracting attention across the country with his world-premiere production of Hamlet, featuring the music of Philip Glass. The show returned for the 2015 season. Mills' sinewy, sexy, (and not infrequently, sassy) work can be seen in the upcoming Snow White or in the perennially popular Nutcracker. The company doesn't just keep audiences on the edge of their seats, they also make Austin dance positively interactive. Visit them once and you will see, from baby ballerinas doing pliés and tendus to Pilates professionals doing twists and reaches. The studios are massive, as is the schedule of classes and workshops. Whether you are interested in ballet, hip-hop, hula, jazz, or simply just working out, Ballet Austin spreads the love of dance and invites the public in.

Ballet Austin
501 W. Third
512/476-9151
balletaustin.org

view this award on its own page ›

Establishing a space for the visual legacy of female artists isn't just a mission, it's a vision. For over 37 years (and still going strong), Women & Their Work has been an exhibition space for contemporary art that is innovative and original. Their yearly open calls ensure that their programming ranges in material and content, and their 1,700-square-foot gallery is perfect for site-responsive works, such as the dark and moody cityscape in Kira Lynn Harris' Glittering Dystopias.

Women & Their Work
1311 E. Cesar Chavez
512/477-1064
womenandtheirwork.org

view this award on its own page ›

From the small stage to the big screen to the fine print, Owen Egerton has razed a long-running trail of hilarity through Austin. While best known for co-founding Master Pancake, his comedic skill shines through in his writing, How Best to Avoid Dying and Everyone Says That at the End of the World. Warner Brothers also has a fondness for Egerton, and is developing a TV series based on his novel The Book of Harold.

www.owenegerton.com

view this award on its own page ›

This year's been a year of heady experimentation for the BedPost Confessions crew. The groundbreaking show is now held quarterly, making room for new ventures such as (un)Spoken, a venue for the topics rarely touched upon in polite conversation (mental illness, pregnancy, the loss of love). We sense a pupal metamorphosis … a new becoming, and with it, even more opportunities to stun Austin audiences with the power of story.

Bedpost Confessions
www.bedpostconfessions.com

view this award on its own page ›

What it is about Zach Theatre that grabs the attention of dramaphiles not just locally but across the country? Well, the sizzle's in the Steakley. For almost a quarter of a century, Dave Steakley has been staging plays that dazzle eyes and ears while engaging hearts and minds. Whether he's reimagining a classic, as with his contemporary pop-infused A Christmas Carol, mounting an epic look back at history, as with his regional premiere of the Tony Award-winning civil rights drama All the Way, or providing an intimate look at family, as in the domestic drama Mothers and Sons, Zach's producing artistic director makes theatre that's vibrant and vital. On the shores of Lady Bird Lake, he's built a powerhouse playhouse.

Dave Steakley
Topfer Theatre at Zach
202 S. Lamar
zachtheatre.org

view this award on its own page ›