The New Zealand Fringe Festival completed its 2022 programme with an online digital awards ceremony celebrating the outstanding efforts and achievements of the boldest and brightest artists during the festival under ‘Red Light’. Proudly celebrating its unique position as one of the only national arts festivals to deliver a majority of its live programme this Summer, the festival wrapped it’s three week run showcasing 321 live performances across 30 venues as well as 28 digital shows as part of the 2022 programme for audiences to enjoy.

Festival Director Vanessa Stacey says “In another unprecedented year for the arts and the New Zealand Fringe Festival, I couldn't possibly be prouder of all of the remarkably hard-fought mahi and endless aroha from our passionate festival team, all of our outstanding venues, each and every incredibly talented, tenacious artist, and all of our front of house and volunteers, who participate in the safe delivery of this 2022 season of NZ Fringe. We are so delighted, that against all odds, we were still able to have put nearly $180,000 back into the pockets of our Fringe artists thanks to box office profit, funding and donations support. Last night’s online awards were a chance for us to come together safely and celebrate this community, the artists and their cutting-edge, innovative new works, while also honouring all of those works that are yet to come. It was a joyful way to end what can only be described as an incredible season.”

The digital awards ceremony were hosted online on Facebook and YouTube and saw the eighteen coveted awards presented in tandem with shoutout videos from festival partners, sponsors and even a video skit submission from His Worship, Mayor Andy Foster.

Please find the list of 2022 award nominees and winners below.

The Nominees for the Most Innovative Work Award supported by Wellington Airport

1. Band Sensations with Stanley Manthyng, Scenic Album Tour at Sea (WINNER)
2. Drink Violin
3. Quantium Tangerine
4. The Veiled Isle

The Nominees for the Grand Design Award Award supported by Inject Design

1. LOOPS (WINNER)
2. The Shit Show
3. Wendybird
4. Gag Reflex

The Nominees for the Outstanding Solo Performance Award supported by Gibson Sheat

1. Rachel Atlas - Gag Reflex
2. Ana Scotney - ScatterGun (WINNER)
3. Emma Barrett - Community
4. Cole Hampton - A Landfill Majority

The Nominees for the Momentus Movement Award supported by NZME 

1. Sublime Interludes (WINNER)
2. LOOPS
3. Clone Like
4. H.Y.P.E (How You Perceive Energy) 

The Nominees for the Most Promising Pacifika Artist Award supported by Creative New Zealand

1. Jthan Morgan (Presenting The Tiwhas)
2. Patrick Godinet (i/O)
3. Matt Fagaloa (Survivor Street Dance Edition)
4. Viki Moananu (The Ghost Show) (WINNER)

The Nominees for the Most Promising Emerging Company Award supported by BATS Theatre 

1. Ghostlight Productions (The Tiwhas) (WINNER)
2. Company Hiraeth (Loops)
3. UKU (HYPE)
4. Blue Flicker Productions (Wendybird)

The Nominees for the Most Promising Emerging Artist Award supported by New Zealand Fringe Festival

1. Daniel Nodder - (Smilestuff, Survivor Street Dance Edition)
2. Jacob Banks (WendyBird, Music Sounds Better Out Here, Milk of the Gods) (WINNER)
3. Liz Butler - (Spitz and Crumple, Shaping Up)
4. Bentley Stevenson - (Wet Dreamz)
5. Emma Barrett (Community) 

The Nominees for the Memorable Marketing Award supported by Phantom Billstickers

1. Gag Reflex
2. The Shit Show
3. Squirt 2: Cum Again (WINNER)
4. MANUFACT 

The Nominees for the Spectacular Organised Chaos Award supported by NZ Improv Festival

1. Hugo Grrrl Shit Show 
2. Birdmann and Egg
3. Milk of the Gods
4. RAW! ASMR (WINNER)

The Winner of the Spirit of the Fringe Award supported by Havana Coffee Works

• Every artist and crew member who had to isolate to protect us all. 
• Special Mention to artist and producer Jo Marsh

The Nominees for the Outstanding Ensemble Award Supported by an anonymous benefactor

• Quadruple Entendre (WINNER)
• HYPE
• Clonelike
• Queens Closet
• Same-Same 2.0

The Nominees for the Best in Fringe Award supported by His Worship The Mayor Andy Foster

1. Gag Reflex (WINNER)
2. Loops
3. ScatterGun
4. A Landfill Majority with Pamela Handcock
5. Sublime Interludes

The Nominees for the Parkin Development Award supported by Chris & Kathy Parkin

1. Quantum Tangerine (WINNER)
2. The Ghost Show
3. The Professio(nah)l's

The Nominees for the Fringe Tour Ready Awards

1. Spitz and Crumple
2. The Shit Kid
3. Nifty History of Evil
4. Presenting The Tiwhas
5. LOOPS
6. ScatterGun
7. Gag Reflex
8. A Landfill Majority with Pamela Handcock
9. Community 

The Winner of the Melbourne Fringe Tour Ready Award Supported by Melbourne & NZ Fringe & The Australian High Commission is:

• Loops, Company Hiraeth 

The Winner of the SYNZ Tour Ready Award Supported by Sydney & NZ Fringe & The Australian High Commission is:

• ScatterGun, Ana Chaya Scotney 

The Winner of the Adelaide Fringe Tour Ready Award Supported by Adelaide & NZ Fringe & The Australian High Commission is:

• Gag Reflex, Rachel Atlas

The Winner of the Auckland Fringe Tour Ready Award Supported by Auckland & NZ Fringe & Creative New Zealand is:

• Community, Emma Barrett

The Winner of the Dunedin Tour Ready Award Supported by Dunedin Fringe Tour Ready Award is:

• A Landfill Majority with Pamela Handcock, Cole Hampton

The 2022 New Zealand Fringe Festival stood defiantly against the challenges of Covid-19 this year and proudly supported the staging of over 300 live performances. The New Zealand Fringe Festival has now completed it’s three week long 2022 season in the creative capital and looks forward to supporting the demand and victory laps of return seasons and postponed debuts of this year's Fringe festival shows.