Teeny Awards 2016! The winners! The cupcakes! The money! The outfits! The music! The love!

On Sunday, October 9th, arts leaders and teenage arts enthusiasts gathered at Benaroya Hall to celebrate the 9th annual Teeny Awards, hosted by local performer/composer Celene Ramadan and members of the Young Americans’ Theatre Company, with performances by ParisAlexa and Seattle JazzED.

The Teeny Awards, presented annually by The New Guard, TeenTix’s teen governing body, celebrate the best in local arts and culture according to teenage art enthusiasts. Awardees are chosen by the New Guard based on votes by the TeenTix membership.

Last year, The New Guard created a new category: Youth Arts Advocate of the Year. Teens are nominated by their peers for this award, which aims to honor teens who advocate for arts in their schools, instigate arts outings, and inspire their peers to participate in the community. The nominees for Youth Arts Advocate of the Year were Sarah Baker, Noah Sarkowsky, Analiese Guettinger, and Ana Walker.

Baker took home the award, presented by Lara Davis, Arts Education Manager at the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture. Sarah is currently a Junior at Juanita High School, has been a part of the Juanita Drama community for three years. She is an avid lover of the arts but particularly enjoys frequenting Seattle-area theatre. Sara is passionate about the opportunity TeenTix provides and works to spread the word throughout her school and community. Her various projects include maintaining a bulletin board since 2014, creating flyers and telling anyone who will listen to explore the TeenTix program. She is expanding this year in her TeenTix committee, launching an awareness campaign to provide Juanita students with the chance to experience the arts.

Sarah’s nominator says: “Sarah is an amazing arts advocate at our school! She created a TeenTix bulletin board with a calendar that she draws by hand every month showing what's coming up on TeenTix as well as descriptions of the shows. She has review cards for people to fill out and discuss shows they loved that they saw through TeenTix. She keeps the board constantly updated and really encourages people to step outside of their comfort zone and see shows. Even people not in drama sign up! She works hard at keeping the board looking beautiful and accessible to everyone at our school. She has done an all-around wonderful job of advocating arts and encouraging our student body to take advantage of the arts opportunities all around us!”

Photo by Bronwen Houck Photography

The 5th Avenue Theatre took home the award for BEST YOUTH ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM for their Rising Star Project, and captured the “big” award of the evening: FAVORITE ORGANIZATION OF 2016. EMP Museum’s Hello Kitty exhibit got the nod in the BEST AESTHETICS category, Youth Speaks Grand Slam at Town Hall won the EVOLUTION AWARD, for a work showcasing young artists or themes related to youth, and popular newcomer Seattle Art Fair won THE KALEIDOSCOPE AWARD, for the most transporting work. Seattle Rep took home two awards in the same category—THE KINDLING AWARD, for a work that sparked civic dialogue. The New Guard chose to recognize the Rep’s productions of Come From Away and Disgraced “for tackling Islamophobia from different perspectives in this contentious election season”. The EVERYTHING OLD IS COOL AGAIN AWARD—for a classic work reimagined for a contemporary audience—was shared by Seattle Shakespeare Company, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and Seattle Symphony for each of their respective productions of different versions of teen-favorite Romeo & Juliet.

Hosts Seattle Symphony received the award for BEST FRONT-OF-HOUSE EXPERIENCE, which acknowledges the crucial role that ushers and box office staff play in making new arts audiences feel welcome in their venues.

Photo by John Ulman

TO SEE ALL OF THE RED CARPET PHOTOS, CLICK HERE.

The ceremony included performances by ParisAlexa, an 18 year old singer/songwriter and Vocal Loop Artist who focuses on infusing powerful lyrics into modern music. ParisAlexa’s unique sound infuses pop and soul sounds with technology. Her instruments of choice are keyboards/piano, her Loopstation, and most importantly her voice. Paris is a one-stop shop and has written, arranged and performed all parts of her collection. Horn players from Seattle JazzED played fanfares while winners approached the stage, and entertained the crowd with a rousing rendition of St. James Infirmary.

At the dinner preceding the awards in the Grand Lobby of Benaroya Hall, supporters raised a record-breaking $70,000 for TeenTix and its mission to ensure equitable access to the arts for all teens. The dinner also served as a changing of the guard ceremony, as long-time Executive Director Holly Arsenault passed the reins to new TeenTix Executive Director Monique Courcy. Arsenault received two standing ovations from the dinner crowd in recognition of her work building the organization from a small, city program to a nationally-recognized nonprofit. She then welcomed Courcy, presenting her with a gold, winged backpack, festooned with 64 buttons (one representing each of TeenTix’s 64 partner organizations) and filled with “things to help her on her TeenTix journey.” Courcy delivered an enthusiastic speech outlining her vision for the future of TeenTix, but declined to comment on the backpack’s contents.

Photo by Bronwen Houck Photography

Bella DeVaan, President of The New Guard spoke at the dinner, describing her experience with TeenTix. “Oftentimes, adults talk a good game about ‘empowering teens,’ but they end up infantilizing or underestimating us…But every teen who sets foot in the TeenTix office is a part of the real thing. We’re trusted, and because of that trust, we come away with a surprising new skill, or a greater sense of professionalism or confidence. The fact that the very composition of the TeenTix organization is imbued with teen perspective explains why it’s been proven sustainable and realistic.”

Photo by Bronwen Houck Photography

FULL LIST OF 2016 TEENY AWARD NOMINEES AND WINNERS:

ORGANIZATION AWARDS
Celebrating the region’s most teen-friendly arts organizations

FAVORITE ORGANIZATION
Nominees: All TeenTix partner organizations nominated except reigning favorite organization, Strawberry Theatre Workshop + hosts Seattle Symphony
Winner: 5th Avenue Theatre

BEST FRONT-OF-HOUSE EXPERIENCE
For the partner organization with the most welcoming and helpful box office staff, greeters, ushers, etc.
Nominees: All TeenTix partner organizations nominated
Winner: Seattle Symphony

BEST THEATRE
Nominees:
5th Avenue Theatre
ACT Theatre
ArtsWest
Book-It Repertory Theatre
Cornish College of the Arts
Driftwood Players
Edmonds Center for the Arts
Intiman Theatre Festival
Kirkland Performance Center
Jet City Improv
Mirror Stage
Moisture Festival
New Century Theatre Company
On the Boards
Pork Filled Players
Renton Civic Theatre
Seattle Children’s Theatre
Seattle Musical Theatre
Seattle Public Theater
Seattle Shakespeare Company
SiS Productions
Strawberry Theatre Workshop
Taproot Theatre
Teatro ZinZanni
The 14/48 Projects
Unexpected Productions
UW UTS
UW School of Drama
Washington Ensemble Theatre
West of Lenin
Young Americans’ Theatre Company
Winner: ACT Theatre

BEST MUSEUM or GALLERY
Nominees:
ArtsWest Gallery
Bellevue Arts Museum
Burke Museum
Cornish College of the Arts
EMP Museum
Henry Art Gallery
MOHAI
Northwest African American Museum
Seattle Art Fair
Seattle Art Museum & Seattle Asian Art Museum
The Wing Luke Museum
Winner: Seattle Art Museum & Seattle Asian Art Museum

BEST DANCE ORGANIZATION
Nominees:
Cornish College of the Arts
On the Boards
Moisture Festival
Pacific Northwest Ballet
Spectrum Dance Theater
UW World Series/Meany Center for the Performing Arts
Whim W’him
Winner: Pacific Northwest Ballet

BEST FILM ORGANIZATION
Nominees:
Grand Illusion Cinema
NFFTY: The National Film Festival for Talented Youth
Northwest Film Forum
Pacific Science Center’s IMAX & Laser Dome
Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF)
Three Dollar Bill Cinema
Winner: NFFTY: The National Film Festival for Talented Youth

BEST MUSIC ORGANIZATION
Nominees:
Cornish College of the Arts
Early Music Guild
Edmonds Center for the Arts
EMP Museum
Kirkland Performance Center
Music of Remembrance
Pacific MusicWorks
Seattle Chamber Music Society
Seattle Men’s & Seattle Women’s Choruses
Seattle Opera
Seattle Symphony
UW World Series/Meany Center for the Performing Arts
Winner: Seattle Opera

BEST CIVIC, CULTURAL, or LITERARY ORGANIZATION
Nominees:
Central District Forum for Arts & Ideas
Hugo House
Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute
Seattle Arts & Lectures
Seattle Center
Town Hall
Winner: Seattle Arts & Lectures

BEST MULTI-DISCIPLINARY ORGANIZATION
Nominees:
ArtsWest
Cornish College of the Arts
Edmonds Center for the Arts
Kirkland Performance Center
Moisture Festival
On the Boards
Pacific Science Center
Teatro ZinZanni
UW World Series/Meany Center for the Performing Arts
Winner: Pacific Science Center

BEST YOUTH ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM
Nominees:
Teen Ensemble, Driftwood Players
Drama School, Seattle Children’s Theatre
Teen Docent Program, Bellevue Arts Museum
MOHAI Youth Advisors, MOHAI
Summer at Cornish, Cornish
Teen Arts Group, Seattle Art Museum
Youth Advisory Board, EMP Museum
YouthCAN, The Wing Luke Museum
Short Shakes, Seattle Shakespeare Company
Youth Programs, Seattle Public Theater
14/48 High School
FutureWave, SIFF
Rising Star Project, 5th Avenue Theatre
Reel Queer Youth, Three Dollar Bill Cinema
Youth Writers Cohort, Hugo House
Teen Improv Camp, Unexpected Productions
August Wilson Monologue Competition, Seattle Repertory Theatre
Henry Teen Collective, Henry Art Gallery
Winner: Rising Star Project at 5th Avenue Theatre

EVENT AWARDS
Works must have been produced at a TeenTix partner organization between July 2015 and June 2016

THE EVOLUTION AWARD
For the work that best showcased the work of young artists or engaged topics related to youth
Nominees:
Youth Speaks Grand Slam, Town Hall
Creative Connections: Design Brings the Neighborhood Together, Wing Luke Museum
NFFTY: The National Film Festival for Talented Youth
Punk Rock, Young Americans’ Theatre Company
14/48 High School
Young Playwrights Festival, ACT Theatre
Winner: Youth Speaks Grand Slam, Town Hall

THE KINDLING AWARD
For the work that most artfully illuminated a social issue or sparked civic dialogue
Nominees:
Disgraced, Seattle Repertory Theatre
9 Circles, Strawberry Theatre Workshop
Kehinde Wiley: A New Republic, Seattle Art Museum
A Rap on Race, Spectrum Dance Theatre
Posing Beauty in African American Culture, Northwest African American Museum
Stick Fly, Intiman Theatre Festival
Winner: Disgraced & Come From Away at Seattle Rep (The New Guard chose to recognize not only Disgraced, but also Come From Away, for tackling Islamophobia from different perspectives in this contentious election season.)

THE EVERYTHING OLD IS COOL AGAIN AWARD
For a classic work revitalized for a contemporary audience
Nominees:
Intimate Impressionism, Seattle Art Museum
Romeo and Juliet, Seattle Shakespeare Company
The Marriage of Figaro, Seattle Opera
Dvořák Cello Concerto, Seattle Symphony
The Minstral Show Revisited, Spectrum Dance Theatre
Emma, Book-It Repertory Theatre
Winners: Romeo & Juliet at Seattle Shakespeare Company and Seattle Symphony and Pacific Northwest Ballet (The New Guard chose to recognize three different organizations contemporaneously presenting this classic tale, a staple in youth arts going)

THE ?! AWARD
For an unexpected contemporary work
Nominees:
Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play, ACT Theatre
My Mañana Comes, ArtsWest
The Things Are Against Us, Washington Ensemble Theatre
Sankai Juku, Meany Center for the Performing Arts
A Hand of Talons, Pork Filled Players
Emergence, Pacific Northwest Ballet
Winner: The Things Are Against Us, Washington Ensemble Theatre

THE KALEIDOSCOPE AWARD
For the most transporting work
Nominees:
Green Day’s American Idiot, ArtsWest Playhouse
Caught, Seattle Public Theater
Seattle Art Fair
Come From Away, Seattle Repertory Theatre
Laser Dome, Pacific Science Center
OUT-spoken, Whim W’him
Winner: Seattle Art Fair

THE TREAT YO’ SELF AWARD
For the funnest way to not think about finals
Nominees:
Twisted Flicks, Jet City Improv
Moisture Festival
Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra, Edmonds Center for the Arts
A Poet, A Playwright, a Novelist, and a Drag Queen, Hugo House
TheatreSports, Unexpected Productions
Christmastown: A Holiday Noir, Seattle Public Theater
Winner: Twisted Flicks, Jet City Improv

THE BEST AESTHETICS AWARD
For great design
The Flying Dutchman, Seattle Opera
The Things Are Against Us, Washington Ensemble Theatre
Hello! Exploring the Supercute World of Hello Kitty, EMP Museum
Hotel L’Armour, Teatro ZinZanni
Girl Asleep, Seattle International Film Festival
Counter-Couture: Fashioning Identity in American Counterculture, Bellevue Arts Museum
Winner: Hello! Exploring the Supercute World of Hello Kitty, EMP Museum

YOUTH ARTS ADVOCATE OF THE YEAR
Nominees:
Analiese Guettinger
Noah Sarkowsky
Sarah Baker
Ana Walker
Winner: Sarah Baker