New York Theater Festival

Playwright Festival Theater in New York Theater for Plays and Musicals

***WINNERS & NOMINEES 2025 FALL/WINTER FESTIVAL***

The New York Theater Festival
2025 Winterfest Festival Awards Ceremony

NOMINEES IN GREEN WINNERS IN RED

FALL/WINTER  THEATER FESTIVAL  2025

BEST PRODUCTION

WINNER  $3,500 

A Tie

LEOPARD LYNX – by Michelle Maccarone
THE TRAGEDY OF NERO, EMPEROR OF ROME – by Doyle Judge

NOMINEES:

LES FEMMES MOUSQUETAIRES – by Maeve Kelly Baker, Rachel V. Baransky and Violet Woundy

RICHARD BENJAMIN AND OTHER NONESUCH – by Gregg Greenberg

IN EARNEST – by Dante Zagros Gonzalez

NEVERLAND NEVER ENDS – book & Lyrics by Sujin Moon

SHUDDER – by Mary Grace Epps

GIRL ALL THE BAD GUYS WANT – by William Johnson Pope

LEOPARD LYNX – by Michelle Maccarone

THE TRAGEDY OF NERO, EMPEROR OF ROME – by Doyle Judge

BEST PRODUCTION SHORT

WINNER $500

A Tie

CHARITY CASE – by Bianca Navas
SINGING IN A RAINSTORM – by Ellen Grace Diehl

NOMINEES:

YOU CAN’T TEACH A FISH TO WHISTLE – by Joey Novick

DIAMOND HEIST – by Phoebe Grech

ANNIE MADE MEATBALLS – by Reese Carmen Villella

CHARITY CASE – by Bianca Navas

SINGING IN A RAINSTORM – by Ellen Grace Diehl

MOST CREATIVE PLAY

WINNER $500  

MLES FEMMES MOUSQUETAIRES – by Maeve Kelly Baker, Rachel V. Baransky and Violet Woundy

NOMINEES:

LES FEMMES MOUSQUETAIRES – by Maeve Kelly Baker, Rachel V. Baransky and Violet Woundy

GIRL ALL THE BAD GUYS WANT – by William Johnson Pope

BEST DIRECTOR

WINNER $500 

William Johnson Pope – from the production GIRL ALL THE BAD GUYS WANT – by William Johnson Pope

NOMINEES:

Maeve Kelly Baker and Rachel V. Baransky – from the production LES FEMMES MOUSQUETAIRES – by by Maeve Kelly Baker, Rachel V. Baransky and Violet Woundy

Christopher Carver – from the production THE TRAGEDY OF NERO, EMPEROR OF ROME by Doyle Judge

Wray White – from the production A DREAM IN 303 – by Wray White

M. Juniper Boggs – from the production LEOPARD LYNX – by Michelle Maccarone

Connor Picard – from the production SHUDDER – by Mary Grace Epps

Jacob Bergman – From the production IN EARNEST – by Dante Zagros Gonzalez

Sujin Moon – from the production NEVERLAND NEVER ENDS – book & Lyrics by Sujin Moon

William Johnson Pope – from the production GIRL ALL THE BAD GUYS WANT – by William Johnson Pope

BEST ACTOR Two Prizes 

WINNER #1 – $500

Dillon McGuire – from the production THE TRAGEDY OF NERO, EMPEROR OF ROME – by Doyle Judge

WINNER #2 – $500

Jere Williams – from the production LEOPARD LYNX – by Michelle Maccarone

NOMINEES:

Samuel Dolman – from the production AN INVESTMENT IN YOUR FUTURE – by Louise Schwarz

Dylan Fioneman and Elyk Swearingen from the production IN EARNEST – by Dante Zagros Gonzalez 

Jere Williams – from the production LEOPARD LYNX – by Michelle Maccarone

Dew Aber – from the production SAVE/RELOAD by Dana Aber – Who could not be here tonight

Dillon McGuire and Travis Bergmann – from the production THE TRAGEDY OF NERO, EMPEROR OF ROME – by Doyle Judge

Randy Schein and Adam Auslander – from the production RICHARD BENJAMIN AND OTHER NONESUCH – by Gregg Greenberg

Joseph Prussak – from the production WILL I BE MISSED? – by Andew Manuey

BEST ACTRESS Two Prizes 

WINNER #1 – $500

Ellen Grace Diehl – from the production SINGING IN A RAINSTORM – by Ellen Grace Diehl – Who could not be here tonight

WINNER #2 – $500 

A Tie

Catherine Brophy – from the production LEOPARD LYNX – by Michelle Maccarone
AND
Isabella Campos – from the production CHARITY CASE – by Bianca Navas

NOMINEES:

Catherine Brophy – from the production LEOPARD LYNX – by Michelle Maccarone

Ellen Grace Diehl – from the production SINGING IN A RAINSTORM – by Ellen Grace Diehl – Who could not be here tonight

Natalia Shane – from the production ANNIE MADE MEATBALLS – by Reese Carmen Villella

Sara Beneke – from the production A DREAM IN 303 by Wray White

Saima Huq – from the production SAD MAGIC SINS by Asim Ali Naqvi – who could not be here tonight. 

Riley Liburd – from the production HYMNAL by Sofia Pastena

Dianne Dixon – from the production LOVE AT THE DINER by Karen Brown

Isabella Campos – from the production CHARITY CASE – by Bianca Navas

BEST SINGER

WINNER $500

A Tie

Ellen Grace Diehl – from the production SINGING IN A RAINSTORM – by Ellen Grace Diehl – Who could not be here tonight
AND
Emerson Hart – from the production SHUDDER – by Mary Grace Epps

NOMINEES:

Max Currie and Emerson Hart – from the production SHUDDER – by Mary Grace Epps

Ellen Grace Diehl – from the production SINGING IN A RAINSTORM – by Ellen Grace Diehl – Who could not be here tonight

Abi Charbonneau and Aaron Clark Burstein – from the production LES FEMMES MOUSQUETAIRES – by Maeve Kelly Baker, Rachel V. Baransky and Violet Woundy

Kannon Gowen – from the production NEVERLAND NEVER ENDS – book & Lyrics by Sujin Moon

Steven Bennet – from the production GIRL ALL THE BAD GUYS WANT – by William Johnson Pope

BEST MUSICAL  SCORE

WINNER $300

Miu Sato – from the production NEVERLAND NEVER ENDS – book & Lyrics by Sujin Moon

NOMINEES:

Miu Sato – from the production NEVERLAND NEVER ENDS – book & Lyrics by Sujin Moon

Andrew Caira and Maeve Kelley Baker– from the production LES FEMMES MOUSQUETAIRES

Miles Messier – from the production SHUDDER – by Mary Grace Epps

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY

WINNER $300

Brighton Valor Horan – from the production SHUDDER by Mary Grace Epps

NOMINEES:

Ruhee Lee – from the production NEVERLAND NEVER ENDS – book & Lyrics by Sujin Moon

Lexi Houghton and Mackenzie Grace from the production LES FEMMES MOUSQUETAIRES – by Maeve Kelly Baker, Rachel V. Baransky and Violet Woundy

Sarah Franklin – from the production GIRL ALL THE BAD GUYS WANT – by William Johnson Pope

Brighton Valor Horan – from the production SHUDDER by Mary Grace Epps