There’s a lot of talent packed into the 11 days of the Vancouver Fringe Festival, which makes it incredibly difficult to recognize the shows most deserving of our annual awards. Still, somebody has to give these artists their flowers! We’re pleased to announce this year’s slate of winners.
Artistic Risk
The juried Artistic Risk Award provides a cash prize to a show that takes significant risks in content, form, structure, or financial commitment, recognizing that work tackling difficult topics or less conventional approaches may not achieve the same commercial success. This year, our jury recognized two shows with this award.
- Winner: MoonSwine: To Dance-to-Dream-To Poem-To Pig, by Maria Yanagisawa
- Winner: My Big Break on Broadway, by Joni Summerton
Patrons’ Pick
The Patrons’ Pick award is chosen by popular vote of our audience.
- Winner: Coming of Rage, by Cosmic Theatre Co.
Volunteer Choice
There are few fans as loyal and dedicated as our Volunteer team. This award is given to the show that captures their hearts.
- Winner: BRUNCH: The Musical, by C. + M. MacEwan
Spirit of the Fringe
The Spirit of the Fringe Award recognizes an artist who embodies the community, creativity, and vibrancy of the Fringe movement.
- Winner: Diane Jorge
Kathleen Flaherty Prize
In conjunction with the Playwrights Theatre Centre we are pleased to name Female Listeria, a work written by Dorothy Droste and directed by Amélia Simard, the winner of the Kathleen Flaherty Prize.
Female Listeria will premiere at the 2027 Vancouver Fringe!
Holdover Performances
New in 2026, the Fringe offered an additional performance on closing night to the best-selling show in each venue. This year’s holdovers were:
- Matt and Ben, by Veenu Sandhu and Missy Cross
- The Lucky Life of a Black Cat, by Lobo-Guará Productions
- Colonial Circus—History, Clown Style, by Two2Mango
- Solovela, an Improvised Solo Telenovela, by Diane Jorge
- Ickoholics Anonymous, by Lucy Lucia
- The Truth and Darers, by Ginko and Co.
The Best of the Fest
The Festival’s top honour, the Best of the Fest is juried by a select group of theatre reviewers. The Award recognizes the show that best achieves artistic success.
- Best of the Fest: Popurrí, by Plastik Theatriks
- Runner-up: MoonSwine: To-Dance-To-Dream-To-Poem-To-Pig, by Maria Yanagisawa
- Runner-up: Coming of Rage, by Cosmic Theatre Co.
- Runner-up: The Grown-Ups, by Lexacon
