The Manhattan Association of Cabarets has now presented the 40th Annual MAC Awards at a ceremony at NYC’s Peter Norton Symphony Space. In addition to announcing the 2026 MAC Award winners, special honoree awards were presented, including Lifetime Achievement Awards to LILLIAS WHITE and KAREN AKERS, the Ruth Kurtzman Benefit Award was presented to THE SEASON: GOLDIE’S KIDS, the Hanson Award to ANYA TURNER & ROBERT GRUSECKI, and through a partnership between MAC/NiteLife Exchange Barry Levitt Jazz Award was presented to VICKI BURNS and JOE ALTERMAN, in a show directed by AMY WOLK, produced by JULIE MILLER, and musical directed by JOHN FISCHER.
THE 2026 MAC AWARD WINNERS ARE:
FEMALE VOCALIST: ANN KITTREDGE
Romantic Notions, When in Love, You Sleigh Me
Chelsea Table + Stage, Act2PV (Puerta Vallarta)
MALE VOCALIST: FRANK DAIN
A Celebration 24 Years in the Making
Don’t Tell Mama
MAJOR ARTIST – FEMALE: MARIEANN MERINGOLO
Shades of Love, You Must Believe In Spring, A Century of Song: Celebrating Alan and Marilyn Bergman, In the Spirit:2025
Chelsea Table + Stage, 54 Below
MAJOR ARTIST – MALE: SEAN HARKNESS
Just Me
Don’t Tell Mama
NEW YORK DEBUT – FEMALE: JANICE McCUNE
Let’s Start Tomorrow Tonight!
Don’t Tell Mama
NEW YORK DEBUT – MALE: ETHAN MATHIAS
Outside the Lines
Don’t Tell Mama
CELEBRITY ARTIST: CHRISTINE EBERSOLE WITH BILLY STRITCH
54 Below
DUO/GROUP: CHRISSY AND DAN PARDO
Dreams Don’t Come True in Pennsylvania, Christmastide for Empire State Ride, Wine Hour at the Hotel Edison
Chelsea Table + Stage, Stonewall Inn, The Hotel Edison
MAJOR DUO/GROUP: JIM CARUSO, BILLY STRITCH and KLEA BLACKHURST
A Swinging Birdland Christmas
Birdland
RECURRING SERIES: THE LINEUP
Created and hosted by Susie Mosher, produced by Hope Royaltey
The Green Room 42
EMCEE: JIM CARUSO
Jim Caruso’s Cast Party
Birdland
TRIBUTE SHOW: DAWN DEROW
Sing Happy: The Wonderful Women of Kander and Ebb
The Triad, The Post Office Cafe
SPECIAL PRODUCTION: MAMA’S NEXT BIG ACT
Produced by Don’t Tell Mama and Lennie Watts, created by Lennie Watts, musical direction by Yasuhiko Fukuoka
Don’t Tell Mama
DIRECTOR: JEFF HARNAR
Celia Berk/For the Record (54 Below), Christy Trapp/The Tender Trapp (Don’t Tell Mama), Renee Katz/Lost in His Arms (54 Below), Judi Mark/Merely Marvelous (The Triad)
MUSICAL DIRECTOR: TRACY STARK
Meg Flather/Walk Home (Don’t Tell Mama), Kim David Smith/Comme Un Folle (Post Office Café, Joe’s Pub), Justin Dylan Nastro/Live and In Person Whether You Like It or Not (Don’t Tell Mama), Ethan Mathias/Outside The Lines (Don’t Tell Mama), Linda Mironti/Perfectly Imperfect (Don’t Tell Mama)
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR: KELLY WOHLFORD
Frank Dain/A Celebration 24 Years in the Making (Don’t Tell Mama), Karen Mason/More SPF! (Don’t Tell Mama), American Popular Song Society (Don’t Tell Mama), Terri Dannenberg/Everything! (Don’t Tell Mama), Billy Brouse/Thinking Out Loud (Don’t Tell Mama)
ENSEMBLE INSTRUMENTALIST : MATT SCHARFGLASS, BASS
Billie Brouse/Thinking Out Loud (Don’t Tell Mama), Lucille Carr-Kaffashan/8 Days a Week (Don’t Tell Mama), Scott Coulter & Friends/Silly Love Songs: 50 Years of #1 Hits (54 Below), Can Yasar/Turkish Rhapsody (Don’t Tell Mama)
PIANO BAR SINGING ENTERTAINER–UPTOWN: TARA MARTINEZ
Don’t Tell Mama
PIANO BAR SINGING ENTERTAINER – DOWNTOWN: MARIA GENTILE
The Stonewall Inn, The Duplex
PIANO BAR INSTRUMENTALIST – UPTOWN: DAN PARDO
The Townhouse, Don’t Tell Mama, Brandy’
PIANO BAR INSTRUMENTALIST – DOWNTOWN: DAN DALY
Marie’s Crisis
SONG: MISSING A SCREW
Music and Lyrics by Ava Nicole Frances
COMEDY/NOVELTY SONG: TOO MUCH LOVE
Music by Tracy Stark, Lyrics by Mark Dundas Wood
RECORDING (LaMott Friedman Recording Award): FRANK DAIN
I’ve Had a Love
MAJOR RECORDIN: ERIC COMSTOCK AND BARBARA FASANO
Painting the Town
