THE MANHATTAN ASSOCIATION OF CABARET
40thAnnual MAC Awards
The Manhattan Association of Cabarets (MAC) presented its 40th Annual MAC Awards on Monday, March 23, 2026, at 7:00 pm, at Peter Norton Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway at 95th Street in New York City.
The Lifetime Achievement Awards were given to LILLIAS WHITE and KAREN AKERS, The Ruth Kurtzman Benefit Award was presented to THE SEASON: GOLDIE’S KIDS! A benefit for ST JUDE CHILDREN’S RESEARCH HOSPITAL, created and produced by GOLDIE DVER, the NiteLife Exchange Barry Levitt Jazz Award, an award presented in partnership between MAC and NiteLifeExchange.com, was presented to the jazz duo of VICKI BURNS and JOE ALTERMAN, and the Hanson Award was presented to ANYA TURNER & ROBERT GRUSECKI.
The MAC Awards show wa produced by JULIE MILLER and directed by AMY WOLK. The musical director and leader of the MAC Awards Band will be JOHN FISCHER.
2026 MAC AWARD WINNERS
FEMALE VOCALIST
ANN KITTREDGE
MALE VOCALIST
FRANK DAIN
MAJOR ARTIST – FEMALE
MARIEANN MERINGOLO
MAJOR ARTIST – MALE
SEAN HARKNESS
NEW YORK DEBUT – FEMALE
JANICE McCUNE
NEW YORK DEBUT – MALE
ETHAN MATHIAS
CELEBRITY ARTIST
CHRISTINE EBERSOLE with BILLY STRITCH
DUO/GROUP
CHRISSY AND DAN PARDO
MAJOR DUO/GROUP
KLEA BLACKHURST, JIM CARUSO, BILLY STRITCH
RECURRING SERIES
THE LINEUP
EMCEE
JIM CARUSO
TRIBUTE SHOW
DAWN DEROW
SPECIAL PRODUCTION
MAMA’S NEXT BIG ACT!
DIRECTOR
JEFF HARNAR
MUSICAL DIRECTOR
TRACY STARK
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
KELLY WOHLFORD
ENSEMBLE INSTRUMENTALIST
MATT SCHARFGLASS – bass
PIANO BAR SINGING ENTERTAINER – UPTOWN
TARA MARTINEZ
PIANO BAR SINGING ENTERTAINER – DOWNTOWN
MARIA GENTILE
PIANO BAR INSTRUMENTALIST – UPTOWN
DAN PARDO
PIANO BAR INSTRUMENTALIST–DOWNTOWN
DAN DALY
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 RECORDING
ERIC COMSTOCK and BARBARA FASANO
Painting the Town
