WAA AWARDS
Celebrating leadership, creativity, service, and mentorship
WAA works to nurture and celebrate leadership; encourage best practices that stimulate the field; promote volunteerism and service to WAA; and strengthen and celebrate WAA as a community of peers and professionals. The WAA Awards celebrate and recognize members and organizations who have advanced the field and the association.
2024 WAA AWARDS
HELP US RECOGNIZE & CELEBRATE YOUR COLLEAGUES
Since 1985, the annual WAA Awards have celebrated and recognized colleagues and organizations who have advanced the performing arts field and strengthened the WAA community — those who enrich, inspire, and energize our work and our industry.
The 2024 WAA Awards will be presented at this year’s Annual Luncheon, Wednesday August 28th at the WAA Annual Conference in San Diego, CA.
View the full list of past awardees.
2000 WAA Award recipients, Ingrid Kidd Goldfarb (Service Award) and The James Irvine Foundation (Leadership Award), represented by Cora Mirikitani; awards presented by Eli Ashley and Michael Alexander.
2004 WAA Award recipients, Eli Ashley (Leadership Award) and Mary Beth Treen (Service Award), presented by Ingrid Kidd Goldfarb, Pamela Green, and 2004 Awards Committee Chair, Renae Williams.
2006 Service Award recipient, Cathy Pruzan with Ruth Glenn.
Gail Kalver presents WAA's first Mentoring Award (2006) to the late Liz Silverstein.
WAA board member Jude Narita presenting the 2007 Service Award to Terry Yagura.
Erwin Washington presenting the 2009 Mentorship Award to Mary Beth Treen.
Walter Jaffe and Paul King of White Bird (2011 Leadership Award), pictured with Robin Mullins and BodyVox's Ashley Roland, Jamey Hampton, and Daniel Kirk.
Romana Jaroff receiving the 2012 Service Award, pictured with Beth Macmillan, Chair of the 2012 Awards Committee.
2015 Leadership Award recipient Celesta Billeci pictured with Margaret Lawrence and WAA board member Cindy Hwang.
2016: Erin Palmer is the youngest person ever to receive the Leadership Award; pictured with Jeremy Ganter.
WAA Executive Director Tim Wilson presents the 2017 Distinguished Service Award to Michael Alexander.
Heather Rigby presenting the 2019 Leadership Award to Phil Esparza. Image Credit: Corporate Close Ups.
Rick Ferrell receiving the 2017 Mentoring Award.
2016 Service Award recipient Jerry Ross with David Wannen.
Laura Colby presenting the 2019 Service Award to Lynn Fisher. Image credit: Corporate Close Ups.
AWARD CATEGORIES & PAST RECIPIENTS
Leadership Award
Honoring extraordinary vision, distinguished leadership, and artistic achievement.
The Leadership Award was established by the WAA Board of Directors in 1985 as The Distinguished Service Award. In 1992, the board presented the first award to Jerry Willis and rechristened the award in his honor. Jerry Willis (1938-1997) co-founded the organization now known as Western Arts Alliance. For 27 years, he managed Caltech Public Events and was a driving force for presenting in the West and nationally.
Leadership Award Recipients
2023 Artown
2022 Leah Rosenthal | La Jolla Music Society
2021 Matt McNally | Las Vegas-Clark County Library
2019 Phil Esparza | CSU Monterey Bay World Theater
2018 Aaron Egigian | Segerstrom Center for the Arts
2017 Leila Getz | Vancouver Recital Society
2016 Erin Palmer
2015 Celesta Billeci | UC Santa Barbara
2014 Michael Reed | ASU GAMMAGE
2013 Randall Kline | SFJAZZ
2012 Folklore Productions International
2011 White Bird
2010 Merce Cunningham Dance Company
2009 Julia Glawe | IMG Artists
2008 David Lieberman | David Lieberman Artists' Representatives
2007 Michael & Theresa Holden | Holden & Associates
2006 Jude Narita | Jude Narita/No Surrender Productions
2005 Hoyt "Toby" Mattox | Houston Fine Arts Society
2004 Eli Ashley | Broadway Center for the Performing Arts
2003 Robert Cole | Cal Performances
2002 Matt Krashan | UW World Series
2001 Kenneth Foster | UA Presents
2000 The James Irvine Foundation
1999 Patrick W. Kopp | California State University, Chico
1998 Charles Hamlen | Classical Action
1997 Michael Alexander | Grand Performances
1996 Ruth A. Felt | San Francisco Performances
1995 Kathy Hotchner | Scottsdale Center for the Arts
1994 Michael Blachly | UCLA
1993 Ira Perman | Anchorage Concert Association
1992 Jerry Willis
Mentoring Award
Recognizing excellence in mentoring and a commitment to the professional advancement of the western performing arts community.
The Mentoring Award was originally established in memory of Darlene Neel, the 26-year Company Manager of the Bella Lewitzky Dance Company. Ms. Neel (1941-1999) was known to be a generous mentor, a principled manager, an innovator, and — above all — a good friend.
Mentoring Award Recipients
2023 | Riki Ilno | SOZO Artists
2022 | Christopher K. Morgan | Christopher K. Morgan & Artists
2021 Heena Patel | MELA Arts Connect
2019 Larry Kosson | Kosson Talent
2018 David Wannen | New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players
2017 Rick Farrell | ICM Partners
2016 Ken Waldman
2015 David Palmer | Soka University of America
2014 Susan Martin | Lakewood Cultural Center
2013 Ally R. Haynes-Hamblen
2012 Rachel Cohen
2011 Todd Walker
2010 Dan Dewayne
2009 Mary Beth Treen
2008 Robin Hodgkin
2007 Steve Lerian
2006 Liz Silverstein
Tim Wilson Distinguished Service Award
Honoring members who have made an outstanding impact on the performing arts touring and presenting field in the West.
The Distinguished Service Award, WAA’s first, recognizes leaders in the touring and presenting field.
WAA resurrected the Distinguished Service Award in 2013 to recognize David Fischer, a colleague whose leadership and service defies categorization.
The award was renamed in 2022 in honor of longstanding Executive Director, Tim Wilson, upon his departure from WAA.
Tim Wilson Distinguished Service Award Recipients
2023 Walter Jaffe & Paul King | White Bird
2022 Tim Wilson
2019 Karen Fischer
2017 Michael Alexander
2015 Michael Blachly
2013 David Fischer
1992 Repertory Dance Theater
1991 Ingrid Kidd; Western States Arts Federation
1990 Sharon Morgan; Sheldon Soffer; Jerry Yoshitomi
1989 Thom Hill; Marda Kern; Kronos Quartet; Janet Oetinger
1987 Bella Lewitzky
1986 Mariedi Anders; Susie Farr; Bob Kay; Bill Martin; Mountain Bell Foundation
1985 Arnie Malina; Jerry Willis
Service Award
Recognizing exceptional volunteer service to Western Arts Alliance, its members, and the field.
The Service Award was established in 1992 to honor Betty Connors, a co-founder of Western Arts Alliance, and this award's premier recipient. Mrs. Connors (1917 - 2009) led the Committee for Arts and Lectures (later, Cal Performances) at the University of California, Berkeley, for 35 years. When Mrs. Connors was hired in 1945, it was the first salaried position devoted exclusively to the management of concerts at UC Berkeley (and likely the first at any public university in the West).
Service Award Recipients
2023 Elenore Oldham
2022 Charlotte Lee | Primo Artists | Performing Arts Managers and Agents Coalition
2019 Lynn Fisher | Frontera Arts LLC
2018 Carolyn Deuel | Artcore, Inc.
2017 Renae Williams Niles | USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance
2016 Jerry Ross | Harmony Artists
2015 Bruce Labadie
2014 Ivan Sygoda | Pentacle
2013 Rick Farrell | ICM Partners
2012 Romana Jaroff | IMG Artists
2011 Aaron Egigian | Segerstrom Center for the Arts
2010 Katherine Miller | Kamstar Artist Management
2009 Martin Wollesen | ArtPower! at UC San Diego
2008 Irene Namkung | Traditional Arts Services
2007 Terry Yagura | Arts for Schools
2006 Cathy Pruzan | Cathy Pruzan Artist Representative
2005 Canadian Consulate General
2004 Mary Beth Treen | Mary Beth Treen Artist Management
2003 Sue Endrizzi | California Artist Management
2002 Nina Black | Golden Bough
2001 Robert Bluestone | Woven Harmony
2000 Ingrid Kidd Goldfarb | Classical Auction West
1999 Cedric D. Reverand II | Univ. of Wyoming, Laramie
1997 Geoffrey English | Saddleback College
1996 Colleen Jennings-Roggensack | ASU
1995 Lois Wagner | Stanford Lively Arts
1994 Edsel Matthews | Koncepts Culture Gallery
1993 Marc Cianaca | University of California Santa Cruz
1992 Betty Connors
Vanguard Award
Recognizing inspirational projects, new work, and ground‐breaking initiatives.
The Vanguard Award was established in 2012 by the Awards Committee and WAA Board to celebrate the creativity, invention, and discovery — pillars of innovation that are the bread and butter of the performing arts—that advance our work, organizations, and field. This is the only award that is selected by the members themselves from a group of finalists vetted by the Awards Committee.
Vanguard Award Recipients
2012 ArtPower! at UC San Diego for The Loft Performance Lounge & Wine Bar
The inaugural Vanguard Award honored ArtPower! at UC San Diego for their development of The Loft Performance Lounge & Wine Bar, created "to transform the context of the delivery of the performing arts" and to involve the university's student population on every level — from patron or performer or programmer to administrator.
Emeritus Award
Given to honor members upon their retirement for exemplary and extensive service both to WAA and the field.
Emeritus Award Recipients
2023 Don Roth | Mondavi Center
2022 Marc Baylin; Steve Lerian
2021 Sandy Robertson
2018 David Palmer
2016 Stephen Seifert
2015 Douglas C. Rankin
2011 Matthew Krashan
2010 Peter Wilt
2009 Robert Cole; Kathy Hotchner; Mary Beth Treen
2008 Mariedi Anders; Geoff English; Kevin O'Connor
2007 Terry Yagura; Barry Bonifas
2005 Lois Wagner
2004 Edsel Matthews (posthumous)
2003 Dr. Robert Wilkins; Thom Hill
2002 Lynne Peterson; Michael Putnam (posthumous)
2001 Wayne Shilkret (posthumous)
2000 Joann Muneta; Susie Dowler
1999 James B. Crow (posthumous); Bella Lewitzky; Janet Oetinger; Sheldon Soffer
1998 Barbara Furstenberg; Tom Lehman
1996 Bernard "Jack" Jackson (posthumous)
1995 Robert Haag
1994 Betty Connors; Betty Tesman
1993 Herb Fox; Jim Wockenfuss
1992 Olive McDuffee; Phyllis Warshaw