Announcing ISPA 2026 New York Awards Recipients

New York, NY, USA — On behalf of the Board of Directors, the International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA) announces the recipients of the ISPA 2026 Awards. The first ISPA Award was presented in 1975 to Beverly Sills (famed soprano and General Director, New York City Opera). Since then, ISPA has continued to recognize outstanding individuals and organizations for their contribution to the arts and their communities.The ISPA 2026 award recipients are as follows:

Distinguished Artist Award

The Distinguished Artist Award is presented to artists who have made an outstanding contribution of talent, artistry, dedication, and service to the world of the performing arts. The contributions of these award recipients have gone above and beyond their prowess as artists.

International Citation of Merit

The International Citation of Merit is presented for unique lifetime achievement which has enriched the international performing arts. This award is not for performance but rather for distinguished service working within the profession. For example work as a manager (artist/company/venue), in education, marketing and public relations, consultancy, festival director, acoustician, architect and other associated activities. Recipients may be a past or current member of ISPA.

Patrick Hayes Award

Patrick Hayes, founding President of the International Society for the Arts Foundation, was a change maker in our field. Inspired by his legacy, this Award recognizes an ISPA member in any stage of their career who has demonstrated transformative leadership in the performing arts. Recipients may be recognized for innovation in any area of arts management.

Angel Award

The Angel Award is presented to an individual or organization which has demonstrated a significant and lasting contribution to the support of the performing arts which transcends the boundaries of one country or institution, and merits international recognition. This achievement may be through outstanding leadership, advocacy, philanthropy, innovation, scholarship, or curatorship.

“While we received many worthy nominations, the Board was unanimous in their endorsement on the 2026 awardees. The recipients reflect the richness of diversity that the ISPA membership represents” said ISPA Chief Executive Officer, David Baile.

The awards will be presented at a ceremony to be held during the ISPA 2026 New York Congress: Resilience: A Global Dialogue, on Thursday, January 15, 2026, at The Times Center in New York City.

About ISPA: The International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA) is a global association of more than 500 arts management leaders from 56 regions, who come together with the shared goal of strengthening and developing the arts internationally. We achieve this by building leadership ability, by recognizing and discussing field-wide trends and new developments, and by deepening global exchange through the arts. ISPA members include presenters, performing arts organizations, artist managers, competitions, funders, consultants and other professionals working in the performing arts. Founded in 1948, 2024 marks ISPA's 75th anniversary.

About ISPA Awards: As a leadership network, ISPA is committed to recognizing excellence in the performing arts globally. There is an annual call for award nominations. All nominations are reviewed by the Nominating Committee Members and then a slate of nominees is recommended to the Board of Directors for approval.

For more information on the ISPA Awards, visit www.ispa.org/page/awards_landing

Media Contact: Lauren Genevieve, Communication and Events Lead | lgenevieve@ispa.org