Michael R. Jackson and the team of Ben Bonnema and Christopher Staskel have been named the winners of the 16th annual Fred Ebb Award for aspiring musical theater songwriters. Named in honor of the late, Tony-winning lyricist, the awards will be presented by six-time Tony winner Audra McDonald on Nov. 30 at 7 p.m. ET in a virtual ceremony at FredEbbFoundation.org. Jackson won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for his musical A Strange Loop, which premiered Off-Broadway at Playwrights Horizons. He has also written White Girl in Danger and Teeth (with Anna K. Jacobs). Bonnema and Staskel’s musical One Way was seen at NAMT’s 2019 Festival of New Musicals. Their other collaborations include Slash. Below is the official trailer of Jackson’s A Strange Loop.
The Fred Ebb Foundation, in association with Roundabout Theatre Company, presents the annual awards to recognize excellence in theater songwriting by those who have not yet had significant commercial success. The prize includes $60,000 plus a one-night showcase of the winner’s work produced by the foundation. This year’s selection panel included foundation trustee Mitchell S. Bernard, music director David Loud, and performers Janet Dacal, Natascia Diaz, and Celia Keenan-Bolger. Below is a livestream of Bonnema and Staskel’s staged reading of One Way at the Kennedy Center. (The music starts at 3:00.)