AWARDS
A COOPERATIVE VOICE IN A COMPETITIVE BUSINESS
The NAPAMA Award for Excellence in Presenting the Performing Arts and the Liz Silverstein Award for Agent-Manager of the Year are annual citations of excellence awarded to a presenter and agent-manager respectively.
Every year, NAPAMA recognizes the work of a presenter and an agent-manager through the NAPAMA Award for Excellence in Presenting the Performing Arts and the Liz Silverstein* Award for Agent-Manager of the Year, respectively.
AWARDees personify excellence through:
- Exemplary mentoring
- Setting an example of best practices, achievement, and leadership
- Cultivating and promoting diversity, practicing inclusion, and creating equity






* The Agent-Manager of the Year award is named for the late, cherished agent-manager Liz Silverstein, whose tireless and enthusiastic support and mentoring of artists and colleagues, both in presenting and management, impacted the entire field, showing us how shared knowledge and cooperation make for a better and more vital industry and working environment.
CURRENT WINNERS
We are thrilled to announce the recipients of the 2023 NAPAMA Awards! These two individuals have profoundly impacted our field through the years, and we are so happy to recognize their achievements.
The NAPAMA Award recipients were recognized at the APAP Honors Awards Ceremony on Monday, January 13, 2025 during the Annual APAP Conference. In addition to their physical awards, NAPAMA will make donations on behalf of each individual to charitable organizations of their choosing.
NAPAMA Liz Silverstein Award for Agent-Manager of the Year
Karen A. Fischer, Founder & President, Pasifika Artists Network

“I am deeply honored to be recognized in a field of so many excellent agent-manager colleagues and friends. It is a total privilege to be part of this community that makes live performance touring possible. I gratefully accept the responsibility that the amazing artists and cultures of the Pacific which I represent entrust me with their talents. And, with 45 years of a career that indulges my passion for the performing arts, a joy to share what I have learned with newer colleagues, as we collectively move forward to shape our field for the future.
A salute to the generous and embracing heart of Liz Silverstein whose sense of fun and sharing welcomed so many of us to the agent-manager side of our performing arts ecosystem!” – Karen A. Fischer
About Karen A. Fischer
Karen A. Fischer founded Pasifika Artists Network in 2009, the only such agency in Hawai‘i, representing an award-winning roster of performers from Hawai‘i and the Pacific. Prior to that, she was President & CEO of the Maui Arts & Cultural Center, a multi-disciplinary presenting organization; among other accomplishments, she created and directed the MACC’s presenting and community engagement program for 10 years. Her 45 years of arts experience includes Cal Performances at UC Berkeley; Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco; The Joffrey Ballet and Metropolitan Opera in New York; and numerous boards and panels. She served as APAP Board Chair, as part of her 3 terms as an APAP Board member, as Treasurer of the WAA Board, and on other select boards in Hawai’i. She has also served on peer review panels for the NEA, Hawai‘i State Foundation, and several others. Her passion for the arts began as a dancer, including performing with Aman Folk Ensemble in Los Angeles.
NAPAMA Award for Excellence in Presenting the Performing Arts
Jared Duymovic, Vice President of Programming & Engagement, Marcus Performing Arts Center
“I am deeply honored to receive the 2024 NAPAMA Award for Excellence in Presenting the Performing Arts. This recognition is a testament to the power of collaboration, passion, and dedication to entertaining and enlightening our communities. I am most grateful to the artists, colleagues, and partners whose hard work I merely present, and I look forward to continuing to share the transformative power of the performing arts for years to come.” – Jared Duymovic
Jared Duymovic is driven by a life-long passion for make-believe that has led him to a career in the performing arts. From performing at family gatherings to taking the stage, and now serving as the Vice President of Programming & Engagement at the Marcus Performing Center in Milwaukee, he takes pride in entertaining any audience. Hailing from Indianapolis, Jared has worked with premier arts organizations throughout the Midwest. His diverse background includes stints at Indiana Repertory expanded the MPAC Presents offerings, education and community engagement programs, and Broadway in Milwaukee series.
Jared is also a board member for Heartland Performing Arts which hosts the Midwest Arts Xpo as well as programming, business operations, and venue management, Jared is a community builder wherever he goes.
Beyond his professional achievements, Jared shares his passions with his family: his wife, Rissa, their two lengthen with Jared’s frustration level); and a horse named Nash, whom he never expected to own.
PAST WINNERS
Winners receive their award at the APAP Awards Ceremony of the following year.
The Liz Silverstein Award for Agent-Manager of the Year
NAPAMA Award for Excellence in Presenting the Performing Arts
- 2024: Karen A Fischer, Pasifika Artists Network
- 2023: Crandall Rogers, FourMortals Productions
- 2021: Mister Mojo, MOJO and the Bayou Gypsies
- 2020: Kevin Spencer, Hocus Focus, Inc
- 2019: Rachel Cohen, Cadence Arts
- 2018: Jerry Ross, Harmony Artists
- 2017: Pamela Green, PMG Arts Management
- 2016: Laura Colby, Elsie Management
- 2015: Harold Norris, H-Art Management
- 2014: Sue Endrizzi Morris, California Artists Management
- 2013: Jennifer Morris, Siegel Artist Management
- 2012: Larry Kosson, Kosson Talent
- 2012: Tim Drake, The Roots Agency
- 2011: Ann Summers Dossena, International Resource Centre for Performing Artists (IRCPA)
- 2024: Jared Duymovic, Marcus Performing Arts Center
- 2023: Tommy Hensel, Elgin Community College
- 2021: Gwenthalyn Bronner, James Lumber Center for the Performing Arts at College of Lake County Illinois
- 2020: Hollis Ashby, Williams Center for the Arts
- 2019: Shane Fernando, The Wilson Center at Cape Fear Community College
- 2018: Todd Wetzel, Purdue Convocations
- 2017: Brett Batterson, Orpheum Theatre Group
- 2016: Michele Roberge, Carpenter Performing Arts Center
- 2015: Steve Duchrow, Elgin Community College Arts Center
- 2014: Dayna Martinez, Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
- 2013: Brian Jose, College of Saint Benedict & Saint John's University
- 2012: Peter Zimmerman, Wolf Trap
- 2011: Mike Ross, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts
- 2010: Matthew Krashan, World Series
- 2009: Dan DeWayne, Chico Performances
- 2008: Aaron Egigian, The Orange County Performing Arts Center
- 2007: Charles Rogers, Carlsen Center
- 2006: Ruth Felt, San Francisco Performances
- 2005: Ellis Finger, Williams Center for the Arts, Lafayette College
- 2004: Joyce Smar, Fine Arts Center, University of Massachusetts
- 2003: Anna Thompson, College of Saint Benedict & Saint John's University
- 2002: Tom Weidemann, Clemens Center
UPLIFT the work of a colleague
CRITERIA
The NAPAMA Awards are citations of excellence. Potential recipients are nominated by an active NAPAMA member.
The nominated recipient and his/her organization must be an active company involved in the performing arts industry representing artists, attractions, or events that are deliverable to the presenting field and exemplify excellence in the field. Self-represented artists and producers are “Agents-Managers” of their own and are eligible for the Agent-Manager Award.
NAPAMA DEFINES EXCELLENCE AS
- Exemplary mentoring: the consistent guidance of less experienced or less knowledgeable colleagues in the performing arts.
- Setting an example of best practices, achievement, and leadership in their respective disciplines
- Cultivating and promoting diversity, practicing inclusion, and creating equity for underserved members of our community. This can be seen in a variety of ways, including (but not limited to) programming, artist rosters, or any inclusive practice for participants in our touring industry.

NOMINATION PROCESS
Every year, NAPAMA members can nominate ONE presenter and ONE agent-manager per NAPAMA member organization. The Board of Directors will vote upon the Award Winners from the nominations.
The deadline for the 2024 Awards is November 1, 2024. Nominations received after the deadline will not be considered.
Nominations can be made confidentially.