2016 Milbourne Christopher Award Winners Announced

Milbourne Christopher was one of America’s foremost illusionists and wrote more than twenty books, was national president of the Society of American Magicians (SAM), and was an honorary vice-president to the London Magic Circle.

His collection of magic memorabilia contained prints, paintings, photographs, posters, playbills and drawings of the greatest conjurers in history, and was the largest in private hands. Many of these items appeared in his book The Illustrated History of Magic. Friends recall that he was warm and willing to counsel and share his knowledge with new magicians. Christopher was married to Maurine Brooks, co-author of The Baker-Brooks History.

Milbourne Christopher Foundation honors his memory annually by presenting “The Milbourne Christopher Awards” to performing magicians and illusionists in various categories, including: the Masters Award, Lifetime Achievement Award, Mentalist Award, Literary Award, and a Newcomer Award.

Here are the 2016 Milbourne Christopher Award Winners.

Ambassador of Magic: Brad Jacobs, a Past National President of the Society of American Magicians and convention organizer. He is currently a S.A.M. Ambassabor of Magic and a FISM representative. He was recently interviewed for The World needs Magic. You can see that interview here.

Close-up: Meir Yedid is a magician, an author and owner of Meir Yedid Magic. He won the Society of American Magicians 1981 Close-Up Magic Championship with his now-famous (then ground-breaking) finger routine in which he apparently made his fingers vanish one by one. The methods behind these vanishes were subsequently revealed in the book Meir Yedid’s Finger Fantasies, written by Harry Lorayne.

Illusionist: John Bundy and Morgan John Bundy is an American magician and magic consultant based in South Plainfield, New Jersey. He is owner of John Bundy Productions, a company that produces shows for theme parks and corporate events and provides technical advice for television, movies and stage shows. In 1994 he was joined by an assistant named Morgan who has become a long-term performing partner.

Lifetime Achievement: Bob Little is a magician and a magic dealer from Pennsylvania that is known by his catch phrase “Wild Man, Wild!”

Literary: Bill Kalush is the Conjuring Arts Research Center Executive Director, a lifelong student of sleight of hand, magic and it’s histories. His intense research into the roots of magic and the conjuring arts make him a sought after historian. He works closely with a number of magicians, including David Blaine, to produce stage and television shows based on historic sleight of hand techniques.

Mentalist: Docc Hilford is a self-described Creator, Author, Performer and Remarkable Man. He is also a magician that performs mindreading effects and other Bizarre styled magic.

Youth Award: Melissa Russo is a young female magician that started down her magical path at age 11. She is considered by many to be one of the top young female magicians in the United States.

The 2016 Milbourne Christopher Awards Presentation will be held at 6:00 PM on June 25, 2016 at the Garde Arts Center – 325 State Street, New London, Connecticut. The evening begins with a reception featuring fine hors d’oeuvres, complimentary wine, cash bar – followed by the presentation of the 2016 Christopher Foundation Awards. Festivities will continue with a performance by LEVENT. This special event is limited to 100 tickets.

The current list of judges include: Chairman, William V. Rauscher, Thomas A. Ewing, Raymond J. Goulet, Michael Miller, Tony Clark and David Haversat.

Past Milbourne Christopher Award Winners Winners include…

Robert J. Albo – Literary Award for his famed Classic Magic Series (2003)
Robert J. Albo & Phil Schwartz – Literary Award for Thayer Magic (2010)
Michael Baily – Lifetime Achievement Award (2004)
Banacheck – Mentalist Award (2010)
Larry Becker – Literary Award for Stunners (1993)
Bev Bergeron – Lifetime Achievement Award (2010)
Gay Blackstone – Ambassador of Magic Award (2009)
Gay Blackstone – Lifetime Achievement Award (2015)
Harry Blackstone, Jr. – Illusionist Award (posthumously) (1997)
David Ben – Masters Award (2013)
John Booth – Literary Award for his books and columns (1994)
David Bull – Illusionist Award (2000)
Eugene Burger – Literary Award (2000)
Lance Burton – Illusionist Award (1996)
Nathan Burton – Illusionist Award (2012)
Mirko Callaci – Newcomer Award (2004)
John Calvert – Illusionist Award (1998)
John and Tammy Calvert – Masters Award (2005)
Christopher Carter – Mentalist Award (2013)
Mike Caveney – Literary Award as author and publisher (1996)
Tony Chapek – Illusionist Award (2007)
David Charvet – Literary Award (2006)
James Cielen – Newcomer Award (1992)
Tony Clark – Newcomer Award (1990)
Danny Cole – Newcomer Award (2002)
Tim Conover – Mentalist Award (2005)
David Copperfield – Illusionist Award (1993)
Joseph Curcillo – Mentalist Award (2014)
Edwin Dawes – Literary Award for his body of work (1999)
Enrico and Lisa de la Vega – Newcomer Award 1998)
Eric DeCamps – Close-up Award (2013)
Irving Desfor – Lifetime Achievement Award (1993)
Lyn Dillies – Illusionist Award (2013)
Jeff and Tessa Evason – Mentalists Award (2003)
Fantasio – Master Award (2013)
Gary Frank – Literary Award (2015)
Greg Frewin – Illusionist Award (2009)
Karrell Fox – Lifetime Achievement Award (1997)
Joseph Gabriel – Illusionist Award (2010)
John Gaughn – Illusion Creator and Restorer Award (1989)
Paul Gertner – Close-up Award (2012)
David Goodsell – Literary Award (2009)
Raymond J. Goulet – Lifetime Achievement Award (2013)
Lee Grabel – Lifetime Achievement Award (2006)
Michael Grasso – Illusionist Award (2011)
Dick and Joanne Gustafson – Lifetime Achievement Award (2009)
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John Harrison – Literary Award (2010)
Franz Harary – Illusionist Award (2001)
Rich Heath – Visual Magic Art Award (2014)
Chuck Hickok – Mentalist (2007)
Ardan James – Newcomer Award (2000)
Trent James – Promising Young Magician Award (2015)
Joshua Jay – Close-up Award (2011)
Todd Karr – Literary Award (2004)
Craig Karges – Mentalist Award (2015)
Richard Kaufman – Literary Award for his body of work (1995)
Andre Kole – Illusionist Award (1994)
Stan Kramien – Lifetime Achievement (2014)
Krystyn Lambert – Newcomer Award (2009)
Milt Larsen – Lifetime Achievement Award (2012)
Jason Latimer – Newcomer Award (2003)
Levent – Masters Award (2015)
Shin Lim – Most Promising Award (2013)
Losander – Illusionist Award (2006)
Robert Lund – Lifetime Achievement Award (1995)
Michael Giles and Staecy Jones (The Majestix) – Illusionists Award (2002)
Bill Malone – Close-up Award (2015)
Frances Marshall – Lifetime Achievement Award (1999)
Max Maven – Literary Award as a Prolific Author and Editor (2002)
Jeff McBride – Illusionist Award (2003)
Billy McComb – Lifetime Achievement Award (2000)
Mike Miller – Ambassador of Magic Award (2010)
Stephen Minch – Literary Award (1998)
Hank Moorehouse – Lifetime Achievement Award (2011)
Norm Nielsen – Lifetime Achievement Award (2001), Masters Award (2009)
Ryan Oakes – Newcomer Award (2006)
Daniel Ortiz – Close-up Award (2014)
Richard Osterlind – Mentalist Award (2006)
Christian & Katrina Painter – Mentalists Award (2011)
Johnny Ace Palmer – Close-up Award (2010)
Cesareo Pelaez – Illusionist Award (1995)
Channing Pollock – Lifetime Achievement Award (2003)
Jon Racherbaumer – Literary Award (2005)
Alex Ramon – Illusionist Award (2014)
William V. Rauscher – Literary Award (1991 and 2007)
Charles Reynolds – Masters Award (2002)
Adele Rhindress – Ambassador of Magic Award 2015)
Barrie Richardson – Mentalist Award (2009)
Ben Robinson – Literary Award (1990)
Darren Romeo – Newcomer Award (1996)
Fergus Roy – Literary Award for his four volumes The Davenport Story (2012)
Marvyn Roy – Illusionist Award (1990)
Marvyn & Carol Roy – Lifetime Achievement Award (2007)
Marc Salem – Mentalist Award (2004)
Dale Salwak – Masters Award (2014)
George Schindler – Lifetime Award (2005)
William J. Schmeelk – Illusion Creator Award (1998)
S. H. Sharpe – Literary Award (1992)
Shimshi – Newcomer Award (2005)
Siegfried & Roy – Illusionist Award (1991)
Kenneth Silverman – Literary Award (1997)
Alan Slaight – Literary Award (2001)
Jim Steinmeyer – Illusion Creator Award (1996)
Jim Steinmeyer – Literary Award (2014)
Jon Stetson – Mentalist Award (2012)
The Spencers – Illusionists Award (2015)
Cyril Takayama – Newcomer Award (1993)
Johnny & Pam Thompson – Masters Award (2010)
Topas – Newcomer Award (1989)
Topas and Roxanne – Illusionists Award (2004)
Bob Torkova – Newcomer Award (1994)
Adrian Van Vactor – Newcomer Award (1994)
T. A. Waters – Literary Award (1989)
Don Wayne – Illusion Creator Award (1999)
Peter West – Newcomer Award (2007)
Barry Wiley – Literary Award (2013)
Frances Willard – Illusionist Award (1992)
Greg Wilson – Newcomer Award (1991)
Mark and Nani Wilson – Lifetime Achievement Award (2002)