2021 marks the 47th year of presentations of UNIMA Citations.

244 citations have been presented in the live performance category
About 95 recipients are regularly presenting work in USA and Canada. 

UNIMA Citations of Excellence for Live Performance:

12 Citations: 
Center for Puppetry Arts (various directors) 83, 85, 88, 91, 95, 01, 01, 05, 07, 08, 10, 12 (& Vagabond Marionettes- Vince Anthony 77)

8 Citations: 
Coad Canada (Luman Coad & Arlyn Coad) 75, 75, 78, 79, 83, 00, 06, 09
Jon Ludwig (Center for Puppetry Arts), 91, 95, 01, 01, 05, 08, 10, 12

7 Citations:
Sandglass Theatre (Eric Bass, Ines Zeller Bass & associates) 83, 86, 91, 94, 99, 02 (Finn Campman), 14 

6 Citations: 
University of Connecticut (various directors) 78, 86, 90, 93, 95, 05

5 Citations: 
Paul Vincent-Davis 80, 81, 81, 84, 85
Roman Paska 84, 91, 93, 95, 01 (& media 01)
Hanne Tierney 85, 93, 97, 97, 01
Puppetmongers Powell-Canada 78, 86, 95, 01, 10
Mermaid Theatre (Tom Miller)-Canada 78, 86, 89, 10, 10
Basil Twist 97, 99, 01, 09, 10

4 Citations:
Julie Taymor 81, 82, 87, 98 (& media 94)
Janie Geiser 83 (Center for Puppetry Arts),83, 87, 89
Paul Zaloom 83, 86, 91, 03 (& media 96)
Figures of Speech (John & Carol Farrell) 86, 89, 97, 01
Tears of Joy (Janet Bradley) 86, 89, 97 (Mark Levenson), 09 (Nancy Aldrich) 
Ronnie Burkett-Canada 99, 01, 07, 09

3 Citations: 
Bruce Schwartz 75, 77, 78
Dick Myers 77, 77, 78
Frank Ballard (University of Connecticut) 78, 86, 90
Bread and Puppet Theatre (Peter Schumann) 81, 85, 85
Carter Family Marionettes (Chris & Stephen Carter) 82. 92, 93
Grey Seal Puppets (Drew Allison & Donald Devet) 86, 98, 00
Mum Puppettheatre (Robert Smythe) 90, 95, 96
Paul Mesner 92, 01, 08
David Simpich 96, 98, 03
Magical Moonshine (Michael, Valerie & Benji Nelson) 98, 02, 08
Frogtown Mountain Puppeteers (Eric, Brian & Robin Torbeck) 06, 08, 12 

2 Citations: 
National Marionette Theatre (David Syrotiak) 75, 04
Poppinjay (Bob Vesely & Roger Dennis) 75,76
Lampoon (Johan & Alison Vandergun) (Canada) 76, 79
Carol Fijan 76,77
Mettawee River (Ralph Lee) 82, 86
Underground Railway (Wes Saunders & Debra Wise) 83, 88
Luis Barroso (Center for Puppetry Arts) 85,88
Puppet Fest (Terry & Linda Snyder) 86,88
Bil Baird Marionettes (Peter Baird, Carl Harms) 90, 92
Perry Alley (Andrew & Bonnie Periale) 91,99
Oregon Shadow (Deb Chase & Mick Doherty) 92, 99
ShadowLight Productions (Larry Reed) 93, 94
Preston Foerder 93, 04
In the Heart of the Beast (Sandy Spieler) 95, 07
Theatre De L’Oeil (director Andre Laliberte) (Canada) 97, 08
Great Small Works (John Bell and others) 97, 08
Tanglewood (Peter & Ann Schaeffer), 99, 09
Crabgrass Puppet Theatre (Bonny Hall and Jamie Keithline) 01, 05
Blair Thomas 02, 04
Golden Rod Puppets (Hobey Ford) 92, 10
Wakka Wakka Productions (Gwendolyn Warnock and others) 08, 14
David Stephens 05, 18
Robin Frohardt 18, 20-21

1 Citation: 
1975-1979
Robert & Jennifer Williams 75
Frog Print (Nikki & RD Tilroe) 75
Macri-Weil Sicilian 75
Ken Moses 76
Leo & Dora Velleman (Canada) 77
Vincent Anthony 77
Kathy Piper 77
Felix Mirbt-Canada 78
Meliken Puppets( Mel & Laverne Biske) 78
Robert Hartman 79
Susan Linn 79
Coatimundi (Mexico) 79

1980-1989
Burr Tillstrom 80
Steve Hansen 80
Starry Night (Jan Hacha) 83
Centro de Teatro Infantil (Mexico) 83
Wayland Flowers 83
Daniel Tamulonis 84
Rag and Bone Theatre (John Nolan & Cathy MacLellan)-Canada 84
El Mundo de las Munecas (Raphael Ortiz) (Puerto Rico) 85
Ronn Lucas 85
Carol Daniel 86
Clarion (David & Donna Wisniewski) 86
Das Puppenspiel (Jennifer Kuhlmann) 87
Theatre Beyond Words (Harold Mascow) (Canada) 87
Seattle Puppetory Theatre (Jean Mattson & Joan King) 88
Allelu Kurten 89
George Latshaw 89
Palo de Lluvia (Mexico) 89 

1990-1999
Jim Gamble 90
Hystopolis (Larry Basgall & Michael Schwabe) 91
Theodora Skipitares 91
Joan Evans 93
Tim Lagasse (U Conn) 93
Mike Malkin & Al Schupp 93
Todd Stockman 93
Yang Feng 93
Michael Graham (Spring Valley Puppets) 94
Richard Bay (University of CA Sacremento) 94
Warner Blake 94
Joe Cashore 95
Patti Smithsonian 95
U Conn ( Bart Roccoberton, Debora Glassberg, David Reagan) 95
Mark Levenson (Tears of Joy) 96
Leon Van Weeldon 96
Mabou Mines (Lee Breuer) 97
Ines Zeller Bass 99

2000-2009
Phillip Huber 00
Jonathan Cross (Cosmic Bicycle) 01
Redmoon (Jim Lasko) 01
Other Hand (Mary Robinette Kowal & Jodi Eichelberger) 01
Stephen Kaplin & Kuang-Yu Fong (Chinese Theatre Works) 01
Richard Termine 02
Magical Moonsshine (Benji Nelson) 02
Finn Campman & Barbara Whitney (with Sandglass) 02
Dan Hurlin 04
Liz Joyce 04
Alice Wallace 04
Avenue Q 04
Fay Dupras (UConn) 05
Heidi Rugg 05
Andrew Kim 06
Bobby Box (Center for Puppetry Arts) 07
Kurt Hunter 08
Janaki Ranpura 08
Deborah Costine 09
Lisa Sturz 09
The Puppet Co Playhouse (Alan Stevens, Christopher & Mayfield Piper) 09
Dragon Art Studio (Yuqin Wang) 09
Tears of Joy (Nancy Aldrich) 09
Lone Wolf Tribe (Kevin Augustine & Ken Berman) 09

2010
Heather Henson 10
Great Arizona Puppet Theatre (Nancy Smith) 10
Jay Johnson 10
Rogue Artists Ensemble (Sean Cawelti) 10
Mallory Lewis 10
Leslie Carrara-Rudolph 10
Teatro Sea (Manuel Moran) 10
Nana Projects, Inc. (Molly Ross) 10
Jason Von Hinezmeyer 10

2011
Sarah Frechette 11
Randel McGee 11

2014
Keith Shubert & Madison J Cripps 14
James Godwin 14
Jessica Simon 14

2015 - PRESENT
Hand to God (Robert Askins, Moritz von Stuelpnagel, Kevin McCollum) 15
Bonnie Duncan 17
Torry Bend 17
Strangemen Theatre Company (James Ortiz) 17
Fictionville Studios (Hamid Rahmanian) 18
Parasol Puppets (Peter Allen and Debby Lutzky Allen) 18
Nick Lehane 2020-21

UNIMA Citations of Excellence for Recorded Media:
The first citations for puppetry in recorded media were awarded in 1994.
33 productions have been honored over 25 years. 

1994
Fool's Fire (Julie Taymor)
The Nightmare Before Christmas (Tim Burton)

1995
Alef Bet Blast Off (Len Levitt)
Lamb Chop's Play Along (Shari Lewis)

1996
Under the Umbrella Tree (Noreen Young)
Beakman's World (Mark Waxman, Executive Producer)
The Puzzle Place (Cecily Truett, Larry Lancit, Stephen Kulczycki)
Shining Time Station (Craig and Olga Marin) 

1997
Davy Jones Locker (Joseph Jacoby)
Sesame Street (CTW/ Michael Loman, Exec. Producer)

2000
Men in Black (Producers Walter F. Parkes and Laurie MacDonald)
Being John Malkovich (Producers Vincent Landay, Sandy Stern, Steve Golin, and Michael Stipe)

2001
Bear in the Big Blue House (Mitchell Kriegman and The Jim Henson Company)
Between the Lions (Judith Stoia, Michael Frith, Christopher Cerf, Norman Stiles Carol Klein, Michele McDonough)
The Book of Pooh (Mitchell Kriegman, Shadow Projects)
Illuminata (John Penotti Greenestreet Films)
Pets.com Sock Puppet (Shawn Lacy Tessaro HKM Productions)

2002
The American Puppet: A History of Puppetry in America (Mazzarella Bros. Productions)

2005
Ax Television: Come Outta That Shell (Steve Axtell) 

2006
The Puppeteer (Gary Henoch and Chris Schmidt) 

2008
Faust (Steven Ritz-Barr – Classics in Miniature & Metropolitan Puppet Authority)(3-time citation winner)

2009
Too Loud a Solitude (Genevieve Anderson- IBEX, Inc.) 

2010
Fantastic Mr Fox (Wes Anderson)
Coralline (Henry Selick)
Ode to Joy (Muppet Studios & Steve Whitmire)
Quixote (Steven Ritz Barr- Classics in Miniature)(3-time citation winner)

2012
Junk Palace (Lyon Hill) 

2013
The Muppets (David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman)

2014
Yamasong (Sam Hale)

2015
The Narrative of Victor Karloch (Kevin McTurk, Spirit Cabinet Films)
Being Elmo (Constance Marks, Constance Marks Productions, Inc.)

2018
The Legend of Joan of Arc (Steven Ritz-Barr)(3-time citation winner)
I Am Big Bird (Copper Pot Pictures)
The Mill at Calder’s End (Spirit Cabinet, Kevin McTurk) 18 

Noted with sadness is the passing of citation winners: 
Laverne Biske (Meliken Puppets) 1925-2021
Lee Breuer (Mabou Mines) 1937-2021
Elka Schumann 1935-2021
Bobby Box 1958-2020
Bob Vesely (Poppinjay Puppets) 1928-2019
Xu Zhengli 1945-2017
Reg Bradley 1941-2017
Jim Gamble 1937-2016
Allelu Kurten 1930-2016
Carol Fijan 1918-2015
Terry Snyder 1948-2015
Ken Moses 1944-2015
Salvatore Macri 1938-2012
Dora Velleman 1916-2011
Kathy Piper 1936-2011
Janet Bradley 1942-2011
Steve Hansen 1946-2011
Carol Daniels 1943-2011
Frank Ballard 1929-2010
Leo Velleman 1917-2009
Roger Mara (worked with Jim Gamble) 1952-2007
Rafael Ortiz (El Mundo de las Munecas)1936-2006
George Latshaw 1923-2006
Nikki Tilroe 1941-2005
Dick Myers 1921-2005
Carl Harms (Baird productions) 1910-2005
Peter Baird 1952-2004
Yang Feng 1949-2003
David Wisniewski (Clarion Shadow Theatre) 1953-2002
Felix Mirbt 1931-2002
Arlyn Coad 1927-1999
Wayland Flowers 1939-1988
Jennifer Kuhlmann (Das Puppenspiel) 1952-1986
Burr Tillstrom 1917-1985