2023 Award Winner – Brandon James Gwinn

Ira Eaker Special Achievement Award

Brandon James Gwinn (he/they) is a Drama League nominated and Richard Rodgers Award winning composer-lyricist, performer, pianist and producer. A LiveNation artist, Brandon opened for Trixie Mattel’s North American Tour and appears in Moving Parts on Netflix. Solo albums: Bullit (Queer Global Arts Festival Winner), Not Too Late. Music producer: Two Birds & One Stone (Billboard #1) by Trixie Mattel, Love Fool by Alexis Michelle for Broadway Records. Theatre: The Seance Machine (The Tank, Obie-Award) TL;DR. Thelma Louise; Dyke Remix (Richard Rodgers Award, Rhinebeck Writer’s Retreat, UArts Polyphone Festival, O’Neill, NAMT), Cotton Candy & Cocaine (Theatre C), Queer.People.Time. (Catwalk Residency), Matchmaker Matchmaker, I’m Willing To Settle (A.R.T., NYMF) Small Town Story (Village Originals, Seattle. World Premiere: American Theatre Group) . Proud Recording Academy Grammy Voter and member of the Americana Music Association, the American Federation of Musicians and ASCAP. MFA NYU’s Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program. Represented by WME.