Best actor
Dan Triandiflou
An Atlanta actor and improv comedian for years, Dan Triandiflou achieved some hysterical career highs in 2012. His uproarious turn as a high-strung country club … »more
Best actress
Bethany Anne Lind
In a city blessed with many talented ingénue-aged actresses, Bethany Anne Lind brings a level of dignity and grace to her roles and never leaves … »more
Best art space worth the drive
Howard Finster's Paradise Gardens
What art-related business could you possibly have in rural northwest Georgia, you ask? We'll tell ya: Howard Finster's Paradise Gardens. Located about an hour and … »more
Best branching out while spreading roots
Atlanta Ballet
The Atlanta Ballet branched out this season by working with some of the most impressive names in choreography, performing challenging pieces by the likes of … »more
Best case of ATLwood in action
V/H/S
It's great that Atlanta has become a regional hub for television and film production and we get to play spot-the-landmark in Hollywood movies. It's even … »more
Best chapter in Atlanta's LGBTQ story
Outwrite Bookstore and Coffeehouse
The final chapter closed on Outwrite Bookstore and Coffeehouse on January 28, 2012, ending the bookstore's 18-year reign as a crucial focal point and gathering … »more
Best comedian
Evan Fowler
Many young comedians treat Atlanta as a proving ground to build their stand-up chops before moving to New York or Los Angeles. Catch Evan Fowler … »more
Best dancer
Blake Beckham
When we saw American Muscle, we knew she had some great moves. When we saw PLOT, we knew she could build a dizzying sense of … »more
Best emerging visual artist
Micah Stansell
It's kind of a big deal when the High Museum decides to show a local artist's work. It's an even bigger deal when it decides … »more
Best event to drive Atlanta over the edge
Off the Edge
Curated by gloATL founder Lauri Stallings and sponsored by a grant from the Loridans Foundation, the Rialto Center for the Art's inaugural Off the Edge … »more
Best local poet
Natasha Trethewey
Decatur's reputation as a bastion of literature precedes it. The seven-year-old Decatur Book Festival proudly holds the title of largest independent book festival in the … »more
Best local trend in the arts
Immersive art exhibits
A subconscious tendency emerged among a handful of artists, gallerists, and curators this year for producing immersive art exhibits. In particular, shows at Get This! … »more
Best old-school venue having a sexy moment
Symphony Hall
The 2011-2012 season of performances at Symphony Hall opened with Atlanta Symphony Orchestra music director Robert Spano teetering over the orchestra pit and being supported … »more
Best onstage doomed love affair
Lucia Di Lammermoor
Gorgeous voices, awesome sets, amazing music, outrageous drama. The Atlanta Opera brought the famous story of emotionally fragile Scottish lass Lucia and her doomed love … »more
Best place to witness the local arts renaissance
The Goat Farm Arts Center
In just three years, the Goat Farm Arts Center has gone from well-kept secret to Atlanta art institution. The rustic 12-acre compound first began to … »more
Best reason to hole up in a cardboard box
Threshold
Even creating the sparest of shows in the humblest of venues can be a financial and logistical challenge for many Atlanta dance companies, so it … »more
Best reinvention of the reading series
Write Club
Reading is a quiet, solitary pursuit, generally reserved for moments of peace, reflection - of not yelling, as it were. And yet, there exists Write … »more
Best rising theater company
Fabrefaction Theatre
For a new company to produce a distinguished season at a time of crisis for Atlanta theater is an especially impressive feat. As established theaters … »more
Best run of the show
Theatre in the Square
In March, the board of directors of Theatre in the Square voted to close the cash-strapped playhouse against the wishes of its founder and producing … »more
Best sign the Beltline is ready for movement
Dance on the Beltline
The streetcar isn't quite here yet, but dance on the Beltline certainly sparked our imagination about the potential for new movement in the city. In … »more
Best theater company
Theatrical Outfit
Downtown Atlanta's Theatrical Outfit enters its 35th anniversary season on a roll, having staged one of the best plays in its recent history with Red. … »more
Best visiting artist
T Bone Burnett
The Tony Award-winning Alliance Theatre won another feather for its cap when novelist Stephen King and roots rocker John Mellencamp chose the Atlanta playhouse for … »more
