The winners of the Dominican show business’s night of stars, the Casandra Awards were announced last night. Cervecería Nacional Dominicana, the Presidente beer brewery, sponsors the awards. Members of the Dominican Association of Show Business Chroniclers (Acroarte) chose the winners of the annual awards. Mayor of Santo Domingo Johnny Ventura won the evening’s top award, El Soberano. Special awards of the evening were given to Colombian Carlos Vives and actress Sofia Vergara, Puerto Rican singer Ednita Nazario. Dominican Elenita Santos received a special award for her 50 year career as a singer, and Dominican composer Manuel Troncoso was honored that evening also. A posthumous tribute was rendered to Jean Louis Jorge. The tribute was received by his father. The winners were: Classics & Theater: 1. Best Actor of the year: Felix German (La mejor cerveza caliente del barrio) 2. Best Actress of the Year: Maria Castillo (La controversia de Valladolid) 3. Best Theater Director: Maria Castillo (Muller Machine) 4. Best Drama Production National Theater: Interioridades (Ivan Garcia) 5. Best Foreign Drama Production: Muller Machine (Maria Castillo production) 6. Best Children’s Play: Cascanueces (Carlos Veitia) Dance, Music and Shows: 7. Best Classic Ballerina: Silvia Crespo (Cascanueces) 8. Best Classic/Modern Dancer: Armando Gonzalez (Cascanueces) 9. Best Classic/Modern Choreographer: Carlos Veitia 10. Best Classic Performance: Madame Butterfly (National Theater) 11. Best Popular Show Choreographer: Isadora Bruno (Soy and Los cantantes) 12. Best Folklore Ballet: Ballet Folklorico de Josefina Miniño 13. Best Classics Vocal: Marianela Sanchez 14. Best Classic Instrumentist: Luis Ruiz 15. Best Classic Music Composer: Dante Cucurullo 16. Most Outstanding Dominican Artist Abroad: Michael Camilo 17. Best Orchestration and Musical Arranger: Amaury Sanchez 18. Best Songwriter: Charlie Mosquea 19. Best Music CD: Toromania (Los Toros Band) 19. Best Merengue: El Vicio (Elvis Samuel, Eddy Herrera) 20. Best Concert: Los Cantantes (Rubby Perez and Hector Acosta, produced by Amaury Sanchez) 21. Best Show: Soy (Johnny Ventura, produced by Guillermo Cordero) 22. New Artist of the Year: Ciudad de Angeles 23. Best Female Vocal: Milly Quezada 24. Best Male Vocal: Eddy Herrera 25. Best Bachata Performer: Zacarias Ferreiras 26. Best Music Group: Los Toros Band 27. Best Grassroots Music Group: José y su Artillería Pesada Television & Radio: 28. Best Investigative Journalism or Specialized Program: Nuria en el 9 29. Best Daily Variety TV program: Super Trade (Domingo Bautista) 30. Best Weekly Variety TV Program: Sábado de Corporán 31. Best Variety Show: En antena con Jatnna 32. Best Children’s TV program: Sabado Chiquito 33. Best Comedy Program: Perdone la hora 34. Best Comedian: Manolo Ozuna (Perdone la hora) 35. Best Commentator: Pablo Ross (CDN) 36. Best Presenter: Domingo Bautista 37. Best TV Special: Nuestro siglo (Hugo Mateo and Carlos Bass) 38. Best Music Video: De vuelta al barrio (Juan Basanta)
