Academy of Magical Arts

Academy of Magical Arts is a non-profit social order devoted to the advancement of magic. Its clubhouse is the famed Magic Castle, one of the most unique private clubs in the world.

The AMA was started in April 1952 by William W. Larsen, Sr., whom subscribers to his magazine Genii became instant members. But the organization faded away when Bill Larsen Sr. passed away at the age of 48 in 1955.

In 1961, when Bill Larsen Sr.'s younger son, Milt Larsen, started creating the Magic Castle there was no club. He convinced his brother Bill Larsen Jr. that it would be a good time to resurrect the Academy of Magical Arts. The first members were again Genii subscribers. Bill was Chairman and the original Board of Directors was composed of Harry Mendoza, Frederick Shields, George Boston, Alvin Jansen and Norman Carroll (who died before the club went into operation).

There are several types of membership:

• MAGICIAN (REGULAR) MEMBERS
• ASSOCIATE MEMBERS
• HONORARY LIFE MEMBERSHIPS and VIP MEMBERSHIPS
• JUNIOR MEMBERSHIPS

There is an annual Academy of Magical Arts Award Show and Banquet. The highest award given is the Masters Fellowship.

Awards

The following are the list published in the AMA program each year.

Masters Fellowship

(Date presented)

• 1968 Dai Vernon
• 1969 (date of banquet moved)
• 1970 Cardini
• 1971 Virgil And Julie
• 1972 Senor Frakson
• 1973 Charlie Miller
• 1974 Slydini
• 1975 Dunninger
• 1976 Robert Harbin
• 1977 Les Levante
• 1978 Dorney Dornfield
• 1979 Walter B. Gibson
• 1980 MacDonald Birch, Fred Kaps
• 1981 Gene Gordon
• 1982 Jay Marshall
• 1983 Joe Berg
• 1984 Maurice Rooklyn
• 1985 Eric Lewis
• 1986 Murray
• 1987 Tihany
• 1988 Mark Wilson

Lifetime Achievement Fellowship

• 1985 William W. Larsen,Jr.
• 1986 Don Lawton
• 1987 Milt Larsen
• 1989 Frances Marshall
• 1989 John Booth
• 1990 Jack McMillan
• 1991 Edwin Hooper
• 1992 Ron Wilson
• 1993 Charles Reynolds
• 1994 John Fisher
• 1995 Alan Wakeling
• 1996 Billy McComb
• 1997 Alex Elmsley
• 1998 Bev Bergeron
• 1999 John Gaughan
• 2000 Stan Kramien
• 2001 Tihany
• 2002 Les Smith
• 2003 Al Cohen and Christian Fechner
• 2004 Irene Larsen
• 2005 Martin Gardner

Magician of the Year

• 1968 Dai Vernon
• 1970 Albert Goshman
• 1971 Ron Wilson
• 1972 Mark Wilson
• 1973 Shimada
• 1974 Mark Wilson
• 1975 Siegfried & Roy
• 1976 Doug Henning
• 1977 Norm Nielsen
• 1978 Harry Blackstone, Jr.
• 1979 David Copperfield
• 1980 Marco the Magi
• 1981 Richiardi, Jr.
• 1982 Paul Daniels
• 1983 Siegfried & Roy
• 1984 Harry Blackstone, Jr.
• 1985 Lance Burton
• 1986 David Copperfield
• 1987 The Pendragons
• 1988 Harry Anderson
• 1989 Princess Tenko
• 1990 Silvan
• 1991 Lance Burton
• 1992 Juan Tamariz
• 1993 Jeff McBride
• 1994 The Pendragons
• 1995 Penn & Teller
• 1996 Ricky Jay
• 1997 Mark Kalin & Jinger
• 1998 Luis de Matos
• 1999 Silvan
• 2000 Ayala
• 2001 Rick Thomas
• 2002 David Blaine
• 2003 Mac King
• 2004 Darren Romeo
• 2005 Criss Angel
• 2006 Cyril Takayama
• 2007 Derren Brown
• 2008 Guy Hollingworth
• 2009 Ed Alonzo
• 2010 Topas
• 2011 Lu Chen
• 2012 Penn & Teller
• 2013 Yo Ho-Jin
• 2014 Michael Carbonaro
• 2015 Dynamo
• 2016 Derek DelGuadio
• 2017 David Williamson
• 2018

Performing Fellowship

• 1968 Cardini; Willard the Wizard
• 1969 Frakson; Slydini
• 1970 Kuda Bux
• 1971 Richiardi, Jr.
• 1972 Les Levante
• 1973 Maurice Rooklyn
• 1974 Marvyn Roy & Carol
• 1975 Channing Pollock
• 1976 Roy Benson; Neil Foster
• 1977 Tihany; Leon Mandrake
• 1978 Russell Swann; Johnny Platt
• 1979 Jimmy Grippo
• 1980 Suzy Wandas Bennett
• 1981 Andre Kole
• 1982 John Calvert
• 1983 The Morettis; Billy McComb
• 1984 Carl Ballantine; Bert Easley
• 1985 John Thompson; Mardoni & Louise
• 1986 Eddie Tullock; Tommy Tucker & Liz Tucker; Will Rock
• 1987 Milo & Roger
• 1988 Shimada
• 1989 Topper Martyn
• 1990 Del Ray
• 1991 Don Alan
• 1992 Terry Seabrooke; Harry Blackstone, Jr.
• 1993 Norm Nielsen
• 1994 Chuck Jones & Jan
• 1995 Jack Kodell; Doug Henning
• 1996 Mike Skinner; Tommy Wonder
• 1997 Rene Lavand; Peter Reveen
• 1998 Goldfinger & Dove; Martin Nash
• 1999 Bruce Cervon; Ed & Nancy Keener
• 2000 Richard Ross; Juan Tamariz
• 2001 Earl Nelson; The Pendragons
• 2002 Harry Lorayne; Alan Shaxon
• 2003 Walter "Zaney" Blaney
• 2004 Magic Christian
• 2005 Bobby Baxter; Flip Hallema
• 2006 Eugene Burger; Chen Kai
• 2007 Penn & Teller; Dr. Sawa
• 2008 Celeste Evans; Howie Schwarzman
• 2009 Pam Thompson; J.C. Wagner
• 2010 Franz Harary; Bob White
• 2011 Finn Jon
• 2012 David Williamson
• 2013 David Kaye
• 2014 John Carney
• 2015 Greg Frewin
• 2016 Fielding West; Luis Piedrahita
• 2017 Ray Anderson; Eric Mead
• 2018

Creative Fellowship

• 1968 Ed Marlo
• 1969 U. F. Grant
• 1970 Robert Harbin
• 1971 Alex Elmsley
• 1972 Joe Berg
• 1973 Paul Fox
• 1974 Anverdi ; U. F. Grant
• 1975 Alan Wakeling
• 1976 Paul Curry
• 1977 Charles Reynolds
• 1978 Edmund Spreer; Robert Stull
• 1979 Ali Bongo
• 1980 Brother John Hamman; Ken Brooke
• 1981 Stewart James
• 1982 Ross Bertram; Jack Chanin
• 1983 John Gaughan
• 1984 Karrell Fox
• 1985 Sam Berland
• 1986 Gil Leaney
• 1987 Jerry Andrus
• 1988 Tenyo Company
• 1989 Dick Zimmerman
• 1990 Jim Steinmeyer
• 1991 Don Wayne
• 1992 Herb Zarrow
• 1993 Patrick Page
• 1994 Larry Jennings
• 1995 Finn Jon
• 1996 John Kennedy
• 1997 Max Maven
• 1998 David Roth
• 1999 Gaetan Bloom
• 2000 Ted Lesley
• 2001 Pavel
• 2002 Nick Trost
• 2003 George Proust
• 2004 Kevin James
• 2005 Eberhard Riese
• 2006 Paul Harris
• 2007 Steve Dusheck
• 2008 Pierre Mayer
• 2009 Michael Weber
• 2010 Dean Dill
• 2011 Lubor Fiedler
• 2012 Paul Kieve
• 2013 David Regal
• 2014 Mark Setteducati
• 2015 Tom Stone

Literary Fellowship

• 1968 Lewis Ganson; Jack Potter
• 1969 Peter Warlock
• 1970 Walter B. Gibson
• 1971 Milbourne Christopher
• 1972 Frances Ireland Marshall
• 1973 Eric Lewis
• 1974 Martin Gardner
• 1975 Ed Marlo
• 1976 John Booth
• 1977 J. B. Bobo
• 1978 John Braun
• 1979 Glenn Gravatt
• 1980 Harry Lorayne
• 1981 Gerald Kosky
• 1982 Sam H. Sharpe
• 1983 Sid Lorraine
• 1984 Edwin Dawes
• 1985 Karl Fulves
• 1986 Bill & Irene Larsen
• 1987 Robert Lund
• 1988 Ken de Courcy; Robert Albo
• 1989 David Price
• 1990 Micky Hades
• 1991 Bascom Jones. Jr.
• 1992 Karrell Fox
• 1993 Jon Racherbaumer
• 1994 Donald Beven
• 1995 Robert Orben
• 1996 Stephen Minch
• 1997 Richard Kaufman
• 1998 Mike Caveney
• 1999 Val Andrews
• 2000 Richard Buffum
• 2001 Jim Steinmeyer
• 2002 Sid Fleischman
• 2003 Jim Reilly
• 2004 Bart Whaley
• 2005 David Britland
• 2006 David Goodsell; Phil Willmarth
• 2007 William Kalush
• 2008 Louis Falanga
• 2009 Todd Karr
• 2010 Stan Allen
• 2011 Roberto Giobbi
• 2012 David Charvet
• 2013 Steve Beam
• 2014 Dan Buck & Dave Buck
• 2015 Will Houstoun
• 2016 Dr. Lori Pieper
• 2017 David Ginn
• 2018

Special Fellowship

• 1968 Carl Owen
• 1970 Goodliffe; Charlie Miller; Ed Sullivan
• 1971 Tenkai
• 1972 Faucett Ross
• 1973 Marion Chavez; Carl Ballantine; Dunninger
• 1974 Johnny Giordomaine
• 1975 Henk Vermeyden; Ken Brooke
• 1976 Shirley Carroll; Johnny Carson; Danny Dew
• 1977 Loring Campbell
• 1978 Lloyd E. Jones
• 1979 Len Vintus; Burling Hull
• 1980 Geraldine Larsen Jaffe; Jane Thurston Shepard
• 1981 Moi-yo Miller
• 1982 Leon & Teddy Leon
• 1983 Robert Albo; Irving Desfor
• 1984 Marie Marshall; Orson Welles; Shigeo Tagaki
• 1986 Harry Stanley; Stan Kramien; James Randi
• 1987 Bob Barker; Jimmy Ravel
• 1988 Tom Bradley; Homer Hudson
• 1989 John Fisher
• 1990 Charles Schulz
• 1991 Marshall Brodien
• 1992 Irene Larsen
• 1993 John Salisse
• 1994 Ton Onasaka
• 1995 Lynette Chappell; Litzka Raymond Gibson; Maurice Pierre; John Salisse
• 1996 Joe Stevens
• 1997 Roy Walton; Senor Wences
• 1998 Jules Lenier
• 1999 Martin Breese
• 2000 David Berglas; Diana Zimmerman
• 2001 John "Kaz" Kasnetsis
• 2002 Louis Saint Pierrie, Jr.; Rick Heath
• 2003 Manfred Thumm
• 2004 Mark Nelson
• 2005 Rich Bloch; Lew Horowitz; Dale Hindman

Award of Merit

• 1968 Milt Larsen; Mattel Corporation; Lou Derman; John Gaughan
• 1970 Bill Groom; Peter Pit; John Shrum; Eleanor St. Germain
• 1971 Siegfried & Roy; George Boston
• 1972 Bob McAllister
• 1973 Bob Barker; Bill Bixby; Charles Reynolds
• 1974 Ken Brooke; James G. Williams; The Magic Castle; Jerry Rosen; Henk Vermeyden
• 1975 Shirley Carroll; Johnny Carson; Danny Dew; Doug Henning; Charles Reynolds & Regina Reynolds
• 1976 Lewis P. Horwitz; Century III Programs, Inc. Jack Rhodes, Wendell Wilks, Stanley Dorfman
• 1977 Ralph Edwards; Pat Hennessy Jr.; Peter Kersten
• 1978 Dick Cavett; Dick Clark; Armand Grant; Ted Salter
• 1979 Robert Albo; Ernie Evans; Ken & Roberta Griffin; Dale Harney; Don Wayne
• 1980 John Davison; Christian Fechner; Sammy McKay; Diana Zimmerman
• 1981 Paul Daniels; Liberace
• 1982 Robert & Elaine Lund; Peter Pit; Jamal Rofeh
• 1983 Fred Anderson; Eric Elkaim; John Fisher
• 1984 Bill Cosko; Ton Onosaka; Manfred Thumm
• 1985 Mark Nelson; Jim Steinmeyer; Dick Zimmerman
• 1986 Lynette Chappell; John "Kaz" Kasnetsis; Jeff Semel; Richard M. Sherman
• 1987 Bob Dorian; Benjamin Garth; Ray Pierce
• 1988 Mike Elkan; Margaret Hennessy; Hugh Rappaport
• 1989 James Starr
• 1990 Dale Salwak
• 1992 Stan Allen; Sandy Edberg
• 1993 Dick Foster
• 1994 Egil "Egelo" Berg; Luis de Matos; Merv Griffin
• 1995 Dream Team Gary Ouellet; Gary Pudney; Bob Jaffe
• 1996 Bill Bowers; Arnold Brema; Triny Peller; John Zweers
• 1997 Bob Busch; Joan Lawton; Rick Marcelli
• 1998 Gordon Bean; Robert Carver; Donna Chapman; Mike Elkan; Michael Flint; Joe Hoffman; Ron Jackson; Mike Lacey; Robert Parker
• 1999 George Juarez; James G. Williams; Fred Wood & Wanda Wood; Mystina
• 2000 Jean Boyle; Ray Forgette; Clark James; Carol Marie; Mark Nelson; Scott Tokar; John Zweers
• 2001 Gary Frank; Terry Hill; Amazing Johnathan; Francis B. Martineau; David Thorsen
• 2002 Scott Smith
• 2003 Aldo Colombini
• 2004 David McKenzie
• 2006 Alan Rosson
• 2007 Rich Cowley; Paul Gross
• 2009 Obie O'Brien
• 2010 William Scott Anderson
• 2011 Ira Goldstein; The Skirball Cultural Center; The Los Angeles Fire Department
• 2013 Neil Patrick Harris
• 2014 Randy Pitchford; Alan Watson
• 2015 Erika Larsen

Comedy Magician of the Year

• 2003 Dana Daniels
• 2004 Michael Finney
• 2005 Ed Alonzo
• 2006 Ed Alonzo

Bar Magician of the Year

• 2004 Doc Eason
• 2005 Whit Haydn

Stage Magician of the Year

• 1968 John Daniel
• 1969 Carazini; Eric Lewis; Norm Nielsen
• 1970 Don Lawton
• 1971 Glenn Falkenstein
• 1972 Shimada
• 1973 Shimada
• 1974 Eric Lewis
• 1975 Shimada
• 1976 Johnny Thompson
• 1977 Peter Pit
• 1978 Goldfinger & Dove
• 1979 Whit Haydn
• 1980 Harry & Leslie Anderson
• 1981 Tomsoni & Company
• 1982 Goldfinger & Dove
• 1983 Lance Burton
• 1984 Jonathan Neal Brown
• 1985 The Pendragons
• 1986 The Pendragons
• 1987 Jonathan Neal Brown & Liane
• 1988 James Dimmare & Lisa
• 1989 Amos Levkovitch
• 1990 Amos Levkovitch
• 1991 Christopher Hart
• 1992 Glenn Falkenstein & Frances Willard
• 1993 Christopher Hart
• 1994 Tina Lenert
• 1995 Glenn Falkenstein & Frances Willard
• 1996 Jason Byrne
• 1997 Jason Byrne
• 1998 John Carney
• 1999 Ed Alonzo
• 2000 Ed Alonzo
• 2001 John Carney
• 2002 James Dimmare
• 2003 Kevin James
• 2004 Danny Cole
• 2005 Danny Cole
• 2006 Mike Caveney
• 2007 Dana Daniels
• 2008 Kevin James
• 2009 Jeff Hobson
• 2010 Dana Daniels
• 2011 Rob Zabrecky
• 2012 Rob Zabrecky
• 2013 Mike Caveney
• 2014 Pop Haydn
• 2015 Shoot Ogawa
• 2016 Thommy Ten and Amélie van Tass (The Clairvoyants)
• 2017 Shoot Ogawa
• 2018

Close-Up Magician of the Year

• 1968 Albert Goshman
• 1969 Johnny Platt
• 1970 Mike Skinner
• 1971 Ron Wilson
• 1972 Bruce Cervon
• 1973 Mike Skinner
• 1974 Albert Goshman
• 1975 Bruce Cervon
• 1976 Jules Lenier
• 1977 David Roth
• 1978 Earl Nelson
• 1979 Daryl
• 1980 Daryl
• 1981 Michael Ammar
• 1982 Bob Jardine
• 1983 Michael Ammar
• 1984 John Carney
• 1985 Earl Nelson
• 1986 Johnny Ace Palmer
• 1987 Johnny Ace Palmer
• 1988 John Carney
• 1989 David Williamson
• 1990 David Williamson
• 1991 Martin Nash
• 1992 Tony Giorgio
• 1993 Rene Lavand
• 1994 Paul Gertner
• 1995 Paul Gertner
• 1996 Martin Nash
• 1997 Eugene Burger
• 1998 Eugene Burger
• 1999 Steve Valentine
• 2000 Lennart Green
• 2001 Steve Valentine
• 2002 Shoot Ogawa
• 2003 Whit Haydn
• 2004 Whit Haydn
• 2005 Shoot Ogawa
• 2006 Jon Armstrong
• 2007 Paul Green
• 2008 Doc Eason
• 2009 Doc Eason
• 2010 Suzanne
• 2011 Derek DelGaudio
• 2012 Derek DelGaudio
• 2013 Bill Goodwin
• 2014 Richard Turner
• 2015 Mike Pisciotta
• 2016 Mike Pisciotta
• 2017 Richard Turner
• 2018

Parlour Magician of the Year

• 1983 Tom Ogden
• 1984 Tom Ogden
• 1985 Michael Ammar
• 1986 Daryl
• 1987 Daryl
• 1988 Kevin James
• 1989 John Carney
• 1990 Michael Ammar
• 1991 John Carney
• 1992 Chuck Fayne
• 1993 Chuck Fayne
• 1994 David Williamson
• 1995 Whit Haydn
• 1996 T.C. Tahoe (Christian Lange)
• 1997 T.C. Tahoe (Christian Lange)
• 1998 Aldo Colombini
• 1999 Aldo Colombini
• 2000 Martin Lewis
• 2001 Martin Lewis
• 2002 Whit Haydn
• 2003 Dana Daniels
• 2004 Dana Daniels
• 2005 Michael Finney
• 2006 Jason Alexander
• 2007 Shoot Ogawa
• 2008 Shoot Ogawa
• 2009 Andrew Goldenhersh
• 2010 Andrew Goldenhersh
• 2011 Helder Guimaraes
• 2012 Helder Guimaraes
• 2013 Johnny Ace Palmer
• 2014 Rob Zabrecky
• 2015 Rob Zabrecky
• 2016 Handsome Jack (John Lovick)
• 2017 Johnny Ace Palmer
• 2018

Lecturer of the Year

• 1968 Dick Zimmerman
• 1969 "Senator" Clarke Crandall
• 1970 Bruce Cervon
• 1971 Bob Eads
• 1972 Lou Derman
• 1973 "Senator" Clarke Crandall
• 1974 Ali Bongo
• 1975 Milbourne Christopher
• 1976 Sid Lorraine
• 1977 Pat Culliton
• 1978 Jerry Andrus
• 1979 Max Maven
• 1980 Karrell Fox
• 1981 Albert Goshman
• 1982 Michael Ammar
• 1983 Michael Ammar
• 1984 Eugene Burger
• 1985 Eugene Burger
• 1986 Gaeton Bloom
• 1987 Chuck Fayne
• 1988 Daryl
• 1989 Dale Salwak
• 1990 David Williamson
• 1991 John Carney
• 1992 Daryl
• 1993 David Williamson
• 1994 Paul Gertner
• 1995 Johnny Ace Palmer
• 1996 David Roth
• 1987 Tom Mullica
• 1998 Peter Pit
• 1999 Johnny Ace Palmer
• 2000 Aldo Colombini
• 2001 David Regal
• 2002 Paul Green
• 2003 Aldo Colombini
• 2004 Bob Sheets
• 2005 Martin Lewis
• 2006 The Flicking Fingers
• 2007 Martin Lewis
• 2008 Jeff McBride
• 2009 Doc Eason
• 2010 David Regal
• 2011 Howard Hamburg
• 2012 Harry Anderson
• 2013 Steve Valentine
• 2014 Steve Valentine
• 2015 Doc Eason
• 2016 Rob Zabrecky
• 2017 John Carney
• 2018

Junior Achievement Award

• 1976 Dirk Arthur
• 1977 Robbie Millman
• 1978 Geofrey Williams
• 1979 Mark Kalin
• 1980 Mark van Buren; The Magic Company (Bob Piskens, Jim Heckens, Yvonne Pickens,Rita Nessett)
• 1981 Scott Cervine; Michael Weber
• 1982 Ed Alonzo; Larry Clark; Bill Goodwin
• 1984 Ray Kosby; Danny Scott
• 1985 Scott Tokar
• 1986 David Doyle
• 1989 Mark Matsumoto; Jason Alexander
• 1990 Steve Barnes
• 1992 Michael Battistoni
• 1995 Chris Gongora
• 1996 Mindy Edberg; Jason Neistat; Matt Marcy
• 1997 Wesley Edberg
• 1998 Danny Cole; Thomas Meier; Bryan Stoops
• 1999 James Holguin
• 2000 Scott Berry; Joseph Tran
• 2001 Jason Latimer
• 2002 David Stryker
• 2003 Joel Ward; Matthew Grunwald; Jonathon Dabach
• 2004 Tony Elias
• 2005 Jessica Phillips

References

This page incorporated content from Academy of Magical Arts, a page hosted on Wikipedia. Please consult the history of the original page to see a list of its authors. Therefor, this article is also available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License

• The Academy of Magical Arts Awards Shows A 20 Year Retrospect by Paul Butler in Genii 1988 January
• http://www.magiccastle.com/ama/index.cfm