Gary Schweikhart, board president of the Carbonell Awards, South Florida’s Theatre & Arts Honors, announced that the 49th annual awards ceremony will be held on Monday, November 16, 2026 at 7:30 pm, at the University Theatre on the Boca Raton Campus of Florida Atlantic University. 

Hundreds of actors, musicians, performers, writers, directors, back-stage technicians, producers, reviewers, designers, specialty artists, and diehard theater fans are expected to attend this year’s Carbonell Awards, a glittery, entertainment-packed event that is South Florida’s version of Broadway’s Tony Awards®.

At this year’s Carbonell Ceremony awards will be presented in 20 competitive categories, along with up to seven Special Awards including the prestigious George Abbott Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Arts and the new Christine Dolen Award for Outstanding Debut.  

In addition, this year’s combined Jack Zink Memorial Scholarships / Hap Erstein Memorial Scholarships will be presented to three talented high school graduates: one each from Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach Counties.

The talented and dynamic team that will be producing, writing, and directing this year’s Carbonell Awards Ceremony are:

Executive Producer/Director Andrew Kato is celebrating his 21st season at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre as the Producing Artistic Director/Chief Executive. During his tenure, he has produced over 120 productions and subscriptions have grown to over 7,000 patrons. Overall attendance has grown to nearly 100,000 guests annually, securing the Theatre as the only LORT B+ theatre in the southeast. He was the Creative Consultant/Coordinating Producer on the Tony Awards® for 13 years, New York States Governors Arts Awards, and the Muse Awards. His Broadway credits include Jelly’s Last Jam, Angels in America, and the off-Broadway production of Cryptogram. Under his leadership, Kato oversaw the completion of the Maltz Jupiter Theatre’s $50M+ state-of-the-art facility.  Eloisa Ferrer is returning as the production’s Coordinating Producer.

Caryl Fantel is an award-winning Music Director and Pianist, as well as an Event Producer, Arts Advocate and Educator. She serves as Music Coordinator/Music Director for the Florida Atlantic University Department of Theatre and Dance and its BFA in Musical Theatre program and continues to collaborate with theatre professionals on projects throughout the South Florida region, including the annual Carbonell Awards ceremony. Other credits include performances at Carnegie Hall and Seattle’s acclaimed 5th Avenue Theatre, South Florida’s Maltz Jupiter Theatre and Zoetic Stage, as well as many regional theatres around the country. She has accompanied performances for Andrea Bocelli and numerous Broadway performers including Liz Callaway and Beth Malone, and has prepared vocal ensembles for performances with Hugh Jackman, for the Tony Awards® and other special events. Ms. Fantel is a private audition coach, workshop presenter, and a member of the Broward County Cultural Council. For more information, visit FantelMusic.com.