How many magicians usually compete for the Magic Castle's Magician of the Year award each year? I'm sure the number varies if the Magic Castle allows it to vary from year to year, but does anyone know about how many compete or how many competed for the award any particular year?

I'm just curious about the process behind the Magician of the Year award.

I would also LOVE to see Criss Angel's act he did before receiving the award the years he won, because I'm sure its pretty lulz level stuff. I wonder if he actually performed live, or if he just sent the Magic Castle a video of him doing the act so he could edit it?

Another thing I'm interested in knowing if anyone knows this too, is what exactly the Magic Castle is looking for in winning acts. Are their judging criteria publicly stated for contestants to have access to so they know what kind of things the Magic Castle is looking for (technical skill, presentational style, flourishing, sleights, gimmicks, etc..)?

Legend has it, and I can't verify this because I never saw it, that Chris Angel had a well respected off Broadway stage show. This would have been when he won that award. I'm sure some of the Magic Castle judges have regretted that award a little more with each passing season of that TV show....

To the direct question, wish I knew? I'd be interested in the answer as well. Georges Robert performs there often. He might know but I haven't seen him around here in the last few months?

The Magic Castle doesn't have a contest. It has a voting process. The awards are by popular vote so one could say it is a popularity contest. All acts that perform at the Magic Castle are eligible to win awards from the Academy of Magical Arts. The AMA is the organization that runs the Magic Castle, it's not a club, it's a club house. If you perform in the Palace you are eligible to win the Stage Magician of the Year. Perform in the closeup room and you could win the closeup magician of the year. etc. Month before the awards a ballot is created online and members cast their votes. This creates a smaller list and then once again this new smaller list is posted and members vote again. It's all about popularity and exposure. If you are seen by lots of members while performing there, they like you and/or know your work, you are more apt to win an award.

Additional awards like Lifetime achievement, Fellowship and the coveted "Magician of the Year" (won by Criss Angel) are NOT voted by the members but by the board of directors of the AMA. They don't have to have ever performed a the Magic Castle but many of them have in the past.

Hope this helps to clear up the misconception.

DR