Bainbridge Performing Arts and Arts & Humanities Bainbridge are delighted to announce the winner of the 2022 Amy Award for Emerging Artists is film producer, editor, and writer Brendan Bennett. 

Brendan Bennett is an Irish American filmmaker raised on Bainbridge Island. His early exposure to theatre and the performing arts led him to fall in love with visual storytelling. His work has screened at prestigious festivals in the US, Ireland, the UK, Spain, Brazil, France, Denmark, and Greece. His work has also been viewed by over 11 million people online. He likes to tell poignant, dramatic stories with a dash of dark humor.

Brendan said, “The Amy Award is a great way to offer freedom and flexibility in my schedule to actually take some time off and dive into writing. I will be using this time to finish my first feature film screenplay, set in the Pacific Northwest.” 

The Amy Award has been given annually since 2001 to an emerging artist from Bainbridge Island, under the age of 35, whose work demonstrates “a sense of quality, creativity, exploration, and dedication.” Managed by Arts & Humanities Bainbridge through an endowment held at the Bainbridge Community Foundation, the award was established and funded by David and Caren Anderson in memory of their late daughter, Amy, who was deeply involved in the visual and performing arts. Bainbridge Arts & Crafts and Bainbridge Performing Arts select recipients in alternating years.  

“Thank you again to the Anderson family for providing a wonderful space to let young artists be creative and giving them a community in which they feel valued,” Brendan added.