Best Solo Act

Bert Williams was an African American vaudeville comedian, actor, and singer who became one of the most popular entertainers of the early 20th century. He performed in blackface throughout his career, a common practice of the era, but used it to subtly subvert contemporary racial stereotypes. In 191...

Will Rogers (1879–1935) was an American humorist, actor, and social commentator who rose from performing in Wild West shows to become a nationally syndicated newspaper columnist and radio personality. He began his vaudeville career demonstrating rope tricks before incorporating sharp, folksy topical...

Bill 'Bojangles' Robinson was an African American tap dancer and actor whose career spanned vaudeville, Broadway, and Hollywood. He is celebrated for developing a highly precise, rhythmic tap style that emphasized dancing on the balls of the feet and dancing up and down stairs. Robinson was one of t...

American actress, playwright, and comedian Mae West (1893–1980) began performing in vaudeville as a child and moved to Broadway revues and her own plays in the 1920s, including Sex (1926), for which she was prosecuted on obscenity charges and briefly jailed. Her Hollywood film career began in 1932,...

Fannie Brice (1891–1951) was an American comedian, singer, and Broadway performer who rose from amateur nights on New York's Lower East Side to become a headliner in Florenz Ziegfeld's Follies from 1910 onward. She combined physical comedy, character sketches, and sentimental ballads, and created th...

Sophie Tucker (1886–1966), born Sonia Kalish to a Jewish immigrant family, was an American singer and comedian billed as "The Last of the Red Hot Mamas." She began in vaudeville around 1906, performing in blackface early in her career before abandoning the practice and building her reputation on bra...

Sir Harry Lauder (1870–1950) was a Scottish singer, comedian, and songwriter who became one of the highest-paid entertainers of the early twentieth century and among the first British performers to achieve international stardom. Performing in a comic Scottish persona complete with kilt, tam o'shante...

Asa Akira's impact on the adult entertainment industry is undeniable. A true pioneer, she helped redefine boundaries and push creative limits, particularly within niche and experimental genres. Her artistic approach to performance and her willingness to challenge conventions have inspired countless...

Jo King is a British burlesque performer and instructor who founded the London School of Striptease in 1997. She has been credited as a key figure in the development of the neo-burlesque scene in the United Kingdom. She has mentored performers who have become notable in the cabaret and burlesque cir...

Howard Thurston (1869–1936) was an American stage illusionist who became one of the most prominent magicians in the United States during the early twentieth century. He took over the touring show of his predecessor Harry Kellar around 1908 and subsequently built a large-scale illusion production tha...

Lillian Russell (1860 or 1861–1922), born Helen Louise Leonard, was an American actress and soprano who became a leading star of Broadway operetta and musical theater in the 1880s and 1890s. She performed with the Tony Pastor company before joining the Casino Theatre, where she appeared in works suc...

Jimmy Durante (1893–1980) was an American comedian, singer, and actor who began his career in vaudeville and nightclubs before achieving national prominence in radio, film, and television. He performed as part of the musical-comedy trio Durante, Clayton, and Jackson in the 1920s and later became a s...

Eddie Cantor (1892–1964) was an American comedian, singer, and actor who began performing in vaudeville as a teenager and rose to prominence in the Ziegfeld Follies in the 1910s and 1920s. He later starred in Broadway musicals, Hollywood films, and his own network radio program, becoming one of the...

Fred Allen, born John Florence Sullivan, was an American comedian whose career spanned vaudeville, radio, film, and television. After beginning his entertainment career as a comedic juggler in vaudeville, he transitioned to radio, where he became a major national star in the 1930s and 1940s. He was...

Alberta Hunter was an African American blues singer and songwriter whose performing career spanned several decades across vaudeville, jazz, and blues. She rose to prominence in the 1920s, performing in major venues in Chicago, New York, and European capitals such as Paris and London. She also wrote...

"Sandow the Magnificent" is a common epithet for Eugen Sandow, a German-born bodybuilder and showman who became a prominent figure in physical culture during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He rose to international fame through his vaudeville performances in the 1890s, where he displayed his...

Princess Farhana is an internationally recognized American neo-burlesque performer and belly dancer, celebrated for her extensive global tours since the 1990s.

Eva Tanguay was a Canadian-born vaudeville star who became one of the most famous and highest-paid entertainers in the United States during the early 20th century. Nicknamed "The I Don't Care Girl" after her signature 1905 song, she was renowned for her loud, uninhibited stage presence and her eccen...

Ida Cox was an African American blues singer and vaudeville performer nicknamed the 'Uncrowned Queen of the Blues.' She recorded prolifically for Paramount Records in the 1920s, writing many of her own songs under her name and various pseudonyms. She toured on the Theater Owners Booking Association...

Ed Wynn (1886–1966) was an American comedian and actor known as 'The Perfect Fool,' a zany stage persona with a distinctive high voice and silly props. He rose to stardom in vaudeville and on Broadway before moving into radio with 'The Texaco Fire Chief' program. He transitioned to television and fi...

Roky Roulette is a Canadian boylesque performer recognized for his acrobatic striptease acts on a pogo stick, bringing a unique physical comedy element to modern burlesque.

Lola Lollipop is a prominent Swedish burlesque performer and producer recognized for founding the Stockholm Burlesque Festival and popularizing the art form in Scandinavia.

Nora Bayes (1880–1928) was an American singer, vaudeville performer, and comedian who achieved national fame in the early 20th century. She is widely credited with co-writing the popular 1908 song "Shine On, Harvest Moon" with her then-husband Jack Norworth. Known for her powerful stage presence and...

Bobby Clark (1888–1960) was an American comedian and actor whose career spanned vaudeville, Broadway, and film. He was instantly recognizable by his painted-on eyeglasses and thick mustache, delivering routines characterized by boisterous physical comedy, visual gags, and rapid-fire patter. Often pe...

Marie "Cecilia" Loftus (1876–1943) was a Scottish-born actress and vaudeville performer who achieved fame as a mimic in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Known for her uncanny impersonations of prominent stage performers, she became a successful solo act in both British music halls and America...

Belle Baker was an American vocalist and actress who achieved significant popularity on the vaudeville and Broadway circuits from the 1910s through the 1930s. Recognized for her dramatic, emotionally resonant delivery, she became heavily associated with torch songs and was frequently marketed as the...

May Irwin was a Canadian-born American stage comedienne, vocalist, and actress who became a prominent figure in vaudeville and Broadway musical comedy during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Known for her robust, comedic delivery of popular songs, she achieved significant fame performing ragt...

Al Jolson (1886–1950) was an American singer, comedian, and actor who achieved major success on the vaudeville and Broadway circuits. Known for his dynamic performing style and his controversial use of blackface minstrelsy, he popularized numerous hit songs, including "Swanee" and "My Mammy." Jolson...

Joe Frisco was an American vaudeville performer known for his distinctive jazz-influenced dance style and trademark stammer, which became an integral part of his comedy routine. Rising to prominence in the 1910s, Frisco performed in major vaudeville circuits and became associated with the jazz dance...