The Merlin Award to magic is what the Oscar is to the movies.

Some of the winners of the Merlin Award are:

Harry Blackstone
Doug Henning
Channing Pollack
Siegfried & Roy
Penn & Teller
David Copperfield
Criss Angel
Lu Chen

Every three years, the International Magicians Society hosts a banquet dinner, where those magicians who have acheived the highest level in their craft are awarded the coveted Merlin Award.

The voting members begin with approximately one hundred names and narrows down to a handful. The criteria that the voting members consider are talent, showmanship, originality, skills, and above all the rare ability to entertain under any conditions.

The Merlin Award statue was commitioned to over 100 art students nationwide. The winning design was carved and created in 1968 by young New York University art student Carol Michaud.

Click here for the list of recipients.