Members 2,624 (2014) Country United States Headquarters New York, United States | Affiliation AFL-CIO Website www.agvausa.com Founded 1939 | |
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Full name American Guild of Variety Artists Similar Farm Labor Organizing Committee, AFL–CIO, A Philip Randolph Institute, Office and Professional Employe, Jewish Labor Committee Profiles | ||
The American Guild of Variety Artists (AGVA) is an American entertainment union representing performers in variety entertainment, including circuses, Las Vegas showrooms and cabarets, comedy showcases, dance revues, magic shows, theme park shows, and arena and auditorium extravaganzas. There is some overlap between the jurisdictions of AGVA and Actors' Equity.
AGVA was the successor to the American Federation of Actors organized by Sophie Tucker and others in the late 1930s, and affiliated with the American Federation of Labor. In 1939 the AFL dissolved the AFA due to financial irregularities, and issued a new charter to AGVA (although some members went to Equity instead).
When actress Penny Singleton (who had been active in supporting the 1967 strike of the AGVA-represented Rockettes against Radio City Music Hall), was elected president of AGVA in 1969, she became the first woman to be president of an AFL-CIO union. The most recent Executive President was poet, songwriter, composer, and singer Rod McKuen, who has held the post for 19 years until his death in 2015.
Its offices are in New York and Los Angeles.
Georgie Award
AGVA Entertainer of the Year Awards, or the "Georgie Award" (after George M. Cohan), for variety performer of the year. Some of the past winners include: