in 1985, while a member of the bill t. jones/arnie zane dance company, curran received the award for best new york dance and performance at bessie awards for his solo performance in "secret pastures". the new york foundation for the arts awarded curran a choreographer’s fellowship in both 1998 and 2002. curran has since been nominated for a bessie award in 2012 for "outstanding production of a work that pushes the boundaries of a traditional or culturally specific form" for his piece "dingle diwali" created on darrah carr dance.