2024 Heller Awards for Young Artists Winners Announced
11th Annual Event Will Send Two Winners to Compete at the National High School Musical Theatre Awards® in June
(AUSTIN, TX) –The 11th Annual Heller Awards for Young Artists (HAYAs) took place April 17th at the Long Center for the Performing Arts in Austin, TX, presented by the Long Center, in partnership with Texas Performing Arts and Impact Arts.
2024 HAYA Award Winners Jamias Hughes from Lockhart High School and Ava Moak from Round Rock High School will go on to represent Austin, Texas, at the National High School Musical Theatre Awards®, more commonly known as the Jimmy Awards®. The 15th Annual Jimmy Awards ceremony will take place on June 24 at Broadway’s Minskoff Theatre in New York City. All of the nominees in both categories had a song performance master class with Adam Roberts last night to begin preparations for required submission materials.
The April 17th event honored over 500 students participating from 37 schools in 19 categories with training scholarships totaling over $20,000 provided by programs from Impact Arts’ Texas Arts Project, Impact Arts’ College Audition Program, Balance Dance Studios, The Dance Spot, the Adderley School, Adam Roberts Voice, Savannah College of Art and Design, and Broadway Teaching Group. Additionally, students who won one of the top 6 individual awards will receive a consultation with Laura Maxwell Scott of Collier Talent Agency.
Broadway Teaching Group provided two educators access to participate in a virtual three-day workshop. Olden Lighting announced 6 schools to receive an industry-led lighting workshop for the 2024-25 school year.
2024 HELLER AWARDS FOR YOUNG ARTISTS WINNERS
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY: Mary Poppins | Cedar Ridge High School
BEST MUSICAL DIRECTION: Urinetown | Vista Ridge High School
BEST ORCHESTRA: Urinetown | Vista Ridge High School
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN: Chicago (Teen Edition) | Hutto High School
BEST COSTUME DESIGN: The Spongebob Musical | Jack C. Hays High School
BEST SCENIC DESIGN: Matilda the Musical | Leander High School
BEST TECHNICAL EXECUTION: Sweeney Todd (School Edition) | Round Rock High School
BEST FEATURED PERFORMER | INDIVIDUAL CATEGORY: Wyatt Gonzalez | Enjolras | Les Misérables (School Edition) | Bastrop High School
BEST FEATURED PERFORMER | ENSEMBLE CATEGORY: Samuel Ferreira | Ensemble | Chicago (Teen Edition) | Hutto High School
BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMER | MALE CATEGORY: Autry Bushong| Uncle Fester | The Addams Family (School Edition)| Rouse High School
BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMER | FEMALE CATEGORY: Chanse Solis | Little Sally | Urinetown | Vista Ridge High School
BEST LEAD PERFORMER | MALE CATEGORY: Jamais Hughes | Spongebob Squarepants | The Spongebob Musical | Lockhart High School
BEST LEAD PERFORMER | FEMALE CATEGORY: Ava Moak | Mrs. Lovett | Sweeney Todd (School Edition) | Round Rock High School
BEST ENSEMBLE: Mary Poppins | Cedar Ridge High School
BEST DIRECTION: Sweeney Todd (School Edition) | Round Rock High School
BEST PRODUCTION: Sweeney Todd (School Edition) | Round Rock High School
COMPANY IMPACT AWARDS: Seth Rivas, Lehman High School; Kira Griffin, Cedar Park High School; Sophie Gwaldo, Rouse High School; and Bella Tamayo, Tom Glenn High School
2024 HELLER AWARDS FOR YOUNG ARTISTS STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT | DESIGN: Alexandra Villalpando | San Marcos High School
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT | MARKETING: Natalie Berkaw | Westwood High School
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT | STAGE MANAGEMENT: Charlotte Adair | Cedar Park High School
TRAINING SCHOLARSHIPS
ADAMS ROBERTS VOICE, THE MACEDO UNIQUE VOICE SCHOLARSHIP: Grayson Croft, Bastrop High School and Vitor Kvasir Larson-Parachini, Bastrop High School
THE ADDERLEY SCHOOL YEARLONG CONSERVATORY: Caleb Clemmons, Elgin High School
BALANCE DANCE STUDIOS: Rebekah Paige, NYOS Charter School
THE DANCE SPOT SUMMER CAMP: Sariyah Tukes, John B. Connally High School
IMPACT ARTS’ TEXAS ARTS PROJECT SUMMER INTENSIVE: Clair Elam, Tom Glenn High School and Caleb Clemmons, Elgin High School
IMPACT ARTS’ COLLEGE AUDITION PROGRAM: Chanse Solis, Vista Ridge High School
SAVANNAH COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN SUMMER INTENSIVE: Alia Pambrun, Bastrop High School and Annie Mawson, Jack C. Hays High School
BROADWAY TEACHING GROUP EDUCATOR WORKSHOP: Wes Narron, John B. Connally High School and Jon DeMitchell, East View High School
COLLIER TALENT AGENCY CONSULTATION: Wyatt Gonzalez, Bastrop High School; Samuel Ferreira, Hutto High School; Autry Bushong, Rouse High School; Chanse Solis, Vista Ridge High School; Jamais Hughes, Lockhart High School; and Ava Moak, Round Rock High School
OLDEN LIGHTING CONSULTATION: Tom Glenn High School, Weiss High School, NYOS Charter School, Marble Falls High School, Elgin High School, and San Marcos High School
JIMMY AWARDS® REGIONAL PROGRAM WINNERS
Jamais Hughes | Spongebob Squarepants | The Spongebob Musical | Lockhart High School
Ava Moak | Mrs. Lovett | Sweeney Todd (School Edition) | Round Rock High School
Performances included an original opening and finale written by Allen Robertson; musical numbers from nominees including Sweeney Todd, The SpongeBob Musical, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Urinetown, Matilda the Musical, Mamma Mia!, Little Shop of Horrors and The Addams Family; selected scenes from supporting nominees, medleys from the lead performer categories along with surprise shout outs from Broadway professionals and stars Vincent Hooper (Simba, The Lion King), Jeremy Jordan (Gatsby, The Great Gatsby), Ben Ferguson (musical director, upcoming revival of Cabaret), Jelani Remy(Goldie Wilson/Marvin Berry, Back to the Future the Musical), and Phylicia Pearl Mpasi (Young Celie, The Color Purple 2023 motion picture) to name a few.
Presenters included Mary Ann & Andrew Heller, Juliet from Magic 95.5, Guillermo Delgado, weekend host on KMFA 89.5, Trevor Scott host of “We Are Austin” on KEYE-TV, Marcus McQuirter Department Chair, Professor of Drama Austin Community College, Kevin Richey from Olden Lighting, Michael Evariste Artistic Director of Savannah School of Art and Design & Tony-nominated producer and Broadway performer, Lena Owens Professional Performer & Heller Awards Associate Choreographer, Phillip Taylor Director of Fine Arts AISD, Matrex Kilgore, Actor, Director and Program Administrator for Texas Commission on the Arts, Dr. Kristie Kirk, Provost & Executive Vice President Concordia University, Annie Burridge General Director & CEO of Austin Opera, Director, Ginger Morris, Executive Artistic Director, Impacts Arts & Heller Awards Producing Artistic Director/Choreographer, Kyra Carr, 2023 Heller Award winner, Tony Award®-Winner, Broadway League Member and Executive & Artistic Director of Texas Performing Arts, Bob Bursey, Long Center for the Performing Arts President & CEO Cory Baker, Long Center Board Chair Lisa Lucero, hosted by Jessica O’Brien from Ballet Austin, and Donelvan Thigpen from Impact Arts, and more.
Furthering the success of local young artists, in 2023 the Heller Awards for Young Artists was confirmed as a Regional Awards Program (RAP) for the National High School Musical Theatre Awards® (the Jimmy Awards®) with the 2023 HAYA winner Langston Lee taking home the 2023 Jimmy Award for Best Performance by an Actor. Winners of the 2024 HAYAs will be eligible to compete in the Jimmy Awards® representing the Heller Awards for Young Artists and Austin, TX this upcoming June in New York City.
The Jimmy Awards® are a national celebration of outstanding student achievement, recognizing individual artistry in vocal, dance, and acting performance and elevating the importance of theatre arts education in schools. The Jimmy Awards® are presented by The Broadway League Foundation. The HAYAs joining the Jimmy Awards® is made possible by Texas Performing Arts, the home of Broadway in Austin, and a member of The Broadway League. More information on the Jimmy Awards® can be found at jimmyawards.com.
Since 2013, the Heller Awards for Young Artists have impacted over 20,000 students and educators from more than 40 high schools by providing resources and key support systems for musical theatre programs. Culminating in a unique Tony Awards®-style ceremony at the Long Center, this year-round program celebrates the achievements of exceptional students and provides professional training, mentorship, performance opportunities, industry networking, and community building for thousands of young artists across the Greater Austin area.
A full list of nominations and winners of the 2024 participating schools can be found HERE. For more information on the Heller Awards for Young Artists, visit longcenter.org/hellerawards. Follow the Heller Awards for Young Artists on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
ABOUT THE HELLER AWARDS FOR YOUNG ARTISTS
Heller Awards for Young Artists (HAYA) is a Tony Awards style program that brings together over thirty schools, shining the spotlight on hard work and excellence of thousands of students and teachers involved in arts education in the Greater Austin area. Produced each Spring by the Long Center, in partnership with Texas Performing Arts and Impact Arts, the HAYA’s celebrate young artists and excellence in musical theatre. More information including participation on the Heller Awards can be found at impactarts.org/heller-awards.
ABOUT THE LONG CENTER
Uniquely facing the city skyline, the Long Center is an iconic cultural hub and community gathering place – a reflection of Austin’s eclectic and creative soul. Built in 2008 and with a local history that spans many more generations, the Long Center is dedicated to fueling community through creativity, elevating Austin’s creative sector, and connecting communities near and far through creative discovery. For more information about the Long Center, please visit thelongcenter.org or follow on Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn.
ABOUT TEXAS PERFORMING ARTS
Texas Performing Arts is the professional arts presenting and producing program of The University of Texas at Austin. One of the largest and most active university-based performing arts centers in the U.S., Texas Performing Arts is an anchor institution in Austin’s arts, cultural, and entertainment landscape. Texas Performing Arts operates venues on the UT campus including Austin’s largest theatre, the newly renovated Bass Concert Hall. Its public programs include Broadway in Austin; the Texas Welcomes series of national touring artists; and a curated season of international dance, theatre, music and more. Texas Performing Arts is an integral unit of UT’s College of Fine Arts and engages thousands of students across the university every year. In the calendar year 2022, TPA sold 250,000 tickets serving as a popular gateway to campus. Following a national search, Tony Award-winning producer Bob Bursey was appointed Executive and Artistic Director in January of 2020. For more information on Texas Performing Arts, please visit texasperformingarts.com.
ABOUT IMPACT ARTS
Impact Arts is a 501c3 nonprofit cultivating the next generation of artists and leaders through Summer Stock Austin, Texas Arts Project, Digital Learning Series, In-School Workshops, Teacher Workshops, and Private Lesson Studio all under the organization. Created by Ginger Morris, Victor Villalobos and Donelvan Thigpen, Impact Arts is committed to lifelong learning fostering empathy, creativity, and critical thinking through theatre and film programs propelling young artists to the next level in their careers. Uniquely empowering youth by producing professional quality productions, Impact Arts aims to be a leader in inclusive educational programs that use arts to unite people creating a lasting impact. Visit impactarts.org for more information.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL THEATRE AWARDS
The Jimmy Awards®/The National High School Musical Theatre Awards® (NHSMTA®) program impacts approximately 130,000 students who participate in 51 regional high school musical theatre competitions sponsored by presenters of touring Broadway productions throughout the United States. Named for Broadway impresario James M. Nederlander, the program has been the catalyst for more than $6,000,000 in educational scholarships since its launch in 2009. Presented by The Broadway League Foundation, Inc., the NHSMTA invites two nominees from each local regional ceremony to New York City for a rigorous theatre intensive that includes coaching sessions, training, and rehearsals led by some of Broadway’s most accomplished professionals. Nominees will spend ten days in New York City from Friday, June 14, 2024, through Tuesday, June 25, 2024, and their efforts throughout the week will lead to one extraordinary talent showcase performed live in front of an audience on a Broadway stage. The fifteenth annual Jimmy Awards will take place on Monday, June 24, 2024, at the Minskoff Theatre. For more information, please visit www.JimmyAwards.com.
Want more theatre? Check out the 2024-2025 season of Broadway in Austin lineup.
