Blumey Awards toast Charlotte region’s top high school musical theater programs
The biggest razzle-dazzle night of the year for high school musical theater programs in the Charlotte region unfolded Sunday at Belk Theater in uptown with the 13th annual Blumey Awards from Blumenthal Arts.
The program has provided quite the pipeline of talent from Charlotte to Broadway and beyond, counting alums like Reneé Rapp, Eva Noblezada, Philip Johnson Richardson and Liam Pearce. Most recently, Bryson Battle just made his Broadway debut in the hit revival of “Cats.”
The winners of the best actor and best actress at the Blumeys go on to New York to compete in the national high school musical theater awards program, the Jimmy Awards on June 22.
This year’s Blumey winners for best actor and actress were Carmel Christian School’s Anna Jernigan as Ariel Moore in “Footloose” and North Lincoln High’s Harold Garcia as Orpheus in “Hadestown Teen Edition.” (Noblezada earned her second Tony nomination starring as Eurydice in the original Broadway cast of “Hadestown.”)
This year’s program had a record-breaking 59 schools from across the region participate in it. The Blumeys recognize excellence in performance, design, production and direction.
“What we see on the Blumey stage is the result of months of hard work, collaboration, and fearless creativity,” Blumenthal Arts CEO Tom Gabbard said in a statement. “It’s incredibly exciting to witness so many of them at the very beginning of their artistic careers.”
The ceremony featured musical direction and arrangements from Raegan Casteel, whose recent credits include Broadway and national tour productions of “Chess” and “& Juliet,” alongside Broadway composer and longtime Blumeys collaborator David Dabbon for the opening number.
Choreography was led by Broadway performer, director and choreographer Deidre Goodwin.
2026 Blumey Awards winners
Here are the rest of the winners from the Blumey Awards:
Best Musical—Tier 1: Weddington High School — “Legally Blonde: The Musical.”
Best Musical—Tier 2: North Lincoln High School — “Hadestown Teen Edition.”
Best Supporting Actor: Northwest School of the Arts — Wiley Seago as Basilius, “Head Over Heels.”
Best Supporting Actress: Northwest School of the Arts — Andie Jones as Gynecia, “Head Over Heels.”
Best Featured Performer: Weddington High School — Alexander Stetson as Dewy/Kyle/Grand Master Chad, “Legally Blonde: The Musical.”
Best Direction: North Lincoln High School — “Hadestown Teen Edition.”
Best Ensemble: Weddington High School — “Legally Blonde: The Musical.”
Best Choreography Execution: North Lincoln High School — “Hadestown Teen Edition.”
Best Student Orchestra: Central Academy of Technology and Arts — “Pippin” (2013 Revival).
Best Student Costume Designer: Cox Mill High School — Abigail Woerner, “Seussical.”
Best Student Set Designer: Catawba Ridge High School — David Archie, “Mamma Mia!”
Best Student Stage Manager: Northwest School of the Arts — Spencer Angel, “Head Over Heels.”
Best Student Reporter: Catawba Ridge High School — Richard Hughes.
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