Blumenthal Arts Announces Final Nominees for 2026 Blumey Awards
May 4, 2026 / Press Releases
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Blumenthal Arts today announced the final nominees for the 2026 Blumey Awards, marking a major milestone in the annual program as the region’s top high school theater students are recognized for their outstanding achievements.
Selected from a pool of students representing 59 area schools, these nominees reflect outstanding achievement across performance, technical theater, and student journalism.
At this stage, Best Actor and Best Actress nominees completed a second round of auditions for a panel of casting professionals, while student designers and stage managers presented their portfolios to theater and production experts. Student reporters were evaluated based on written and digital submissions, reviewed and scored by local journalism professionals, including Alex Giles, reporter at WBTV, and Donna Scott, Digital Marketing Manager of Donna Scott Productions.
“Every year, the students are absolutely exceptional,” said Tom Gabbard, CEO of Blumenthal Arts. “It’s the nuances that make someone stand out. Auditioning and presenting are snapshots in time, and in those moments, these students brought something unique to the table that set them apart.”
In the weeks leading up to the final ceremony, nominees participated in hands-on training and mentorship to build both skills and confidence, including Blumey Bootcamp for Best Actor and Best Actress nominees, a weeklong intensive with fellow performers and theater experts. Students in technical categories focused on portfolio development, presentation skills, and exploring career pathways in theater production and design.
“The experience between the school productions and the ceremony is where so much growth happens,” said Andie Maloney, Chief Education Officer at Blumenthal Arts. “Students are refining their work, getting one-on-one time with professionals, and gaining real insight into what it takes to pursue the next level, whether that’s on stage, behind the scenes, or in storytelling.”
The 2026 Blumey Awards are presented by Bank of America. The ceremony will take place Sunday, May 17, at the Belk Theater, where nominees will take on active roles in the production. The Best Actor nominees Jackson Hicks, Solomon Simpson, Harold Garcia, Michael Meissner, Lukas Hjerth and Cole Night and Best Actress nominees Anna Jernigan, Mimi McLean, Quinby Goode, Tilly McDaniel, Rae Thomas and Isabella Stetson will perform a featured medley of solos and participate in the opening and closing numbers.
Student stage manager nominees will assist the Belk Theater stage team, and student reporter nominees will work alongside Blumenthal’s marketing team to cover the event.
Winners of Best Actor and Best Actress will go on to represent Charlotte at the National High School Musical Theatre Awards, also known as the Jimmy Awards, in New York City. Blumey alums have made a lasting impression on that national stage, with past winners including Bryson Battle (2021), Reneé Rapp (2018), and Amina Faye (2016).
For updates on the program and this year’s nominees, follow @blumeyawards on Instagram and Facebook. For more information, visit blumenthalarts.org/education/blumey-awards.
THE 2026 BLUMEY AWARDS NOMINEES ARE:
Best Student Orchestra (Sponsored by The Harrison Family)
Ardrey Kell High School – Guys and Dolls
Central Academy of Technology and Arts – Pippin (2013 Revival)
Mooresville High School – Matilda the Musical
Northwest School of the Arts – Head Over Heels
Providence High School – The Addams Family
William A. Hough High School – Newsies
Best Student Reporter (Sponsored by Axios Charlotte)
Catawba Ridge High School – Richard Hughes
Marvin Ridge High School – Grace Gaffney
Northwest School of the Arts – Charlie Bullock
South Mecklenburg High School – Ava Crago
Best Choreography Execution
Carmel Christian School – Footloose
Central Academy of Technology and Arts – Pippin (2013 Revival)
Cox Mill High School – Seussical
North Lincoln High School – Hadestown Teen Edition
Northwest School of the Arts – Head Over Heels
Weddington High School – Legally Blonde: The Musical
Best Student Stage Manager (Sponsored by Rodgers Builders Inc in honor of Emily Stanton)
Concord Academy – Valerie Cutter – Shrek the Musical
Hopewell High School – Aleksi Bernier – Something Rotten!
North Lincoln High School – Caitlin Siwoszek - Hadestown Teen Edition
Northwest School of the Arts – Spencer Angel – Head Over Heels
Palisades High School – Abi Recarte – West Side Story
Pine Lake Preparatory School – Caroline Johnson – The Lightning Thief
Best Student Set Designer
Catawba Ridge High School – David Archie – Mamma Mia!
Concord Academy – Aiden Weathers – Shrek the Musical
Hickory Ridge High School – Lily Chapman - Disney’s The Little Mermaid
North Lincoln High School – Addison Geiger - Hadestown Teen Edition
Providence Day School – April Liu – Sweet Charity
Westminster Catawba Christian School – Jude Murphy – Disney’s The Little Mermaid
Best Student Costume Designer
Central Academy of Technology and Arts – Michael Krafchek - Pippin (2013 Revival)
Cox Mill High School – Abigail Woerner - Seussical
Hickory Ridge High School – Lilliana Espinal - Disney’s The Little Mermaid
North Lincoln High School – Valeria Gomez – Hadestown Teen Edition
Piedmont Community Charter School – Charlotte Robert – The Music Man
Pine Lake Preparatory School – Kaia Goodpasture – The Lightning Thief
Best Ensemble
Central Academy of Technology and Arts – Pippin (2013 Revival)
Cox Mill High School – Seussical
East Mecklenburg High School - Hadestown Teen Edition
North Lincoln High School – Hadestown Teen Edition
Northwest School of the Arts – Head Over Heels
Weddington High School – Legally Blonde: The Musical
Best Direction (Sponsored by Michelle Y. Lee)
Cox Mill High School – Seussical
East Mecklenburg High School - Hadestown Teen Edition
North Lincoln High School – Hadestown Teen Edition
Northwest School of the Arts – Head Over Heels
Weddington High School – Legally Blonde: The Musical
William A. Hough High School – Newsies
Best Featured Performer
Cox Mill High School – Griffin Harris as Wickersham Brother – Seussical
Davidson Day School – Elizabeth Robinson as Giant – Big Fish
East Mecklenburg High School – Dalila Williams as Fate #2 - Hadestown Teen Edition
Nation Ford High School – Rebekah Font as Betty – Catch Me If You
Can North Lincoln High School – Avery Reinken as Fate #2 – Hadestown Teen Edition
Weddington High School – Alexander Stetson as Dewy/Kyle/Grand Master Chad – Legally Blonde: The Musical
Best Supporting Actor (Sponsored by Nadine Melka and Michael Laub)
Central Academy of Technology and Arts – Derek Milhone as Charlamagne – Pippin (2013 Revival)
Northwest School of the Arts – Wiley Seago as Basilius – Head Over Heels
North Lincoln High School – Isaiah Hendershot as Hades – Hadestown Teen Edition
Palisades High School – Dallin Goodrich as Action – West Side Story
Weddington High School – Thomas LoMonaco as Professor Callahan – Legally Blonde: The Musical
William A. Hough High School – Brylan Rogers as Davey – Newsies
Best Supporting Actress (Sponsored in honor of Vickie Gabbard)
Charlotte Christian School – Eden Davis as Madame – Cinderella (Concord Broadway)
East Mecklenburg High School – Zara Taty as Hermes - Hadestown Teen Edition
Northwest School of the Arts – Andie Jones as Gynecia – Head Over Heels
North Lincoln High School – Hattie Killian as Persephone – Hadestown Teen Edition
Providence Day School – Rowan Barwick as Nickie – Sweet Charity
Weddington High School – Kylie Rutledge as Paulette Bonafonte – Legally Blonde: The Musical
Best Musical—Tier 1 (Sponsored by Bank of America)
East Mecklenburg High School – Hadestown Teen Edition
Piedmont Community Charter School – The Music Man
Weddington High School – Legally Blonde: The Musical
Best Musical—Tier 2 (Sponsored by Bank of America)
Cox Mill High School – Seussical
North Lincoln High School – Hadestown Teen Edition
Northwest School of the Arts – Head Over Heels
Best Actor (Sponsored by Hobart Wealth)
Cox Mill High School – Jackson Hicks as Horton the Elephant - Seussical
Marvin Ridge High School – Solomon Simpson as Shakespeare - Something Rotten!
North Lincoln High School – Harold Garcia as Orpheus – Hadestown Teen Edition
Northwest School of the Arts – Michael Meissner as Musidorus – Head Over Heels
Pine Lake Preparatory School – Lukas Hjerth as Percy Jackson – The Lightning Thief
William A. Hough High School – Cole Knight as Jack Kelly – Newsies
Best Actress (Sponsored by Hobart Wealth)
Carmel Christian School – Anna Jernigan as Ariel Moore - Footloose
Central Cabarrus High School – Mimi McLean as Danielle - Bring it On: The Musical
Concord Academy – Quinby Goode as Fiona – Shrek the Musical
Gaston Day School – Tilly McDaniel as Jo March – Little Women
Piedmont Community Charter School – Rae Thomas as Marian – The Music Man
Weddington High School – Isabella Stetson as Elle Woods – Legally Blonde: The Musical
The schools competing include:
A.L. Brown High School - Footloose
Ardrey Kell High School - Guys and Dolls
Ballantyne Ridge High School - High School Musical
Bunker Hill High School - Six The Musical: Teen Edition
Cannon School - Mean Girls School Edition
Carmel Christian School - Footloose
Catawba Ridge High School - Mamma Mia!
Central Academy of Technology & Arts - Pippin (2013 Revival)
Central Cabarrus High School - Bring it On: The Musical
Charlotte Catholic High School - The Wizard of Oz
Charlotte Christian School - Cinderella (Concord Broadway)
Charlotte Country Day School - Frozen
Charlotte Latin School - Cabaret
Christ the King Catholic High School - Hadestown Teen Edition
Concord Academy - Shrek the Musical
Concord High School - Legally Blonde: The Musical
Cox Mill High School - Seussical
Cuthbertson High School - Mamma Mia!
David W. Butler High School - 9 to 5 The Musical
Davidson Day School - Big Fish
East Lincoln High School - Big Fish
East Mecklenburg High School - Hadestown Teen Edition
Forestview High School - Hadestown Teen Edition
Gaston Christian School - Seussical
Gaston Day School - Little Women
Hickory Grove Christian School - Disney’s The Little Mermaid
Hickory Ridge High School - Disney’s The Little Mermaid
Highland School of Technology - Legally Blonde: The Musical
Hopewell High School - Something Rotten!
Independence High School - Mamma Mia!
Indian Land High School - Mamma Mia!
Jay M Robinson High School - Cinderella (Enchanted Edition)
Kings Mountain High School - Legally Blonde: The Musical
Lake Norman High School - Mean Girls School Edition
Lincoln Charter School: Lincolnton - The Addams Family
Lincoln Charter School: Denver Campus - Frozen
Lincolnton High School - Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Marvin Ridge High School - Something Rotten!
Mooresville High School - Matilda the Musical
Mountain Island Charter School - Chicago: Teen Edition
Nation Ford High School - Catch Me If You Can
North Gaston High - Six The Musical: Teen Edition
North Lincoln High School - Hadestown Teen Edition
Northwest Cabarrus High School - Matilda the Musical
Northwest School of the Arts - Head Over Heels
Northwestern High School - Seussical
Palisades High School - West Side Story
Parkwood High School - Hello, Dolly!
Piedmont Community Charter School - The Music Man
Pine Lake Preparatory - The Lightning Thief
Porter Ridge High School - Hadestown Teen Edition
Providence Day School - Sweet Charity
Providence High School - The Addams Family
Shelby High School - Little Women
South Mecklenburg High School - The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Weddington High School - Legally Blonde: The Musical
West Cabarrus High School - Disney’s The Little Mermaid
Westminster Catawba Christian School - Disney’s The Little Mermaid
William Amos Hough High School - Newsies
MORE ABOUT BLUMENTHAL ARTS
Located in the heart of uptown Charlotte, Blumenthal Arts is one of the nation’s largest not-for-profit performing arts organizations, dedicated to enriching lives and building community through the power of the arts. Since opening in 1992, Blumenthal has presented the Carolinas’ largest Broadway season alongside concerts, comedy, dance, and immersive experiences across its four theaters (Belk Theater, Booth Playhouse, Stage Door Theater and Knight Theater). The organization engages more than 150,000 students each year through education and access programs, such as The Blumey Awards. It supports local and emerging artists and invests in the development of new works, earning 13 Tony Awards for its co-productions. Hosting more than 1,000 events annually and welcoming millions of guests since its founding, Blumenthal Arts continues to shape Charlotte’s cultural landscape and strengthen the region’s creative economy. For more information, visit blumenthalarts.org.
FOR IMAGES OR INTERVIEW REQUESTS, CONTACT TAYLOR MUMMA: 919.830.1580; taylor@rachelsutherland.net
