The DPAC Rising Star Awards FAQs

Thanks to the generosity of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina and other valuable sponsors and community partners, this program remains free for all schools and students to participate in.

The DPAC Rising Star Awards is available for all high schools located in central North Carolina. Schools from the following counties are currently eligible to participate: Alamance, Caswell, Chatham, Cumberland, Davidson, Durham, Edgecombe, Forsyth, Franklin, Granville, Greene, Guilford, Halifax, Harnett, Hoke, Johnston, Lee, Montgomery, Moore, Nash, Orange, Person, Randolf, Rockingham, Sampson, Stokes, Vance, Wake, Warren, Wayne, Wilson.

The DPAC Rising Star Awards recognizes achievements made by student performers and made by the collective school production.

Possible awards for participating programs include:

Student Performance Categories

These awards are possible for any student selected to be a Finalist.

• Best Actor
• Best Actress
• Best Dancer
• The DPAC Shining Star

Student Production Achievement Categories

Schools who have students in charge of these areas will be eligible for these awards.

• Best Student Costume Design
• Best Student Lighting Design
• Best Student Choreography
• Best Student Orchestra

School Production Achievement Categories

Tier 1 includes all musicals with a budget at or below $7,000. Tier 2 includes all musicals with a budget at or above $7,001.

• Best Ensemble (Tier 1)
• Best Ensemble (Tier 2)
• Best Musical (Tier 1)
• Best Musical (Tier 2)

Each fall, DPAC appoints a group of qualified year-round judges to review registered high school musical theater productions. Some of these year-round judges are considered “Lead Judges”. It is DPAC’s promise to send three adjudicators to review every registered show, and at least one lead judge will attend every registered show. The score sheets and adjudication guidelines used by our judges are provided in this year's handbook.

In late April/early May, Rising Star Awards' Lead Judges will gather for DPAC’s Spring Judges Meeting to review each registered musical. Scores submitted by year-round judges will determine finalists in production categories. Lead judges will discuss top scoring productions and determine winners in all student production awards categories and school production awards categories. Lead judges will also review top scoring students and determine the Top 20 Student Finalists.

In late April/early May, DPAC will announce these Top 20 Student Finalists as well as finalists in all other categories.

Top 20 Student Finalists will participate in two weeks of rehearsals, coaching and auditioning leading up to the in-person awards ceremony at DPAC in late May.

The DPAC Rising Star Awards will host an awards ceremony on DPAC’s stage on May 29, 2025. This ceremony will be adjudicated live by 3 specially selected ceremony judges. These three individuals will have incredible resumes that include Broadway credits, connections to reputable talent agencies, and more. These ceremony judges will determine which two students are crowned as “Best Actor” and “Best Actress” who go on to represent our program nationally at the Jimmy Awards.

Yes. Each school is invited to register up to two (2) musicals for consideration. Each musical should have its own application in Acceptd. If you choose to submit two musicals, you should have two submissions in Acceptd.

Yes. Just as long as only high school students cast in Qualifying Roles are nominated for Best Actor and Best Actress consideration.

Yes. DPAC will provide complimentary tickets as listed below. Seating will be General Admission.

• Participating Schools: Each school will receive ten (10) complimentary seats. The complimentary tickets will be mobile and sent to the designated school representative (the person who submits all application materials) to distribute.

• Student Production Team: Each student hired to help on the student production team will receive one (1) complimentary ticket.

• Top 20 Student Finalists: Each student finalist will receive four (4) complimentary tickets.

• Ensemble: Each student participating in the Ensemble will receive one complimentary ticket for their own use. Ensemble will be able to watch the show when they are not performing.

• Visual Arts Gallery Students and Teachers: Each student whose artwork is selected will receive one (1) complimentary ticket. The visual arts teacher who submits work juried into the gallery will also receive one (1) complimentary ticket.

The DPAC Rising Star Awards do not allow double casting. If you choose to double cast your production, you must only send us the dates for the performances including the cast that you want to be reviewed.

The DPAC Rising Star Awards follows the guidelines provided by NHSMTA. While the “Best Actor” and “Best Actress” titles do imply gender, we welcome students of all gender identities, and they can be nominated in the manner that feels most comfortable to each participating student.

If you have any questions about this subject, please email mrindoks@dpacnc.com and this can be discussed further with a personal conversation.

No. Our apologies, but any student nominated for consideration must currently be an enrolled high school student at the school at which is registered for participation.

No. Our apologies, but each production must choose which students they wish to nominate from the list of Qualifying Roles. Schools may nominate up to four (4) total students for adjudication per musical. Two (2) for Best Actor and two (2) for Best Actress. Some exceptions might be allowed if a school would prefer to nominate more or less for either category, just so long as the total number of student nominees does not exceed four (4).