DPAC is pleased to announce that The DPAC Rising Star Awards, central North Carolina’s High School Musical Theatre Awards has opened registration and applications for the 2024 / 2025 school year. 

 

The DPAC Rising Star Awards celebrates outstanding achievement in high school musical theatre, by focusing attention on the meaningful work being done both on and off stage by dedicated teachers and students. 

 

The DPAC Rising Star Awards also serves as the regional competition as part of the National High School Musical Theatre Awards® (NHSMTA), also known as The Jimmy Awards®.  This regional competition is 100% free for participants and is open to high school musical theatre productions located across Central North Carolina.  Current approved counties include 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, and Wilson.

 

The Rising Stars competition will culminate on stage at DPAC on May 29, 2025.  At this live awards show, winners of 12 award categories will be announced, including The DPAC Rising Star Awards Best Actor and Best Actress, who both receive $2,000 and an all-expense paid trip to New York City to compete in the National High School Musical Theatre Awards®.

 

The awards show will also once again be hosted by Clay Aiken and live adjudicated by qualified area judges who have Broadway credits and impressive talent management histories.

 

For any student or school production to participate, a school representative must complete registration no later than Sunday, December 1, 2024.  Schools must be presenting a qualified musical, and students who are being considered must be cast in a qualifying lead role.

 

Thank you to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina for generously supporting The DPAC Rising Star Awards. 

 

National High School Musical Theatre Awards

 

The National High School Musical Theatre Awards® (NHSMTA), was established in 2009 by Pittsburgh CLO and Nederlander Alliances, a division of The Nederlander Organization, to elevate the importance of theatre arts education in schools and reward excellence in student performance.  The program impacts over 140,000 students annually who participate in high school musical theatre competitions sponsored by over forty professional theatres throughout the US.

 

Since its inception, NHSMTA® has been the catalyst for more than $4,000,000 in educational scholarships awarded to deserving young performers.  Also known as The Jimmy Awards®, named for Broadway impresario James M. Nederlander, this year-round program is administered by The Broadway League Foundation Inc.