$70K in scholarships awarded to students

By Haley DiFonzo 

High school students, teachers, parents, friends, arts advocates, celebrities and city officials celebrated as winners and scholarship recipients were announced at the 15th Annual Broadway Dallas High School Musical Theatre Awards (HSMTA) presented by New York Life. The ceremony was hosted by Dallas native and Broadway star Rachel Simone Webb and took place live at the Music Hall at Fair Park on Saturday, May 2, featuring student performances, award presentations including $70,000 in scholarships, and acceptance speeches from the winners.

 The Broadway Dallas High School Musical Theatre Awards aim to inspire and honor excellence in high school musical theater, and to recognize the importance of musical theater and arts education within the North Texas community. This regional program culminates at the Music Hall with an awards ceremony, modeled after the Tony Awards, to recognize outstanding musical theater productions and students.

 The 2026 Outstanding Musical Award went to JJ Pearce High School’s production of “Natasha, Pierre, & the Great Comet of 1812,” and the awards for Outstanding Lead Performer were presented to Towdah Kiima (Rockwall-Heath High School) and Nevaeha Wilson (Cleburne High School). A list of all 2026 winners, participating high schools, and their productions can be found below and at BroadwayDallas.org/HSMTA.

“On behalf of everyone at Broadway Dallas, I proudly extend my heartfelt congratulations to all the talented winners and nominees who made our 15th anniversary year of the High School Musical Theatre Awards truly unforgettable,” said Ken Novice, president and CEO of Broadway Dallas. “We commend the hard work demonstrated by these exceptional high school theater departments and it’s clear that the future of live theater in our region is exceptionally bright.” 

In honor of the Music Hall Centennial, a symbolic 100 high school productions from 90 participating high schools were evaluated by a diverse group of highly qualified judges from the North Texas theater community. Awards were presented in 15 categories and scholarships were awarded to outstanding graduating seniors who are nominated by their teachers and selected by the Broadway Dallas scholarship panel. Through funds raised by private donations, Broadway Dallas HSMTA awarded $70,000 in scholarships to continue to foster the great talent North Texas has to offer. To date, Broadway Dallas HSMTA College Scholarship program has awarded more than $650,000 in cash scholarships to deserving students.

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