CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Blumenthal Arts has announce the nominees competing in the 12th Annual High School Musical Theater Awards, also known as The Blumey Awards, presented by Bank of America, on Sunday, May 18 at the Belk Theater.
The Blumey Awards program recognizes and celebrates the best in high school musical theater and fosters even greater achievements in the future.
Winners will be announced at The Blumey Awards Ceremony on May 18 at 7 pm in the Belk Theater. Tickets for The Blumey Awards ceremony will go on sale on Wednesday, May 7 at 10 am and will be available at blumenthalarts.org, 704-372-1000 or from the box office in the Belk Theater lobby, 130 N. Tryon St.
Performer Warren Egypt Franklin (Hamilton Broadway national tour, TV’s American Sports Story and Grown-ish) will host the black-tie event. Last year’s Best Actress and Best Actor winners, Lainey Gaston and Rylan Lowe, will present this year’s Best Actress and Best Actor awards, in addition to Blumey Awards Gordon Hay Scholarship recipient Ash Hernick, Ryann Redmond (Broadway’s Once Upon a One More Time, Frozen, Escape to Margaritaville, and others), and Sterling Masters-Deeny (Broadway and national tours of Wicked, A Chorus Line, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and others).
“The Blumey Awards is a powerful milestone for students—one that often leaves a lasting impact,” said Blumenthal Arts President and CEO Tom Gabbard. “When we invest in their growth, spark creativity, connect them with the industry, and help them build meaningful peer relationships, we open doors to futures filled with possibility—on stage and beyond.”
Like the Tony Awards®, The Blumey Awards Ceremony will feature a performance by each of the six nominated schools in the best musical category, a medley of performances by the six finalists for Best Actor and for Best Actress, and an opening and closing number that features two students from each of the 54 participating schools.
The New York–based creative team will include Broadway composer and Grammy-nominated orchestrator David Dabbon (Oh, Mary!, Beetlejuice, Funny Girl, Disaster!, and others), Music Director since the inaugural Blumey Awards ceremony in 2012, returning as Conductor, Music Director, and Arranger. Reagan Casteel (Broadway national tour of & Juliet, Broadway’s Once Upon a One More Time and Dancin’) will return as Music Director and Arranger. Director and choreographer Deirdre Goodwin (Broadway: A Chorus Line, Chicago) will choreograph the event.
The two students named Best Actor and Best Actress at The Blumey Awards will receive an all-expenses-paid trip and weeklong stay in New York City where they will train and compete with other regional winners in The National High School Musical Theater Awards, also known as The Jimmy Awards® (named after famed Broadway producer, James M. Nederlander). The national show and ceremony take place on June 23, 2025.
“Bank of America, as a longtime partner of Blumenthal Arts, is proud to support the 2025 Blumey Awards. This celebration of talent and big dreams is a meaningful showcase of the hard work of Charlotte’s students, staff, and schools. We are proud to support an organization that opens doors by providing important opportunities for students through arts education, recognition, and industry connections,” said Grace Nystrum, Charlotte Market Executive for Bank of America.
To learn more about the Blumey awards click here.
