THE DPAC RISING STAR AWARDS
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About
Since 2010, The DPAC Rising Star Awards have celebrated outstanding achievements in high school musical theatre made throughout central North Carolina. This program focuses attention on the meaningful work being done both on and off stage by dedicated teachers and students. The DPAC Rising Star Awards are part of the National High School Musical Theatre Awards®, also known as the Jimmy Awards®, in honor of Jimmy Nederlander Sr.
Save the Date
The 15th Annual DPAC Rising Star Awards will take place on Sunday, May 17 at DPAC.
2025 / 2026 Season Overview
A new record, 56 high school musical productions have registered for The DPAC Rising Star Awards this season. Program adjudicators are currently reviewing each registered production. Judges will gather in mid-April to review all scores and comments, and together they will determine Finalists in each awards category. DPAC will publicly announce all Finalists in late April.
The DPAC Rising Star Awards culminates with an awards ceremony on DPAC's stage on Sunday, May 17. The event will feature a large ensemble which includes students from each participating high school, plus twenty additional student Finalists who compete live for the chance to advance to the national level of the competition called the Jimmy Awards®. During the first half of the awards ceremony, Finalist performances will be adjudicated by a panel of three highly esteemed judges whose scores will determine the two students named as “Best Actor” and “Best Actress”, awards that come with $2,000 in scholarships and an all-expenses paid trip to NYC where they will compete nationally at the Jimmy Awards® in New York City this June.
Throughout the course of the ceremony at DPAC, more than 15 awards will be presented recognizing excellence in a broad range of performance and technical categories, offering both public celebration of successes and thousands of dollars in scholarship prizes. You can look forward to special appearances from last year's Best Actor winner, Josiah Jennings, and Best Actress winner, Carmen Sophia Dubon. In celebration of The DPAC Rising Star Awards' 15th birthday, we plan on welcoming few additional familiar faces to the DPAC stage this spring. Hosted by Clay Aiken and adjudicated live by a panel of three esteemed judges, this event is not one to miss.
Tickets for the awards ceremony will go on sale in late April, 2026. For more information about The DPAC Rising Star Awards, please reference this season's handbook.
2025 / 2026 Participating High Schools
- Cardinal Gibbons High School – She Loves Me – November 7–22, 2025
- Durham School of the Arts – Hadestown: Teen Edition – November 12–14, 2025
- Athens Drive Magnet High School – You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown (Revised) – November 13–15, 2025
- CE Jordan High School – Water for Elephants High School Edition – National Pilot Production – November 13–15 and 20–22, 2025
- American Leadership Academy – The SpongeBob Musical – November 13–15, 2025
- Heritage High School – Newsies – November 13–16 and November 20–22, 2025
- Wakefield High School – Alice by Heart – November 20–22, 2025
- Knightdale High School – SIX The Musical: Teen Edition – November 13–15, 2025
- Voyager Academy – Newsies – November 13–15, 2025
- Dudley High School – Little Shop of Horrors – December 4–6, 2025
- Chapel Hill High School – Annie – December 11–14, 2025
- Enloe Magnet High School – The Theory of Relativity – January 23–24, 2026
- West Johnston High School – Little Women – February 5–7, 2026
- St. Thomas More Academy – SIX The Musical: Teen Edition – February 19–21 and 27–28, 2026
- Durham Academy Upper School – Mean Girls High School Edition – February 19–21, 2026
- Franklin Academy High School – You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown (Revised) – February 19–21 and 26–28, 2026
- Green Level High School – Seussical The Musical – February 20–21, 2026
- Overhills High School – Hadestown: Teen Edition – February 26–28, 2026
- Broughton High School – Frozen the Musical – February 26–28, 2026
- Saint Mary's School – Les Miserables – February 26–28, 2026
- Clayton High School – The SpongeBob Musical – February 26–28, 2026
- Pinecrest High School – Mean Girls: High School Version – February 27–March 1, 2026
- Northwood High School – Mean Girls: High School Version – March 19–21, 2026
- Willow Spring High School – The Lightning Thief: A Percy Jackson Musical – March 5–7, 2026
- East Chapel Hill High – Mamma Mia! – March 5–7, 2026
- American Leadership Academy Johnston – Mamma Mia! – March 12–14, 2026
- Carrboro High School – TBD – March 12–14, 2026
- Weaver Academy for the Performing Arts – Once Upon a One More Time – March 12–14 and 19–21, 2026
- St. David’s School – Seussical The Musical – March 18–21, 2026
- Rolesville High School – Legally Blonde The Musical – March 19–21, 2026
- Millbrook High School – Big Fish: School Edition – March 19–21, 2026
- Heritage High School – TBD – March 19–22, 2026
- Jordan-Matthews High School – Sister Act – March 20–22, 2026
- Oak Grove High School – Hadestown: Teen Edition – March 20–22, 2026
- Cardinal Gibbons High School – Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat – March 20–24 and 26–28, 2026
- Western Harnett High School – Rock of Ages: Teen Edition – March 26–28, 2026
- Lee County High School – Mamma Mia! – March 26–29, 2026
- Dudley High School – Dreamgirls – March 26–28, 2026
- South Garner High School – Guys and Dolls – March 26–28, 2026
- Massey Hill Classical High School – Hadestown: Teen Edition – March 26–28, 2026
- Christ Covenant School – Anne of Green Gables – April 8–10, 2026
- Knightdale High School – The Bodyguard Musical – April 9–11, 2026
- Green Hope High School – Urinetown – April 9–11, 2026
- Longleaf School of the Arts – Seussical The Musical – April 15–19, 2026
- South Stokes High School – Newsies – April 16–18, 2026
- Enloe Magnet High School – Mary Poppins – April 16–18, 2026
- Wakefield High School – Mamma Mia! – April 16–18, 2026
- Riverside High School – Mary Poppins – April 16–18, 2026
- St. Thomas More Academy – Swept Away – April 16–18, 2026
- East Wake I-Tech and Design Magnet School – TBD – April 16–18, 2026
- Nash Central High School – Shrek The Musical – April 16–18, 2026
- Graham High School – Little Shop of Horrors – April 16–18, 2026
- Carolina Friends School – High School Musical – April 17–18, 2026
- Seaforth High School – High School Musical – April 17–19, 2026
- Wake Forest High School – Something Rotten! – April 17–18, 2026
- The School for Creative Studies – The Wizard of Oz – April 17–19, 2026
Complete List of Awards Categories
For more details about each possible awards category, please reference The DPAC Rising Star Awards handbook.
Student Finalist Performance Awards
- Best Actor
- Best Actress
- Best Dancer
- The DPAC Shining Star
Student Ensemble Performance Awards
- Outstanding Performance in an Ensemble (4)
Student Production Awards
- Best Student Costume Designer
- Best Student Lighting Designer
- Best Student Choreographer
- Best Student Set Design
- Best Student Orchestra
School Production Awards
Tier 1 includes musicals with a budget of $9,999 and under. Tier 2 includes musicals with a budget of $10,000 and up.
- Best Ensemble (Tier 1)
- Best Ensemble (Tier 2)
- Best Musical (Tier 1)
- Best Musical (Tier 2)
Important Dates
For more information, please reference The DPAC Rising Star Awards handbook.
- September 2025 — School Musical Registration Opens
- October 13, 2025 — School Musical Adjudication Window Opens
- December 1, 2025 — School Musical Registration Closes
- March 30, 2026 — Deadline for Student Tech Team Applications
- April 19, 2026 — School Musical Adjudication Window Closes
- April 22, 2026 — Deadline for Student Ensemble Submissions
- May 17, 2026 — The DPAC Rising Star Awards Ceremony at DPAC
Eligibility
The DPAC Rising Star Awards are open to public and private high schools producing musical theater in central North Carolina. To be eligible for participation, schools must meet the following requirements:
- The school must be located within our designated region.
- High schools located in central North Carolina are invited to participate in The DPAC Rising Star Awards.
- This includes these counties: 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 musical must be scheduled within the adjudication window.
- For the 2025/2026 season, high school musical theater productions must take place between October 13, 2025 and April 19, 2026.
- The musical must be considered "eligible" by the National High School Musical Theatre Awards®
- Schools must choose a musical from the National High School Musical Theatre Awards’® list of qualified productions.
- The current list of qualifying musicals can be found at JimmyAwards.com or by clicking here.
Additional Opportunities for Participating High Schools
To learn more about each of the below opportunities, please reference The DPAC Rising Star Awards handbook.
Student Ensemble
- Each participating high school is invited to send 2 students to perform and participate in The DPAC Rising Star Awards ensemble. These students will perform on DPAC's stage, and have the opportunity to work with The DPAC Rising Star Awards creative team.
- For the first time ever this year, Ensemble members are eligible for one of four “Outstanding Performance in an Ensemble” Awards.
Student Tech Team
- The DPAC Rising Star Awards will be selecting a small number of students to assist with important technical aspects of the awards ceremony.
- Student tech team positions include:
- Stage Management
- Talent Management
- Costume & Props Coordinators
- Lighting Design
- Sound Design
- Teleprompter Operator
- Projection Operator
Student Reporters in partnership with ABC 11
- These two students will have behind-the-scenes access during the Rising Star rehearsal process, and will be given a platform on DPAC’s social media channels to report on their experiences. Student Reporters will be mentored by media professionals at ABC11, will interview performers at an exclusive red carpet pre-show event, and will report live from DPAC throughout the evening during the awards ceremony. These two students will be recognized during the awards ceremony, receiving a trophy presented by ABC11.
- Any student who applies for a Student Reporter position with The DPAC Rising Star Awards must be currently enrolled at a participating high school.
Visual Arts Gallery in partnership with Durham Art Guild
- The DPAC Rising Star Awards will have a visual arts gallery on display in DPAC’s lobby during the awards ceremony.
- This gallery will feature visual artwork created by students who are currently enrolled at a participating high school.
