THE DPAC RISING STAR AWARDS
The DPAC Rising Star Awards are made possible by
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About
The DPAC Rising Star Awards celebrate outstanding achievements in high school musical theatre throughout central North Carolina and focuses attention on the meaningful work being done both on and off stage by dedicated teachers and students. The DPAC Rising Star Awards is part of the National High School Musical Theatre awards, also known as the Jimmy Awards, in honor of Jimmy Nederlander Sr.
2024 / 2025 Season Recap
The 14th annual DPAC Rising Star Awards took place at DPAC on Thursday, May 29. The event was hosted by Clay Aiken and featured Tony-award winner J. Harrison Ghee as a special guest performer. During the awards ceremony, Josiah Jennings (Hillside High School) was named Best Actor and Carmen Sophia Dubon (Weaver Academy) was named as Best Actress. Josiah and Carmen went on to compete nationally at the Jimmy Awards, participating in 12 days of workshops and rehearsals leading up to making their Broadway debuts at the Minskoff Theatre where Disney's The Lion King performs year-round.
The 16th annual Jimmy Awards took place on Monday, June 23. Josiah Jennings received an Outstanding Performance in an Ensemble Award, a recognition that came with a $2,500 scholarship. The DPAC Rising Star Awards are also proud that Koko Thornton (Enloe High School) was one of two recipients of the Inspiring Teacher Award.
Full Season Recap Video by Root Media
Looking Ahead...
More information about how to get involved during the 2025 / 2026 school year will be available in August 2025. The 15th annual DPAC Rising Star Awards will take place at DPAC on Thursday, May 14, 2026. The DPAC Rising Star Awards will adjudicate high school musical theater shows that take place in central North Carolina between October 13, 2025 and April 19, 2026. School registration will begin in September 2025, and, in thanks to the generous support of our sponsors and community partners, this program is free for all schools and students to participate in.
