THE DPAC RISING STAR AWARDS

BEST ACTOR FINALISTS

BEST ACTRESS FINALISTS

BEST ENSEMBLE - TIER ONE

• Broughton High School - Frozen The Musical
• Enloe Magnet High School - Mary Poppins
• Jordan-Matthews High School - Sister Act
• Longleaf School of the Arts - Seussical
• Massey Hill Classical High School - Hadestown Teen Edition
• Northwood High School - Mean Girls High School Version
• Overhills High School - Hadestown Teen Edition
• Seaforth High School - High School Musical
• St. Thomas More Academy - Swept Away
• The School for Creative Studies - The Wizard of Oz

BEST ENSEMBLE - TIER TWO

• Cardinal Gibbons High School - Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
• CE Jordan High School - Water For Elephants
• Durham Academy - Mean Girls High School Version
• Durham School of the Arts - Hadestown Teen Edition
• Green Hope High School - Urinetown
• Green Level High School - Seussical TYA
• Heritage High School - Newsies
• Pinecrest High School - Mean Girls High School Version
• RJ Reynolds High School - Frozen The Musical
• Wake Forest High School - Something Rotten!

BEST MUSICAL - TIER ONE

• Carolina Friends School - High School Musical
• East Chapel Hill High School - Mamma Mia!
• Enloe Magnet High School - The Theory of Relativity
• Jordan-Matthews High School - Sister Act
• Knightdale High School - SIX The Musical
• Millbrook High School - Big Fish School Edition
• Northwood High School - Mean Girls High School Version
• Seaforth High School - High School Musical
• Voyager Academy - Newsies
• Wakefield High School - Alice By Heart

BEST MUSICAL- TIER TWO

• Cardinal Gibbons High School - Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
• CE Jordan High School - Water For Elephants
• Durham School of the Arts - Hadestown Teen Edition
• Green Level High School - Seussical TYA
• Heritage High School - Newsies
• RJ Reynolds High School - Frozen The Musical
• St. David's School - Seussical 
• Wake Forest High School - Something Rotten!
• Weaver Academy - Once Upon A One More Time
• West Johnston High School - Little Women

BEST STUDENT COSTUME DESIGN

BEST STUDENT LIGHTING DESIGN

BEST STUDENT CHOREOGRAPHY

BEST STUDENT ORCHESTRA

BEST STUDENT SET DESIGN

• 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 – Once Upon A One More Time – 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
• RJ Reynolds High School – Frozen – March 26–28, 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 – Footloose – March 19–22, 2026
• Jordan-Matthews High School – Sister Act – 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
• 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 16–18, 2026
• Wake Forest High School – Something Rotten! – April 17–18, 2026
• The School for Creative Studies – The Wizard of Oz – April 17–19, 2026

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)

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

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.

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.

Each year, The DPAC Rising Star Awards select a group of students to assist with important technical aspects of the awards ceremony. Interested students submitted applications and interviewed for positions earlier this spring. The 2026 Student Tech team includes:

• Sasha Wolfrum (Production Stage Manager)

• Anavia Sotirkys (Talent Manager)

• Ella Martin (Assistant Stage Manager)

• Ayla Cantrell (Ensemble Talent Coordinator)

• Ava Pieraccini (Alumni Talent Coordinator)

• Niyah Seale (Ensemble Talent Coordinator)

• Emily Thacker (Best Actress Talent Coordinator)

• Mark Williams (Best Actor Talent Coordinator)

• Isaac Baksh (Costume & Props Manager)

• August Buczynski (Costume & Props Coordinator)

• Emma Hoffman (Costume & Props Coordinator)

• Lillie Martin (Costume & Props Coordinator)

• Sadie Martinez-Wayman (Costume & Props Coordinator)

• Brice Shearburn (Head Assistant Lighting Designer)

• Logan Christoper (Assistant Lighting Designer)

• Paisley McIntyre (Assistant Lighting Designer)

• Albert Poxta-Ramirez (Assistant Lighting Designer)

• Joseph Swain (Head Assistant Lighting Designer)

• Ephraim Baksh (Microphone Manager)

• Julia Olinger (Assistant Lighting Designer & Microphone Coordinator)

• Lana Clayton (Wigs & Makeup Coordinator)

• Robert Warren (Teleprompter Operator)

• Emerson Wick (Projection Operator)

As a part of the Jimmy Awards' national Student Reporter Search, DPAC has selected two students as Student Reporters for The DPAC Rising Star Awards this spring. The two selected students will receive an award presented by ABC-11 during The DPAC Rising Star Awards ceremony, plus mentorship opportunities with local media professionals, and exclusive behind-the-scenes opportunities to cover The DPAC Rising Star Awards rehearsals and awards ceremony. DPAC's two Student Reporters have been submitted to the Jimmy Awards' national Student Reporter Search, putting them in the running for an all-expense paid trip to NYC to create content for the Jimmy Awards. DPAC's 2026 Student Reporters are:

• Elena Arias — Junior at Knightdale High School

• Corra Balding — Senior at East Chapel Hill High School

 Catch all of DPAC's Student Reporter content by following @DPACHeartoftheArts on Instagram.

The DPAC Rising Star Awards celebrates keeping the arts alive in our school systems, including Visual Arts. Each year, in partnership with Durham Art Guild, DPAC displays student artwork in the lobby during The DPAC Rising Star Awards ceremony.

Each high school participating in The DPAC Rising Star Awards has been invited to submit student artwork for consideration. All submitted pieces will be reviewed by a jury this spring. Students (and their art teachers) whose artwork is selected will be contacted in late April.

All participating high schools have been contacted by DPAC with instructions on how to submit student artwork for consideration. If you are a student who is interested in submitting artwork, please speak with the art teacher and/or theater teacher at your school to learn more.

The deadline for student artwork submissions is April 3, 2026.

DPAC understands that most schools set their show calendars for the next school year each spring. To help plan ahead for participation in The DPAC Rising Star Awards, here is an overview of the timeline for next season:

• September 2026 — School Registration Begins

• October 5, 2026 - April 18, 2027 — School Musical Adjudication Window

• May 18, 2027 — The DPAC Rising Star Awards 

More information about how to apply for the upcoming season will be placed on our website in late summer/early fall.