Get Ready for the Show! 2017 Shuler Hensley Awards to Air on GPB Later This Month

If you can't get enough Cats, Legally Blonde and Dreamgirls, and you know that Grease and Hairspray aren't just styling products, you'll want to tune in to the 9th Annual Georgia High School Musical Theatre Awards - Shuler Hensley Awards!

The awards show is the culmination of a year-long professional development program, and will showcase the next generation of Georgia's musical theatre talent. Presented by the Georgia Lottery and produced by ArtsBridge Foundation, the awards show will air on Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB) over its nine-station statewide television network live from Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre on April 20, 2017 from 7-9 pm.

The Shuler Awards, fashioned after Broadway's Tony Awards, celebrate excellence in high school musical theatre. The evening will kick-off with red carpet arrivals, followed by a dazzling opening number when the 120 member Shuler Student Ensemble joins Shuler Hensley on stage. Performances by the six schools nominated for Best Overall Production, winner of the Showstopper Award, and the Leading Actor and Actress nominees will also be featured during the show.

35 public and private schools from throughout the state were nominated in 17 categories this year. To determine the nominees, a team of more than 60 Georgia-based arts professionals evaluated the productions of 75 participating high schools. Awards will be presented in the following 17 categories: Overall Production, Ensemble, Showstopper, Leading Actress and Actor, Supporting Actress and Actor, Featured Performer, Direction, Sound, Costume Design, Scenic Design, Lighting Design, Technical Execution, Orchestra, Music Direction and Choreography. The complete list of Nominations, and Honorable Mentions, can be found at artsbridgega.org/programs/shuler-awards.

The 2017 Shuler Hensley Awards are made possible by the following generous sponsors: presenting sponsor - The Georgia Lottery; gold sponsors - Georgia Public Broadcasting, Bennett Thrasher, Georgia State University TV; silver sponsors - Delta Community Credit Union, Zeist Foundation, Molly Blank Foundation; bronze sponsor - Six Flags Over Georgia.

ArtsBridge Foundation is dedicated to providing quality arts education and community programs that engage, motivate, inspire, and elevate the next generation of artists and arts supporters. ArtsBridge provides arts education opportunities to students in grades K-12 through programs at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre including Field Trips, Master Classes, a Family Series, and the annual Georgia High School Musical Theatre Awards - The Shuler Hensley Awards. Since inception in 2007, ArtsBridge has served more than 300,000 students and educators from 54 Georgia counties. ArtsBridge Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. To learn more about their programs visit artsbridgega.org.

As one of the largest PBS stations in the nation, Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB Media), has been creating content worth sharing for over 50 years. With nine television stations, 18 radio stations and a multi-faceted digital presence, GPB strives to educate, entertain and enrich the lives of our viewers and listeners with programming that includes statewide radio news, current affairs, high school sports, educational resources for teachers and students and enlightening programs like Georgia Outdoors, On Second Thought, Two-Way Street and Political Rewind.

GSUTV is a partnership between Georgia State University and Georgia Public Broadcasting, with the digital sub channel focusing on arts and culture. The majority of the channel's programming is developed and produced by GSU students under the mentorship and supervision of industry professionals and professors of practice from the GSU Department of Communication. The channel's programming is broadcast in Georgia on The Knowledge Channel (channel 8.3) as well as on Comcast (channel 246). As a fully credited curriculum course the GSUTV film & journalism practicum is committed to providing the student producer with the type of professional mentoring that will allow them to find careers in the fields of digital journalism and broadcast production.