ArtsBridge Foundation Announces Winners Of 2019 Shuler Awards

During a two-hour stage show aired live on Georgia Public Broadcasting, ArtsBridge Foundation tonight announced the winners of the 11th Annual Georgia High School Musical Theatre Awards.

Presented as the Shuler Hensley Awards-named for the Atlanta-born star of the stage and screen who was emcee of the evening event-winners were recognized as the best of the state's high school musical theatre students and schools during 2018-19, with two winners progressing to represent Georgia nationally in June.

Fashioned after Broadway's Tony Awards, this year's Shuler Award nominees in 17 categories spanned nearly 60 public and private schools from across the Peach State. The winners of the 2019 Shuler Hensley Awards-also known as "The Shuler Awards" or "The Shulers"-include:

DIRECTION

Kristy Winkes, Greater Atlanta Christian School, "Les Misérables"

MUSIC DIRECTION

Jane Ellis, Ringgold High School, "Thoroughly Modern Millie"

ORCHESTRA

Todd Motter, The Walker School, "Disaster!"

LIGHTING DESIGN

Natalie Cook, Greenbrier High School, "Cinderella-Broadway Version"

SHOWSTOPPER

Southeast Whitfield High School, "Officer Krupke" from "West Side Story"

11 O'CLOCK NUMBER

Saint Vincent's Academy, "It Only Takes A Moment" from "Hello, Dolly!"

CHOREOGRAPHY

Carly Ann Berg, Caroline Cannizzaro, Maddie Crews, Jenna Wagner, Lambert High School, "Newsies"

ENSEMBLE

Lambert High School, "Newsies"

OVERALL PRODUCTION

Lambert High School, "Newsies"

TECHNICAL EXECUTION

Jan Ewing, North Hall High School, "Mamma Mia"

SOUND

Christian Duetemeyer and Leah Rogers, North Hall High School, "Peter Pan"

SCENIC DESIGN

Rick Caruso, Heritage High School, "How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying"

COSTUMES

David Hopkins, Milton High School, "Curtains"

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTOR

Harrison Lewis, Milton High School, "Curtains" (Lieutenant Frank Cioffi)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTRESS

Jessi Kirtley, Roswell High School, "Mary Poppins" (title role)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Celine Sullivan, Artios Academies of Sugar Hill, "Tuck Everlasting" (Mae Tuck)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A SUPPORTING ACTOR

Thompson Sewell, Prince Avenue Christian School, "Big Fish" (Karl the Giant)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED PERFORMER

Emily Bonham-Janes, Evans High School, "The Addams Family" (Morticia Addams)

The Shuler Award leading actress and actor winners will travel to New York City as Georgia's entrants for the National High School Musical Theatre Awards program named The Jimmy Awards and participate awards show at the Minskoff Theater on Broadway this June 24, with merit scholarships and professional opportunities up for grabs.

In the lead-up to tonight's event capping the 2018-19 school year, 75 high schools across the state enrolled to determine the nominees, with a team of more than 60 Georgia-based arts professionals evaluating the student productions. The accounting firm Bennett Thrasher tabulated the results for the 2019 Shuler Hensley Awards Nominees. The complete list of winners, nominees and honorable mentions is available online at on the ArtsBridge Foundation link http://artsbridgega.org/programs/shuler-awards/.

ArtsBridge Foundation and GPB-TV's live broadcast of The Shulers won the 2018 Southeast Emmy Award for special event live coverage, indicative of the superb quality and high production value Georgia students bring at show time.

The event also included the announcement of 12 students chosen to receive theater- and performing arts-related scholarships. ArtsBridge Foundation and its partners will divvy out over $15,000 in scholarships on April 18, with the individual scholarships ranging from $500 to $5,000 each. The following scholarship winners were chosen from a pool of 50 applicants:

SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS

Alliance Theatre Summer Intensive Scholarship

Halli Rider, Lumpkin County High School

Micah Cortland, Martha Ellen Stilwell School of the Arts

Broadway Dreams Foundation Summer Intensive Scholarship

Delaney Benson, Gainesville High School

Benjamin Ohnemus, Chattahoochee High School

The College Audition Scholarship by Tim Evanicki

Jack Johnston, Prince Avenue Christian School

Jessi Kirtley, Roswell High School

Forsyth Academy of Performing Arts Scholarship

Natalia Carlson, Chamblee Charter High School

Jimmy & Helen Carlos Scholarship

Holly Mixon, North Oconee High School

Morrell Memorial Music Education Scholarship

Haley Kendrick, Whitewater High School

Smiley For Kylie Foundation Scholarship

Alexandra Davis, Chattahoochee High School

Kevin Park, Johns Creek High School

Gillian Peot, Chattahoochee High School