Feature: HELLER AWARDS 2026 at Texas Performing Arts
A night of celebration of the future of Theatre!
As a theatre parent whose daughters have performed at the Heller Awards for Young Artists, both in select ensemble and featured productions, and as a longtime member of this community, I have to say this: sitting in that room again last night made me realize the future of theatre is not only alive, it is blazing forward at full volume. Bright. Fearless. Unlimited.
The amount of talent in Central Texas is staggering.
The production numbers were impressive. The nominee's ensemble numbers were lovely. The entire night was a delight.
And what struck me most was not just the technical excellence, though there was plenty of that. It was the spirit in the room. These kids give everything to theatre for reasons that feel almost radical in today’s world. No fame. No money. No guaranteed future. Just passion. Camaraderie. Storytelling. Pure joy.
And joy was everywhere.
It spilled out of the stage and into the aisles at Bass Concert Hall on Tuesday night as 40 Central Texas high schools across 18 school districts gathered for the 13th Annual Heller Awards for Young Artists, presented by Texas Performing Arts and co-produced by Impact Arts.
In a world increasingly obsessed with cynicism and shortcuts, these students stood under the lights singing, dancing, building sets, conducting orchestras, running tech tables, sewing costumes, supporting one another, and reminding every adult in the audience why the arts matter in the first place.
The energy was contagious. The students were respectful, collaborative, supportive of one another, and genuinely thrilled to celebrate each other’s success. No bitterness. No ego storms. Just kids screaming themselves hoarse for schools that were technically their competition. Imagine that. A room full of teenagers choosing kindness and creativity over cynicism. The entire world could take notes.
Five hundred students took the stage.
Five hundred.
And perhaps that is the real headline here.
Not who won.
Not who advances.
But the fact that hundreds of young people are still choosing art. Choosing rehearsal rooms over algorithms. Choosing collaboration over isolation. Choosing to spend months building something ephemeral together that vanishes the moment the curtain falls.
That matters.
It matters deeply.
Theatre teaches empathy in a world increasingly allergic to it. It teaches discipline disguised as play. It teaches kids how to fail publicly, recover gracefully, and trust each other. Watching these students celebrate one another last night felt less like an awards ceremony and more like a glimpse of what a healthy society could actually look like.
Austin should be very proud.
Hosted by Central Texas native and Broadway performer Vincent Jamal Hooper, whose credits include The Lion King and Hamilton, the ceremony celebrated every corner of the high school theatre experience, from performance to design, direction, orchestra, stage management, and technical execution.
And yes, there were extraordinary winners.
2026 Heller Award winners Isaiah Barafwala and London Mays will go on to represent Austin at the Jimmy Awards this June at Broadway’s Minskoff Theatre.
2026 Heller Awards for Young Artists Winners
- Best Choreography: Newsies | Cedar Ridge High School
- Best Music Direction: Alice by Heart | Weiss High School
- Best Orchestra: Nice Work If You Can Get It | Vista Ridge High School
- Best Lighting Design: The Addams Family | Marble Falls High School
- Best Costume Design: Into the Woods | Hutto High School
- Best Scenic Design: Godspell | Chaparral High School
- Best Technical Execution: Newsies | Cedar Ridge High School
- Best Featured Performer, Individual Category: Reilly Favacho | Alice by Heart | Zach Performing Arts Academy
- Best Featured Performer, Ensemble Category: Sena Green | Hadestown | Stony Point High School
- Best Supporting Performer, Male Category: Jackson Ingalls | Newsies | Cedar Ridge High School
- Best Supporting Performer, Female Category: Nyla George | Nice Work If You Can Get It | Vista Ridge High School
- Best Lead Performer, Male Category: Malachi Santana | Seussical | Belton High School
- Best Lead Performer, Female Category: Aivree Zamora | Hadestown Teen Edition | Gateway College Preparatory School
- Best Ensemble: Alice by Heart | Weiss High School
- Best Direction: Alice by Heart | Weiss High School
- Best Production: Alice by Heart | Weiss High School
Company Impact Awards
- Oriana Bittar
- Stephanie Carter
- Ryan Crosby
- Loic Pehrson
- Raegan Gonzales
- Elliott Richards
Company Spirit Award
- Elliott Richards
Student Achievement Awards
- Design: Aria Johnson | Into the Woods | Hutto High School
- Marketing: Annie Curtis | Singin' in the Rain | Westwood High School
- Stage Management: Brooklyn Angell | Newsies | Cedar Ridge High School
Training Scholarships
- Adams Roberts Voice, The Macedo Unique Voice Scholarship: Christian Fendt and Malachi Dennis
- The Adderley School Musical Theatre Conservatory: Zariyah Wallace
- Balance Dance Studios Summer Workshop: Emma Davis
- Impact Arts Texas Arts Project Summer Intensive: Juni Castro and Brayden Johnson
- Impact Arts College Audition Program: Emili Chytil and Preston Withrow
- Motley Crew Media and Trevor Scott/CBS Media Training: Isaiah Barafwala and London Mays
- The Dance Spot Summer Workshop: Edward King
- Broadway Teaching Group Educator Workshop: Kristin Vanderberg and Cherisa Cromer
2026 Jimmy Awards Regional Program Winners
- Isaiah Barafwala as Jack Kelly in Newsies | Rouse High School
- London Mays as Alice in Alice by Heart | Weiss High School
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