Photos: Inside Young Gifted and Broadway's 3rd Annual Carter Awards

The ceremony recognized young performers from The Lion King, MJ The Musical, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, Schmigadoon!, Ragtime, Waiting for Godot, and more.

By: Stephi Wild Jun. 24, 2026

Young Gifted and Broadway (YGB) hosted its 3rd Annual Carter Awards Ceremony on June 20th in the Cantor Ballroom at the Marriott Marquis. The premier event celebrates the achievements of young performers of color who graced Broadway and Off-Broadway stages during the 2025–26 theater season. Check out photos from the event below!

Named in honor of former Broadway child icon Ralph Carter (Tony nominee and Good Times star), "The Carters" put a spotlight on the industry's brightest youth talent. This year's ceremony recognized young performers from productions including The Lion King, MJ The Musical, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, Schmigadoon!, Ragtime, Waiting for Godot, and more.

This is the third year Young Gifted and Broadway (YGB) hosted the event, with a special spotlight on the following for their performance in Broadway and off-Broadway shows: Andrea Rosa, Caleb Betrain, Emma Origenes, Firo Oliva, McKenzie S. Lewis, Julius-Raymond Weems IV (The Lion King), Christopher Sean Cooper Jr, Emjay Roa, Blake Taylor, Vann Jackson, Lincoln Alejandro Collier (MJ The Musical) Savannah Commordore, Jackson E. Davis, Dominique Skye Turner, Christopher T. Woodley, (Joe Turner’s Come and Gone) Ayann Diop, Miles McNicoll (Schmigadoon) Alijah Kraig Joesph, Kane Emmanuel Miller, Kaleb Johnson (RAGTIME) Zaynn Arora, Eric A. Williams (Waiting for Godot), Anjali Roa (Frozen-Papermill Playhouse), Donovan L. Bazmore (Oh Happy Day!), Albert Rhodes Jr, (Amahl and the Night Visitors ).

"It’s a great experience being able to inspire millions of people to choose to go for their dreams—not just as a person on Broadway, but as a young child on Broadway," said Caleb Betrain, who currently stars as Young Simba in Disney’s The Lion King, during a red carpet interview with teen theater correspondent Joel Crump.

Honoring Industry Luminaries and Advocates

The ceremony also presented the 2026 Luminary Award to Broadway performer Jenny Mollett. Mollett, who made her Broadway debut at just nine years old in the original production of The Color Purple, has since starred as a featured alternate in SIX! and is currently performing in Ragtime at Lincoln Center.

"I'm so honored and grateful to be recognized," Mollett shared via a video acceptance message. "This is a reminder of why I do what I do—it's the love and passion I have for the craft. I always remind myself that I am doing this to make an impact on someone or make an impact on the world."

In addition, YGB presented a special recognition award to Sandi DeGeorge, the esteemed child guardian for Ragtime, honoring her years of dedicated guidance, care, and advocacy for child actors across numerous theatrical productions.