Starlight Celebrates Area High School Students with 2026 Blue Star Awards Ceremony

Starlight has announced the 2025-26 Blue Star Awards winners in a red-carpet ceremony at Starlight Theatre Thursday, May 21. Thirty seven winners took home the top prizes in 32 categories, and $10,000 in monetary prizes were awarded to deserving high school students. The ceremony also featured 10 onstage performances.

Modeled after Broadway’s Tony Awards®, Starlight’s annual Blue Star Awards recognize achievement and excellence in musical theatre among Kansas City area high school students. In the 2025-26 Blue Star Awards season, 66 schools and 5,100 metro students participated, making it one of the largest and most respected high school musical awards programs in the nation.

Full List of WInners:

Ceremony Ensemble

Central - Macormick Carlson
Liberty North - Lainey Beaty
Park Hill - Chamberlain Webster
St. Teresa's Academy - Lainey McManamy

Community Impact Award

De Soto

Creative Contribution Award

Olathe West - Lydia Treff for Choreography

Technical Contribution Award

Olathe West - Teddy Garcia for Publicity and Marketing

Dream Production Award

Liberty - Hannah Mees for Direction

Rising Star Scholarship–Sophomore

Pembroke Hill - Cecilia Miller

Rising Star Scholarship–Junior

Blue Valley Southwest - Aliyah Lawrence

Rising Star Scholarship–Senior

Blue Springs - Cailey Petersen

Student Reporter

Fort Osage - Malia Arnold
Lee's Summit North - Jake Johnson

Jimmy Awards–Best Actor

Megan Sheehan
Park Hill South High School
Jesus Christ Superstar

Jimmy Awards–Best Actress

Charlotte Sweet
Platte County High School
Disney's Newsies

Orchestra–Tier I

Lawrence Free State - The Addams Family Musical (School Edition)

Orchestra–Tier II

Olathe Northwest - Mean Girls High School Version

Scenic Design–Tier I

Excelsior Springs - Disney's The Little Mermaid

Scenic Design–Tier II

Central - Footloose

Lighting Design–Tier I

Lawrence Free State - The Addams Family Musical (School Edition)

Lighting Design–Tier II

Liberty - The Phantom of the Opera

Costume Design–Tier I

Belton - Disney's Descendants: The Musical

Costume Design–Tier II

Olathe East - Between the Lines

Hair & Makeup Design–Tier I

Platte County - Disney's Newsies

Hair & Makeup Design–Tier II

Park Hill South - Jesus Christ Superstar

Technical Crew–Tier I

Raymore-Peculiar - Pippin - Costume Crew

Technical Crew–Tier II

Liberty - The Phantom of the Opera - Set Crew

Performer in a Lead Role–Tier I

Ruskin - The Prince of Egypt - Desmond Walker III as Moses

Performer in a Lead Role–Tier II

Liberty - The Phantom of the Opera - Olivia Dolton as Christine Daaé

Performer in a Supporting Role–Tier I

Raytown - Hadestown: Teen Edition - Cameron Ritchie as Hermes

Performer in a Supporting Role–Tier II

Liberty North - Mean Girls High School Version - Jillian Downing as Janis Sarkisian

Performer in a Featured Role–Tier I

Lawrence Free State - The Addams Family Musical (School Edition) - Harper York as Grandma

Performer in a Featured Role–Tier II

Blue Valley Northwest - Grease - Ryan Peterson as Doody

Ensemble–Tier I

Platte County - Disney's Newsies

Ensemble–Tier II

Blue Springs South - Anything Goes

Overall Production–Tier I

Platte County - Disney's Newsies

Overall Production–Tier II

Liberty - The Phantom of the Opera

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