Give it up for the 2025 Heller Award Nominees!
HAYAs season kicked off this past Sunday, February 23, with a stellar Virtual Nominations Ceremony. In case you missed it, you can watch the recording of the ceremony below featuring the wickedly talented Select Ensemble.
And speaking of wicked things…don’t miss out on this year’s Heller Awards t-shirts! Click here to order your shirt, check out photos from the 2024 ceremony, and sign up for email updates! Plus, keep up with us on social media @hellerawardsatx for all things HAYAs. 🌟
THE 2025 haya NOMINEES ARE…
Best Choreography
Catch Me If You Can | Cedar Ridge
Footloose | Dripping Springs
Matilda the Musical | Hendrickson
Chicago: Teen Edition | Jack C. Hays
Tuck Everlasting | McCallum
Something Rotten! | Round Rock
Once Upon a Mattress | Vista Ridge
Pippin | Weiss
Best Music Direction
Godspell Jr | Marble Falls
Bright Star | East View
Sweeney Todd: School Edition | Georgetown
Once Upon a Mattress | Vista Ridge
9 to 5 The Musical | Leander
Catch Me If You Can | Cedar Ridge
Titanic | Cedar Park
Mean Girls High School Version | Austin
Best Orchestra
Hadestown Teen Edition | LASA
Tuck Everlasting | Westlake
Matilda the Musical | Hendrickson
Mean Girls High School Version | Austin
Once Upon a Mattress | Vista Ridge
The Spongebob Musical | Elgin
Sweeney Todd: School Edition | Georgetown
Titanic | Cedar Park
Best Lighting Design
Matilda the Musical | Hendrickson
Hadestown Teen Edition | LASA
Cinderella (Concord Broadway) | Rouse
Newsies | Hutto
Tuck Everlasting | McCallum
Pippin | Weiss
Bright Star | East View
Titanic | Cedar Park
Best Costume Design
Catch Me If You Can | Cedar Ridge
Cinderella (Concord Broadway) | Rouse
The Drowsy Chaperone | Westwood
Newsies | Hutto
Bright Star | East View
Pippin | Weiss
Once Upon a Mattress | NYOS
Once Upon a Mattress | Vista Ridge
Best Scenic Design
Cinderella (Concord Broadway) | Rouse
Footloose | Dripping Springs
Chicago: Teen Edition | Vandegrift
Tuck Everlasting | McCallum
Hadestown Teen Edition | LASA
The Spongebob Musical | Elgin
Godspell Jr | Marble Falls
Newsies | Hutto
Best Technical Execution
Newsies | Hutto
Hadestown Teen Edition | LASA
Tuck Everlasting | McCallum
Something Rotten! | Round Rock
Catch Me If You Can | Cedar Ridge
Footloose | Dripping Springs
Matilda the Musical | Hendrickson
The Spongebob Musical | Elgin
Best Ensemble
Something Rotten! | Round Rock
Catch Me If You Can | Cedar Ridge
Pippin | Weiss
Godspell Jr | Marble Falls
The Drowsy Chaperone | Westwood
Footloose | Dripping Springs
Cinderella (Concord Broadway) | Rouse
Once Upon a Mattress | Vista Ridge
Best Featured Performer | Individual Category
Writer Collis | Daddy Murphy | Bright Star | East View
De’Aja Jackson | Jolene Oakes | Dirty Rotten Scoundrels | Crockett
Sophia Nikazm | Trix the Aviatrix | The Drowsy Chaperone | Westwood
Amalie Melendez | Dormouse/Nigel | Alice By Heart | Lago Vista
Calleigh Bowers | Milky White | Into the Woods | Tom Glenn
Khai Pormprasong | Madame de la Grande Bouche | Beauty and the Beast | Bastrop
Alden Bruner | Kevin G. | Mean Girls High School Version | Austin
Shelby Cluck | Betty Blast | Footloose | Dripping Springs
Rihanna Elliott | Drama Teacher | High School Musical | Del Valle
Best Featured Performer | Ensemble Category
Evan Puga | Godspell Jr | Marble Falls
Cason Jacobs | You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown (Revised) | Pflugerville
Elora Clarke | Tuck Everlasting | McCallum
Shemaiah Hill | Carrie: The Musical | Northeast
Aydan Courtney | Tuck Everlasting | McCallum
Makayla Rickard | Mean Girls High School Version | Austin
Jessie Alkire | Mean Girls High School Version | San Marcos
Brandy Serrano | The Spongebob Musical | Elgin
Elicie Utterback | Catch Me If You Can | Cedar Ridge
Best Supporting Performer | Female Category
Merritt Moore | Beatrice Bottom | Something Rotten! | Round Rock
McKenzie Hecht | Charlotte | Cinderella (Concord Broadway) | Rouse
Anna Nelson | Thomas Nostradamus | Something Rotten! | Round Rock
Elise Chambers | Rusty | Footloose | Dripping Springs
Graylin Malwitz | Marie | Cinderella (Concord Broadway) | Rouse
Raegan Gonzales | Catherine | Pippin | Weiss
Lyndal Heer | Portia | Something Rotten! | Round Rock
Bella Tamayo | Cinderella | Into the Woods | Tom Glenn
Alexandra Guerrero | Cinderella | Into the Woods | ZACH
Best Supporting Performer | Male Category
Reilly Favacho | Jack | Into the Woods | Tom Glenn
Riley Wayt | Hades | Hadestown Teen Edition | LASA
Ryan Crosby | Nigel Bottom | Something Rotten! | Round Rock
Noah Mayard | Willard Hewitt | Footloose | Dripping Springs
Thomas De La Cruz | Damian | Mean Girls High School Version | San Marcos
Gavin Johst | Mr. Wormwood | Matilda the Musical | Hendrickson
Vince Pham | Adolpho | The Drowsy Chaperone | Westwood
Ace Howell | Damian | Mean Girls High School Version | Austin
Cyrus Hartman | Audrey II | Little Shop of Horrors | John B. Connally
Best Lead Performer | Female Category
Anabel Bordelon | Katherine Howard | Six: Teen Edition | Cedar Creek
London Mays | Leading Player | Pippin | Weiss
Delilah Grad | Winnie Foster | Tuck Everlasting | McCallum
Kinsley Keen | Ella | Cinderella (Concord Broadway) | Rouse
Emily Balderaz | Alice Murphy | Bright Star | Lehman
Avery Linden | Judy Bernly | 9 to 5 The Musical | Leander
Annie Mawson | Roxie Hart | Chicago: Teen Edition | Jack C. Hays
Chanse Solis | Queen Aggravain | Once Upon a Mattress | Vista Ridge
Brooklyn Nickel | Sandy Cheeks | The Spongebob Musical | Elgin
Best Lead Performer | Male Category
Wilkes Goodner | Baker | Into the Woods | ZACH
Caleb Clemons | Spongebob Squarepants | The Spongebob Musical | Elgin
Grayson Levee | Barrett | Titanic | Cedar Park
Kevin Rogers | William Shakespeare | Something Rotten! | Round Rock
Nicolas Hebert | Pippin | Pippin | Weiss
Isaiah Barafwala | Topher | Cinderella (Concord Broadway) | Rouse
Elliott Richards | Robert | The Drowsy Chaperone | Westwood
Nicholas Neumann | Frank Abagnale Jr. | Catch Me If You Can | Cedar Ridge
Walker Wallace | Nick Bottom | Something Rotten! | Round Rock
Best Direction
Footloose | Dripping Springs
Matilda the Musical | Hendrickson
Cinderella (Concord Broadway) | Rouse
Something Rotten! | Round Rock
Once Upon a Mattress | Vista Ridge
Catch Me If You Can | Cedar Ridge
Newsies | Hutto
Bright Star | East View
Best Production
Into the Woods | ZACH
The Drowsy Chaperone | Westwood
Once Upon a Mattress | Vista Ridge
Bright Star | East View
Cinderella (Concord Broadway) | Rouse
Catch Me If You Can | Cedar Ridge
Pippin | Weiss
Six: Teen Edition | Cedar Creek
Student Achievement | Design
Kairi Natal | Akins
Jamie Jarratt | Austin
Alia Pambrum | Bastrop
Anabel Bordelon | Cedar Creek
Ryan Fontaine | Cedar Park
Nathan McCoy | Crockett
Vanessa Esquivel Gaona | Del Valle
Elise Turner | Dripping Springs
Alyssa Ruiz | Elgin
Lake Facchini | Georgetown
Anastasia Benavides | Hendrickson
Caleb Bell | Hutto
Annie Mawson | Jack C. Hays
Synneva Leckbee | John B. Connally
Lucy Rees | Lago Vista
Sara Nishimura | Leander
Grant Bell | LASA
Lucy Zanker | McCallum
Rylee Montgomery | McNeil
Carmen Cartlidge | NYOS
Lorelei Lemieux | Pflugerville
Mya Barry | Rouse
Jade Ruiz | San Marcos
Priscilla Burton | Tom Glenn
Carly Klein | Vista Ridge
Jordyn Sanchez | Weiss
Hudson Kerr | Westlake
Lucy Brown | Westwood
Student Achievement | Marketing
Ever Haynes | Akins
Alia Pambrum | Bastrop
Emery Orsini | Cedar Creek
Maggie Baker | Dripping Springs
Regina Diaz | East View
Gabrielle Valle | Elgin
Amity Wann | Georgetown
Anastasia Benavides | Hendrickson
Emma Smurthwaite | Hutto
Abbie Marcionetti | Jack C. Hays
Lily Hardie | Leander
Ariana Balderaz | Lehman
Ezekiel Gregory | LASA
Mia Gonzales | McCallum
Madelyn Cregar | McNeil
Ava Dornak | Moe and Gene Johnson
Kat Pruett | Pflugerville
Emma Bannister | Rouse
Haze Close | San Marcos
Ava Ludwig | Tom Glenn
Nicolas Pacelli | Vista Ridge
Natalie Berkaw | Westwood
Student Achievement | Stage Management
Dakota Martin | Akins
Paige Solka | Austin
Miley Wood | Bastrop
Ariana Sullivan | Cedar Creek
Charlotte Adair | Cedar Park
Niko Upton | Dripping Springs
Maggie Curtis | East View
Carlos Basilio | Elgin
Elia Calzada | Georgetown
Lane Decker | Hendrickson
Caleigh Kenter | Hutto
Rain Howard | Jack C. Hays
Connie Spearman | John B. Connally
Olivia Smith | Lago Vista
Mary Shammas | Leander
Emilea White | Lehman
Naman Mishra | LASA
Ronan Henson | McCallum
Forest Trammell | McNeil
Scarlett Teague | Moe and Gene Johnson
Naomi Taylor | NYOS
Malorie Visness | Pflugerville
Reece Clark | Round Rock
Savannah DeVille | Rouse
Catherine Cortez | San Marcos
Grace Thomas | Tom Glenn
Kiera Aston | Vista Ridge
Lourdes Hernandez | Vandegrift
Sienna Connally | Weiss
Aubry Smith | Westlake
Nathan Spector | Westwood
Congratulations to all the performers, crews, educators, schools, and families who participated! We can’t wait to see y’all back at the LC – on April 16 to be exact.
Until then, be sure to follow @hellerawardsatx on social media, and click here for more information about 2025 t-shirts, digital show program ads, 2024’s ceremony photos, and to sign up for email updates!
