Heller Awards for Young Artists
ABOUT THE HELLER AWARDS
Imagine Austin’s version of the Tony Awards — only more impactful! The Heller Awards for Young Artists boosts visibility for high school musical theatre programs and produces a community-building event while celebrating the talent and discipline of thousands of students and educators in the Greater Austin area.
Participating schools come together to pay tribute to the value of arts education, collaboration, and creativity. Through award recognition, master classes, hands-on training with industry professionals, critical evaluations with constructive feedback, scholarships, program grants, and community-wide awareness, the HAYAs celebrate, elevate, and expand musical theatre and the arts in our schools, families, and communities.
Starting in 2014 with 19 participating schools, the program has exapanded exponentially, supporting the continued growth of young adults into the leaders of tomorrow. Whether their futures lie in the performing arts, private sector, public service, or fields that don’t exist yet, the HAYAs are their gateway to a bright, colorful future.
WHY MUSICAL THEATRE?
Musical theatre is more than fan kicks and jazz hands — although it’s definitely those things! When children and young adults participate in arts education, they learn how to develop new skills, how to work with a team to achieve a goal, and how to turn an idea into reality.
Much like sports, musical theatre creates an environment for students to develop universal skills such as discipline and leadership. While programs like the Heller Awards can catapult driven and talented young people into performing arts careers, arts education is not only beneficial for future performing artists. It also fosters the development of well-rounded, resilient, and grounded adults ready to give back.
2024 Impact
37 schools
18 Districts
14 Title 1 Schools
3,300 Student Participants
16,800 Students Impacted
67,200 Combined student population
84 Teachers
Select Ensemble Auditions are Now Closed
If this is your first time performing in the Heller Awards, your nerves might be a little jittery. We get it! Here’s some advice from 2024’s Best Lead Female nominees that might help.2025 Winners
Before we see you in April 2025 for the 12th annual Heller Awards, take a stroll down memory lane by catching up on last year’s winners.
Make 2025 a Year to Remember
Celebrate the 2025 Heller Awards with a show program ad or video shoutout! These not only support our students and the future of arts education, but all proceeds go directly back to the Heller Awards program to make sure it continues year over year. Check out what items are included in the Memories Package, including HAYA t-shirts, photo prints & digital downloads, and more.Interested in Sponsorship?
Thanks to our 2024 Sponsors
2025 Participating Schools
AKINS
The Addams Family School Edition
AUSTIN
Mean Girls High School Version
BASTROP
Beauty and the Beast
CEDAR PARK
Titanic
CEDAR RIDGE
Catch Me If You Can
CROCKETT
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
DEL VALLE
High School Musical
DRIPPING SPRINGS
Footloose
EAST VIEW
Bright Star
ELGIN
The Spongebob Musical
HUTTO
Newsies
JACK C. HAYS
Chicago: Teen Edition
JOHN B. CONNALLY
Little Shop of Horrors
LAGO VISTA
Alice By Heart
LEANDER
9 to 5 The Musical
LEHMAN
9 to 5 The Musical
MANOR
Heathers The Musical: Teen Edition
MARBLE FALLS
Godspell Jr
MCCALLUM
Tuck Everlasting
MCNEIL
Little Shop of Horrors
MOE & GENE JOHNSON
Legally Blonde Jr
NYOS
Once Upon a Mattress
PFLUGERVILLE
You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown (Revised)
ROUND ROCK
Something Rotten!
ROUSE
Cinderella (Concord Broadway)
SAN MARCOS
Mean Girls High School Version
TOM GLENN
Into the Woods
VANDERGRIFT
Chicago: Teen Edition
VISTA RIDGE
Once Upon a Mattress
WEISS
Pippin
WESTLAKE
Tuck Everlasting
WESTWOOD
The Drowsy Chaperone
ZACH ACADEMY
Into the Woods
Select Ensemble
The Heller Awards for Young Artist’s Select Ensemble provides an exciting opportunity for passionate and dedicated high school students to represent their communities throughout the year. Each fall, interested students audition for the honor of receiving one of the 25+ spots available in that year’s Select Ensemble, which rehearses from November through April, with a music video-style filmed performance for nominations and — of course — the HAYA ceremony itself. As representatives of the Greater Austin community of high school musical theatre students, the Select Ensemble opens the awards show and performs during the ceremony. The Select Ensemble will learn performance skills for various media including: studio recording, film, and live theatre. In addition to the performance training, students gain skills in promotions, public relations, fundraising, and producing.
Auditions close November 8th
Our 2024 Impact
Last year’s Heller Awards celebrated…
37 Participating Schools
18 Districts
10 Title 1 Schools
84 Teachers
3,300 Student Participants
16,800 Students Impacted
67,200 Combined Student Population
Follow Along
Find us in your favorite corner of the internet.
Want to support?
All HAYA donations and sponsorships go directly to subsidize program costs so that we can continue to keep this program FREE for all participating schools.
Award Categories
With 19 categories, these Awards aim to honor the entire high school musical experience from start to finish, including all the hard work in between, from the front of the house to the back.
Lead Performer – Male Category
Lead Performer – Female Category
Supporting Performer – Male Category
Supporting Performer – Female Category
Featured Performer – Role
Featured Performer – Ensemble
Ensemble
Scenic Design
Costume Design
Lighting Design
Choreography
Musical Direction
Orchestra
Technical Crew
Direction
Production
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
Design
Stage Management
Marketing & Publicity
Company Impact
Want to support this program and be a part of the action?
Wanna be a participating school?
Get more info on being a participating school and what makes this program so great.
Looking for your school portal?
If you’re a current participant, find your school’s link for log-in below.
Wanna show the love?
Sign up to receive Mid-Week Intermission, our bi-weekly newsletter, with information on upcoming shows, Austin arts you should know about, and more.
