Diamond Awards Ceremony

Finalists for the inaugural Diamond Awards:

Alma High School - Newsies  

• Best Actress: Elizabeth Marine (Katherine Plumber) 

• Best Actor: Talon Dean (Jack Kelly) 

• Best Supporting Performer: Mylea Holmes (Race) 

Arkansas Arts Academy – Alice By Heart  

• Best Actress: Elisabeth Miller (Tabatha/Cheshire Cat) 

• Best Actor: Matteo Ford (The Duchess/Dodgy) 

• Best Supporting Performer: Rowan Riley (Mad Hatter) 

Bentonville High School – Spongebob Squarepants: The Musical  

• Best Actress: Jenna Scott (Sandy Cheeks) 

• Best Actor: Isaac Sides (Spongebob Squarepants), Jonah Clupny (Sheldon J. Plankton), Jonah Reckner (Patrick Star), Thor Kennedy (Squidward Q. Tentacles) 

• Best Supporting Performer: Julianna Senter (Pearl Krabs) 

• Best Ensemble Performance 

Bentonville West High School – The Addams Family: School Edition  

• Best Actress: Eva Konomi (Morticia Addams), Deerga Ramu (Wednesday Addams) 

• Best Actor: Cardon Sullivan (Gomez Addams), Elijah Taylor (Lucas Beineke) 

• Best Supporting Performer: Hannah Richardson Williams (Grandma), Brennan Bates (Lurch) 

• Best Ensemble Performance 

Clarksville High School – Matilda the Musical  

• Best Actress: Analeise Fultz (Miss Honey), Carleigh Morgan (Mrs. Wormwood), Danielle Dickerson (Miss Trenchbull) 

• Best Actor: Zeke Jones (Mr. Wormwood)  

Farmington High School – The Addams Family: School Edition  

• Best Actress: Shaylee Phillips (Wednesday Addams) 

• Best Actor: JP Garcia (Gomez Addams) 

• Best Supporting Performer: Olivia Freeman (Grandma) 

Fayetteville High School - Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella  

• Best Actress: Audrey Redwine, (Cinderella), Kaycee Marshall (Fairy Godmother) 

• Best Actor: Andrew Albertson (Prince Christopher) 

• Best Supporting Performer: Asher Jordan (Lionel) 

• Best Ensemble Performance 

Fort Smith Southside High School – Tuck Everlasting  

• Best Actress: Jay Mills (Mae Tuck), Kendall Nobles (Winnie Foster) 

• Best Actor: Xander Smith (Hugo), Bryson Gosch (Jesse Tuck), Conner Glasscock (Miles Tuck) 

• Best Supporting Performer: Hallie Post (Ensemble), Mason Stillman (Angus Tuck) 

• Best Ensemble Performance 

Siloam Springs High School – Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella  

• Best Actress: Brinklee McDaniel (Ella), Nora Dromi (Gabrielle) 

• Best Supporting Performer: Madelyn Mixdorf (Lady Pinkleton), Hannah Yang (Madame), Elliot Von Jordon (Jean-Michel) 

Van Buren High School – The Lightning Thief  

• Best Actress: Maci Dorrough (Annabeth) 

• Best Actor: Peyton Baker (Grover) 

• Best Supporting Performer: Decoteau Lamb (Luke) 

The following teachers were nominated by students for this year's Sparkle Award for Outstanding Arts Educator:  

• Amy Pumphrey – Southside High School  
• Danny Hobson – Alma High School  
• Emily Schiavone and Kayla Abernathy – Bentonville West High School  
• Jenava Harris – Clarksville High School  
• Jessica Fisher – Van Buren High School  
• Trever Cooperescue – Fayetteville High School  
• Zac Perry – Farmington High School  

ABOUT:

Modeled after Broadway’s Tony Awards^®, Walton Arts Center’s Diamond Awards recognizes achievement and excellence in musical theater among local high school students. The Diamond Awards celebrate the power of the arts in education and motivate support for and interest in high school musicals.

Ten high school theater programs that produced full-length musicals are participating in the inaugural Diamond Awards. Industry professionals are in the process now of adjudicating students’ performances in their high school musicals. 

The showcase will feature performances by cast members from the productions, and awards will be presented for best actor, actress, supporting performers and ensemble performance. A Sparkle Award recognizing an outstanding educator will also be presented during the ceremony.

The Diamond Awards qualify the best actress and actor winners to receive training from Broadway professionals and compete alongside nominees from 54 other regional high school musical theater awards competitions in New York City at the Broadway League Foundation’s National High School Musical Theatre Awards^®, “The Jimmy Awards^®" this summer. Walton Arts Center will cover the cost of the trip for the two Diamond Awards winners.