2018-2019 National Youth Arts Awards

The National Youth Arts Awards recognized Spotlight’s 2018-2019 season with 82 nominations. Performers and artists won 25 NYA Awards for their work in Spotlight productions. An awards ceremony will be held Aug. 11 at the Peoria Center for the Performing Arts.

Outstanding Production

• Won: Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
• Won: Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead
• Nominated: Little Shop of Horrors

Outstanding Production (Junior Division)

• Nominated: 13
• Nominated: Beat Bugs: A Musical Adventure

Artist of the Year

Awarded for outstanding performances of principle roles in multiple productions:

• Sabrina Kiepke for You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown (in addition to roles in Desert Stages Theatre productions)
• Bethany Novotny for Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead, and The Miracle Worker (in addition to roles in Millenium HS productions)

Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical

• Won: Noah Lanouette for Little Shop of Horrors
• Won: Allison Watson for Little Shop of Horrors
• Won: Brody Wurr for Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson

Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play

• Won: Julia Murphy for The Miracle Worker
• Won: Jack Taylor for Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead

Outstanding Lead Performance (Junior Division)

• Won: Zoie Moller for 13
• Won: Ava Newton for The Miracle Worker
• Nominated: Owen Brady for Beat Bugs: A Musical Adventure
• Nominated: Owen Donsker for 13

Outstanding Guest Performance

• Nominated: Kenny Grossman for Beat Bugs: A Musical Adventure

Outstanding Supporting Performance (College Division)

• Won: Joseph Paul Cavazos for Little Shop of Horrors
• Won: Alixandra Giordano for Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead
• Won: Charlie Rabago for Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
• Nominated: Savoy Antoinette for Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
• Nominated: Alixandra Giordano for Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson

Outstanding Supporting Performance in a Musical

• Nominated: Lyda Armistead for Into the Woods Jr.
• Nominated: Christian Bader for Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
• Nominated: Cambria Cascio Maynard for You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown
• Nominated: Jonah Fried for Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
• Nominated: Benjamin Gitell for Little Shop of Horrors
• Nominated: Alexis Harris for Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
• Nominated: Kendall Hook for 13
• Nominated: Noah Manumaleuga for Little Shop of Horrors
• Nominated: Christopher Poulios for 13
• Nominated: Corinne Seaver for The Best Christmas Pageant Ever: The Musical
• Nominated: Jack Taylor for Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
• Nominated: Jack Yampolsky for You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown

Outstanding Supporting Performance in a Play

• Won: Christian Bader for Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead
• Won: Thea Eigo for Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead
• Won: Lindsay Gagnon for Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead
• Nominated: Noah Lanouette for Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead
• Nominated: Devon Policci for Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead

Outstanding Supporting Performance (Junior Division)

• Won: Alexis Archer for 13
• Nominated: Corban Adams for Beat Bugs: A Musical Adventure
• Nominated: Corban Adams for Into the Woods Jr.
• Nominated: Emily Grace Anton for Beat Bugs: A Musical Adventure
• Nominated: Ian Gray for Into the Woods Jr.
• Nominated: Mia Hurley for Into the Woods Jr.
• Nominated: Sophie Jurkovich for 13
• Nominated: Kate Williams for The Best Christmas Pageant Ever: The Musical

Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical

• Nominated: Grace Dimond for Little Shop of Horrors
• Nominated: Vanessa Vera for Little Shop of Horrors
• Nominated: Josie Wright for Little Shop of Horrors

Outstanding Featured Performance (Junior Division)

• Nominated: Meredith Arends for Into the Woods Jr.
• Nominated: Michael Hook for 13
• Nominated: Patrick Mullen for 13

Outstanding Ensemble

• Nominated: Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
• Nominated: Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead
• Nominated: Into the Woods Jr.
• Nominated: Little Shop of Horrors
• Nominated: You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown

Outstanding Ensemble (Junior Division)

• Won: 13
• Nominated: Beat Bugs: A Musical Adventure

Outstanding Costume Design

• Nominated: Naomi Jordon and Andi Marie Jordon for Beat Bugs: A Musical Adventure
• Nominated: Samantha Utpadel for Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
• Nominated: Audrey Wawro for Little Shop of Horrors

Outstanding Lighting Design

• Nominated: Josh Hontz for Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson

Outstanding Set Design

• Won: Bobby Sample for Beat Bugs: A Musical Adventure
• Nominated: Bobby Sample for Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
• Nominated: Bobby Sample for The Miracle Worker

Outstanding Choreography

• Won: Tina Caspary for Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
• Nominated: Marly DeGroodt for 13

Outstanding Hair / Makeup Design:

• Nominated: Angel DeMichael for Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
• Nominated: Brenda Goodenberger for Beat Bugs: A Musical Adventure

Outstanding Sound Design / Original Music

• Won: Josh Hontz for Body of Work (13, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, Little Shop of Horrors; in addition to 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea at Theater Works)

Outstanding Musical Direction

• Won: Tristan Peterson-Steinart for Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
• Nominated: Adam Bei for 13
• Nominated: Heather Walker for Beat Bugs: A Musical Adventure

Outstanding Direction

• Won: Kenny Grossman for Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
• Won: Kenny Grossman for Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead
• Nominated: Kenny Grossman for 13
• Nominated: Kenny Grossman for Beat Bugs: A Musical Adventure
• Nominated: Kenny Grossman for Little Shop of Horrors
• Nominated: Heather Walker for Into the Woods Jr.