The stage was set for an unforgettable celebration as Theatre Under The Stars presented the 2026 Tommy Tune Awards, honoring the outstanding achievements of Houston-area high school musical theatre students in a night filled with talent, energy, and show-stopping performances.
“Every year, the Tommy Tune Awards showcase just how extraordinary Houston’s young performers truly are,” said Adavion Wayne, TUTS Director of Education. “Their dedication and creativity continue to amaze us, and it’s a joy to celebrate their achievements on this stage.”
The winners of the 2026 Tommy Tune Awards are:
Outstanding Musical:
- Tier 1: Dickinson High School, Tuck Everlasting
- Tier 2: Clear Springs High School, The Addams Family
Jimmy Awards® Nominee Winner:
- Haley Griffin, Cypress Ranch High School, Mary Poppins
Jimmy Awards® Nominee Winner:
- Rangel Guzman, Pasadena Memorial High School, Matilda
Jimmy Awards® Nominee Runner Up:
- Gabby Anthony, Fort Bend Christian Academy, Hadestown: Teen Edition
Jimmy Awards® Nominee Runner Up:
- Charles Giddons, Tomball Memorial High School, Big Fish
North Star Award:
- Alyssa Melton, Houston Christian High School, Anastasia
Congeniality Award:
- Annabelle Cody, Houston Christian, Anastasia
Outstanding Ensemble:
- Second Baptist School, Crazy for You
Outstanding Technical Achievement:
- Friendswood High School, Les Miserables School Edition
Outstanding Orchestra:
- Klein High School, Crazy for You, Yajayra Soria
- Kingwood High School, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music, Jason Watt
Outstanding Director:
- Mark Stonebarger, Clear Springs High School, The Addams Family
Outstanding Music Director:
- Claire Westmoreland, Second Baptist School, Crazy for You
- Travis Falknor, Clear Springs High School, The Addams Family
- Kathy Clarke, The Emery/Weiner School, Bandstand
Outstanding Choreography:
- Caley Crawford, Second Baptist School, Crazy for You
- Julia Acevedo/Madison McClellen/Madison Martin, Clear Springs High School, The Addams Family
Outstanding Lighting Design:
- Aria Bouchard/Clara Symmons, Clear Springs High School, The Addams Family
- Craig Roylance, St. Francis Episcopal School, Shrek The Musical
Outstanding Scenic Design:
- Roxanne May, Dickinson High School, Tuck Everlasting
- Brandon Lemus-Melendez, George Bush High School, Little Shop of Horrors
- Samyukhtha Vidyaprakash/Ryan Cooke, Klein Collins High School, All Shook Up
- Gretchen Meyer, Pearland High School, Seussical
Outstanding Costume Design:
- Reagan Falconer, Clear Springs High School, The Addams Family
- Marcella Hernandez-Rudes/Izabella Garcia, Clements High School, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music
- Breezy Palmer, Patricia Paetow High School, The Addams Family
- Elinor Nelson/Layla Rodriguez, Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella
Outstanding Sound Design:
- Anna Longacre/Isabella Kelly, Clear Springs High School, The Addams Family
- Walker Fair/Ricky Williams/Colin Burke, The Emery/Weiner School, Bandstand
Outstanding Stage Management:
- Annabelle Symmons, Clear Springs High School, The Addams Family
- Megan Hyzak/Ella Faust/Sofia Conshafter, Houston Christian High School, Anastasia
Outstanding Supporting Lead:
- Addie Detenbeck, Clear Creek High School, Shrek the Musical
- Tessa Garcia, Second Baptist School, Crazy for You
- Michael Rodriguez, St. Agnes Academy, A Year with Frog and Toad
- Ethan Stulberg, The Emery/Weiner School, Bandstand
Outstanding Singer:
- Marie Popp, Kingwood High School, The Sound of Music
Outstanding Actor:
- Ka’Sean Francis, G.W. Carver Magnet High School, The Wiz
Outstanding Dancer:
- Anastacia Sanchez, The Kinkaid School, Once Upon a One More Time (High School Version)
Outstanding Honorable Mention:
- Zoe An, The Kinkaid School, Once Upon a One More Time (High School Version)
Each year, high schools across the Houston area bring full-scale musicals to life, competing for top honors in 18 thrilling categories—from Outstanding Musical to Outstanding Choreographer, Director, Orchestra, and more. Over the course of the 2025-2026 school year, a panel of seasoned theatre professionals evaluated every production, carefully reviewing performances, technical achievements, and standout moments that made each show unforgettable. These adjudicators—directors, designers, choreographers, and musicians with deep roots in arts education—bring their expertise and passion to the judging process, recognizing excellence on and off the stage.
Named after Broadway icon and Houston native Tommy Tune, the awards honor the legacy of a performer, director, and choreographer whose dazzling career has earned nine Tony Awards. A proud Lamar High School alum, Tune has left an indelible mark on Broadway with legendary productions like Seesaw, My One and Only, Nine, Grand Hotel, and The Will Rogers Follies. In 2003, his contributions to the arts were further recognized with the National Medal of Arts.
