Walton Arts Center announced today the student finalists for the 2025-26 Diamond Awards. The annual musical theater award program culminates with the Diamond Awards Ceremony on Saturday, May 23 at 5 pm.
The award ceremony will feature showcases of performances from participating schools’ musicals, and awards will be presented for best actor and best actress, best supporting cast, outstanding vocal, dance or acting performance and best ensemble. An outstanding musical theater educator will also be recognized with the Sparkle Award.
Modeled after Broadway’s Tony Awards®, Walton Arts Center’s Diamond Awards recognize achievement and excellence in musical theater among local high school students. This program qualifies the best actress and actor winners to compete in New York City at the Broadway League Foundation’s National High School Musical Theatre Awards®, “The Jimmy Awards®."
Nominees were selected from the following adjudicated school performances:
Alma High School - Footloose the Musical
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Best Lead Actress: Elizabeth Marine (Ariel Moore), Morgan English (Rusty), Cali Ferguson (Vi Moore)
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Best Lead Actor: Levi Dobbs (Reverend Shaw),
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Best Supporting Performer: Grace Mummert (Wendy Jo), Gianna DeWitt (Urleen)
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Outstanding Vocal Performance: Cali Ferguson (Vi Moore)
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Outstanding Dance Performance: Andrew Bush (Ren McCormack)
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Best Ensemble Performance
Arkansas Arts Academy – Seussical
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Best Lead Actress: Maura Jemmett (Gertrude McFuzz), Mehek Heyer (Mayzie LaBird)
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Best Lead Actor: Matteo Ford (The Cat in the Hat)
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Best Supporting Performer: Karleigh Watson (Mrs. Mayor), Paeton McDonald (Sour Kangaroo)
Bentonville High School – The Secret Garden
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Best Lead Actress: Catharyn Nell (Martha), Teagan Callahan (Lily Craven)
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Best Lead Actor: Isaac Sides (Archibald Craven), Jonah Reckner (Dickon)
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Best Supporting Performer: Jenna Scott (Colin Craven)
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Outstanding Vocal Performance: Isaac Sides (Archibald Craven)
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Outstanding Acting Performance: Jonah Reckner (Dickon)
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Best Ensemble Performance
Bentonville West High School – Frozen
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Best Lead Actress: Deerga Ramu (Elsa), Hayden Casey (Anna)
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Best Lead Actor: Elijah Taylor (Kristoff), Wyatt Felix (Olaf)
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Best Supporting Performer: Kamryn Richey (Pabbie), Jackson Wright (Weseltons Lackeys), Fletcher Adams (Oaken)
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Best Ensemble Performance
Clarksville High School – Little Women the Musical
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Best Lead Actress: Carleigh Morgan (Jo March)
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Best Lead Actor: Braxtyn Martin (Laurie)
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Best Supporting Performer: Sansa Meadows (Aunt March)
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Outstanding Vocal Performance: Sansa Meadows (Aunt March)
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Outstanding Acting Performance: Sansa Meadows (Aunt March)
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Best Ensemble Performance
Farmington High School – Legally Blonde the Musical
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Best Lead Actress: Olivia Freeman (Paulette)
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Best Lead Actor: Blayden Redding (Emmett Forrest)
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Best Supporting Performer: Shaylee Phillips (Serena), Violet Luther (Enid)
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Outstanding Acting Performance: Olivia Freeman (Paulette)
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Best Ensemble Performance
Fort Smith Southside High School – Big Fish: School Edition
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Best Lead Actress: Jay Mills (Sandra Bloom)
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Best Lead Actor: Bryson Gosch (Will Bloom), Conner Glasscock (Edward Bloom)
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Best Supporting Performer: Kendall Nobles (Jenny Hill)
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Outstanding Dance Performance: Karen Leite (lead tap dancer)
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Best ensemble performance
Greenwood High School – Tarzan
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Best Lead Actress: Abigail Minor (Jane Porter)
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Best Lead Actor: Waylon Saber (Tarzan)
Har-Ber High School – Matilda
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Best Lead Actress: Lily Breeding (Mrs. Wormwood)
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Best Lead Actor: Gabriel Bentley (Mr. Wormwood)
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Best Supporting Performer: Laikyn “Henry" Hinesley
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Best Ensemble Performance
Harrison High School – Footloose the Musical
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Best Lead Actress: Braxton Hill (Ariel Moore)
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Best Lead Actor: Landon Clements (Ren McCormack)
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Outstanding Acting Performance: Jaezyn Ricketts (Willard)
Rogers High School – The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical
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Best Lead Actor: Daniel Villa (Grover), Nathaniel Coker (Percy Jackson)
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Best Supporting Performer: Bella H (Sally Jackson)
Van Buren High School – Shrek the Musical
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Best Lead Actress: Jenna Cossey (Princess Fiona)
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Best Lead Actor: Peyton Baker (Shrek)
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Outstanding Vocal Performance: Anixxa Chen (Dragon)
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Best ensemble performance
The Sparkle Award for Outstanding Arts Educator
Like a diamond, teachers sparkle and shine their light on students, igniting a spark in them to grow and excel. To shine light back on the teachers that help put students in the spotlight, this award is to recognize an outstanding arts educator.
The following teachers were nominated by students for this year's Sparkle Award for Outstanding Arts Educator:
Danny Hobson, Alma High School
Samanthe Burrow, Bentonville High School
Emily Schiavone, Bentonville West High School
Kayla Abernathy, Bentonville High School
Zac Perry, Farmington High School
Tim Peerbolte, Greenwood High School
Tony Terrell, Har-Ber High School
Becky Dixon, Harrison High School
Amy Pumphrey, Fort Smith Southside High School
Jessica Fisher, Van Buren High School
Standard all-in ticket prices are $5 for students and $15 for adults. Prices are subject to change. Purchase your tickets now at waltonartscenter.org or by calling 479.443.5600 weekdays 10 am – 5 pm.
Support for Walton Arts Center is provided, in part, by the Arkansas Arts Council, an agency of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Walton Arts Center is Arkansas’ largest and busiest performing arts presenter. Each year more than 215,000 people from Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma and beyond attend more than 300 public events at Walton Arts Center, including performances, rehearsals, community gatherings, receptions, weddings and more. Approximately 35,000 students and teachers participate annually in arts learning programs at Walton Arts Center, and almost 250 volunteers donate 28,000 hours of time each year to its operations. Walton Arts Center presents entertainers and artists from around the world including Broadway musicals, renowned dance companies, international artists, up-and-coming jazz musicians and more. As a non-profit organization, Walton Arts Center enjoys the generous support of public sector funding, corporate sponsorship and private donors, allowing audience members to enjoy world-class performances at a great price. To learn more about Walton Arts Center, visit www.waltonartscenter.org.
