Nominees for the The Henry Mancini Awards, celebrating outstanding student achievement in high school musical theater in Beaver, Butler, Lawrence, and Mercer counties, have been announced, along with with actor and Pittsburgh native Matthew Hydzik as the guest speaker at the awards ceremony on May 17, 2026.
A program of Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center since 2014, the Mancini Awards nominations were revealed on Friday, May 8, 2026.
This year’s record 21 participating schools are: Ambridge Area High School, Beaver Area High School, Beaver Falls High School, Central Valley High School, Commodore Perry Jr./Sr. High School, Freedom Area High School, Freeport Area High School, Hopewell High School, Karns City High School, Knoch High School, Laurel Middle/ High School, Mars Area High School, Mohawk Area School District, Moniteau High School, Neshannock High School, New Castle Senior High School, North Catholic High School, Riverside High School, Rochester Area School District, Slippery Rock High School, and Western Beaver Jr/Sr High School.
Under the sponsorship of the Pittsburgh CLO, this year’s Mancini Awards are part of the National High School Musical Theatre Awards (The Jimmys). The Mancini winners for Best Actor and Best Actress will join the winners from CLO’s Gene Kelly Awards in New York City for a nine-day experience, including private coaching, master classes, and rehearsals with theater professionals.
Penn State alum Hydzik has been a performer on Broadway, off-Broadway and international stages. His Broadway credits include Tony in West Side Story, Gregg Allman in The Cher Show, Buddy in Side Show, Greg in It Shoulda Been You, and Kenickie in Grease. On tour, Hydzik has starred in five national productions, and he has appeared in recent productions of Disney’s Frozen and The Rocky Horror Show for Pittsburgh CLO.
2026 MANCINI AWARD NOMINEES
BEST ACTOR
Stefon Austin, Slippery Rock High School, Anastasia, Gleb Vaganov Stefon Austin
Jon Barkley, Slippery Rock High School, Anastasia, Vlad Popov
Marcello Bertucci, Western Beaver Jr./ Sr. High School, Hadestown: Teen Edition, Hades
Jeb Bowser, Commodore Perry High School, Singin’ in the Rain, Don Lockwood
Xavier Mastropietro, Neshannock High School, SpongeBob the Musical, SpongeBob SquarePants
Kash Stevenson, Beaver Falls High School, James and the Giant Peach, James Henry Trotter
BEST ACTRESS
Madison Beckman, Western Beaver Jr./ Sr. High School, Hadestown: Teen Edition, Eurydice
Millie Blum, Mohawk High School, Water for Elephants, Marlena
Abby Brown, North Catholic High School, Footloose, Ariel Moore
Jersey Diehl, Freeport Area High School, Tuck Everlasting, Mae Tuck
Anne Claire Fueller, Hopewell High School, Mean Girls: High School Edition, Regina George
Remmy Kovac, Knoch High School, Hadestown: Teen Edition, Persephone
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Chase Emerick, Riverside High School, Disney’s Frozen, Olaf
Sam Haas, Beaver Falls High School, James and the Giant Peach, Ladahlord
Jordan Jesseman, Beaver Falls High School, James and the Giant Peach, Peach Earthworm
Aaron Kay, Moniteau High School, Mary Poppins, Michael Banks
Alex Schoenberger, Beaver Area High School, Matilda, Bruce
Carter Weber, Hopewell High School, Mean Girls: High School Edition,Kevin G
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Ariana Avolio-Mason, Ambridge Area High School, Chicago: Teen Edition, Matron “Mama” Morton
Viola Griffith, Slippery Rock High School, Anastasia, Dowager Empress
Tarasa Householder, Central Valley High School, Freaky Friday, Savannah
Ellie Jedrzejewski, Slippery Rock High School, Anastasia, Countess Lily Malevsky-Malevitch
Bella Pashuta, Hopewell High School, Mean Girls: High School Edition, Karen SmithBeaver Aubri Wright, Falls High School, James and the Giant Peach, Spiker
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY EXECUTION
Budget 1
Commodore Perry High School, Singin’ in the Rain
Mohawk High School, Water for Elephants
Budget 2
Freedom Area High School, The Drowsy Chaperone
Laurel High School, The Addams Family
Slippery Rock High School, Anastasia
Budget 3
Ambridge Area High School, Chicago: Teen Edition
Hopewell High School, Mean Girls: High School Edition
Moniteau High School, Mary Poppins
Budget 4
Knoch High School, Hadestown: Teen Edition
Mars Area High School, The Wizard of Oz
Neshannock High School, SpongeBob the Musical
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Budget 1
Beaver Falls High School, James and the Giant Peach
Commodore Perry High School, Singin’ in the Rain
Mohawk High School, Water for Elephants
Budget 2
Freedom Area High School, The Drowsy Chaperone
Laurel High School, The Addams Family
Slippery Rock High School, Anastasia
Budget 3
Beaver Area High School, Matilda
Moniteau High School, Mary Poppins
Western Beaver Jr./ Sr. High School, Hadestown: Teen Edition
Budget 4
Knoch High School, Hadestown: Teen Edition
Neshannock High School, SpongeBob the Musical
New Castle High School, Disney’s Frozen
Best Crew/ Technical Execution
Budget 1
Freeport Area High School, Tuck Everlasting
Mohawk High School, Water for Elephants
Rochester High School, The Addams Family
Budget 2
Karns City High School, Bye, Bye Birdie
North Catholic High School, Footloose
Slippery Rock High School, Anastasia
Budget 3
Beaver Area High School, Matilda
Hopewell High School, Mean Girls: High School Edition
Western Beaver Jr./ Sr. High School, Hadestown: Teen Edition
Budget 4
Knoch High School, Hadestown: Teen Edition
Neshannock High School, SpongeBob the Musical
New Castle High School, Disney’s Frozen
BEST ENSEMBLE
Budget 1 Beaver Falls High School, James and the Giant Peach
Freeport Area High School, Tuck Everlasting
Mohawk High School, Water for Elephants
Budget 2
Laurel High School, The Addams Family
North Catholic High School, Footloose
Slippery Rock High School, Anastasia
Budget 3
Ambridge Area High School, Chicago: Teen Edition
Hopewell High School, Mean Girls: High School Edition
Moniteau High School, Mary Poppins
Budget 4
Knoch High School, Hadestown: Teen Edition
Mars Area High School, The Wizard of Oz
Neshannock High School, SpongeBob the Musical
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN
Budget 1
Beaver Falls High School, James and the Giant Peach
Commodore Perry High School, Singin’ in the Rain
Freeport Area High School, Tuck Everlasting
Budget 2
Laurel High School, The Addams Family
North Catholic High School, Footloose
Slippery Rock High School, Anastasia
Budget 3
Ambridge Area High School, Chicago: Teen Edition
Beaver Area High School, Matilda
Western Beaver Jr./ Sr. High School, Hadestown: Teen Edition
Budget 4
Knoch High School, Hadestown: Teen Edition
Mars Area High School, The Wizard of Oz
New Castle High School, Disney’s Frozen
BEST SCENIC DESIGN
Budget 1
Freeport Area High School, Tuck Everlasting
Mohawk High School, Water for Elephants
Rochester High School, The Addams Family
Budget 2
Laurel High School The Addams Family
North Catholic High School, Footloose
Slippery Rock High School, Anastasia
Budget 3
Ambridge Area High School, Chicago: Teen Edition
Beaver Area High School, Matilda
Western Beaver Jr./ Sr. High School, Hadestown: Teen Edition
Budget 4
Knoch High School, Hadestown: Teen Edition
Neshannock High School, SpongeBob the Musical
New Castle High School, Disney’s Frozen
BEST STUDENT ORCHESTRA
Freeport Area High School, Tuck Everlasting
Knoch High School, Hadestown: Teen Edition
Mohawk High School, Water for Elephants
BEST MUSICAL
Budget 1
Beaver Falls High School, James and the Giant Peach
Freeport Area High School, Tuck Everlasting
Mohawk High School, Water for Elephants
Budget 2
Laurel High School, The Addams Family
North Catholic High School, Footloose
Slippery Rock High School, Anastasia
Budget 3
Hopewell High School, Mean Girls: High School Edition
Moniteau High School, Mary Poppins
Western Beaver Jr./ Sr. High School, Hadestown: Teen Edition
Budget 4
Knoch High School, Hadestown: Teen Edition
Neshannock High School, SpongeBob the Musical
New Castle High School, Disney’s Frozen
SPECIAL JUDGE AWARD: Freedom Area High School, Brandon Yeager
OUTSTANDING STUDENT ARTIST: Beaver Falls High School, Sa’Miyah Thompkins
STUDENT REPORTER: Freeport Area High School, Abi Barlow
CLO ACADEMY SCHOLARSHIP WINNERs: Mars Area High School, Camden Kleba, and Slippery Rock High School, Stefon Austin
ROBERT MORRIS SCHOLARSHIP WINNER: The winner will officially be announced at the ceremony.
Categories: Arts and Ideas
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