SCHOOLS PARTICIPATING IN THE INUGURAL KPA BRADLEY AWARDS
The KPA Bradley Awards will be held June 1, 2025 at The Kentucky Center in Louisville. Tickets will be on sale soon.
Bryan Station High School
Daviess County High School
Youth Performing Arts School (at duPont Manual High School)
Greenwood High School
John Hardin High School
Lafayette High School
Franklin County High School
McCracken County High School
Kentucky Country Day School
Randall K Cooper High School
Ballard High School
Floyd Central High School
Sacred Heart Academy/Sacred Heart School for the Arts
New Albany High School
Mercer County Senior High School
Paul Laurence Dunbar
Public and private high schools in all Kentucky counties and in the following Indiana counties: Clark, Floyd, Harrison, Scott, and Washington. Only students enrolled in 9th through 12th grade at participating high schools are eligible to be considered for individual awards (i.e. Best Actor/Best Actress). Theatre programs of all budget sizes are encouraged to consider participation; The KPA Bradley Awards will seek to meet schools “where they are” and celebrate their achievements in context of their resources.
The KPA Bradley Awards will send a team of three adjudicators to each participating high school to view a performance of their musical. Adjudicators for The KPA Bradley Awards are qualified performing arts educators, professionals, and experts from throughout the awards region. In addition to considering the production, cast, and crew for awards distributed at The KPA Bradley Awards final ceremony on June 1, 2025, the adjudicators provide constructive feedback to educators and students with a goal of celebrating their achievements and supporting students’ continued artistic growth.
All participating schools attend The KPA Bradley Awards final ceremony, which takes place in the 2,400 seat Whitney Hall in The Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts, located in Louisville, KY. Some schools are selected to perform an ensemble piece from their musical during the ceremony.
Based on feedback from adjudicators, schools and students will be nominated in various categories (similar to the Tony Awards®). Winners are announced for each category during the ceremony. Categories for The KPA Bradley Awards include:
- Behind The Scenes Excellence
- Outstanding Community Engagement (i.e. fundraising for charity, raising awareness of an important issue, etc.)
- Student Reporter Recognition
- Outstanding Student Designer
- Outstanding Arts Educator
- Outstanding Technical Execution
- Outstanding Dance Execution
- Outstanding Ensemble Performance
- Best Actor in a Supporting Role*
- Best Actress in a Supporting Role*
- Best Actor in a Leading Role*
- Best Actress in a Leading Role*
- Best Overall Musical Production
*Students are adjudicated in the category corresponding to their gender identification, not the gender of the role that they play. Students identifying as non-binary or gender-fluid may choose to either select the category in which they wish to be adjudicated (regardless of the gender of the role) or they may be adjudicated based on the gender of the role they play.
The winners in the Best Actor/Actress in a Leading Role categories receive an all-expenses paid trip to New York City to participate in the national Jimmy Awards (which includes a week of masterclasses, as well as the awards ceremony where they will be considered alongside other young artists from across the country).
TIMELINE OVERVIEW
(dates are tentative and subject to change)
January - May 2025: Adjudicators attend each participating school’s musicals; written feedback provided later in season.
Early May 2025: Nominees announced for each category in The KPA Bradley Awards.
June 1, 2025: The KPA Bradley Awards ceremony in Louisville, KY at The Kentucky Center’s Whitney Hall. Featuring performances by schools nominated for Best Overall Production, and each nominee for Best Actor/Actress. Award winners in all categories announced.
Late June 2025: The winners in the Best Actor and Best Actress categories participate in The Jimmy Awards in New York City.
The KPA Bradley Awards believes every young artist has value and potential, and every participating student and educator should contribute to an environment that is empowering, educational, exciting, and welcoming to all. While there is a competitive element to any awards ceremony, all participants should be treated with dignity and respect, and in turn should treat others with dignity and respect. The Bradley Awards seeks to build community amongst our region’s high school theatre programs, all of which are worthy of celebration for the value they bring to our youth and our communities.
The KPA Bradley Awards is seeking candidates for the following positions/roles:
Call for Adjudicators
We seek qualified theatre professionals interested in supporting the growth of young artists by serving as adjudicators for the awards program. Click here to learn more and apply.
