2025 KPA BRADLEY AWARDS NOMINEES AND RECIPIENTS

Behind the Scenes Excellence - Sponsored by Bradley Broecker


Recipient

Emma Hockensmith / Choreographer

Reilly Ketterer / Assistant Director

Floyd Central High School, Floyds Knobs, IN - THE LIGHTNING THIEF

Alex Clarke / Costumes

Savannah Mack / Costumes

Luke Nobers / Props Lead

Clare O’Bryan / Stage Manager

Justine Ford Pitts / Tech Lead – Shifting Lead

Ballard High School, Louisville, KY -  SHREK: THE MUSICAL



Charlotte Davis / Assistant Stage Manager and Costume Designer

Greenwood High School, Bowling Green, KY - THE ADDAMS FAMILY



Samantha McNichol / Costume Designer

John Hardin High School, Elizabethtown, KY - MAMMA MIA!



Penny Ferguson / Stage Manager

New Albany High School, New Albany, IN - CHICAGO: TEEN EDITION





Outstanding Student Designer-Sponsored by Think Tank Marketing



Recipient

Delaney Mullannix, Lighting Design

Bryan Station High School, Lexington, KY - SHREK: THE MUSICAL

Savannah Mack, Costume Design

Ballard High School, Louisville, KY - SHREK: THE MUSICAL


Elinor Soult, Costume Design

Bryan Station High School, Lexington, KY - SHREK: THE MUSICAL



Charlotte Davis, Costume Design

Greenwood High School, Bowling Green, KY - THE ADDAMS FAMILY



Jansen Lewis, Set Design

Greenwood High School, Bowling Green, KY - THE ADDAMS FAMILY





Outstanding Technical Execution

Recipient

Youth Performing Arts School, Louisville, KY - YOU’RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN!

McCracken County High School, Paducah, KY - BIG FISH


Mercer County Senior High School, Harrodsburg, KY - LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS


New Albany High School, New Albany, IN  - CHICAGO: TEEN EDITION


Sacred Heart Academy, Louisville, KY - INTO THE WOODS




Best Actor in a Supporting Role

Recipient

Finnegan Broyles as Rapunzel’s Prince

Sacred Heart Academy, Louisville, KY - INTO THE WOODS

Cyrus Jaques as Mr. Krabs

Franklin County High School, Frankfort, KY - THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL



Sam Lynn as Don Price

McCracken County High School, Paducah, KY - BIG FISH



Landon Howard as Audrey II

Mercer County Senior High School, Harrodsburg, KY - LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS



Aneesh Nair as Kevin Gnapoor

Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, Lexington, KY - MEAN GIRLS: HIGH SCHOOL EDITION



Best Actress in a Supporting Role


Recipient

Lyvia McCutchen as Pearl Krabs

Franklin County High School, Frankfort, KY - THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL

Elaina Norton as Rose

Daviess County High School, Owensboro, KY - THE SECRET GARDEN



Silvia Periago as Clarisse

Floyd Central High School, Floyds Knobs, IN - THE LIGHTNING THIEF



Janeway Howard as Countess Ipolitov

Lafayette High School, Lexington, KY - ANASTASIA



Evie Robertson as Jenny Hill

McCracken County High School, Paducah, KY - BIG FISH





Outstanding Dance Execution

Recipient

Youth Performing Arts School, Louisville, KY - YOU’RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN!

Franklin County High School, Frankfort, KY  - THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL


McCracken County High School, Paducah, KY - BIG FISH


New Albany High School, New Albany, IN - CHICAGO: TEEN EDITION


Sacred Heart Academy, Louisville, KY - INTO THE WOODS



Outstanding Arts Mentor-Sponsored by Bruce Merrick and Karen McCoy


Recipient

Amanda Simmons

New Albany High School, New Albany, IN - CHICAGO: TEEN EDITION

Sarah Fain

Ballard High School, Louisville, KY - SHREK: THE MUSICAL



Phyllis Westfall

John Hardin High School, Elizabethtown, KY - MAMMA MIA!


Maddie Anderson

Randall K Cooper High School, Union, KY - INTO THE WOODS



Cayce Crowder-Abellard

Youth Performing Arts School, Louisville, KY - YOU’RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN!





Outstanding Community Engagement

Recipient

Floyd Central High School, Floyds Knobs, IN - THE LIGHTNING THIEF

Bryan Station High School, Lexington, KY - SHREK: THE MUSICAL



Lafayette High School, Lexington, KY - ANASTASIA



Randall K Cooper High School, Union, KY - INTO THE WOODS




Outstanding Ensemble Performance-Sponsored by Frank and Paula Harshaw


Recipient

Youth Performing Arts School, Louisville, KY - YOU’RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN!

Franklin County High School, Frankfort, KY - THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL



McCracken County High School, Paducah, KY - BIG FISH



New Albany High School, New Albany, IN - CHICAGO: TEEN EDITION



Sacred Heart Academy, Louisville, KY - INTO THE WOODS



Best Actor in a Leading Role


Recipient

Carson Chesnut as Will Bloom

McCracken County High School, Paducah, KY - BIG FISH

John Brasher as Dickon

Daviess County High School, Owensboro, KY - THE SECRET GARDEN



Joey Webb as Squidward

Franklin County High School, Frankfort, KY - THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL



Braydon Branam as Seymour

Mercer County Senior High School, Harrodsburg, KY - LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS



Jeremiah Stephens as Schroeder

Youth Performing Arts School, Louisville, KY - YOU’RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN!





Best Actress in a Leading Role

 
Recipient

Kennedy Julian as Sally Brown

Youth Performing Arts School, Louisville, KY - YOU’RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN!

Kelsie Thacker as Sandy Cheeks

Franklin County High School, Frankfort, KY - THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL



Abigail Scheer as Sandra Bloom

McCracken County High School, Paducah, KY - BIG FISH



Jenna Morrison as Velma Kelly

New Albany High School, New Albany, IN - CHICAGO: TEEN EDITION



Caylen Judd as Cinderella

Sacred Heart Academy, Louisville, KY - INTO THE WOODS



Best Overall Musical Production-Sponsored by Michael E. Berry

Recipient

Youth Performing Arts School, Louisville, KY - YOU’RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN!

Daviess County High School, Owensboro, KY - THE SECRET GARDEN



McCracken County High School, Paducah, KY - BIG FISH



New Albany High School, New Albany, IN - CHICAGO: TEEN EDITION



Sacred Heart Academy, Louisville, KY - INTO THE WOODS

CELEBRATING HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL THEATRE

On June 1, 2025, Kentucky Performing Arts (KPA) will present the inaugural KPA Bradley Awards, an official Regional Awards Program of The National High School Musical Theatre Awards® (NHSMTA®), otherwise known as The Jimmy Awards®. With a goal of celebrating young artists and elevating the importance of theatre arts education, The KPA Bradley Awards will partner with high schools across Kentucky and Southern Indiana to adjudicate a musical production at each participating school, culminating in an awards ceremony at The Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts where awards in various categories will be provided to winning students, educators, and ensembles. Two students will be selected at the awards ceremony to represent the region at The Jimmy Awards in New York City, which includes a week of private coaching, master classes, and rehearsals with theatre professionals prior to participation in the national awards ceremony in a Broadway theater. 

The KPA Bradley Awards are named in honor of Bradley Broecker, whose central role in bringing touring Broadway shows to Kentuckiana has made immeasurable impact on the region’s vibrancy. The Bradley Awards are presented by KPA in partnership with the Louisville Theatrical Association. 

The KPA 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.