State Theatre Center for the Arts President and CEO Shelley Brown and Freddy Awards Coordinator Kori Lotito announced the nominees of the 24th annual Freddy Awards last week.

From Feb. 26 through April 26, students from 31 schools, a record number of participating high schools in Northampton and Lehigh counties and Warren County, New Jersey, presented spring musicals to thousands of spectators.

The annual Freddy Awards Ceremony will be staged at 7 p.m. May 21 at the State Theatre Center for the Arts, Easton, and telecast live on WFMZ Channel 69 and streaming on WFMZ+.

The “Freddy Preview Night” is May 20 for the live-television dress rehearsal for the 2026 Freddy Awards, with full-scale performances from nominees. For information and to purchase tickets: https://www.statetheatre.org/

Times News area schools nominated for the 2026 Freddy Awards include:

Outstanding Technical Design by a Smaller School

Allentown Central Catholic – “Disney’s Frozen”

Belvidere – “The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical”

Catasauqua – “Seussical”

Hackettstown – “Lionel Bart’s Oliver”

Northwestern Lehigh – “Something Rotten!”

Saucon Valley – “The Drowsy Chaperone”

Warren County Technical – “Working (Localized Version)”

Wilson Area – “Anastasia The Musical”

Outstanding Technical Design

Bangor Area – “The Phantom of the Opera”

Easton Area – “Legally Blonde The Musical”

Emmaus – “Jekyll & Hyde”

Freedom – “Something Rotten!”

Nazareth Area – “Grease”

Northern Lehigh – “Anastasia The Musical”

Phillipsburg – “Disney’s Frozen”

Southern Lehigh – “Little Shop of Horrors (Broadway Version)”

Outstanding Small Ensemble Performance

Mckayla Angus, Nathan Deeney in “All I Ask of You,” Bangor Area – “The Phantom of the Opera”

Rosalynda Garcia, Zoey Lambert in “My Own Best Friend,” Dieruff – “Chicago: Teen Edition”

Abigail Holtz, Noah Hover, Charles Kenney, Benjamin Wilks in “His Work and Nothing More,” Emmaus – “Jekyll & Hyde”

Julia Fiorini, Paige Haas, Leah Majumdar, Mariyah Russel, Lucas Yaguez in “Hard to Be the Bard,” Freedom – “Something Rotten!”

Jaslene Ortiz, Benjamin Smith, Graham Webb in “Right Hand Man,” Northwestern Lehigh – “Something Rotten!”

Quinn Fucci, Riley Merker in “I Can’t Lose You,” Phillipsburg – “Disney’s Frozen”

Olivia Betancourt, Julia Cagnassola, Natalie Trawin in “Little Lamb From Alabama,” Warren Hills Regional – “Big Fish: School Edition”

Vic Kumma Award for Outstanding Solo Vocal Performance

Mckayla Angus, “Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again,” Bangor Area – “The Phantom of the Opera”

Charles Kenney, “The Confrontation,” Emmaus – “Jekyll & Hyde”

Adriana Danyluk, “Journey to the Past,” Northern Lehigh – “Anastasia The Musical”

Anysha Teleo, “Poor Unfortunate Souls,” Notre Dame – “Disney’s The Little Mermaid”

Madelynn Wascura, “Happy to Keep His Dinner Warm,” Parkland – “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying”

Riley Merker, “Let It Go,” Phillipsburg – “Disney’s Frozen”

Patrick D’Amico, “Grow For Me,” Southern Lehigh – “Little Shop of Horrors”

Outstanding Featured Performance by an Actress

Rosalynda Garcia as Velma Kelly, Dieruff – “Chicago: Teen Edition”

Abigail Holtz as Emma Carew, Emmaus – “Jekyll & Hyde”

Kensington Matol as Bea, Freedom – “Something Rotten!”

Naomi Schicker as Nancy, Hackettstown – “Lionel Bart’s Oliver!”

Kayla Kinney as Nostradamus, Northwestern Lehigh – “Something Rotten!”

Ainsley Quay as Hedy LaRue, Parkland – “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying”

Riley Merker as Elsa, Phillipsburg – “Disney’s Frozen”

Naomi Herrera as Lucy Van Pelt, William Allen – “You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown”

lehighvalleylive.com Student Achievement Award

Arden Henley, Theatre President, Belvidere – “The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical”

Kamryn Rex, Theatre President, Easton Area – “Legally Blonde The Musical”

Amy Illescas, Stage Manager, Freedom – “Something Rotten!”

Sarah Carter, Stage Manager, Moravian Academy – “Me And My Girl”

McKenna Kirk, Theatre President, Stage Crew Manager, Northern Lehigh – “Anastasia The Musical”

Michael Naomi, Stage Manager, North Warren Regional – “Sleeping Beauty The Musical”

Anthony Jarjous, Production Designer, Salisbury – “The Prom”

Julia Cagnassola, Theatre President, Warren Hills Regional – “Big Fish: School Edition”

Outstanding Overall Production by a Smaller School

Allentown Central Catholic – “Disney’s Frozen”

Catasauqua – “Seussical”

Hackettstown – “Lionel Bart’s Oliver!”

Lehigh Christian Academy – “The Prince of Egypt: The Musical”

Northwestern Lehigh – “Something Rotten!”

Saucon Valley – “The Drowsy Chaperone”

Wilson Area – “Anastasia The Musical”

The State Theatre Center for the Arts and broadcast partner WFMZ Channel 69 made history May 22, 2003, by becoming the first performing arts center in the United States to produce a three-hour, live television show to recognize and reward outstanding achievement in local high school musical theater.

The Freddy Awards are named after J. “Fred” Osterstock, “Fred the Ghost,” of the State Theatre who managed the company that owned the theater from 1936 until his death in 1957.