Nominations Announced For the 20th Anniversary of the 5th Avenue Theatre Awards

The 5th Avenue Theatre has announced the nominees for the 20th anniversary of The 5th Avenue Theatre Awards: Honoring High School Musicals, the highly anticipated award show sponsored by Wells Fargo, streaming LIVE online at 7:00 PM on Sunday, June 26, 2022. Visit The 5th's website for a complete list of nominees.

The 5th Avenue Theatre Awards creates space for musical theater students from across Washington State to meet, celebrate, and honor the exceptional in-person performances or streamed/pre-recorded musical theater productions presented during the 2021/22 school year. This Tony Awards-style annual ceremony was created by 5th Avenue Theatre Producing Artistic Director Bill Berry in 2003 to offer theater students the kind of support and recognition that accomplished high school athletes have received for decades.

Each year, high schools from across Washington State submit their musicals for consideration by The 5th Avenue Awards Committee. A panel of acclaimed theater professionals selected by the committee visits high school productions across the state from urban districts to rural communities as far away as Spokane, Sequim, Walla Walla, and Vancouver. Evaluators return this month to deliberate the nominations before the live award ceremony on June 26, 2022.

In 20 years, the program has grown in size and scope from 24 productions and 3,100 students to a pre-pandemic record-setting 128 productions at 106 schools in 2019, with more than 11,000 participating students. This year, even with the pandemic continuing to challenge theater students and educators, The 5th was thrilled to see the return of musical productions to high school stages across the state. The 20th anniversary celebration will honor participants from 83 live productions. The eagerly awaited event features a performance from the most talented students in the region. Celebrity guests and thought leaders from the Seattle community will present awards to recipients throughout the online ceremony.

Over 200 students will be honored in 11 categories, including recognition for "Performer in a Leading Role," "Performer in a Supporting Role," and a variety of creative, design, and offstage awards. The 5th also continues the tradition of honoring outstanding educators with special recognition, and in addition will shine a light on an amazing senior from each participating school, with the special honor, "Senior Spotlight."

The 5th Avenue Theatre Awards celebrates the work, talent and commitment that students, parents, and faculty devote to their high school's annual musical productions. Over the years, multiple schools have reported back to The 5th that their involvement in this awards program has significantly helped their individual efforts to secure funding, improve curriculum, and increase student participation.

The 5th could not maintain and continue a program as extensive as this one without the generous support of Wells Fargo. It has proudly been the sponsor of The 5th Avenue Theatre Awards for the past 15 years, and is committed to strengthening the resiliency of communities across the state. In 2021, Wells Fargo invested $2.4 million in hundreds of nonprofits and schools across Washington. The company has 2,672 members in Washington who serve customers through a network of 161 banking, mortgage and investment offices, and 244 ATMs in 76 communities across the state. Click here to see how Wells Fargo is caring for our Washington communities.

"It is always such a treat to witness students from across the state being recognized for all their hard work during The 5th Avenue Theatre Awards," said Stephanie Wall, Wells Fargo Social Impact and Sustainability senior manager for the Pacific Northwest. "Wells Fargo chooses to support The 5th Avenue Theatre year after year because we believe in this wonderful organization and we believe in these amazingly talented young people," said Rob Sexton, a senior leader in Commercial Banking at Wells Fargo and a board member for The 5th Avenue Theatre for 16 years. "We thank and applaud all the parents, teachers, mentors, and community members who rally together to support our youth." The 5th Avenue Theatre is grateful to Wells Fargo for their long-standing partnership as title sponsor of this program over the past 15 years.

For a full list of nominees, visit https://www.5thavenue.org/behind-the-curtain/2022/june/2022-5th-avenue-theatre-awards-nominees/.

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