Welcome to the 31st season of the Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Awards! Modeled after Broadway’s Tony Awards, this program was created in 1996 to recognize and reward the outstanding achievements of New Jersey high school musical theater. We are thrilled to launch another year of honoring the artistry, dedication, and collaboration that bring student productions to life.
A full list of nominations for awards will be published in mid-May. The culminating ceremony will celebrate the nominees and awardees at Paper Mill Playhouse and via live stream on June 9, 2026. Tickets for the ceremony will go on sale in May.
Outstanding Solo Performance: OPEN TO ALL NJ HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
Applications are now open for the Outstanding Solo Performance Award, recognizing exceptional solo musical theater work by New Jersey high school students.
The category is open to students from all NJ high schools and will be adjudicated through self-tape submissions. Submissions will be accepted through April 24, 2026. Please note application will require signing into a google account.
Outstanding Solo Performance Application
Spotlight Awards: APPLY NOW
This year, we are reintroducing our special recognition categories, now known as Spotlight Awards. These application-based awards honor excellence across performance, leadership, education, inclusion, and design. Read on for information regarding these awards, and how to apply or nominate a New Jersey high school educator or student.
Submissions will be accepted through April 24, 2026. Please note Spotlight Award applications will require signing into a google account.
Rising Star College Scholarships: Scholarships in the amount of $1000 each will be presented to students graduating from a New Jersey high school in 2026.
Theater for Everyone Inclusion and Access Award: The “Theater for Everyone” Inclusion & Access Award recognizes exceptional efforts made by a production to welcome and support individuals with disabilities – on stage, backstage, and/or within the audience.
Outstanding Educator Award: This award honors an educator who brings the transformative power of theater into their students’ learning and lives, nominated by a colleague or supervisor.
Educational Impact Award: The Educational Impact Award recognizes those schools which successfully connect their musical production to their curriculum and utilize the musical to serve the school population in alignment with the NJ Student Learning Standards for Visual and Performing Arts.
More than 100 Performances to Participate in 2026 Adjudication
Following an application process earlier this year, 114 New Jersey high schools across 19 counties will participate in full adjudication of their musical theatre productions from February to April, 2026. These performances will be attended by a team of 55 passionate and skilled adjudicators specializing in music, dance, design, education, and more.
Learn more about the participating schools and their productions:
Participating Schools List Participating Schools Map
Thank You to Our Program Supporters
We are deeply grateful to the generous supporters who make the Rising Star Awards possible. The program is presented by the Investors Foundation and the Citizens Philanthropic Foundation.
Rising Star Scholarships are made possible through the generosity of Ruth Bedford in memory of Jane Burgio, Walt Santner in honor of Janet Sovey, James K. Mosser, and the Douglas Michael Krueger Scholarship Fund Trust. The Theater for Everyone Inclusion & Access Award is made possible in part by a gift from New Jersey Theatre Alliance, a nonproft service organization for the state’s 41 nonprofit professional theatres. We also thank Hearst Foundations, the Education & Outreach Partner of Paper Mill Playhouse, for their steadfast commitment to arts education and to the students and communities we serve.
Our work is also made possible by funds from New Jersey State Council on the Arts.
Questions? We’re Here to Help.
For inquiries about registration, adjudication, or program guidelines, contact Rising Star Awards Coordinator Kira Harris at: RisingStarAwards@PaperMill.org
