The Heller Awards for Young Artists (HAYAs) celebrate outstanding achievement in high school musical theatre. Presented by Texas Performing Arts in association with Impact Arts, the program recognizes students, teachers, and schools for their creativity, collaboration, and excellence.
The Heller Awards for Young Artists (HAYAs) is one of Central Texas’s most exciting and impactful cultural programs—a year-round initiative that celebrates excellence in high school musical theatre while expanding access to arts education and building lasting connections among students, educators, and communities.
Produced by Texas Performing Arts in association with Impact Arts, the HAYAs support more than 40 area high schools, including approximately 30% Title I campuses, reaching over 80,000 students each year.
Through free, high-quality training, mentorship, and performance opportunities, the program empowers educators and students to grow their theatre programs, build confidence, and engage their communities. The Heller Awards strengthen school theatre across the region—helping students develop creativity, collaboration, and leadership skills that extend far beyond the stage.
The program culminates in a spectacular red-carpet ceremony at Bass Concert Hall, where thousands gather to celebrate student achievement through live performances, awards, and scholarship presentations. It’s a night that showcases the next generation of artists, educators, and innovators shaping the future of the performing arts in Central Texas.
Each participating school produces a licensed musical during the academic year, just as they normally would. The Heller Awards for Young Artists then send a team of vetted and trained adjudicators to attend each performance. Judges use a standardized rubric to score and provide written evaluations across more than 15 performance and production categories, assessing each school’s work against its own potential.
Nominations are announced during a livestream event in March, followed by the Awards Ceremony in May at Bass Concert Hall, where winners are revealed and hundreds of students perform on stage. After the ceremony, schools receive a compilation of their written adjudicator feedback to support future growth. Finally, two outstanding students are selected to represent Central Texas at the Jimmy Awards® in New York City, joining top performers from across the country for a week of professional training and competition on a Broadway stage..
Participation:
Celebrate this year’s nominees in a virtual reveal.
The livestream announces over 15 performance and production categories, debuts a special performance from the Select Ensemble, and recognizes all participating schools.
Highlights:
Social Media Links:
Instagram | Facebook | X (Twitter) | Youtube
Contacts:
Visit Impact Arts for detailed school, student, and Select Ensemble information.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non culpa qui
officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.