The Tallulah Awards 2.0: Help them SHINE, Dahlings!

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We are so very appreciative of all of you and your support of The Inaugural Tallulah Awards this past May 17. The energy in the VBC Concert Hall that night was absolutely electrifying! To see and hear those high school theatre students cheering on each other for 2 1/2 hours is something I will keep with me and treasure forever. And we couldn't have done it without you.

THIS YEAR, The Tallulah Awards will more than double its reach, serving students across the 22 northernmost counties in Alabama. As the program grows, so does the need for support. Help us reach our $150,000 goal and continue providing meaningful educational experiences, professional adjudicator feedback, and showcase opportunities on the national level like the Jimmy Awards® for Alabama high school theatre students to learn, grow and shine!

Now let's talk about The Tallulah Awards and break it down a bit... Named after the legendary stage and screen actress, Tallulah Bankhead, who was born in Huntsville in 1902: THE TALLULAH AWARDS is Alabama’s first and only Regional High School Musical Theatre Awards Program. Two students, the winners of Best Actress & Best Actor, will be selected to compete at The National High School Musical Theatre Awards® otherwise known as the Jimmy Awards® in New York City – taking place every summer in June.

They perform at Broadway’s Minskoff Theatre (home to The Lion King), to a sold-out crowd of Broadway Directors, Casting Directors, Producers, Choreographers, etc. This past June, there were 116 nominees from 58 programs across the country, making their debut on a Broadway stage!

Alabama never had a seat at this table before… but our Inaugural Tallulah Awards, which was on May 17, 2026, changed all of that and we sent Alabama’s first two nominees (Linda Mathis from Lee High School & Lucas McMinemon from Hartselle High School) to compete at the Jimmys this past summer. I can personally vouch for that because I was their chaperone in the Juilliard Dorms with them for 12 days! It was exhilarating, exhausting, and inspiring and I loved every moment of it.

BUT The Tallulah Awards is much more than just sending two students to compete at the Jimmy Awards. It is also a CELEBRATORY showcase of the entire high school musical theatre community in North Alabama.

Last year, we had 13 productions from the 10 most northern counties of Alabama participating in The Tallulah Awards this past May. This year, we are more than doubling the counties eligible for 2027, opening it up to the 22  most northern counties of Alabama: The Tallulah Awards 2.0, Dahlings! We currently have 22 schools registered to participate in The 2026-27 Tallulah Awards.

Last year we selected and trained 20 Performing Arts & Technical Theatre Professionals in the southeast to adjudicate across 18 categories where we recognized EVERYONE who achieved an “Outstanding” rubric in Individual Performance, Group Performance, Technical Theatre, & Overall Production. The only award given to someone who was not in 9th through 12th grade was for Theatre Educator of the Year. Which very deservedly went to Mary Davis from Bob Jones High School. This year we plan on training 30+ adjudicators for The 2026-27 Tallulah Awards.

We also awarded our very first “Link Family Scholarships for Theatre” to three high school seniors who will be furthering their education in the Performing Arts (which went to Lee High’s Erin Duus), Technical Theatre (Lee High’s Sam Kuetemeyer) and Arts Education (Sparkman High’s Kale Gaines). Thank you to James and Judy Link for this extraordinary legacy gift and for making these scholarships possible for our young artists.

Fabiola Caraballo Quijada was the 2025 Jimmy Awards Winner for “Best Performance by an Actress.” TWO MONTHS LATER she was cast as Juliet in the Broadway Touring Company of & JULIET. Fabiola taught a Masterclass to 70 of our high school theatre students, which was the perfect training ground for our eligible theatre students for The Tallulah Awards last year. Afterwards these students had the magical experience of seeing Fabiola shine on stage as Juliet. There is no better example of “connect the dots” than this for our theatre kids who have big dreams like hers.

Who knows… maybe one of our winners of The Tallulah Awards in 2027 will follow in Fabiola’s footsteps at the next Jimmy Awards. Every single decision I have made as the Director of The Tallulah Awards is based on what little “Theatre Kid Kip” wishes had been possible for him. Well, it’s all possible for these theatre kids now!

DONATE TODAY and help us give Alabama high school theatre students the spotlight they deserve: https://bit.ly/3WhA8pf



"The Tallulah Awards was the moment that proved to me that it's possible. That anything is poosible if you put the work into it."

                                                        - Lucas McMinemon, Best Actor Winner 2026


"If  there were an award for a company with the most 'heart,' I would award it to all of you (Jemison High School) without a second thought. I'm looking forward to seeing more of your productions and seeing how this program grows and flourishes."  

                                                        - Shea Glenn, Technical Theatre Adjudicator 2026  



Kip & Megan Carter are ready for the Tallulahs 
after lots of blood, sweat and tears



Linda Mathis (Lee High School)




Lucas McMinemon (Hartselle High School)




Linda (Best Actress) & Lucas (Best Actor)





The Tallulah Awards Finalists





Jemison High School - The Heart Award





Mary Davis - Theatre Educator of the Year



The Tallulah Awards recognizes, honors, and celebrates students achievement in high school musical theatre programs in Alabama and spotlights the importance of arts education in schools.














 




You might have seen me as Enjolras in Les Misérables, Munkustrap in Cats or the Prince in Cinderella. I used to perform in many Broadway Tours all across the country. Now I report on them and give you an insider's view into this unique little world. So, let's talk about all things Broadway!

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