2026 Recipients

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Best Production - Comedy/Drama - Youth Theatre

Radium Girls - Rancho Mirage High School

Best Production-Musical-Youth Theatre - Tie

Hadestown: Teen Edition - Shadow Hills High School

The Music Man - La Quinta High School

Best Director - Comedy/Drama - Youth Theatre

Kelly Newhouse - Radium Girls - Rancho Mirage High School

Best Director - Musical - Youth Theatre

Thomas McMahon - Hadestown: Teen Edition - Shadow Hills High School

Best Musical Director - Youth Theatre

Grace Huscher/Williard Lacro - Hadestown: Teen Edition - Shadow Hills High School

Best Choreographer - Youth Theatre 

Diego Casillas/Aubrye Marshall/Tehya Montoya - Disney's Newsies - Desert Hot Springs High School

Best Lead Actor - Comedy/Drama - Youth Theatre

Christopher Lewis - Halloween Screams - Cathedral City High School

Best Lead Actor-Musical-Youth Theatre - Tie

Cameron Keener - The Music Man - La Quinta High School

David Lopez - Hadestown: Teen Edition - Shadow Hills High School

Best Lead Actress - Comedy/Drama - Youth Theatre

Rose Whaley - Radium Girls - Rancho Mirage High School

Best Lead Actress - Musical - Youth Theatre

Verina Ramirez - Hadestown: Teen Edition - Shadow Hills High School

Best Supporting Actor - Comedy/Drama - Youth Theatre

Lucas McPhee - Puffs - Indio High School

Best Supporting Actor - Musical - Youth Theatre

Emil Ciric - Disney’s Frozen JR. - Desert Theatricals

Best Supporting Actress - Comedy/Drama - Youth Theatre

Alora Druyon - Puffs - Indio High School

Best Supporting Actress - Musical - Youth Theatre

Alexa Sanchez - Hadestown: Teen Edition - Shadow Hills High School

Best Production - Comedy

Knife to the Heart - Desert Ensemble Theatre

Best Director of a Comedy

Kudra Wagner - The Roommate - Desert Ensemble Theatre

Best Director of a Comedy - Professional

Michael Shaw - Eureka Day - Dezart Performs

Best Lead Actor in a Comedy

Henry McLaughlin - Dog Sees God - The Bent

Best Lead Actor in a Comedy - Professional

David Youse - Meteor Shower - Desert Ensemble Theatre

Best Lead Actress in a Comedy

Olga Morales - The Ritz - Palm Canyon Theatre

Best Lead Actress in a Comedy - Professional

Jenne Carey - Como Te Gusta / As You Like It - Green Room Theatre Co.

Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy

Ricky Luna - Knife to the Heart - Desert Ensemble Theatre

Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy - Professional

Skylar Gaines - Meteor Shower - Desert Ensemble Theatre

Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy

Alicia Wilson - Como Te Gusta / As You Like It - Green Room Theatre Co.

Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy – Professional - Tie

Tamarra Graham - Eureka Day - Dezart Performs

Lizzie Sosa - Meteor Shower - Desert Ensemble Theatre

Best Production of a Drama

Marjorie Prime - Theatre 29

Best Production of a Drama - Professional

Love! Valour! Compassion! - Dezart Performs

The Michael Cruickshank Award for Best Director of a Drama

Eddie A. Tucker - Marjorie Prime - Theatre 29

The Michael Cruickshank Award for Best Director of a Drama - Professional

Phillip Wm. McKinley - Love! Valour! Compassion! - Dezart Performs

Best Lead Actor in a Drama - Tie

Ethan Avalos - A Christmas Carol - College of the Desert

Best Lead Actor in a Drama – Professional (TIE)

J. Stephen Brantley - Love! Valour! Compassion! - Dezart Performs

David Youse - FEAR - Palm Springs Young Playwrights Festival

Best Lead Actress in a Drama

Wendy Cohen - Marjorie Prime - Theatre 29

Best Supporting Actor in a Drama

Mikey Ragusa - The Inheritance, Part Two - The Bent

Best Supporting Actor in a Drama - Professional

Chris Carranza - Love! Valour! Compassion! - Dezart Performs

Best Supporting Actress in a Drama

Virginia Sulick - Steel Magnolias - Theatre 29

Best Production – Musical - Tie

Kiss Me, Kate - College of the Desert

Sunset Boulevard - Palm Canyon Theatre

Best Director of a Musical

Derik Shopinski - Sunset Boulevard - Palm Canyon Theatre

Best Director of a Musical - Professional

Janet Miller - Kiss Me, Kate - College of the Desert

Best Musical Director of a Musical - Professional

Scott Smith - The Addams Family - Desert Theatricals

The Michele Gaines Award for Best Choreographer of a Musical

Derik Shopinski - Sunset Boulevard - Palm Canyon Theatre

The Michele Gaines Award for Best Choreographer of a Musical - Professional

Ray Limon - The Addams Family - Desert Theatricals

Best Lead Actor in a Musical - Tie

Isaac Gaeta-Tollette - Kiss Me, Kate - College of the Desert

Christian Quevedo - Sunset Boulevard - Palm Canyon Theatre

Best Lead Actor in a Musical - Professional

Charles Herrera - Chicago - Desert Theatricals

Best Lead Actress in a Musical - Tie

Catt Christine - Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella - Theatre 29

Christina Marie Harrell - Kiss Me, Kate - College of the Desert

Best Lead Actress in a Musical - Professional

Se Layne - Sunset Boulevard - Palm Canyon Theatre

Best Supporting Actor in a Musical

Noah Wahlberg - Priscilla Queen of the Desert - Palm Canyon Theatre

Best Supporting Actor in a Musical - Professional

Mark Almy - Sunset Boulevard - Palm Canyon Theatre

Best Supporting Actress in a Musical

Samantha Simonds - Kiss Me, Kate - College of the Desert

The Bill Groves Award for Best Juvenile

Charlotte Upp - The Addams Family - Desert Theatricals

Best Production - Staged Reading

Interactive Stage Reading of "1984" - Green Room Theatre Co.

Best Production-Staged Reading - Professional

The Rats of Broadway - Palm Springs Young Playwrights Festival

Best Director of a Staged Reading

Jerome Joseph Gentes - Interactive Stage Reading of "1984" - Green Room Theatre Co.

Best Director of a Staged Reading – Professional - Tie

Shawn Abramowitz - The Seahorse - Desert Ensemble Theatre

Chuck Yates - The Rats of Broadway - Palm Springs Young Playwrights Festival

Best Lead Actor in a Staged Reading

Willie Farrad Mullins - Interactive Stage Reading of "1984" - Green Room Theatre Co.

Best Lead Actor in a Staged Reading -  Professional

Jonathan Brett - Interactive Stage Reading of "1984" - Green Room Theatre Co.

Best Lead Actress in a Staged Reading

Isabella Madrigal - Menil and Her Heart - Desert Ensemble Theatre

Best Lead Actress in a Staged Reading - Professional

Jenne Carey - Interactive Stage Reading of "1984" - Green Room Theatre Co.

Best Supporting Actor in a Staged Reading

John Corr - The Rats of Broadway - Palm Springs Young Playwrights Festival

Best Supporting Actor in a Staged Reading - Professional

Doug Sorenson - The Rats of Broadway - Palm Springs Young Playwrights Festival

Best Supporting Actress in a Staged Reading - Tie

Melanie Blue - The Author Behind The Happily Ever After - Palm Springs Young Playwrights Festival

Tessa Gregory - The Rats of Broadway - Palm Springs Young Playwrights Festival

Best Supporting Actress in a Staged Reading - Professional

Lorreta Fox - The Rats of Broadway - Palm Springs Young Playwrights Festival

The Bill Groves Award for Best Original Writing

Jason Hull - Another Op’ning, Another Show!- The Number You Have Reached - Sun City Palm Desert