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Rita Moreno Awards

San Jose, CA

Broadway San Jose

2026 Ceremony Date: May 18, 2026

The Rita Moreno Awards recognizes outstanding achievement in high school musical theater in California from San Mateo County to Santa Barbara County.

This progam is also known as The Rita Moreno California High School Musical Honors and was formerly known as the Bay Area High School Musical Theatre Stage Top Honor Awards.

Nominees

2026

Jack Gunter
Jack Gunter

Freddy Eynsford-Hill, My Fair Lady

Valley Christian High School

Mia Salas
Mia Salas

Eurydice, Hadestown: Teen Edition

Highland High School

2025

Nico Bennett
Nico Bennett

Nick Bottom, Something Rotten!

Burlingame High School

Levana Geshuri
Levana Geshuri

Alice, Alice By Heart

Archbishop Mitty High School

2024

Mitchell Henderson
Mitchell Henderson

Cornelius, Hello, Dolly!

Buchanan High School

Venice Ella Mayor
Venice Ella Mayor

Phoebe D'Ysquith, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder

Bellarmine College Preparatory

2023

Kavan Bhatia
Kavan Bhatia

Seymour, Little Shop of Horrors

Bellarmine College Preparatory

Gabbie Jison
Gabbie Jison

Matilda, Matilda

Mercy High School Burlingame

2022

Isabella Paragas
Isabella Paragas

Katherine, Freaky Friday

Franklin High School

Carl Robinett
Carl Robinett

Frederick, Young Frankenstein

Novato High School

2021

Kasey Hernandez
Kasey Hernandez

Novato High School

Milo Mee
Milo Mee

Archbishop Mitty High School

2019

Luciano Castaldo
Luciano Castaldo

Gomez Addams, The Addams Family

Inspire School of Arts & Sciences

Lauryn Thomas
Lauryn Thomas

Paulette, Legally Blonde the Musical

Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts

2018

Veronica Ballejos
Veronica Ballejos

Millie Dillmount, Thoroughly Modern Millie

Cosumnes Oaks High School

Cole Sisser
Cole Sisser

Igor, Young Frankenstein

Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts

2017

Natalie Bourgeois
Natalie Bourgeois

Jo March, Little Women

Saint Francis High School

Eric Gaydon
Eric Gaydon

Curly, Oklahoma!

Valley Christian High School

2016

Frank Demma
Frank Demma

Alfred P. Doolittle, My Fair Lady

Novato High School/Marin School of the Arts

Samantha Gorjanc
Samantha Gorjanc

Jo March, Little Women

Archbishop Mitty High School

2015

Perry Anne Borders
Perry Anne Borders

Frau Blücher, Young Frankenstein

Marin School of the Arts

Sam O'Byrne
Sam O'Byrne

Frederick, Young Frankenstein

Novato High School

2014

Abby McLachlan
Abby McLachlan

Baker's Wife, Into the Woods

Valley Christian School

Tyler Reynolds
Tyler Reynolds

Baker, Into the Woods

Valley Christian School

2013

Rodd Farhadi
Rodd Farhadi

Bobby Strong, Urinetown

Los Gatos High School

Myha'la Herrold
Myha'la Herrold

Olive Ostrovsky, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Archbishop Mitty High School

2012

Hanna Kristen Berggren
Hanna Kristen Berggren

Princess Winnifred, Once Upon a Mattress

Menlo-Atherton High School

Nicholas Spain Wetherbee
Nicholas Spain Wetherbee

Sky Masterson, Guys and Dolls

San Mateo High School

2011

Trevor Bates
Trevor Bates

Man in Chair, The Drowsy Chaperone

Archbishop Mitty High School

Maya Maniar
Maya Maniar

Hope Cladwell, Urinetown

Castilleja School

2010

Katherine Dela Cruz
Katherine Dela Cruz

Aida, Aida

Irvington High School

Matthew Hill
Matthew Hill

Freddy Benson, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

Archbishop Mitty High School