Top Actor, Actress winners prepare to head to

New York City for annual Jimmy Awards

The Columbus Association for the Performing Arts (CAPA) announced the winners in all 13 categories of the 2026 CAPA Marquee Awards presented by American Electric Power Foundation at its annual showcase, held May 13 at the Ohio Theatre.

In addition to announcing the 2025-2026 winners, the event featured performances from the nominees for Best Musical Production, Best Actor in a Leading Role, and Best Actress in a Leading Role, as well as opening and closing numbers that incorporated nominated students from participating high schools. A student technical team also worked backstage.

Designed to recognize and celebrate the wealth of high-caliber musical theatre talent in central Ohio, this year-long, educational program offers selected high schools the opportunity to participate in professional theatre education activities throughout the school year. During the 2025-26 school year, each of the 31 participating central Ohio high schools also submitted a musical theatre production for review by the program’s team of professional adjudicators.

2025-2026 CAPA Marquee Award winners are:

Best Musical Production

• Marysville High School, Anything Goes

Best Actor in a Leading Role Sponsored by Danbert, Inc.

• Zeke Moses, Bexley High School, Bobby Strong in Urinetown

Best Actress in a Leading Role Sponsored by Johnson Investment Counsel

• Amaya Washington, Reynoldsburg High School, Leading Player in Pippin Revival Version

Best Direction Sponsored by Denison University

• Brianna Bizzaro, Marysville High School, Anything Goes

Outstanding Ensemble Sponsored by Fifth Third Bank, N.A.

• Marysville High School, Anything Goes

Outstanding Dance Execution Sponsored by The McCurdy Family Foundation  

• Marysville High School, Anything Goes

Best Actor in a Supporting Role Sponsored by Electrical Service Professionals

• Malachi Gullick, Eastmoor Academy High School, Sonny in In the Heights

Best Actress in a Supporting Role Sponsored by Huntington

• Bella Hines-Chapman, Eastmoor Academy High School, Carla in In the Heights

Outstanding Technical Execution Sponsored by Mary Beth and Luke McCormick

• Marysville High School, Anything Goes, Stage Manager: Johanna Olofsson

Outstanding Student Designer Sponsored by The Pam and Jack Beeler Family Fund of The Columbus Foundation

• Fynn Asendorf, Arts and College Preparatory Academy, Sound Design, Mamma Mia!

Backstage Excellence Sponsored by ImprovEdge

• Costume Crew, Westerville South High School, Les Misérables School Edition

Outstanding Student Orchestra Sponsored by The DiMarco Family Fund of The Columbus Foundation

• New Albany High School, Chicago: Teen Edition 

National Student Reporter Sponsored by Sinclair Broadcasting ABC6/FOX28/CW Columbus

• Alivia Lash, Hamilton Township High School
• Payton Theile, Bexley High School

Zeke Moses and Amaya Washington, winners of Best Actor and Actress in a Leading Role, will now compete nationally at The 2026 Jimmy Awards/National High School Musical Theatre Awards. They will participate in “Jimmys Week,” a theatre intensive led by Broadway professionals and industry experts, and compete on the national level for the 2026 Jimmy Awards® for Best Performance by an Actor and Best Performance by an Actress.

Additionally, CAPA nominated two students for the National Student Reporter program – Alivia Lash of Hamilton Township High School, and Payton Theile of Bexley High School. The category is sponsored locally by Sinclair Broadcasting ABC6/FOX28/CW Columbus.

Payton Theile was selected by the Jimmy Awards as one of 10 national finalists.

About The Jimmy Awards® /The National High School Musical Theatre Awards®

(NHSMTA®)

The Jimmy Awards®/National High School Musical Theatre Awards® (NHSMTA®) is a celebration of student achievement in high school musical theatre across the country, spotlighting the next generation of Broadway talent. The program impacts over 180,000 students who participate in 58 regional high school musical theatre competitions sponsored by presenters of touring Broadway productions throughout the United States. Named for Broadway impresario James M. Nederlander, the program has been the catalyst for more than $9,000,000 in educational scholarships since its launch in 2009, and over 90 alumni have performed on Broadway and in National Tours.

Presented by The Broadway League Foundation, Inc., the NHSMTA invites two nominees from each local regional ceremony to New York City for a rigorous theatre intensive that includes coaching sessions, training, and rehearsals led by some of Broadway’s most accomplished professionals. Nominees will spend 10 days in New York City from Friday, June 12, 2026, through Tuesday, June 23, 2026, and their experience will culminate in an extraordinary talent showcase performed live in front of an audience on a Broadway stage. The 17th annual Jimmy Awards will take place on Monday, June 22, 2026, at the Minskoff Theatre. For more information, please visit www.JimmyAwards.com.