NJ High School AXE AWARDS

Please ONLY VOTE ONCE – duplicate votes will be omitted!

Tony Winner

LAURA BENANTI

Cheers on NJ High Schoolers

"As a Jersey girl, I want to wish all the best to the entrants of the NJ High School AXE Awards! Jersey strong!"

2020 will be a year no one soon forgets! The Tony Awards postponed. The Oscars in limbo. The Drama Desk Awards ceremony moved online, and let's not forget all those high school seniors whose senior year musicals were AXEd by COVID-19.

Enter the NJ High School AXE AWARDS, sponsored by the Axelrod Performing Arts Center, in conjunction with Cabaret for Life.

The NJ High School AXE AWARDS are an online video singing competition for high school seniors and underclassman, offering a prize of $1000 in four categories for seniors, plus $500 for the winning underclassman (male and female). The award money is being contributed by Cabaret for Life in memory of Amy Fredericks, a local musician, music director, and music teacher.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE?

• Any high school student in Monmouth, Ocean or Middlesex Counties.​

• Any senior who was cast in a leading or supporting role in a 2020 high school musical – whether the show went up or not!​

• Any underclassman (Freshman, Sophomore or Junior) who was cast in a leading, supporting or featured role in a 2020 High School Musical– as long as the character in the show has his own song.

WHAT ARE THE CATEGORIES?

• Best Actor in a Musical

• Best Actress in a Musical

• Best Supporting Actor in a Musical

• Best Supporting Actress in a Musical

• Best Non-Senior Actor in a Musical

• Best Non-Senior Actress in a Musical

HOW ARE THE WINNERS DETERMINED?

All video submissions will be reviewed by a panel of theater professionals at the Axelrod Performing Arts Center. Up to five finalists will be selected in each category. The videos for all finalists will be posted on the Axelrod website as well as on social media. The online community will be able to vote for the best nominee in each category. The five winners will be announced and their scholarship money will be mailed to them directly. WHAT IS THE TIMELINE?

• Finalists will be announced on Friday, May 15.

• Online voting begins on Monday, May 18th and goes through Friday, May 29th.

The winners will be announced on SATURDAY, JUNE 6th!.

Cabaret for Life, Inc., is a NJ-based non-for-profit organization, established in 1995, that raises money through the production of musical theater and cabaret events to support local charities that offer life-sustaining services to people suffering from debilitating diseases, including HIV/AIDS, cancer, lupus, heart disease and others. Over its 25-year existence it has donated over a half million dollars to various charities including The Center in Asbury Park, K Hovnanian Children's Hospital, The Valerie Fund at Monmouth Medical Center, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and others. Many of the organization's volunteer performers have gone on to professional careers, including Melissa Rauch (The Big Bang Theory), Bistro Award winner Gabrielle Stravelli, Jared Gertner (The Book of Mormon), Kristin Piro (An American in Paris, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), Tim Martin Gleason (Phantom of the Opera)and others.