Hundreds compete at Fort Myers' High School Musical Awards. Here are the winners.

They sang. They danced. They celebrated the joy of musical theater.

And when it was all over, North Fort Myers High took the top prize at last week’s High School Musical Awards. Their Elvis Presley jukebox musical,, "All Shook Up," also won the awards for Technical Achievement and Best Ensemble.

Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall announced the winners Friday, May 10, on Facebook.

"The 2024 High School Musical Awards was nothing short of AMAZING!" the venue wrote. "Congratulations to all of the schools for another fantastic year of theatre."

The annual event is Southwest Florida’s answer to the Tony Awards. Mann Hall general manager Scott Saxon started it in 2008 to champion local high-school actors, orchestras and productions. It honors all the hard work those students do every year — from hammering sets to endlessly rehearsing songs.

Hundreds compete at B.B. Mann High School Musical Awards

The May 9 awards show included trophy presentations, live performances from each musical and pre-show workshops with local theater professionals.

More than 400 students from Lee County schools competed in the 15th-annual event at Mann Hall. NBC-2 meteorologist Lauren Hope emceed.

North Fort Myers High landed the biggest prize of the night, Overall Production of a Musical, for “All Shook Up." The school won a trophy and $1,500 for its theater program.

Ida S. Baker High School won runner-up with their production of the Disney musical "Beauty and the Beast."

Students compete every year for trophies and theater tickets to Mann Hall’s upcoming Broadway season. The school that wins Outstanding Overall Production gets $1,500 for its theater program. Second place receives $500, and all the runners-up get $250 each.

High School Musical Awards winners

Winners and runner-ups were announced for nine major categories. In addition to those main awards, separate awards were handed out for each school, so no school went home empty-handed.

The 2024 winners included:

• Best Performer in a Female-Identifying Role: Marianna Young of Cypress Lake High ("Holiday Inn"). Runner-up: Soél Novello of North Fort Myers High.
• Best Performer in a Male-Identifying Role: Joshua Malpica of Ida S. Baker High ("Beauty and the Beast"). Runner-up: Nathaniel Roche of Lehigh Senior High ("The Addams Family").
• Best Supporting Performer in a Female-Identifying Role: Yovanna Ignjatic of Oasis Charter High ("The Little Mermaid"). Runner-up: Mia Zottolo of North Fort Myers High.

• Best Supporting Performer in a Male-Identifying Role: Sophia Gois Simoes of Oasis Charter High ("The Little Memaid"). Runner-up: Catherine Olsen of Oasis Charter High.
• Best Orchestra: Cypress Lake High for "Holiday Inn." Runner-up: North Fort Myers High.
• Best Ensemble: North Fort Myers High for "All Shook Up." Runner-up: Ida S. Baker High.
• Execution of Choreography: Ida S. Baker High for "Beauty and the Beast." Runner-up: Oasis Charter High.
• Technical Achievement: North Fort Myers High for "All Shook Up." Runner-up: Cypress Lake High.

— Charles Runnells is an arts and entertainment reporter for The News-Press and the Naples Daily News. To reach him, call 239-335-0368 (for tickets to shows, call the venue) or email him at crunnells@gannett.com. Follow or message him on social media: Facebook (facebook.com/charles.runnells.7), X (formerly Twitter) (@charlesrunnells), Threads (@crunnells1) and Instagram (@crunnells1).