To be considered, a student must score well in three areas: their high school musical theatre performance, the Sutton Foster Award audition weekends and their performance on the day of the ceremony.

A team of Wharton Center adjudicators reviews a high school musical production, nominating at least two students for outstanding performances. Those students will then be invited to one of two audition weekends, where they work on the musical numbers presented at the official ceremony.

Wharton Center Executive Director Eric Olmscheid said that the Sutton Foster Awards is his "favorite night of the year," later referring to it as his "Super Bowl."

Broadway actress and Michigan native Lauren Nicole Chapman hosted the event, introducing performances between student numbers.

"The amount of hard hustle and hard work that these students have poured into this experience gives me so much hope, not just for the future of musical school theatre, but for the future in general," Chapman said. "What happens in a high school theatre program isn't just about creating Triple Threat performers, though these students are certainly that, it's about shaping remarkable human beings."

The second act opened with the announcement of the eight finalists, who each performed a solo of their choice in a final bid for a trip to New York City. The evening closed with the announcement of the two winners and a final group performance by all student nominees.

"I went to the Sutton Foster Awards twice, and each year that I went, I was absolutely blown away by the amount of talent on the stage," said Gretchen Shope, who won Best Actress at the Sutton Foster Awards in 2024. Shope went on to win the same title at the Jimmy Awards the same year. "This year is no different."

Shope gave a guest performance of the song "Finish the Fight" from the musical "SUFFS." Shope chose the song because "it highlights the importance of personal empowerment and the ability to fight for what you believe in, even when it's scary," she said. 

Excellence in Musical Theatre Education Award winner Rachel Slupe shared a similar sentiment in her acceptance speech, honored for her work at Chelsea High School as a teacher.

Slupe’s speech highlighted the importance of mentors in the theatre space, especially when "in a world where education and theatre is always underfunded, it means that we in particular, are gluttons for punishment," she said. 

Yet, what continues to push Slupe and other educators forward is the students.

"For those we couldn't reach in time we saw no other way out," Slupe said. "For those whose bodies and minds ate out before their passion for the arts did. For those who are grasping for a lifeline, thinking the rope is slipping through their fingers. For those who are who survived tyrannical regimes, wars, book burnings and condemnation for using their voices — that is why we are here."

Perseverance was a common theme throughout the night, as multiple speakers shared their personal struggles and how theatre helped to overcome them.

"Theatre has been a safe place where I've made mistakes, learned and had my heart lifted by the performances of others," Chapman said. "It is a place where we can all come together to tell the stories that matter."

After much anticipation, Sabina Camblor of Interlochen Arts Academy and Jason Clyde of Zeeland High School were named the Sutton Foster Award winners for Best Actress and Best Actor, respectively. The duo will be headed to New York City to participate in the Jimmy Awards this coming June.

The ceremony concluded with a lively group performance of "Spread the Love" from "Sister Act."