Allie Awards recognizes theatrical excellence

Feb. 9, 2025- Friday marked the 22nd annual Northwest Mississippi Theatre Alliance Allie Awards banquet held at the Landers Center in Southaven. 

The event featured dinner and entertainment provided by local talent from the 2024 theatrical season, encompassing performances from both community theatres and high schools.

The banquet is held the first Friday in February each year to honor nominees and announce winners from the previous season’s productions. The 22nd annual Theatre Alliance season was finished with the inclusion of five community theatres and 10 schools from DeSoto, Tate, and Panola counties. 

Among the Community Theatre division and the School division, 80 winner trophies, 11 plaques (awarded to each organization with a list of their winners), and over 300 nominee certificates were issued for the 2024 theatrical season.

The Northwest Mississippi Theatre Alliance (NWMTA) is a collective of community theatres and high schools in north Mississippi, dedicated to promoting and supporting local performing arts. Each year, the NWMTA honors outstanding achievements in theatre through the Allie Awards, celebrating excellence in various categories such as acting, directing, design, and production. 

The Northwest Mississippi Theatre Alliance was created by former chair, Mathew Lipscomb III of Lake Cormorant  in 2002 (first banquet in 2003) to provide recognition of performing arts in the Northwest Mississippi area. In 2022, Mr. Lipscomb named new chairs for the Alliance and stepped down from the administrative position. He still remains a vital part of the awards ceremony by maintaining his role as the event’s sole sponsor. 

The current chairpersons for the Northwest Mississippi Theatre Alliance are Alyssa Algee (school division), Buddy Hart (community theatre division), and Cassidy Keeton (community theatre division). 

Following are the winners of the 22nd annual Allie Awards for the 2024 season. 

Community Theatre Division Winners

• Best Props: Kaileigh Kellum – Boeing Boeing – NWCC Theatre
• Best Hair and Makeup: Buddy Hart – Sweeney Todd – Panola Playhouse
• Best Vocal Direction: Caitlyn Smith – SIX the Musical, Teen Edition – Kudzu Playhouse
• Best Orchestral Direction: Patti House – Footloose – DeSoto Family Theatre
• Best Lighting: Victoria Newton – The Little Mermaid – Panola Playhouse
• Best Sound: Reyn Lehman – SIX the Musical, Teen Edition – Kudzu Playhouse
• Best Special Effects: Ron Rainey – Sweeney Todd – Panola Playhouse
• Best Costuming: Dawn Bennett – Sweeney Todd – Panola Playhouse
• Best Set: Ron Rainey – Sweeney Todd – Panola Playhouse
• Best Choreography: Brooke Jerome – Footloose – DeSoto Family Theatre
• Best Female Dancer: Ava Noble – Oklahoma! – Kudzu Playhouse
• Best Male Dancer: Kylan Owens – Footloose – DeSoto Family Theatre
• Best Cameo Appearance: Bill Taylor – The Little Mermaid – Panola Playhouse
• Best Young Actor in a Female Role (12 & Under): Brooklyn Blount – Annie – Panola Playhouse
• Best Young Actor in a Male Role (12 & Under): Parker Burns – School House Rock JR – The Warehouse Theatre
• Best Young Actor in a Female Role (13-17): Kaitlyn Martin – SIX the Musical, Teen Edition – Kudzu Playhouse
• Best Young Actor in a Male Role (13-17): Maddox Burgio – Mean Girls, High School Version – Kudzu Playhouse
• Best Featured Actor in a Female Role (Musical): McKenzie Brewer – Footloose – DeSoto Family Theatre
• Best Featured Actor in a Male Role (Musical): Evan Stone – Mean Girls, High School Version – Kudzu Playhouse
• Best Supporting Actor in a Female Role (Play): Macy Gallimore – Boeing Boeing – Kudzu Playhouse
• Best Supporting Actor in a Male Role (Play): Noah Barnette – A Doll’s House – NWCC Theatre
• Best Supporting Actor in a Female Role (Musical): Gena Brimhall – Young Frankenstein – Kudzu Playhouse
• Best Supporting Actor in a Male Role (Musical): Deshon Jackson – Footloose – DeSoto Family Theatre
• Best Leading Actor in a Female Role (Play): Logan Martin – Boeing Boeing – Kudzu Playhouse
• Best Leading Actor in a Male Role (Play): Jackson Dale – A Doll’s House – NWCC Theatre
• Best Leading Actor in a Female Role (Musical): Rebecca Edmunds – Sweeney Todd – Panola Playhouse
• Best Leading Actor in a Male Role (Musical): Kylan Owens – Footloose – DeSoto Family Theatre
• Best Cast: Footloose – DeSoto Family Theatre
• Best Director of a Youth Production: Caitlyn Smith – SIX the Musical, Teen Edition – Kudzu Playhouse
• Best Director of a Comedy: Cassidy Keeton – Boeing Boeing – Kudzu Playhouse
• Best Director of a Drama: Buddy Hart – Steel Magnolias – Panola Playhouse
• Best Director of a Musical: Ashley McCormack – Footloose – DeSoto Family Theatre
• Best Youth Production: SIX the Musical, Teen Edition – Kudzu Playhouse
• Best Comedy: Boeing Boeing – Kudzu Playhouse
• Best Drama: Steel Magnolias – Panola Playhouse
• Best Musical: Footloose – DeSoto Family Theatre
• Best Overall Production: Footloose – DeSoto Family Theatre

School Division Winners

• Best Props: DeSoto Christian Academy – Murder’s in the Heir
• Best Hair and Makeup: Ethan Kirkpatrick – Shrek! The Musical – Hernando High School
• Best Vocal Direction: Laurie Sanderson – Anastasia – Northpoint Christian School
• Best Lighting: Aidan Tague – The Diary of Anne Frank – DeSoto Central High School
• Best Sound: DeSoto Christian Academy – Matilda
• Best Special Effects: Hernando High School – Shrek! The Musical
• Best Costuming: Hernando High School – Catch Me If You Can
• Best Set: Northpoint Christian School – Anastasia
• Best Choreography: DeSoto Central High School – Footloose
• Best Dancer: Gigi Kersey – Anastasia – Northpoint Christian School
• Best Cameo Performance: Dalton Little – Matilda – DeSoto Christian Academy
• Best Young Actor in a Female Role (12 & Under): Ava McCullough – Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Northpoint Christian School
• Best Young Actor in a Male Role (12 & Under): Parker Burns – Murder’s in the Heir – DeSoto Christian Academy
• Best Featured Actor in a Female Role (Play): Chloe West – Our Town – DeSoto Central High School
• Best Featured Actor in a Male Role (Play): Wyatt Bull – Our Town – DeSoto Central High School
• Best Featured Actor in a Female Role (Musical): Tatum Witt – Catch Me If You Can – Hernando High School
• Best Featured Actor in a Male Role (Musical): Joshua Givins – Mean Girls – Southaven High School
• Best Supporting Actor in a Female Role (Play): Brylee South – Murder’s in the Heir – DeSoto Christian Academy
• Best Supporting Actor in a Male Role (Play): Parker Lewis – Our Town – DeSoto Central High School
• Best Supporting Actor in a Female Role (Musical): Sydney Nathan – Footloose – DeSoto Central High School
• Best Supporting Actor in a Male Role (Musical): Jackson Dale – Footloose – DeSoto Central High School
• Best Leading Actor in a Female Role (Play): Reagan Hanmer – Our Town – DeSoto Central High School
• Best Leading Actor in a Male Role (Play): Jon-Albert Wooley – Our Town – DeSoto Central High School
• Best Leading Actor in a Female Role (Musical): Hailey Brown – Anastasia – Northpoint Christian School
• Best Leading Actor in a Male Role (Musical): Kyle Thomas – Big Fish – Lewisburg High School
• Best Cast: Our Town – DeSoto Central High School
• Best Director of a Comedy: Callison Hopkins – Murder’s in the Heir – DeSoto Christian Academy
• Best Director of a Drama: Victoria Newton – Our Town – DeSoto Central High School
• Best Director of a Musical: David Gross – Anastasia – Northpoint Christian School
• Best Comedy: Murder’s in the Heir – DeSoto Christian Academy
• Best Drama: Our Town – DeSoto Central High School
• Best Musical: Anastasia – Northpoint Christian School
• Best Overall Production: Anastasia – Northpoint Christian School

Cara Blakley Smith Director’s Choice Awards

Each school teacher whose organization is involved in the Northwest Mississippi Theatre Alliance is able to choose a student who went above and beyond to the betterment of the program. The selections for the  2024-2025 school year are:

• Center Hill High School: Alfeenah Prather
• DeSoto Central High School: Jon-Albert Wooley
• DeSoto Christian Academy: Meredith Ables
• Hernando High School: Daniel Tacker
• Horn Lake High School: Morgan Tyler
• Lewisburg High School: Zack Clark
• Northpoint Christian School: Lauren Dukes
• Olive Branch High School: Zack Perkey
• South Panola High School: Mariah Coleman
• Southaven High School: Jordan Huie

Legacy Awards

These awards were established in 2023 (for 2022 theatrical season) and are given in memory of 4 individuals who made a dramatic impact on the theatrical arts in the northwest Mississippi area: Cindy Lipscomb, Jo Ellen Logan, Otis Smith, and Wesley Williamson. Each award has individualized eligibility criteria that is reflective of the personality of the individual for whom it is named. The participating community theatres are able to honor one person per year. This year’s honorees are:

• Cindy Lipscomb Legacy Award: Anna Denton Landrum, awarded by NWCC Theatre
• Jo Ellen Logan Legacy Award: Dan Lehman, awarded by DeSoto Family Theatre
• Otis Smith Legacy Award: Maddox Burgio, awarded by Kudzu Playhouse
• Wesley Williamson Legacy Award: Buddy Hart, awarded by Panola Playhouse