Thespy^® Awards

The 2021 virtual International Thespian Festival culminated in the second annual International Thespian Excellence Awards, or Thespys® for short.

The Thespys (formerly Individual Events) recognize the highest level of achievement in school theatre performance and technical theatre. Students who achieve overall Superior scores at a qualifying event and earn the top scores in their category at ITF earn Thepsy Awards.

The Thespys aim to elevate honoring students with “golden ticket” invitations, medallions, trophies for the winners’ schools, and a red-carpet showcase to close ITF. 

More than 800 students who qualified with superior scores at the chapter level brought their carefully crafted presentations and performances to virtual ITF. When the judging was complete, 28 Thespys were awarded in 14 categories to 39 students.

Broadway’s Michael James Scott was the enthusiastic and energetic host of the showcase, which featured live-streamed performances and for the first time, videos highlighting the winning work in the tech categories.

The 2021 Thespy Awards also marked the launch of the Grace Kelly Scholarships, awarded to 10 standout Thespy participants. This new program will award roughly $40,000 in scholarships annually for 10 years, thanks to a generous donation from the Princess Grace Foundation, which partners with EdTA in selecting the recipients.

The Amy Bennett Scholarship was awarded to solo musical theatre Thespy winner Grace Sorenson, who also received a Grace Kelly scholarship.