The Roger Rees Awards have selected 50 high school nominees (plus four alternates) who will take part in the 2018 competition. The students hail from 27 high schools located in Brooklyn, Manhattan Queens, Staten Island, Long Island, and Orange, Rockland, and Westchester Counties in New York.

The competition, named after the late Tony-winning actor and director, will take place May 19 at Pearl Studios. The two students named Best Actor and Best Actress will represent the Greater New York region at the National High School Musical Theatre Awards (also known as the Jimmy Awards), set for June 25.

Each of the nominees are recognized for their performances in officially licensed high school productions of musicals during the 2017–2108 academic year. The competition will include a master class led by industry professionals and will culminate in a showcase judged by Tony nominee Celia Keenan-Bolger (Broadway's upcoming To Kill a Mockingbird), Director of Pace University's BFA Musical Theatre Program Amy Rogers, Merri Sugarman of Tara Rubin Casting, and The Lion King's Alton Fitzgerald White.

The awards, formerly the Gershwin Awards, were renamed to honor Rees in 2016. "Rog would have liked this chance to educate and inspire young actors, to offer a guiding hand as so many were offered to him when he too was a kid with a dream," playwright Rick Elice, his partner of over 30 years, said.

See below for the full list of nominees and alternates, including the roles for which they are recognized:

Best Actress
Cameron Barr-Kotzen, Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School (Maria, The Sound of Music)
Megan Campbell, Archbishop Stepinac High School (Mother, Ragtime)
Alyssa Cassese, H. Frank Carey High School (Millie Dillmount, Thoroughly Modern Millie)
Sophia Condon, New Dorp High School (Maureen, Rent)
Danielle Del Orfano, West Babylon Senior High School (Rosa Bud, The Mystery of Edwin Drood)
Giuliana Gabellini, Poly Prep Country Day School (The Baker’s Wife, Into the Woods)
Mackenzie Grimes, West Babylon Senior High School (Princess Puffer, The Mystery of Edwin Drood)
Erin Horan, Holy Trinity Diocesan High School (Catherine, Pippin)
Olivia Knutsen, Poly Prep Country Day School (Cinderella, Into the Woods)
Daisy Korman, Great Neck North High School (Christine Daae, The Phantom of the Opera)
Dalia Kropf, Walter Panas High School (Helen Sinclair, Bullets Over Broadway)
Julia Lo Cascio, St. Joseph Hill Academy (Mother Abbess, The Sound of Music)
Alyssa McDonald, Nyack High School (Doria, Smile)
Sonya McGaffey, Pleasantville High School (Mother Abbess, The Sound of Music)
Kaitlin Meyers, North Babylon High School (Annie, Annie)
Michaela Reinertsen, James I. O'Neill High School (Elle Woods, Legally Blonde)
Amanda Riché, West Babylon Senior High School (Edwin Drood, The Mystery of Edwin Drood)
Kristina Rossi, H. Frank Carey High School (Mrs. Meers, Thoroughly Modern Millie)
Bridget Russell, Floral Park Memorial High School (Sandy Dumbrowski, Grease)
Ashley Schlusselberg, Great Neck North High School (Carlotta, The Phantom of the Opera)
Margaret Solimine, Pelham Memorial High School (Irene Molloy, Hello, Dolly!)
Bea Angela Tolentino, Townsend Harris High School (Nina, In the Heights)
Lindsay Whiteman, Wantagh High School (Reno Sweeney, Anything Goes)
Olivia Whitmer, Poly Prep Country Day School (The Witch, Into the Woods)
Athena Woodfin, Pelham Memorial High School (Dolly Levi, Hello, Dolly!)

Best Actress Alternates
Josephine Kurdziel, H. Frank Carey High School (Muzzy Van Hossmere, Thoroughly Modern Millie)
Lyndsey Minerva, Pleasantville High School (Maria, The Sound of Music)

Best Actor
John Bentley, Pleasantville High School (Captain Von Trapp, The Sound of Music)
Carl Capizzi, Plainedge High School (Motel, Fiddler on the Roof)
Joseph Castro, Holy Trinity Diocesan High School (Leading Player, Pippin)
Kyle Colasurdo, H. Frank Carey High School (Trevor Graydon, Thoroughly Modern Millie)
Reece DeGraff, Bay Shore High School (Che Guevara, Evita)
Billy DeVito, Wantagh High School (Sir Evelyn Oakleigh, Anything Goes)
Francesco DiFlora, Hauppauge High School (J. Pierpont Finch, How to Succeed…)
Andrew Feldman, Lawrence Woodmere Academy (Frank Jr., Catch Me If You Can)
Joshua Goldin-McCarthy, Rye Neck High School (Joe Boyd/Joe Hardy, Damn Yankees)
David Grant, West Babylon Senior High School (Chairman, The Mystery of Edwin Drood)
Matthew Harmon, Walter Panas High School (Cheech, Bullets Over Broadway)
James Hatter, South Side High School (Frederick Barrett, Titanic, the Musical)
Jordan Hill, Archbishop Stepinac High School (Coalhouse, Ragtime)
Paul Hogan, Holy Trinity Diocesan High School (Pippin, Pippin)
Matthew Kenna, Floral Park Memorial High School (Kenickie, Grease)
Dinghuan Li, Great Neck North High School (The Phantom, The Phantom of the Opera)
Christopher Manirampa, New Dorp High School (Angel, Rent)
Daniel Mejil, Talent Unlimited High School (Jimmy Smith, Thoroughly Modern Millie)
Drew Minard, Professional Performing Arts School (Riff, West Side Story)
Samuel Murdock, Bay Shore High School (Juan Peron, Evita)
Anthony Oliva, New Dorp High School (Roger, Rent)
Tyler Palma, Floral Park Memorial High School (Danny Zuko, Grease)
Sam Rodd, Pelham Memorial High School (Cornelius Hackl, Hello, Dolly!)
Spencer Senzon, Oceanside High School (Duke Mahoney, Nice Work if You Can Get It)
Carlo Tobia, Wantagh High School (Moonface Martin, Anything Goes)

Best Actor Alternates
Matthew Adarichev, South Side High School (Murdoch, Titanic, the Musical)
Bennett Taylor, Rye Neck High School (Mr. Applegate, Damn Yankees)