This morning, the Dallas Summer Musicals has announced the first annual DSM High School Musical Theatre Awards (HSMTA) for the 2011-12 school year.

The awards for public and private high schoolers have 15 categories (see below) which will be decided by three judges. They do not wish to compete with Casa Manana’s 11-year-old Betty Lynn Buckley Awards (to be presented May 26), so students from Tarrant County are not eligible. But ones from Collin  County, Denton County, Kaufman County, Ellis County,  Rockwall County and Highland Park ISD are — which does put the HSMTA in something of a competition with Lyric Stage’s newly established Schmidt and Jones Awards (to be presented this Friday, May 13).

Unlike those awards, however, the HSMTA are associated with the National High School Musical Theater Awards.

The other details are below, but here’s the important news:

Deadline for registration is Sept. 30, 2011. DSM will be awarding $1000 scholarships to “a number of deserving students,” the top eight finalists in each category will be announced, the top eight schools will perform a musical number from their shows at the Music Hall at Fair Park …

.. AND the winners of the best actor and actress awards will receive an all-expenses-paid trip for five days to New York City to represent their schools in the National High School Musical Theater Awards for the chance to win up to a full, four-year scholarship to the NYU Tisch School of Drama (valued at up to $100,00).

Dallas Summer Musicals High School Musical Theatre Awards Launches for the 2011 – 2012 School Year

All Dallas Metropolitan Area High Schools Encouraged to Participate!

This is a national program, with over 30 cities participating.

1. Based on Broadway’s Tony Awards®, the DSM High School Musical Theatre Awards are designed to recognize and reward excellence in the production of high school musical theatre in 15 categories. See # 5 below.

2. All Dallas metropolitan area high schools (private and public) are invited to participate.  Fort Worth has their “Betty Buckley” Awards, and we do not want to compete with them, so no Tarrant County. Eligible school districts include Collin County, Denton County, Kaufman County, Ellis County, Rockwall County, Highland Park ISD.

3. Each school can register for 1 musical to be judged. If they want to submit another one, the fee is $300. (Kansas City does that, as well.)

4. Three judges will visit each school and judge the performers in 15 categories:

Best Musical, Best Direction, Best Musical Direction, Best Choreography, Best Orchestra, Best Scenic Design, Best Costume Design, Best Lighting, Best Ensemble, Best Crew, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Featured Performer.

1. The top eight finalists in each category will be announced.

2. DSM will be awarding scholarships of not less than $1,000 to a number of deserving students.

3. Deadline for registration is September 30, 2011.

4. Ballots are submitted to the accounting firm of Grant-Thornton and announced the night of the awards ceremony.

5. Awards Ceremony: Spring 2012: Top eight schools will perform a production number from their show. It will be at the Music Hall at Fair Park.

6. Winners of the Best Performance by an Actor and Actress will receive an all expenses paid trip for five days to New York City to represent their school in the National High School Musical Theatre Awards (the Jimmy Nederlander Award) for the chance to win up to a full four year scholarship to the NYU Tisch School of Drama, valued at up to $100,000.