The University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts has announced winners of the 21st annual Nebraska Young Artist Awards.

The awards recognize 11th-grade students from Nebraska for talents in visual art, dance, music, theatre, and film and new media. These students exemplify the pinnacles of creativity in one of the fine and performing arts.

Sixty-six students from more than 35 high schools across the state have been selected to participate in the special day of activities April 4 at the university.

Students applied for the recognition and submitted an example of their work. Applications were received from 181 students. Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts faculty chose the winners.

Honored students will take tours of the arts facilities, attend classes, meet faculty and college students and have lunch. Their parents will be invited and will also take tours, as well as receive information on careers in the arts and college curriculum.

Students selected to participate in the Nebraska Young Artist Awards will also be asked to nominate the teacher who provided them with the greatest amount of mentoring and support in the development of their special talents.

The day will conclude with an awards ceremony. Students will receive a certificate and an original piece of artwork commissioned for the event and created by School of Art, Art History and Design printmaking student Keith Buswell.

Following is a list by hometown of award winners, with their high school and specialty area(s).

• Arnold: Tatum Cool, Arnold, dance.

• Benkelman: Olivia Sis, Dundy County-Stratton, theatre arts.

• Brock: Piper Monson, Lourdes Central Catholic, theatre arts and dance.

• Cozad: Carrie Osborn, Cozad, dance; Abby Thramer, Cozad, dance.

• Firth: Aleisha Gottwald, Norris, music.

• Gering: Matthew Eckerberg, Gering, music; Alexia Tallmon, Gering, visual art.

• Grand Island: Midori Czaplewski, Grand Island, visual art; Enrique Martinez, Grand Island, visual art; Yazmin Vera, Grand Island, visual art.

• Holdrege: Boston Petit, Holdrege, visual art.

• Kearney: Drew Sinnard, Kearney, theatre arts.

• Kimball: Nathaniel Mars, home school, music.

• Lincoln: Sarah Al-Hilfy Leon, Lincoln Southeast, visual art; Rhoderick Beery IV, Lincoln Southwest, dance; Katie Brinkman, Lincoln High, music; Dana Clements, Lincoln Southeast, theatre arts and visual arts; Karissa Goosic, Lincoln Southwest, music; Abby Hull, Lincoln North Star, dance; Frankie Kohn, Lincoln Northeast, dance; Olivia Kriz, Lincoln North Star, dance; Harry Miller, Lincoln High, visual art; Phuc Nguyen, Lincoln High, music; Reed Petelle, Lincoln High, theatre arts; Isaac Rippeteau, Lincoln Southeast, music; Teresa Trinh, Lincoln Pius X, music; Avry Victor, Lincoln Pius X, visual art; Patia Wolfe, Lincoln North Star, dance; Enya Zhu, Lincoln East, music.

• Manley: McKenna Jones, Louisville, dance.

• McCook: Skyla Henning, McCook, visual art; Kassidy Michaelis, McCook, music.

• Norfolk: Alicia Medel, Norfolk, dance; Natalia Uszynski, Battle Creek, music.

• North Platte: Jacob Cahill, North Platte, music; Steffani Nolda, North Platte, music.

• Omaha: Gracie Fagan, Millard North, music; Nathan Fletcher, Skutt Catholic, visual art; Benjamin Lane, Omaha Central, film and new media, music and visual art; Laura Liu, Brownell-Talbot, music; Ilana McNamara, Omaha Central, music; Meera Nair, Brownell-Talbot, dance; Hanna Pohlmann, Bennington, dance; Makayla Reavis, Millard West, visual art; Eliza Rice, Brownell-Talbot, visual art; Gabriella Rock, Omaha Central, music; Emma Safranek, home school, music; Nico Santocildes, Creighton Prep, visual art; Justin Sivilla, Concordia, film and new media; Billy Svolos, Omaha Central, music; Sofia Vander Zwaag, Millard North, music; Anastasia Wilson, Omaha Central, music; Julianna Wren, Mercy, visual art; Jamie Youn, Millard North, music.

• Papillion: Madison Culp, Papillion-La Vista South, dance; Mikayla Duke, Papillion-La Vista South, dance; Annalee Larsen, Papillion-La Vista South, dance.

• Schuyler: Pammela Garcia, Schuyler Central, visual art; Astrid Mejia, Schuyler Central, visual art.

• Seward: Brenna Houdersheldt, Shelby-Rising City, visual art; Jonathan Svoboda, Seward, film and new media.

• Staplehurst: Sarah Bujarski, Seward, music.

• Sutton: Megan Fehr, Sutton, music.

• Syracuse: Colton Nichols, Syracuse-Dunbar-Avoca, music.

• Wallace: Micah Swedberg, Wallace, music.