Scholar-Artist Awards
Long Island Scholar-Artist Awards
Celebrating 20 Years of Scholar-Artists
Recognizing exceptional high school seniors whose achievement in academics and the arts reflects the strength and promise of arts education across Long Island.
A milestone year for Long Island’s young artists
Join Long Island Arts Alliance in celebrating 40 remarkable students from 32 high schools across Nassau and Suffolk counties, whose achievements in academics and the arts have earned them a place in our milestone 20th class.
This class brings the total number of students honored since 2007 to 800.
Meet the honorees
Class of 2027 Award Recipients
Selected from high schools across Nassau and Suffolk Counties in Dance, Media Arts, Music, Theater, and Visual Arts.
2026-2027 Scholar-Artists
Alana Asuncion
Plainview-Old Bethpage John F. Kennedy High School
Visual ArtsAva Azzaretto
Deer Park High School / Long Island High School for the Arts
DanceChen (Monica) Chen
Great Neck North High School
Visual ArtsYoseni Chen
Centereach High School
MusicKayla Cusumano
Bethpage High School
Visual ArtsDanielle de Masi
Northport High School
TheaterChloe Donovan
Huntington High School
DanceErin Fackler
Long Island High School for the Arts / Massapequa High School
DanceChristos Kokotos
Oyster Bay High School
Media ArtsCarrie La Barca
Saint Anthony’s High School
MusicMadeline Lee
Syosset High School
TheaterJackson Lehrer
Wantagh High School
DanceReilly Mackay
Kellenberg Memorial High School
TheaterZahra Mazkur
New Hyde Park Memorial High School
Media ArtsKayleigh Murphy
Farmingdale High School
MusicWilliam Pereira
Manhasset Secondary School
MusicTosia Sliwski
Commack High School
TheaterJoseph Solorzano-Ruiz
Sanford H. Calhoun High School (Bellmore-Merrick)
Visual ArtsJancarlos Villalobos
Saint Anthony’s High School
Media ArtsViny Zheng
Floral Park Memorial High School
Media Arts2026-2027 Merit Award Recipients
Kyle Benedis
Syosset High School
Media ArtsAbby Bernstein
Great Neck North High School
MusicAlexandra Boeckmann
Huntington High School
Media ArtsSophie Chen
Newfield High School
MusicMiles Cohen
Herricks High School
TheaterEmma Dang
Hicksville High School
MusicOlivia Ferrara
Seaford High School
TheaterClaire Fico
Great Neck South High School
Visual ArtsLandon Forlenza
Walt Whitman High School
TheaterArie Gingeras
Cold Spring Harbor High School
DanceAnna Hu
Half Hollow Hills High School East
Visual ArtsPaige Jimenez
Glen Cove High School
MusicAva Kang
Carle Place High School / Long Island High School for the Arts
Media ArtsAnneliese Picchioni
South Side High School
DanceAva Rances
Syosset High School
Visual ArtsSarah Strauber
Commack High School
DanceTatyana Sumarev
Hauppauge High School
Media ArtsSedona Vegna
Harborfields High School
DanceCharlotte Wells
Cold Spring Harbor High School
TheaterAngelina Yan
Manhasset Secondary School
Visual ArtsAbout the awards
Recognition that reaches across Long Island
Presented in partnership with Newsday, the Scholar-Artist Awards recognize students whose talent, discipline, and academic achievement distinguish them as emerging leaders in the arts.
Throughout the 2026-2027 school year, Newsday will feature two Scholar-Artists each month, sharing their stories and photographs with readers in print and online. The program celebrates individual achievement while demonstrating the vital role arts education plays in shaping creative, focused, and engaged students.
Each Scholar-Artist receives a half-page profile and photograph published in Newsday.
Each Scholar-Artist receives a scholarship supported by the Arts Reach Fund at The New York Community Trust Long Island.
Honorees are celebrated at a formal spring ceremony at Tilles Center for the Performing Arts.
Each Scholar-Artist receives a professionally framed print of their published profile.
An additional framed copy is provided to the student’s school for permanent display.
Students, educators, families, and arts leaders gather to celebrate the year’s honorees.
Program endorsement
Proudly supported by arts education leaders
The program’s strength comes from its close connection to educators and professional associations across New York State and Long Island.
- New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA)
- New York State Art Teachers Association (NYSATA)
- Nassau and Suffolk County Art Supervisors Associations
- Nassau and Suffolk chapters of the NYS Council of Administrators of Music Education
Program leadership
Scholar-Artist Arts Educator Committee
Educators and arts leaders from across Long Island guide the selection process and help uphold the program’s standards of excellence.
Scholar-Artist Underwriting Opportunity
Help the next generation take center stage.
For 20 years, the Long Island Scholar-Artist Awards have celebrated students who excel in both academics and the arts. Become a Scholar-Artist underwriter and help sustain this prestigious program while celebrating a student’s achievements.
Your sponsorship includes:
- Recognition in program publications and press materials.
- Your name or logo in Newsday’s monthly Scholar-Artist spotlights.
- An invitation to present the award and participate in a photo opportunity at the Scholar-Artist celebration next spring.
- Two tickets to LIAA’s October fundraiser, A Musical Celebration of Roger Tilles.
For more information, email
Lauren@longislandartsalliance.org.
With gratitude
Thank you to the partners who make this possible
Thank you to our selection committee, teachers, families, and school administrators for championing arts education across the region. And a special thank you to our media partner, Newsday, and to our sponsor, the Arts Reach Fund at The New York Community Trust, for making this program possible.
