Woodward Academy junior Olivia Washington was recently nominated as "featured performer" for her role as Motormouth Maybelle in the spring production of Hairspray for the Shuler Hensley Awards, the Georgia High School Musical Theater Awards.

Washington lives near the Niskey Lake community in southwest Atlanta.

Woodward was also nominated for awards in the "orchestra" and "music direction" categories for Hairspray.

Forty-two high schools from 12 counties, representing 14 school districts as well as private schools from throughout Georgia participated this year. The Shuler Hensley Awards honor musical theatre excellence at the high school level. The program is an initiative of the ArtsBridge education program of the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre Foundation.

A team of more than 40 Atlanta-based arts professionals evaluated the participating high school productions, with winners to be announced at a “Tony Awards-style” ceremony on Tuesday, April 17, 2012 at 7:30 p.m. at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre.

The ceremony will include performances from the six schools nominated for best overall production, leading actor and actress nominee medleys, with award presentations by local and national celebrities.