Semifinalists for Artist of the Year 2024 include (top row, from left) Sofia Ancieto from Coast High School (dance), Jaden Minjae Kim frm Orange County School of the Arts (instrumental music), Joules Recana from Orange County School of the Arts (vocal mjusic), Blake Schallio from El Dorado High School (theater), (bottom row, from left) Austin Bonar from Fairmont Prepatory Academy (film and TV), Jasmine Diep from Orange County School of the Arts (media arts) and Caroline Kim of Orange County School of the Arts (fine arts). (Photos courtesy of the artists)
The Orange County Register is proud to announce the 2024 semifinalists for Artist of the Year. This is the 11th year of the program, which was developed as a companion to the annual Athlete of the Year honors.
Across the seven artistic disciplines — theater, dance, instrumental music, vocal music, film and TV, fine arts and media arts — 112 semifinalists were chosen by a panel of arts teachers from among 892 nominees based on applications, performance videos, art portfolios, film samples and artistic résumés.
During the semifinals, students are interviewed by a panel of distinguished artistic professionals and faculty members from Southern California universities. Interviews include a live presentation by the students followed by a question-and answer-session.
This year, students are also be represented in two divisions. Divisions were developed so that students who have not had the opportunities for extra training still have the chance to be a part of the semifinals. A minimum of two Division 2 students are guaranteed to be invited to be semifinalists. The two divisions are based on the number of years of training a student has in their art form. For instance, instrumental students with five or more years of training in school and in private lessons are placed in Division 1, and students with less than 5 years of training are placed in Division 2. Details of how divisions are determined for each discipline can be found here.
Of the 112 semifinalists, up to 28 finalists will be identified, four in each discipline, and at least one Division 2 student will be named as a finalist. In addition, one student from each discipline, seven in total, will be named as a 2024 Artist of the Year — the top honor for this program.
The finalists and Artists of the Year will be announced April 28 in print and online by The Orange County Register.
On Wednesday, May 8, an awards ceremony will be held at Memorial Hall on the campus of Chapman University which is free and open to the public. This event will include performances and presentations by the top students.
This program is generously sponsored by the Chapman University College of Performing Arts. Additional support is provided by Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts and the UC Irvine Claire Trevor School of the Arts.
If you would like to become a sponsor for the Artist of the Year program, contact Heide Janssen at ocartistoftheyear@aoy.scng.com.
Click on the links below to see the photos and lists for semifinalists:
