Los Angeles - The Music Center of Los Angeles County celebrated 12 talented performing artists and 4 visual artists at the 20th annual Music Center Spotlight Awards on Saturday, April 26. The high school student finalists in each category received cash scholarships, with $5,000 for first place and $4,000 for the runner-up. This year more than 2,220 students participated in the Spotlight program and over $100,000 was awarded to finalists, semi-finalists and participants who received honorable mentions.

The sold-out event, hosted by actor Tony Danza, was followed by a gala dinner that raised funds to support the nationally acclaimed arts education and recognition program. In celebration of the program's 20th anniversary, the Music Center paid tribute to Fredric M. Roberts, founding chairman of the Spotlight Awards.

Athena Sterig, a senior at Buena Vista High School in Riverside County, received first place in the non-classical dance category and runner-up was Nathan Trasoras, a junior at Orange County High School of the Arts. Bryn Gilbert, a junior from Laurel Springs School in Orange County received first place in the ballet category and the runner-up was Steven Morse, a junior at Pacific Coast High School in Orange County.

First place in the classical instrumental category was pianist Vijay Venkatesh, a junior at Dana Hills High School, and violinist Rieho Yu, a senior at Huntington Beach High School was the runner-up. In the jazz instrumental category, pianist Phillip Golub, a freshman at Crossroads School in Santa Monica received first place. The runner-up was saxophonist Raul (Lito) Hernandez, a junior at Santa Barbara Senior High School.

First place in the non-classical voice category was senior Trijean Wilkins from Hamilton Senior High School while senior Kelsey Porter from John Burroughs High School in Burbank was runner-up. In the classical voice category Caleb Barnes, a junior from Desert Christian Schools in Lancaster, received first place and Kara Sainz, a sophomore at Murrieta Valley High School, was runner-up.

In the two-dimensional art category Maria Haras, a senior at South Pasadena High School received first place and Anabel Curry, a senior at Los Angeles County High School for the Arts was runner-up. In the photography category freshman Isadora Kosofsky of The Archer School for Girls received first place and senior Erik Haake of Harvard-Westlake School was runner-up.

The evening's celebrity judges included Spotlight Alumni who have gone on to successful careers in the arts. Among them were Misty Copeland (Ballet 1998, American Ballet Theatre), Erin Mackey (Non-Classical Voice 2003, Wicked), Joshua Winograde (Classical Voice 1992, LA Opera), Max Levinson (Classical Instrumental 1988, Boston Conservatory), Natalie Willes (Non-Classical Dance 1993, Movin' Out) and Gerald Clayton (Jazz Instrumental 2001).

Celebrating 20 years of setting the stage for young artists, the Music Center Spotlight Awards is one of the nation's most acclaimed performing and visual arts education programs for teens. It offers distinctive learning opportunities in the arts for all participants and awards over $100,000 in scholarships annually. The Spotlight Awards Program has launched numerous professional careers.

Fredric M. Roberts is founding chairman of the Music Center Spotlight Awards; Thomas Weinberger is chairman and Walter Grauman is creator/executive producer. The program is a project of the Fraternity of Friends, a volunteer membership organization of men who support the Music Center.

Bank of America is the principal corporate sponsor of the Music Center Spotlight Awards. Helen and Peter Bing are Principal Program Benefactors. Additional major support is provided by the Arison Arts Foundation, Walter Lantz Foundation, the California Community Foundation, the Lee Graff Foundation, American Honda Motor Co., Inc., Eloise C. Goodhew Barnett, The Dorothy B. Chandler Fund, Entravision Communications Corporation, the Maxwell H. Gluck Foundation, The Henry Mancini Family, HUB International/ Kagan-Kozberg, Occidental Petroleum Corporation, James B. Pendleton Foundation, and Wells Fargo.