By Kirsten Coachman
It’s just about time to roll out the red carpet for awards season at Academy of Art University!
The annual NXTUP Awards take place on Wednesday, May 6, at 7 p.m. (PST), both on campus at the 79 New Montgomery Theater and via live stream on Zoom. Hosted by the Schools of Entertainment, NXTUP recognizes students from the Schools of Acting, Motion Pictures & Television, and Writing for Film and Television. You can view a full list of nominees here.
From now through May 2, the audience gets to take part in this year’s show by voting for the NXTUP Audience Awards! Vote in the following Audience Awards categories: Best Picture, Actress in a Comedy, Actor in a Comedy, Actress in a Drama, and Actor in a Drama. You can watch the nominated NXTUP films and performances online, including the Audience Award nominees.
Here are the nominees for the NXTUP 2026 Audience Awards. (Click on each category to vote.)
Best Picture
“Do As I Say”
“Don’t Look Back”
“A Glass of Water”
“Heavy”
“Let Your Fingers Do the Talking”
“Not What You Think”
“Rug Burn”
Best Actress in a Comedy
Biana, “Abbot Elementary”
Kiani Broom, “Abbot Elementary”
Chuer Huang, “Assistance”
Copney Toler, “The Office”
Copney Toler, “Abbot Elementary”
Ashley Wilkinson, “Enter Laughing”
Best Actor in a Comedy
Atlantis Clay, “Abbot Elementary”
Ilan Hernandez, “Delusions of Bandeur”
Nikita Kalashnikov, “Life’s Too Short”
Q Owens, “Life’s Too Short”
Kerry Wilson, “The Office”
Kerry Wilsom, “Life’s Too Short”
Min Zo, “Life’s Too Short”
Best Actress in a Drama
Cristiana Alexis, “Do As I Say”
Camille Goldstein, “Let Your Fingers Do the Talking”
Camille Goldstein, “Not What You Think”
Camille Goldstein, “Blue Surge”
Tatiana Jones, “Rabbit Hole”
Madeline Kirby, “Enlightened”
Stephanie Landing, “Enlightened”
Amiyah Sanders, “Collected Stories”
Copney Toler, “Rug Burn”
Ashley Wilkinson, “Do as I Say”
Ashley Wilkinson, “Collected Stories’
Brooke Worthen, “Blue Surge”
Best Actor in a Drama
Atlantis Clay, “Not What You Think”
John Delia, “Enlightened”
Jingxuan Du, “Weight in Gold”
Jingxuan Du, “Pick Your Poison”
Joshua Garcia Joe, “Domino Rules”
Bernardo Martinez, “Frequency”
Bernardo Martinez, “Racks in the Chase”
Scott Steinhauer, “Frequency”
Scott Steinhauer, “Rug Burn”