Our Inaugural Crown Charlotte's Talent Competition: A Night to Remember

Crown Charlotte's Talent 2026: A New Queen City Tradition Begins

On September 18, Charlotte Center for the Arts welcomed performers, families, arts supporters, and community leaders to the inaugural Crown Charlotte's Talent 2026, a citywide talent competition and fundraiser celebrating the incredible creativity found throughout our region. Hosted at the Horne Performing Arts Center on the campus of Charlotte Latin School, the event brought together 18 finalists representing a wide range of ages, artistic disciplines, and backgrounds from across the Charlotte area.

Inspired by the excitement of national talent competitions but rooted in a local mission to advance CCA’s initiative to create more opportunities in the arts by building new dedicated arts spaces, Crown Charlotte's Talent was created to showcase Charlotte artists while supporting the vision of a future Community Arts Hub and Flagship Campus. What unfolded was an evening filled with remarkable performances, enthusiastic supporters, and a powerful reminder of just how much talent exists in Charlotte.

A Celebration of Charlotte's Creativity

From singers and dancers to musicians and specialty acts, the evening highlighted the diversity and depth of talent throughout the Queen City. Contestants auditioned through both virtual and in-person opportunities, helping make the competition accessible to performers from across the greater Charlotte region.

One of the most exciting aspects of the event was seeing artists from different disciplines share the same stage. Audience members experienced everything from vocal performances and dance routines to instrumental music and specialty acts. Among the evening's memorable performers were a talented contortionist and pianist Zion Levy, whose performance showcased the skill and artistry that led him to perform at Carnegie Hall.

More than a competition, the event became a celebration of Charlotte's creative community. Contestants encouraged one another backstage, cheered for fellow performers, and demonstrated the supportive spirit that makes the arts so meaningful.

Congratulations to Our Award Winners

At the end of the evening, three special honors were awarded:

Crown Charlotte's Talent Champion

Selected by a panel of judges based on talent, creativity, stage presence, and overall performance.

Winner: Leea Rude
Performance: Dance performance to You'll Be in My Heart
Award: Cash prize and flower bouquet

People's Choice Award

Chosen by audience vote.

Winner: Evelyn Davies
Performance: If You're Happy and You Know It
Award: Flower bouquet

At just four years old, Evelyn captured the hearts of the audience and received a standing ovation when she won her award.

Top Fundraiser Award

Recognizing outstanding fundraising efforts in support of Charlotte Center for the Arts.

Winner: Mina Klinedinst
Performance: How Far I'll Go from Disney's Moana
Award: Flower bouquet

While these honors recognized exceptional achievements, every contestant played an important role in making the inaugural event a success.

Building Something Bigger Than a Competition

One of the most meaningful outcomes of Crown Charlotte's Talent was the way it brought people together around a shared belief in the importance of the arts.

Charlotte is home to countless talented artists, but opportunities to bring performers from different schools, studios, organizations, and disciplines together on one stage are relatively rare. Crown Charlotte's Talent was designed to help fill that gap by creating a citywide celebration of creativity while also supporting a larger community vision.

The event raised $25,489 toward Charlotte Center for the Arts' mission of expanding arts access and developing dedicated arts spaces for our growing community. These funds will help support the organization's ongoing feasibility study and long-term vision for a future community arts center. For a first-year, volunteer-led event, coming within reach of the $30,000 goal was a tremendous accomplishment.

A True Community Effort

Events like Crown Charlotte's Talent are only possible because of a community that believes in the value of the arts.

We extend our sincere thanks to Charlotte Latin Schoolfor hosting the finale in its beautiful performing arts venue and to Matthews Playhouse for hosting in-person auditions.

We are also grateful to our sponsors and partners, including Studio Displays, Queen Bee CLT, Nightingale Floral Company, Andy's Print Shop, and Bows & Balloons Events, whose support helped make the event possible.

The evening was led by our outstanding Master of Ceremonies,Liza Mahachek, co-host of Positively Charlotte on Queen City News. A journalist, storyteller, and passionate arts advocate, Liza brought warmth, professionalism, and energy to the stage while helping showcase the people and performances that made the evening so special. Her background in broadcast journalism and theatre, combined with her commitment to highlighting the stories of the Charlotte community, made her a natural fit to guide our inaugural event.

The competition was evaluated by an exceptional panel of judges whose experience reflects the depth and diversity of Charlotte's arts community:

• Corey      Mitchell is a nationally recognized theatre educator, Tony Award      winner, founder of the Theatre Gap Initiative, and former longtime Theatre      Arts Educator at Northwest School of the Arts. His contributions to arts      education have earned recognition from organizations across the country,      including the Educational Theatre Association and the Arts & Science      Council.

• Sterling      Masters-Deeney is a former Broadway performer whose credits include Wicked,      A Chorus Line, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,      Thoroughly Modern Millie, and Fosse. She is now Co-Owner and      Artistic Director of Jami Masters School of Dance in Charlotte and remains      active as a dance educator, mentor, and adjudicator throughout the region      and beyond.

• James      Meena is an internationally respected conductor whose distinguished      career has spanned opera, ballet, musical theatre, and symphonic music.      Following a 25-year tenure as General Director and Principal Conductor of      Opera Carolina, he founded Charlotte Lyric Theatre to mentor and develop      the next generation of performing artists.

Looking Ahead to 2027

As exciting as the inaugural year was, we believe this is only the beginning.

The success of Crown Charlotte's Talent confirmed something we have long believed: Charlotte is filled with extraordinary artists who deserve opportunities to be seen, celebrated, and supported.

As planning begins for Crown Charlotte’s Talent 2027, we are exploring opportunities to:

• Open      auditions earlier in the year.

• Offer      workshops and professional development opportunities for contestants.

• Create      dedicated content days for professional photos and videos.

• Explore      separate youth and adult competition categories.

• Expand      partnerships with schools, studios, businesses, and community      organizations.

Our goal is for Crown Charlotte’s Talent to become more than a one-night event. We want it to be an annual experience that helps artists grow, gain visibility, build relationships, and inspire the next generation of creatives.

Thank You

To every performer who stepped into the spotlight, every family member who cheered from the audience, every sponsor who invested in the arts, every volunteer who gave their time, and every donor who supported this event: Thank you!

Together, we raised $25,489, celebrated 18 incredible performers, and took a meaningful step toward building a stronger future for the arts in Charlotte.

This was our first Crown Charlotte's Talent. We can't wait for next year!