More than 900 high school artists — the most in the program’s history — were nominated this year for their hard work and contributions made to their communities through the arts. Now, six have been named 2025 Artists of the Year by the Orange County Register.
Launched in 2014, the Artist of the Year program celebrates outstanding high school students from across the county in seven artistic disciplines: theater, dance, instrumental music, vocal music, visual arts, digital media and film.
Students are nominated by their teachers, then go through a competitive selection process that includes submitting portfolios, audition tapes and film samples, as well as participating in live interviews with professional artists and educators.
In addition to assessing technical skill, judges look closely at each student’s passion and artistic growth, aiming to recognize not just talent but the development of their creativity.
This year’s competition drew a record 923 nominees. Among the semifinalists, 10 students returned after previously being named semifinalists or finalists in 2024 — and five of them were awarded the top title in their category this year.
“If you were nominated, you’re in the top 1 percent of all juniors and seniors in Orange County,” said Heide Janssen, executive producer of the Artist of the Year program. “I hope students take immense pride in being chosen to represent their schools as a nominee.”
The six finalists, alongside 29 finalists across all seven categories, will be celebrated during a public ceremony at Chapman University on May 7 at 5:30 p.m.
Without further ado, here are the 2025 Artist of the Year winners:
Dance, Piper Rovsek, Orange County School of the Arts
Theater, Isabella Kim, Orange County School of the Arts
Film and TV, Noah Villanueva, Northwood High School
Instrumental music, Allie Molin, Orange County School of the Arts
Vocal music, Madison Becerra, Orange County School of the Arts
Fine arts, Helen Zhang, Crean Lutheran High School
Media arts, Jennifer (Doyeon) Kim, Orange County School of the Arts
Here are the other stories we’ve been following this week:
- From stunned disbelief to joyful tears, six dedicated Orange County teachers were surprised to find out they were selected as the 2026 OC Teachers of the Year in a distinguished visit led by County Superintendent Dr. Stefan Bean along with sponsors, reporters, camera crews and representatives from OCDE.
- As college acceptance season unfolds, Orange County students are encouraged to explore scholarship opportunities through the state’s CalKIDS program, which offers funds to help cover the cost of higher education.
- A head custodian, a nutrition operations supervisor and a painter from Orange County were recognized among the nine California Classified School Employees of the Year by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond.
- In recognition of Fentanyl Awareness Day on Tuesday, OCDE encouraged schools to shine a light on the dangers of fentanyl and the importance of overdose prevention — providing a range of resources including substance use prevention curriculum and emergency preparedness trainings.
- With three decades of experience in the Irvine Unified School District, Cassie Parham has been named the district’s next superintendent after serving as the interim in her role since February following former Superintendent Terry Walker’s retirement.
- Since beginning their journey four months ago as cadets at Sunburst Youth Academy — a program led by the California National Guard in partnership with OCDE’s ACCESS program — students recently got to reunite with their families via heartfelt embraces and proud cheers at the academy’s annual Family Day gathering.
- Marking the 50th anniversary of Operation Frequent Wind and the Fall of Saigon, Orange County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Stefan Bean shared his personal story of being rescued through Operation Babylift with a crowd of distinguished speakers aboard the USS Midway aircraft carrier on Sunday, April 25.
- Inspired by the theme “Youth Voices for a Healthier Future,” students in OCDE’s ACCESS program created original artwork that envisioned a tobacco-free world and healthy decision-making. Their pieces were celebrated during a special reception on April 29, hosted by the Tobacco-Use Prevention Education consortium.
- Huntington Beach High School students from the district’s academy of performing arts will kick off performances of an original musical this weekend, exploring the complexities of grief.
- Newport-Mesa Unified has announced plans to repurpose its Rea Elementary School campus, which had previously housed shows produced by the Costa Mesa Playhouse theater.
- The Laguna Beach Unified School District was recently honored as a 2025 California Green Ribbon Schools Green Achiever, celebrating its commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainability on its school campuses.
- A study from the National Institute for Early Education Research has named California as the national leader in expanding access to public prekindergarten, citing major investments in early learning initiatives across the state.
- Through its new “We Can’t Wait” campaign, the Anaheim Union High School District plans to work with local and state legislators to increase funding for staffing needs, student wellness and college and career readiness efforts.
- After a brief lapse in operations, the U.S. Department of Education announced it would restart its online library — known as ERIC — which provides research reports and documents to policymakers and educators.
- EdSource reported that California issued more than 17,000 new teaching credentials last school year — citing an 18 percent increase after a drop in enrollment in teacher preparation programs.
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