Shelton Director of Fine Arts and Upper School Drama Teacher Anné Hughes was one of 18 educators nationwide to receive an Honorable Mention for the 2026 Excellence in Theatre Education Award, presented by the Tony Awards and sponsored by Carnegie Mellon University.

The annual award recognizes a K-12th grade theatre educator who has made a “monumental impact on students' lives and embodies the highest standards of the profession” by transforming student lives through the power of the arts. Candidates are nominated by members of the public, and recipients are selected by a panel of judges representing the American Theatre Wing, The Broadway League, Carnegie Mellon University and other theatre industry leaders. The 2026 Tony Awards will be held Sunday, June 7, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Honorable mention recipients will appear in the Tony Awards Playbill and be featured on TonyAwards.com.

The 2026 Excellence in Theatre Education Award winner is Freddie Hendricks, theatre teacher at Utopian Academy for the Arts in Ellenwood, Georgia. Dallas educator Curtis King of The Black Academy of Arts & Letters also received an Honorable Mention.

Hughes has worked at Shelton for 28 years. In 1999, she was hired as the Middle School drama teacher. In 2012, she moved to Upper School Theatre and was named Director of Fine Arts in 2015. She is the author of My Life with Tom Hughes: A Personal Story of the "Musicals Man" of Dallas.

At Shelton, Hughes leads a Fine Arts program that plays a vital role in helping students with learning differences develop confidence, self-esteem and self-expression through theatre and the arts. Shelton is the world’s largest independent school for intelligent students with learning differences, including dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia and ADHD.

“I am deeply grateful for this recognition, which belongs to our entire theatre department. I am fortunate to be part of a remarkable team of students, theatre faculty, supportive parents and administrators who work together to create productions that inspire our learning-different students to reach their highest potential. Our students have an astonishing work ethic and are creative problem solvers who strive for excellence in each production. I am honored to work with such dedicated and hard-working young people who show incredible kindness and encouragement toward one another. That is why I call them ‘the beautiful people of Shelton Theatre.’”

Under Hughes’ leadership, Shelton theatre students have participated in award-winning productions and Fine Arts programming designed to provide students with opportunities to grow creatively, collaboratively and personally both on and off the stage. Shelton’s 2025-26 productions included Romeo & Juliet and The Little Mermaid.

Former student Hayley Taub (Shelton Class of 2016) wrote in her nomination letter, “As a student with ADHD, dyslexia and a language disorder, I often joked that ‘I barely know English’ because words are hard for me. Yet in her class, I read full plays, analyzed characters and performed confidently on stage. She helped build a belief in my abilities, which then shaped the adult and the educator I am today.”

Actress, singer and Broadway performer Sandy Duncan also praised Hughes in a nomination letter. Duncan is known for her Tony Award-nominated performance in Peter Pan and for starring in Broadway productions, television series and films throughout her decades-long career.

“It seems like that's what Anné and the Shelton School do, they teach kids how to cope,” Duncan wrote. “I was so proud to talk to those students about my struggles. Learning differently doesn't mean you can't make it in show business. In fact, it might help! You're certainly noticed going the opposite way as the other dancers.”

Deja Jackson (Shelton Class of 2022) and a 2026 broadcast journalism graduate of the University of North Texas, was also featured in the nomination materials. One of Hughes’ favorite memories is Jackson performing in Shelton’s 2021 production of Shrek the Musical while also competing with the women’s basketball team.

Jackson was able to participate in both activities she loved. When the women’s basketball team advanced to regionals on a performance day, Jackson played in the game in Lubbock and made it back in time to perform on stage that evening.

“When I came to Shelton, I fell in love,” Jackson said in the nomination video. “It was a place where I felt comfortable, and Ms. Hughes gave me so much confidence — both with my learning difference and as a person. She’s something special, and everybody should know that.”

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