The 2015 Freddy Awards season, the 13th year of the program that recognizes accomplishments in the production and performance of musical theater in high schools in Lehigh and Northampton counties and Warren County, N.J., is underway.

The list of the 30 participating schools, along with their productions, performance dates and ticket information, is available at: freddyawards.org.

The 2015 Freddy Awards program culminates in a three-hour television awards ceremony, 7 - 10 p.m. May 21, broadcast live from the State Theatre on WFMZ and wfmz.com, with Ed Hanna of WFMZ and Shelley Brown of the State Theatre as hosts.

The Freddy Awards broadcast received two regional Emmy Awards, in 2005 and 2011; three additional Emmy nominations; six Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters Awards, including the 2008 Award for Outstanding Television Program Designed for Children, and two Associated Press Award for Public Affairs.

The 2008 Freddy program was subject of a feature-length film documentary, "Most Valuable Players," released in 2010 presented as part of Oprah Winfrey Network's (OWN) documentary film club in 2011, and available on DVD, Netflix and iTunes.

The State Theatre's Freddy Awards program was given a $50,000 five-year grant, at $10,000 per year, by the Community Partnership Fund of the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation.

Lehigh Valley Community Foundation President-CEO Bernie Story presented State Theatre Vice President of Development Denise Smith with the initial $10,000 check for the 2015 Awards program on stage at the State Theatre before the Main Street Cruisers Jan. 10 concert.