15 Texas Students Selected for 2026 Butler Texas Young Masters Class

15 TEXAS STUDENTS SELECTED FOR 2026 BUTLER TEXAS YOUNG MASTERS CLASS

The Texas Commission on the Arts and the Texas Cultural Trust

Award Grants to Outstanding Student Artists

AUSTIN, Texas – March 5, 2026 – The Texas Commission on the Arts (TCA) and the Texas Cultural Trust (TXCT) are proud to announce the 2026 Class of Butler Texas Young Masters. Butler Texas Young Masters is a grant program that provides exemplary students in grades 8-11 with financial support to pursue advanced study in the areas of visual arts, literary arts, music, theater, dance, musical theater, folk and traditional arts, and media arts. This year’s promising young students come from 12 cities across Texas and together display a variety of artistic talents.

Through this grant program, talented young artists from across the state receive the title of “Young Master” and are awarded grants of $5,000 per year, for two years, to further their studies in their chosen arts disciplines. This gifted group of 15 students represents the thirteenth class of Young Masters, which is generously supported by the Butler Texas Young Masters Endowment. Since the program’s inception in 2002, the Trust and TCA have awarded 431 grants to 199 Young Masters, investing more than $1.3 million in their artistic development.

“The Young Masters grant program was created as a way to recognize and support young people pursuing the dream of becoming prominent Texan artists of the next generation,” said TCA Executive Director Gary Gibbs. “These young artists earned the Young Masters title because of their outstanding artistic ability, talent, and dedication to developing their knowledge in their chosen discipline. We congratulate them on their accomplishments.”

THE 2026 CLASS OF TEXAS YOUNG MASTERS:

Alessandro Dieguez, 10th Grade, Amarillo, Amarillo High School, Musical Theater
Annie Newton, 9th Grade, Kingwood, Kingwood High School, Music/Percussion
Ayden Yang, 8th Grade, Dallas, St. Mark’s School of Texas, Music/Voice
Caroline McGowan, 10th Grade, Dallas, Highland Park High School, Dance
Elim Wong, 9th Grade, Plano, Jasper High School, Music/Violin
Emilia Tovar-Catete, 11th Grade, Mission, Mission Collegiate High School, Film/Media Arts
Emmalynne Brown, 10th Grade, Richmond, iUniversity Preparatory School, Dance/Ballet
Hana Reel, 10th Grade, The Woodlands, The Woodlands High School, Music/Vocal
Isabella Cervera, 11th Grade, San Antonio, North East School of the Arts, Musical Theater
Jenny Chu, 11th Grade, Dallas, The Hockaday School, Literary Arts/Poetry
Jonathan Zhang, 11th Grade, Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Houston, Music/Saxophone
Joseph Kirillov, 10th Grade, Prosper, Penn Foster Online High School, Dance
Josephine Chow, 11th Grade, Austin, Westwood High School, Music/Piano
Matthew Conway, 9th Grade, Prosper, Richland High School, Dance
Sydney Bridgewater, 9th Grade, Frisco, Frisco High School, Dance

“Through the Butler Texas Young Masters program, we are proud to invest in the next generation of creative leaders,” says TXCT CEO Heidi Marquez Smith. “With the support of our patrons, families, and arts advocates, we’re not only sustaining Texas’ rich cultural legacy, we’re also strengthening it for the future. We can’t wait to see what these extraordinary young artists will accomplish and are honored to be part of their journey.”

The 2026 Texas Young Masters will be recognized at an awards celebration on April 13 at ZACH Theater in Austin. The evening will feature iconic Texas artists and creatives like Ray Benson from Asleep at the Wheel, Lauren Anderson from the Houston Ballet, award-winning author Elizabeth Crook, media personality Trevor Scott from We Are Austin, and more. To support the Butler Texas Young Masters program and for additional information on the event, including tickets, please visit www.txculturaltrust.org.

To be considered for the Young Masters grant, students must be living in Texas and participating in a school-based program, a summer institute, or a specialized course of study or receiving private lessons from a qualified professional instructor. The Young Masters were selected by a citizen panel of experts from across the state based on artistic excellence, level of commitment and quality of their proposed plan of action. Disbursement for this class of Young Masters will begin in the spring of 2026.

The 2026 Texas Young Masters Event Chairs: Adrienne & Chris Bosh

The 2026 Texas Young Masters grants are sponsored by*: 

Sarah and Dr. Ernest Butler
Jeanne and Mickey Klein
Sermoonjoy Fund
PNC Foundation
Adrienne and Chris Bosh
Genesis Inspiration Foundation
Genesis of West Houston
Keating Auto Group – Toyota of City Park + City Limits Subaru
Judy and Kirk Robison
Texas Women for the Arts
AT&T/Leslie and Don Ward
Laura and John Beckworth
Ray Benson
Kelli and Eddy Blanton
Barbara Ann Baldridge Foundation/ Laurie and Marvin Blum
Kelley and Pat Frost
Gay Gaddis
Mindy Ellmer and Charlie Geren
Tisa and Billy Hibbs / Hibbs-Hallmark Insurance Group
Dan W. Jackson III and Dr. Jeremy Guiberteau
Charles and Karen Matthews
Nancy and Jud Murray
Cabrina and Steven Owsley
Corinna Holt and J.B. Richter
Karen and Karl Rove
Tania and Scott Schwartz
Pam and George Willeford
Alexis and Todd Hunter
Aubrey Epstein
Sheri Henrikson
Maribel and George Farish
Christine Mattsson
Bryan McCann
Patty Nuss

*Current list at time of release