CMS Arts Magnet in the news!

Click titles below to view news about Northwest School of the Arts- the school that previously held the middle school arts magnet program.   The 2026-27 school year is the first year that middle schoolers have have a school dedicated exclusively to grades 6-8!  Check back frequently to see all the great news specific to First Ward!

• Check out the article written about the NWSA Dance Dept and our National Dance Day performance. The link to the video with the surprise ending (for some) is embedded. Enjoy! 

• Students at Northwest School of the Arts have created a Disconnect and Drive public service campaign to promote safety while behind the wheel. AND they’re up for two regional Emmy Awards — one for public service and the other for original music! 

• Jimmy Award Winner Renee Rapp will make Broadway Debut as Regina George

• ​in Mean Girls-Broadway World 5/28/2019

• US NEWS and World Report ranks NWSA High School #4 in Charlotte and #17 in NC.

• NWSA's Matt Hinson to receive Inspiring Teacher Award at the Jimmy's

• in NYC-Broadway World 4/22/2019

• Another Tony award nomination for Eva Nobelzada! Charlotte Observer 4/2019

• Corey Mitchell, Northwest School of the Arts Teacher, on Theatre-Charlotte Observer 2/2019

• NWSA Grad Willie Smith from "Hamilton" teacher master classes at NWSA.

• 2014 NWSA Grad Philip Johnson reflects on experiences in "Hamilton" Chicago cast-Charlotte Observer 9/5/2108

• NWSA Alumni in collaborative mural project for Charlotte's West End- Charlotte Observer 8/27/2018

• NWSA teacher Brian Wilson to be honored September in NYC by Golden Paints and Scholastics

• Dance Teacher Chandra McCloud 2018 Dance Educator of the Year, wins "Truliant Federal Credit Union My Why" contest, establishes scholarship for NWSA dance students

• These 2 kids were just making music on a street corner. Then Cyndi Lauper walked by Charlotte Observer-7/31/2018

• 2018 NWSA Grad Renee Rapp wins Best Actress in the national Jimmy Awards for Musical Theatre 6/26/2018

• NWSA Alumnus Mekhai Lee joins the Color Purple Tour-Charlotte Observer 7/5/2018

• NWSA to pilot "Frozen, Jr" in June-Charlotte Observer 5/17/18

• NWSA makes short list of Cox Media Group's "Best Schools in Charlotte"  3/13/18

• Former NWSA student Abby Corrigan cast for NBC's live "Jesus Christ Superstar" 2/23/18

• Rising Artist Sloane Siobhan Maps Black Girl Magic- Creative Loafing 12/13/17

• NWSA students create video during John Lennon Tour Bus visit-November 2017

• Eboni Williams visits alma mater, store-Carolina Weekly 11/6/2017

• How did Northwest get a $9 million theater? School bonds, fame and a family tie ...Charlotte Observer 9/28/17

• NWSA Alum Sloan Siobhan exhibits at the Gantt thru January 22, 2017 - Charlotte Post 7/27/17

• "Abby Corrigan Comes Home with Fun Home"- Creative Loafing 6/26/17

• Eva Noblezada nominee for Best Actress in a Musical performs at Tony Awards 6/11/2017

• Fitness course supported by Jimmy Johnson Grant comes to life for NWSA students and community  6/2017

• Photographer Zun Lee visits NWSA photography students-Charlotte Post 5/4/2017

• Eva Noblezada nominated for Tony Award Charlotte Observer 5/2/2017

• "...powerful documentary about Charlotte kids is headed to major film festivals..."  Charlotte

• ​Observer 4/6/17"

• Eva Noblezada's Broadway debut!

• "...Miss Saigon returns to Broadway with bright young star" NBC News 2/21/2017

• Charlotte teen, starring in national Broadway tour, recounts moment she knew

• ​‘This is IT!’

• Fun Home Broadway Tour....the "superb Abby Corrigan..."

• NWSA Teacher Corey Mitchell a top 50 finalist for the highly prestigious Varkey

• Foundation Global Teacher Prize 12/14/2016

• NWSA's Bonnie Fraker receives North Carolina Theatre Arts (NCTC) K-12 Theatre Arts

• Educator Award.

• NWSA's middle school dancers win "Best Overall" in NCASA Dance Ensemble state

• competition.

• NWSA Visual Arts teacher Bryan Wilson 2017 ArtPop billboard winner  12/6/2016

• Jimmy Johnson Foundation awards grant of $100,000 to NWSA for outdoor fitness course. 11/9/2106

• Arts Director Donald Nagel wins grant for middle school Charlotte Symphony trip. 11/8/2016

• Chicago Tribune review of "Fun Home"- "the superb Abby Corrigan, the standout of this touring cast"

• Meet Eva Noblezada, the Magnetic Young Star of Miss Saigon-Broadway Direct 10/25/2016

• Meet Musical Theatre teacher, Matt Hinson, "I am CMS" Award Recipient 2016.

• NWSA teacher Corey Mitchell reflects on students' Broadway successes-Playbill 8/28/2016

• NWSA 2016 Grad Abby Corrigan cast in new Broadway tour of award-winnning"Fun Home" 8/16/2016

• Former NWSA student Jordan Samuels back through Charlotte with "Newsies" tour-8/9/2016

• CMS Class of 2016 "Senior Stories" series-NWSA's Ryan Kapur

• Harvard-bound NWSA Senior Ryan Kapur earns one of 10 Observer All-Star Scholarships

• 6/3/2016

• NWSA Alum Constance Stamatiou returns to Alvin Ailey-CBS New York 6/3/2016

• Scholastics announces winners of prestigious Golden Educator Residency Awards,

• ​including NWSA's Bryan Wilson-6/2/2016

• Runway Looks for NWSA's 14th Annual Fashion Show-Charlotte Observer 5/19/2016

• NWSA Ranked 18 out of 608 High Schools in NC In US News and World Report's

• "Best High Schools"-Charlotte Business Journal 4/19/16

• NWSA's Corey Mitchell-Americans for the Arts-blog entry

•  El Quijote en Feria Escolar del Libro-Que Pasa Migente

• 6th grade NWSA student Emily Bowers a "powerhouse" in Theatre Charlotte's production

• "The Miracle Worker" Charlotte Observer-3/21/2016

• Northwest School of Arts take on Pirates-Charlotte Post 3/3/2016

• NWSA band student Charlie Mace named Charlotte Parent " Terrific Teen" (pg 4 of link) 2/24

• Grasan Kingsberry: A man called to Dream, Create, & Love: Broadway Black February 2016

• Corey Mitchell-QC Magazine Jan/Feb Issue page 129-133

• Charlotte's highest-profile stage star ever?-Charlotte Observer 2/4/2016

• Eva Nobelezada: From Charlotte to Broadway-Charlotte Magazine February 2016

• NWSA's Eva Nobelezada cast in London's Les Mis-Londonbroadway.com  1/7/16

• Hola Noticias 1/5/2016

• Pulitzer Prize winner Matuschka visits NWSA 12/18/2015

• Musicians from Winterfield Elementary make leap to NWSA:   Charlotte Observer  12/17/15

• Ballerina on Dance: It's a metaphor for life 12/14/2015

• Dance Theater of Harlem teacher teaches master class at Northwest School of the Arts

•  12/7/2015

• Brightest High School Theatres in the Country-Onstage Blog 11/21/2015

• NWSA alum Eva Nobelezada is Broadway-bound from London's West End in her lead role in "Miss Saigon!"  11/19/2015

• NWSA's Chandra McCloud receives innovation grant to fund Dance Department's

• Repertory Scholarship Concert  11/17/2015

• Fox News report on Middle School Musical "Legally Blonde" 11/16/2015

• Two (one former and one Senior) NWSA Students with key roles in CPCC's

• Phantom of the Opera-Charlotte Observer 11/8/15

• Finding a Place in the Arts- CMS headline web article

• Three NWSA Choral Students to Debut with Charlotte Symphony-11/5/2015

• NWSA alum Eva Nobelezada wins London's West End Wilma Award.-

• Best Actress in a Musical-Miss Saigon-Broadway World 10/31/2015

• NWSA's Corey Mitchell wins first ever "Excellence in Theatre Education" Tony Award