Our Charlotte Theater Awards have become a cornerstone of the local arts scene, picking up the highest of compliments: They've been emulated by the Metrolina Theatre Association, now in the midst of their third season. There are good reasons to accord the MTA awards the credibility they have quickly earned. Each award is decided by a consensus of panelists.

And there are more than enough to go around. Sixty-seven awards were given at the most recent MTA ceremonies at Spirit Square last September -- the best cast party in town.

So have we become obsolete? No way. We're totally immune to the vagaries of an organization that provides recognition to its members.

Below, you will find the highlights of our roll call of excellence, the finalists in most of our glamour categories. A full list of personally certified CL nominees appears on our Web site. Yes, I saw all of those shows and events.

I'll further winnow down the best of the best when I announce CL's 19th Annual Charlotte Theater Awards next week. Meanwhile, gaze at the bounty of quality theater performances, productions and craft that local theatergoers witnessed last year.

BEST ACTOR, DRAMA

Chris Donoghue -- Our Town (George Gibbs)

George Gray -- Sin: A Cardinal Deposed (Cardinal Bernard Law)

Jim Greenwood -- Our Town (Stage Manager)

Michael Simmons -- Orange Lemon Egg Canary (Great-Michael)

Mykel Chambers -- God's Country (Denver Permenter)

Scott Ripley -- Bug (Peter Evans)

Terrell Dulin -- A Lesson Before Dying (Grant Wiggins)

Tom Scott -- Orphans (Harold)

BEST ACTRESS, DRAMA

April Jones -- Amazing Grace (Nana)

Catherine Smith -- The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (The White Witch)

Heather Leanna -- Orange Lemon Egg Canary (Trilby)

Jocelyn Rose -- The Blue Room (Girl-Au Pair-Married Woman-Model-Actress)

Lane Morris -- Sin: A Cardinal Deposed (Mary Margaret Krieger)

Meagan Douglas -- Our Town (Emily Webb)

Nikki Adkins -- A Thousand Cranes (Sadako), The Velveteen Rabbit (The Velveteen Rabbit)

Pam Galle -- The Exonerated (Sunny)

BEST DIRECTOR, DRAMA

Alan Poindexter -- Fahrenheit 451, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Dave Mowers -- The Exonerated

George Brown -- Orange Lemon Egg Canary

Jill Bloede -- The Velveteen Rabbit

Mark Sutton -- Amazing Grace

Michael Simmons -- Orphans

Nicia Carla -- A Thousand Cranes

Pamela Nichols Galle -- Sin: A Cardinal Deposed

BEST ACTOR, MUSICAL

Billy Sharpe -- Forever Plaid (Sparky)

Corey Mitchell -- Cats (Old Deuteronomy)

Jerry Colbert -- Johnny Guitar (Johnny Guitar)

Jim Kidd -- Fiddler on the Roof (Tevye)

Justin Packard -- Forever Plaid (Frankie)

Marc G. Dalio -- Beauty and The Beast (The Beast)

Tommy Foster -- tick, tick ... BOOM! (Jon), The METHod to My MADness

BEST ACTRESS, MUSICAL

Danyelle Bossardet -- Beauty and the Beast (Belle)

Kelly Cusimano -- The Story of Hansel and Gretel (The Witch)

Lisa Smith -- Kiss Me, Kate (Lilli Vanessi/Katharine)

Liz Hyde -- Menopause the Musical (Iowa Housewife)

Lynne Morris -- Menopause the Musical (Earth Mother)

Olivia Edge -- Cats (Grizabella)

Susan Roberts Knowlson -- Miss Nelson Is Missing (Miss Nelson-Viola Swamp), Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (Millie Pontipee), The Sound of Music (Maria Rainer)

BEST DIRECTOR, MUSICAL

Craig Spradley -- tick, tick ... BOOM!, Johnny Guitar

Guy Stroman -- Forever Plaid

Jill Bloede -- Miss Nelson Is Missing

Kathryn Conte & Patty Bender -- Menopause The Musical

Tom Hollis -- The Sound of Music

Tom Hollis and Eddie Mabry -- Cats

Tom Vance -- Beauty and the Beast

BEST ACTOR, COMEDY

David Holland -- The Tempest (Prospero)

Hugh Loomis -- An Empty Plate in the Café du Grand Boeuf (Victor)

James Yost -- Coyote Ugly (Dowd Pewsey)

Lee Thomas -- Suitcase, or Those That Resemble Flies From a Distance (Lyle)

Matt Cosper -- Crazyface (Tyl Eulenspiegel)

Michael Simmons -- I'm Not Rappaport (Nat)

Tim Ross -- Polish Joke (Jasiu)

BEST ACTRESS, COMEDY

Andrea King -- Crazyface (The Angel-Zeller-Allegro)

Beth Pierce -- Coyote Ugly (Penny Pewsey)

Carrie Anne Hunt -- The Tempest (Miranda)

Corlis Hayes -- Mrs. Bob Crachit's Wild Christmas Binge (The Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future)

Greta Marie Zandstra -- Suitcase, or Those That Resemble Flies From a Distance (Jen)

Nikki Adkins -- The Commedia Princess & the Pea (Columbine), The Littlest Angel (The Littlest Angel)

Tanya McClellan -- Matt & Ben (Ben Affleck)

BEST DIRECTOR, COMEDY

Allison Modafferi -- Suitcase, or Those That Resemble Flies From a Distance

Chad Calvert -- An Empty Plate in the Café du Grand Boeuf

Chip Decker -- Polish Joke

Julie Janorschke -- Intim@te E-pistles

Matt Cosper -- Coyote Ugly

Nicia Carla -- A Christmas Story

Tony Wright -- The Tempest

BEST ORIGINAL SHOW

Intim@te E-pistles by Glenn T. Griffin -- Off Tryon Theatre Company

The Body Chronicles -- Donna Scott Productions

The METHod to My MADness by Tommy Foster -- Actor's Theatre of Charlotte

THEATER EVENT OF THE YEAR