Sharon Lawrence crowned 77th Azalea Queen in coronation ceremony held in downtown Wilmington

On Wednesday, the Grand Ballroom of Wilmington's Hotel Ballast was adorned with elegant pink and gold balloon arches, framing the stage where Sharon Lawrence was crowned Queen Azalea.

Patt Noday began the Queen's Coronation by welcoming residents, dignitaries, visitors, and gardening azalea enthusiasts to the kickoff of the 77th North Carolina Azalea Festival. The New Hanover County Sheriff's Honor Guard presented the American flag as Avery Heath performed the National Anthem.

Noday thanked the 1,500 volunteers who assist with the N.C. Azalea Festival, adding "volunteers make it all happen."

More: NC Azalea Festival announces its 77th Azalea Queen

Invited guests of the festival, including Elle Graham, Gracie Gold, Taylor Loyd, Admiral Karl L. Schultz, Jennifer Vickery Smith, and Sharon Jones were introduced and thanked by Noday.

The 2024 N.C. Azlea Festival Princess Minh Vu, New Hanover County High School student, thanked all attendees and introduced her court, Emmy Russ, Mary Katherine O'Malley, Callie Cromartie, and Kiley Canter, who all waved to the cheering crowd.

The Queen's Court sat beside Lawrence onstage. The court is comprised of pageant winners Keelie Jones, Taylor Foley, Sarah Beth Howard, Jaime Logan, Hannah Harvey, Ashley Leonard, Abby Britt, and Calli Brielle McIntyre. Keydet escorts accompanied each court member, and they included Robert Slater, Colby Slade, Alexander Melvin, Liam Loughlin, Jon Krueger, Kyle Dargis, Connor Ball, and Francis Boehling.

Following the introduction of the Queen's Court, Noday formally introduced Lawrence -- a North Carolina native.

Mayor Bill Saffo and N.C. Azalea Festival President Andrew Nettleman placed the crown atop Lawrence's head, officially making her the 77th Queen Azalea.

"It means so much to be here...and I will always treasure this time," Lawrence said. "Those of us who have grown up and moved away will always recognize the value that being from this state has given us...I owe so much to this state."

Lawrence was announced as Queen Azalea in March. She boasts an extensive career as a film, TV, and stage actress -- currently starring as Missy Vankeuran in the Paramount+ series "Joe Pickett."

With ties to Wilmington, Lawrence appeared as Sylvia Baker in six episodes of "One Tree Hill." She also appeared as Sada Sands in the Wilmington-shot TV movie "The Face on the Milk Carton" in 1995.

This year's Queen Azalea recently starred opposite Kirsten Dunst in the Showtime series "On Becoming a God in Central Florida" and was an elusive librarian in "Home Before Dark" for Apple+. She has held recurring roles in well-known shows such as "Rebel," "Criminal Minds," "Shameless," "The Ranch," "Queen Sugar" and "NYPD Blue."

Outside of her roles on television, Lawrence has also appeared in several films. Her film work includes 'The Lost Husband," "Of Mind and Music," and the indie film "Middle of Nowhere."

An accomplished stage actress, Lawrence was a founding member of the North Carolina Theatre. She appeared in "A Kid Like Jake," "The Mystery of Love and Sex," "Love, Noel," "A Song at Twilight," and "Poor Behavior." She was nominated for an Ovation Award and received the LA Drama Critics Circle Award for her role in "Orson's Shadow." Most recently, Lawrence appeared on Broadway as Velma Kelly in "Chicago."

Lawrence is a 1983 alumna of the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in journalism. The longtime actress also received an honorary doctorate from North Carolina Wesleyan University in 2021. She is a current member of and former chair of the Board for the Heal the Bay and serves as second vice president at the SAG-AFTRA Foundation.

The Queen's Coronation is one of many events held as part of the 77th annual N.C. Azalea Festival. Concerts, street festivals, a parade, garden tours, and more will be featured as part of this year's festival, held between April 3 and 7. Lawrence is expected to make an appearance as part of the Azalea Festival parade on Saturday.

The ceremony concluded with a farewell from Noday.

"We are so blessed to be a part of this festival...and we know we have to give back to our community," Noday said. "It's our responsibility."

Last year, Mayor Saffo crowned Wilmington native Carli Batson 76th Queen Azalea at a ceremony held inside the gym of the Brigade Boys and Girls Club. Batson was the first queen in festival history to be from Wilmington.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Sharon Lawrence crowned Queen Azalea in 77th N.C. Azalea Festival