2016 Jimmy Awards Nominees Announced!

THE NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL THEATRE AWARDS (NHSMTA)/JIMMY AWARDS has announced that 62 high school students from across America will compete for the Jimmy Award for Best Performance by an Actor and Actress at the eighth annual awards ceremony. The presentation will take place on Monday, June 27th at 7:30PM at the Minskoff Theatre, 200 West 45th Street in Manhattan. Tickets can be purchased by visiting NHSMTA.COM or TICKETMASTER.COM and range from $39 to $89. Premium seats are $250.

This year's awards ceremony is hosted by Zachary Levi who is currently starring in Roundabout Theatre Company's She Loves Me on Broadway. He was nominated for a 2016 Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical for his portrayal of Georg.

Student performers qualify to compete in the national program by winning top honors at regional high school musical theatre awards competitions presented by Broadway League member performing arts centers. Over 1,000 high schools and 50,000 students participate in these annual events. Since its inception in 2009, the NHSMTA has enabled over $1,000,000 in university and conservatory scholarships to be awarded to talented students at the national and local level-several of whom have already been cast in Broadway, Touring and West End productions.

NHSMTA nominees will prepare for their Broadway debut during a ten-day professional training intensive with NYU Tisch School of the Arts' New Studio on Broadway faculty members plus other theatre professionals.

Winners will be selected by a panel of judges comprised of notable theatre professionals including Tony Award-winning producers and award-winning casting experts.

Founded in 2009 by Nederlander Alliances LLC, Pittsburgh CLO, and Broadway Education Alliance (BEA), NHSMTA's mission is to raise the profile of musical theatre in schools, recognize dedicated teachers and inspire the next generation of performers and enthusiasts. Also known as The Jimmy Awards, in honor of legendary Broadway producer/theatre owner James M. Nederlander, the NHSMTA is supported by many leading theatre industry organizations. More information about the National High School Musical Theatre Awards can be found at NHSMTA.COM.

The Broadway League administers the program through The Broadway League Foundation, which acts as its philanthropic arm. Part of the Foundation's mission is to enlighten and increase the public's knowledge, appreciation and awareness of the theatrical arts, and since its founding in 1993 has supported a number of projects to help preserve Broadway's heritage and introduce new audiences to Broadway theatre. The Foundation is a corporation organized under the Not-for-Profit Corporation Law of the State of New York, the purposes of which are exclusively charitable as defined in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. Donations to support the program can be made at NHSMTA.COM.

The 2016 National High School Musical Theatre Awards

Participating Theatre Organizations and their Nominees:

City & State	Theatre/Organization	Regional Awards Program	Best Actor Nominee	Best Actress Nominee
Albuquerque, NM	Popejoy Hall	Popejoy Awards	Devon McCleskey	Joliana Davidson
Atlanta, GA	Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre	Georgia High School Musical Theatre Awards	Will Davis	Shelbea Owen
Buffalo, NY	Shea's Performing Arts Center	The Kenny Awards	Joseph Russi	Rachel Kauderer
Charlotte, NC	Blumenthal Performing Arts	The Blumey Awards	Justin Rivers	Amina Faye
Chicago, IL	Broadway In Chicago	Illinois High School Musical Theatre Awards	Jack Cahill-Lemme	Cecilia Trippiedi
Cleveland, OH	Playhouse Square	Playhouse Square Dazzle Awards	J.R. Heckman	Kate Klika
Dallas, TX	Dallas Summer Musicals	DSM High School Musical Theatre Awards	John Fredrickson	Kaiden Lynn Maines
Denver, CO	Denver Center for the Performing Arts	The Bobby G Awards	Curtis J. Salinger	Charlotte Movizzo
Des Moines, IA	Des Moines Performing Arts	Iowa High School Musical Theater Awards	Demarius Fisher	Poni Lejukole
Durham, NC	Durham Performing Arts Center	Triangle Rising Stars	Jacob Bush	Ainsley Seiger
East Lansing, MI	Wharton Center for Performing Arts	Sutton Foster Ovation Awards	Logan Dolence	Stacey Coleman
Houston, TX	Theatre Under The Stars	Tommy Tune Awards	Muhammad Yunus	Noelle Flores
Kansas City, MO	Starlight Theatre	Blue Star Awards	Lucas Lowry	Alison Ann Gillespie
San Antonio, TX	ACE Theatrical Group, LLC/Las Casas Foundation	Joci Awards	Travis Anderson	Madeline Barbara Burrow
La Mirada, CA	McCoy Rigby Entertainment	MACY Awards	Adrian Villegas	Amanda Dayhoff
Las Vegas, NV	The Smith Center for the Performing Arts	Nevada High School Musical Theater Awards	Deimoni Brewington	Mariah Martin
Logan, UT	MagicSpace/Utah Festival Opera & Musical Theatre	Utah High School Musical Theatre Awards	Angel Martinez	Hannah Romney
Los Angeles, CA	Hollywood Pantages/Nederlander	The Jerry Herman Awards	Josh Strobl	Emma Griffone
Madison, WI	Overture Center for the Arts	Tommy Awards	Travis Ulrich	Kailey Boyle
Memphis, TN	The Orpheum Theatre	The Orpheum High School Musical Theatre Awards	Spencer Germany	Grace Martin
New York, NY	Disney Theatrical Group/Camp Broadway	The Roger Rees Awards	Zander Pacella	Sophia Condon
Omaha, NE	Omaha Performing Arts	Nebraska High School Theatre Awards	Matthew Hakel	Lauren Johnson
Orlando, FL	Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts	Applause Awards	Tony Moreno	Emma Heistand
Pittsburgh, PA	Pittsburgh CLO	Gene Kelly Awards	Devin Moore	Marnie Quick
Rochester, NY	Rochester Broadway Theatre League	Stars of Tomorrow	Mark Mitrano	Abigail DeWitte
San Antonio, TX	ACE Theatrical Group, LLC/Las Casas Foundation	Joci Awards	Travis Anderson	Madeline Barbara Burrow
San Diego, CA	Broadway/San Diego - Nederlander	The San Diego Ben Vereen Awards	Cameron Chang	Jazley Genovese
San Jose, CA	Broadway San Jose	The Rita Moreno Awards	Frank Demma	Samantha Gorjanc
Seattle, WA	The 5th Avenue Theatre	The 5th Avenue Awards	Hayden Call	Brooke Moltrum
Tampa, FL	Straz Center for the Performing Arts	Broadway Star of the Future	Blake Lafita	Francesca Iacovacci
Tempe, AZ	ASU Gammage	ASU Gammage High School Theater Awards	Noah Andrew King	Holly Payne
Tucson, AZ	Broadway in Tucson	Southern Arizona Ben Vereen Awards	Daniel Rosenberg	Sarah Chico