Interview: Catching Up with 2025 Jimmy Awards Winner Chris Hayes
The 17th Annual Jimmy Awards will be held June 22 at the Minskoff Theatre.
Just last summer, Chris Hayes' world was turned upside down when he was named a winner at the 16th Annual Jimmy Awards. As a participant from the Nevada High School Musical Theater Awards, Chris was awarded Best Performance by an Actor and received a check for $25,000 to further his education.
As the 116 new Jimmy Awards nominees continue their preparations for the 2026 ceremony, BroadwayWorld is checking in with Chris to catch up on what he's been up to since his big win, as well as advice for this year's participants.
Don't forget to tune in to watch the 2026 Jimmy Awards live at 7:30pm ET.
What have you been up to since winning last year?
As far as school goes, I finished freshman year of college studying Musical Theatre at the University of Cincinnati's College Conservatory of Music (CCM). I wouldn't want to be anywhere else, as I receive some of the most rigorous top tier training in the country, but by the most caring, qualified staff. Additionally I have the pleasure of getting to train along side some of the most talented people in the country for the next four years, they make me strive to be not just a better performer but person as well. There is such a culture of care and sense of community at CCM MT. It feels like everyone's door is open to you no matter what you need.
I also performed at the Broadway Cares Dream Roles event this year where I got to meet and perform with individuals like Jordan Fisher, Santino Fontana, Donald Webber, Lilias White and more incredible individuals on the Al Hirschfeld Theatre. It was such an eye opening and enlighting experience to see, speak to, and learn from these "titans of the industry" in the flesh.
Now I am back in my hometown of Las Vegas for the summer where I am co-directing a middle school production of Newsies Jr. with my mentor from highschool Micheal Vojvidich, who I wouldn't be answering these questions today without. I've always had an itch for directing, and after a long long time of performing, it feels nice to be on the other side of the table for once. Additionally I just finished being a team leader in a week long children's theatre camp called "Musical Mania" where me and my fellow team leaders put together a ten minute musical based on the theme, we get assigned a cast of kids, and have to put up the musical in one week where on the last day there's a ceremony where all the teams go against each other to win the Musical Mania champion belt. Both of these make me understand how fulfilling directing and guiding younger kids through the arts is. Even though I was in their position not too long ago and in a way am still just "a kid in the arts", getting to express your love for this art form and carry it down to those who look up to and trust you is a responsibility that I love having.
In summary, I feel as if I've gotten the full "Musical Theatre" package in the span of only 365 days and I wouldn't trade it for the world.
We know that just being a part of the Jimmy Awards (let alone winning) can be a life-changing experience. Reflecting back on it now, what was your biggest takeaway?
My biggest take away, and this only exists because of hindsight of all I've been able to do in the past year... is that this is only just the beginning. Not just for me, but for everyone else who has had the insane privilege of being a participant. I say this because in the moment the Jimmy's feels like the peak, the culminating event, the climax of all the training you have done thus far... which don't get me wrong, it totally is while you are there it totally is. But just like the trend line on a stock chart, there are multiple "peaks" and it's up to you to make sure that each peak is just as, if not more fulfilling to you and your personal goals than the last.
Have you kept in touch with any of your fellow participants?
Yes! There are a few I keep in contact with over social media, but mainly one of my fellow participants JJ Korkin, one of last years finalists is now one of my classmates at CCM where we spend roughly the whole day together training!
If you could do it all again, would you do anything differently?
Not a singular thing. I went in thinking that winning was nothing but a far off dream so my mindset was "I am going to do what I love, make friends, and mainly have fun and regardless of how far I make it, I still made it here in the first place". That mindset served me so well in not getting in my head too much during the week and allowed me to go with the flow and make new life long friends.
Is there a piece of advice that you got from one of your coaches that has stuck with you?
That the "conflict" or "goal" of a song should never be figured out/resolved until the song is done.
Do you have any advice to share for this year's nominees?
Just have as much fun as possible, leave it all on the stage. Mainly don't think of it as a "performance" think about it as sharing something you love to do and have worked hard for in front of people who are doing nothing but rooting for your success.
