Video: Jake James and Samia Posadas Celebrate Jimmy Award Wins on GOOD MORNING AMERICA
The duo took home awards for Best Performance by an Actor and Best Performance by an Actress, respectively.
Jimmy Award-winning student performers Jake James and Samia Posadas stopped by Good Morning America on Tuesday, following their respective wins during the ceremony on Monday evening.
James, of the Georgia High School Musical Theatre Awards - Shuler Hensley Awards, won Best Performance by an Actor for his portrayal of Jacob in Water for Elephants High School Edition, while Posadas, from The Monte Awards, took home Best Performance by an Actress for her performance as Alice Murphy in Bright Star.
"Everyone says the same thing, but it truly was surreal," said Posadas of her win. "It is such an unmatched feeling to spend ten days with all 116 of us... There was such a strong energy of love and support from everyone that when I heard my name called, I felt like I was over the moon..."
For James, the standout performer shared that he plans to study musical theater in college after finishing his senior year of high school. As for the advice he would give to aspiring performers, James said, "Don't be afraid to prove people wrong... I think that when you are able to look them in the eye and say, 'This is what I want to do with my life and this is what I love,' I think that is one of the most rewarding things about theater."
Watch the full interview with the student performers and take a look at the ceremony HERE. The 17th Annual Jimmy Awards took place at the Minskoff Theatre on June 22, hosted by Bowen Yang.
This year’s coaches were: Lisa Brescia, Janet Dacal, Colin Hanlon, MaryAnn Hu, Adam Kantor, Lily Kaufmann, Adam J. Levy, Desi Oakley, Eliseo Román, Lawrence Stallings, Steven Telsey, and EJ Zimmerman.
The panel of judges for the 2026 Jimmy Awards is comprised of notable theatre professionals, including Tony Award-winning producers, prestigious casting experts, and industry leaders. Winners and finalists will be selected by Montego Glover, Kenny Leon, Joe Machota, Alecia Parker, Marc Platt, Tara Rubin, Thomas Schumacher, Bernard Telsey, and Lia Vollack. Preliminary judges who adjudicated and cast the nominees in the Character and Feature Groups included Kristian Charbonier, Stephanie Klapper, Sammy Lopez, Kevin Metzger-Timson, Dale Mott, T. Oliver Reid, and Rachel Sussman.
The National High School Musical Theatre Awards, better known as the Jimmy Awards, is the national talent showcase celebrating high school musical theatre students from across the country and featuring dynamic ensemble and solo performances. Each participating Regional Awards Program awards top honors to two local student performers and sponsors their travel to New York to participate.
At the Jimmy Awards ceremony, a panel of judges will bestow awards and scholarships, including the awards for Best Performance by an Actor and Best Performance by an Actress. The Jimmy Awards plays a leading role in charting the future of the live performance industry, with over 90 alumni having performed on Broadway and in National Tours and numerous others enjoying robust careers in film, television, and music.
