Western New York Students Represent Shea's Performing Arts Center at 2025 Jimmy Awards

Two of Western New York’s brightest young performers, Jonah Higgins of West Seneca West High School and Naomi Lawley of Nardin Academy, are representing Shea’s Performing Arts Center this week at the National High School Musical Theatre Awards—known nationwide as The Jimmy Awards.

The prestigious program, now in its 16th year, brings together 110 standout students from across the U.S. for a week-long musical theatre intensive in New York City, culminating in a live Broadway showcase on Monday, June 23 at 7:30 PM at the Minskoff Theatre, home of The Lion King. The event will be livestreamed globally at facebook.com/JimmyAwards and youtube.com/JimmyAwards, hosted by Josh Groban.

Meet the 2025 Shea’s Representatives:

Jonah Higgins – A rising senior at West Seneca West, Jonah is a multitalented performer and musician who has brought to life such roles as Javert (Les Misérables), Sweeney Todd, Kenickie (Grease), and Aaron Samuels (Mean Girls). His accolades include a perfect NYSSMA score, All-State and All-Eastern Chorus selections, and founding his school's a cappella group, The Acafellows. He is the 2025 STAGE Program winner and Outstanding Leading Performance recipient in Shea’s Wonder Awards.

Naomi Lawley – A 2025 graduate of Nardin Academy, Naomi is a longtime performer with over a decade of training from the Academy of Theatre Arts, Matt’s Music, and Young Performers of America. She recently made her NYC debut at 54 Below in Movie Musical Mashups!, and has played roles including Elle Woods (Legally Blonde), Cady Heron (Mean Girls), and Roxie Hart (Chicago). Naomi is also a 2025 STAGE Program winner and brings skills in songwriting, dialects, music production, and coding.

About the Jimmy Awards

The Jimmy Awards, presented by the Broadway League Foundation, are a national celebration of high school musical theatre excellence. Named in honor of Broadway impresario James M. Nederlander, the program has awarded over $6 million in scholarships since 2009 and currently includes 55 regional award programs impacting more than 150,000 students from 2,300+ high schools annually.

Nominees experience ten days of intensive training with Broadway’s top professionals, preparing for a final performance in front of industry leaders, casting directors, and theater fans on a Broadway stage.

Buffalo Awards - Live Stats

Best Musical - Top 3

1. INTO THE WOODS (O'Connell & Company)

22.7% of votes

2. JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR (Open Door Productions)

17.1% of votes

3. GREASE (Starring Buffalo)

12.8% of votes

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