2026 Illinois High School Musical Theatre Awards Nominees Announced
The 24 high school student nominees were selected from 348 student applicants from 95 participating schools across the state of Illinois.
Broadway In Chicago has announced the 24 student nominees for Best Performer in an Actor and Actress role, as well as student nominees for the Backstage Champion Award presented by Banner Kitchen and Bath Showroom, and nominees for Best Ensemble, Best Direction, and Best Production, and this year's show sponsor for the 15th Annual Broadway In Chicago Illinois High School Musical Theatre Awards (IHSMTA), sponsored by NBC 5. IHSMTA celebrates excellence in high school theatre throughout the State of Illinois and is the state's regional program that feeds into the National High School Musical Theatre Awards, also known as The Jimmy Awards.
The 24 high school student nominees were selected from 348 student applicants from 95 participating schools across the state of Illinois, a record-breaking number of applicants for the program. The nominees have been invited to participate in the Awards Program, which will be held at the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place (175 E. Chestnut) on Monday, May 11, 2026, at 6:30 PM, hosted by Program Sponsor NBC 5's Matt Rodrigues.
During the ceremony, the nominees will perform a musical number from Cameron Mackintosh's acclaimed production of Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg's Tony Award-winning musical phenomenon, LES MISÉRABLES. The North American Tour of the world's most popular musical will make its final return to Chicago for a limited two-week engagement at the Cadillac Palace Theatre (151 W. Randolph St.) starting May 12 through May 24. Broadway In Chicago has crafted a workshop and rehearsal led by LES MISÉRABLES company member Lamont J. Whitaker. The nominees will learn the musical number and are given the experience of working with a theatre professional on a Broadway In Chicago stage. The workshop for these 24 nominees will culminate in a performance onstage at the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place. During the day, nominees will perform for a panel of industry professionals who will adjudicate and select the top six finalists and eventual Best Performer in an Actor Role and Best Performer in an Actress Role.
NOMINEES FOR BEST PERFORMER IN AN ACTRESS ROLE
- Charlotte Dean as Delilah McPhee in Joliet West High School's Between the Lines
- Makayla Eiseman as Hope Cladwell in Cary-Grove High School's Urinetown
- Camila Flores as Janis Sarkisian in Hinsdale South High School's Mean Girls: High School Version
- Lainey Jennings as Anya in Harrisburg High School's Anastasia
- Molly Jones as Madame Thénardier in Harry D. Jacobs High School's Les Misérables: School Edition
- Tireoluwani Lawal as Brenda Strong in University High School's Catch Me If You Can
- Jane Nuich as Eurydice in Maine South High School's Hadestown: Teen Edition
- Eleanor O'Shea as Ariel in Homewood-Flossmoor High School's Disney's The Little Mermaid
- Madeline Ranieri as Elle Woods in William Fremd High School's Legally Blonde
- Olivia Sage as Elsa in Coal City High School's Frozen
- Corinne Stewart as Countess Lily Malevsky-Malevitch in Dundee-Crown High School's Anastasia
- Melanie Vargas as Katherine Blake in Minooka Community High School's Freaky Friday
NOMINEES FOR BEST PERFORMER IN AN ACTOR ROLE
- Logan Arroyo as Will Bloom in Lincoln-Way East High School's Big Fish: School Edition
- Luke Brock as Jean Valjean in Wheaton Academy's Les Misérables
- Adam DeVerville as Gomez Addams in Hoffman Estates High School's The Addams Family: School Edition
- Jonah Groff as Joseph in Mother McAuley High School's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
- Joe Kaiser as Edward Bloom in Saint Viator High School's Big Fish
- Sebastián Llavona as Dmitry in Dundee-Crown High School's Anastasia
- Nolan Maddox as Roger Davis in Oak Park & River Forest High School's RENT: School Edition
- Marcus McGhee as Sebastian in Homewood-Flossmoor High School's Disney's The Little Mermaid
- Micah Merrill as Tom Collins in Oak Park & River Forest High School's RENT: School Edition
- Brennan Monaghan as Billy Flynn in Lake Zurich High School's Chicago: Teen Edition
- John Musso as Javert in Wheaton Academy's Les Misérables
- James Sobota as Billy Flynn in The Chicago Academy for the Arts' Chicago: Teen Edition
From the 24 nominees, two Illinois award recipients (one Best Performer in an Actor Role, one Best Performer in an Actress Role) will go on an all-expense-paid trip to New York City to represent the State of Illinois at The Jimmy Awards and participate in a 10-day theatre intensive of coaching and rehearsals with industry professionals in preparation for a one-night-only showcase on a Broadway stage, where a panel of judges crowns the nation's top performers. The Jimmy Awards are named for legendary Broadway theater owner and producer James M. Nederlander. Broadway In Chicago is a Nederlander presentation and is excited to be a part of the network of theatres across the country participating in The Jimmy Awards.
This year, for the first time in the program's history, IHSMTA has added an additional award to honor those students behind the scenes: the Backstage Champion Award. The Backstage Champion Award evaluates the skillsets of students in technical, design, and production roles whose dedication, creativity, and leadership behind the scenes helped to bring their high school's production to life. Additionally, IHSMTA is delighted to announce that the Backstage Champion Award will be presented by new sponsor, Banner Kitchen & Bath Showroom.
NOMINEES FOR BACKSTAGE CHAMPION AWARD
- Navion Curry, Stage Management for Belvidere North High School's Frozen
- Brynn Engle, Stage Management for Crystal Lake South High School's Spamalot
- Angela Jaeger, Student Business Director for Glenbard West High School's Between The Lines
- Ash (Harry) Komorowski, Lighting Design for Homewood-Flossmoor High School's Disney's The Little Mermaid
- Audrey Hart, Props Design for Mother McAuley High School's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
IHSMTA has announced nominees in three Production Award categories: Best Ensemble, Best Direction, and Best Production.
Best Ensemble evaluates how the ensemble both on and off stage is utilized appropriately throughout the entire show, as well as their overall proficiency in the areas of singing, acting, dancing, and technical theatre efforts off stage.
Best Direction evaluates how the director has used all the elements at their disposal to create the strongest production they can with their available resources.
Best Production evaluates the overall excellence of the production and considers all the above elements. Best Production is awarded to a school who produces an outstanding example of a high school musical.
NOMINEES FOR BEST ENSEMBLE
- Adlai E. Stevenson High School's Mary Poppins
- Bradley Bourbonnais Community High School's Jesus Christ Superstar
- Dunlap High School's Guys & Dolls
- St. Charles East High School's Newsies
- Vernon Hills High School's Seussical
NOMINEES FOR BEST DIRECTION
- David Morgan, Bradley Bourbonnais Community High School's Jesus Christ Superstar
- Rob Boncosky, Cary-Grove High School's Urinetown
- Ben Stoner, Crystal Lake South High School's Spamalot
- Britnee Kenyon, Deerfield High School's Pippin
- Michelle Bayer, Oak Park & River Forest High School's RENT: School Edition
NOMINEES FOR BEST PRODUCTION
- Cary-Grove High School's Urinetown
- Coal City High School's Frozen
- Homewood-Flossmoor High School's Disney's The Little Mermaid
- Lincoln-Way East High School's Big Fish: School Edition
- William Fremd High School's Legally Blonde
ABOUT THE JIMMY AWARDS
The Jimmy Awards/National High School Musical Theatre Awards (NHSMTA) is a celebration of student achievement in high school musical theatre across the country, spotlighting the next generation of Broadway talent. The program impacts over 180,000 students who participate in 58 regional high school musical theatre competitions sponsored by presenters of touring Broadway productions throughout the United States. Named for Broadway impresario James M. Nederlander, the program has been the catalyst for more than $9,000,000 in educational scholarships since its launch in 2009, and over 90 alumni have performed on Broadway and in National Tours. Presented by The Broadway League Foundation, Inc., the NHSMTA invites two nominees from each local regional ceremony to New York City for a rigorous theatre intensive that includes coaching sessions, training, and rehearsals led by some of Broadway's most accomplished professionals. Nominees will spend ten days in New York City from Friday, June 12, 2026, through Tuesday, June 23, 2026, and their experience will culminate in an extraordinary talent showcase performed live in front of an audience on a Broadway stage. The seventeenth annual Jimmy Awards will take place on Monday, June 22, 2026, at the Minskoff Theatre. For more information, please visit www.JimmyAwards.com.
Videos