Las Vegas Student Wins National High School Theater Competition
Nevada's 2025 Outstanding Lead Actor, Chris Hayes, wins big on Broadway at The Jimmy Awards; Local educator also honored during NYC ceremony.
The Smith Center for the Performing Arts and its Nevada High School Musical Theater Awards (NVHSMTA) celebrated top honors at the Minskoff Theater in New York City on Monday evening, June 23.
NVHSMTA's 2025 Outstanding Lead Actor and recent Las Vegas Academy of the Arts graduate Chris Hayes won 2025 Best Performance by an Actor at The National High School Musical Theatre Awards — commonly referred to as the Jimmy Awards In addition to this prestigious honor he also received a $25,000 scholarship.
Hayes wasn't the only one celebrating at the Minskoff Theater Monday night. The Jimmy Awards spotlights two educators each year—and Las Vegas' own Elena Ferrante-Martin, Director of Performing Arts at Bishop Gorman High School, was honored with a 2025 Inspiring Educator Award.
The Jimmy Awards — welcomed 100+ competitors from 55 regional programs to compete for the ultimate prize in high school musical theater. Leading up to the big night, students also took part in a week of private coaching, master classes, rehearsals with renowned professionals and numerous distinctly NYC bucket-list experiences.
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