Collierville High School Students to Represent Memphis at the Jimmy Awards on Broadway
Hayden Hooper and a fellow Collierville student earned top honors at the Orpheum's 17th annual awards, presented by Orion Financial.
On Thursday, May 21, the Orpheum Theatre Group announced the award recipients of the 17th annual Orpheum High School Musical Theatre Awards presented by Orion Financial. Students from 56 participating schools across Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Missouri gathered on the Orpheum stage to celebrate their peers' on- and off-stage achievements in musical theatre.
The evening was a culmination of a year-long program bringing students from all over the Mid-South together for an intensive week of team building, collaboration, and celebration of musical theatre. The Orpheum High School Musical Theatre Awards is the only regional program in the country that encompasses four states.
Award recipients for Lead Actor and Lead Actress – Hayden Hooper (Collierville High School) and Maggie Dinstuhl (Collierville High School) will represent the Orpheum High School Musical Theatre Awards at The National High School Musical Theatre Awards (The Jimmy Awards) at the Minskoff Theatre on Broadway on Monday, June 22. For the first time in Orpheum High School Musical Theatre Awards history, both students also received a financial scholarship valuing $1,500 each generously provided by presenting sponsor Orion Financial.
“Last night was a powerful reminder of what makes high school theatre so magical — the passion, creativity, confidence, and courage these students bring to the stage. The talent across our region is extraordinary, and Orion Financial is incredibly proud to serve as the inaugural presenting sponsor of the Orpheum High School Musical Theatre Awards. We are honored to celebrate these young artists and cannot wait to see where their talent and ambition take them in the future.” — Ashley McDurmon, President & CEO, Orion Financial
The 17th annual Orpheum High School Musical Theatre Awards are sponsored in part by Andy Dean Production Services, Coca-Cola Consolidated, Memphis Dental Corporation, Production One, Sedgwick, SouthWorth Capital Management, and Ticketmaster.
The Orpheum High School Musical Theatre Awards is an official partner of The National High School Musical Theatre Awards (the Jimmy Awards) which includes 58 programs from across the country. Presented by The Broadway League Foundation, the program 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, and their experience will culminate in an extraordinary talent showcase performed live in front of an audience on a Broadway stage. The 17th annual Jimmy Awards will take place on Monday, June 22 at the Minskoff Theatre on Broadway – the current home of Disney's The Lion King.
The Orpheum Theatre Group congratulates the following award recipients!
The Award Recipients of the 2026 Orpheum High School Musical Theatre Awards
The Jalen Award (Spirit of the HSMTAs) sponsored by Pickler Wealth Advisors & Beth and David Pickler
Outstanding Small Ensemble sponsored by The Chauhan Family
Evan Johnson – The Academies of West Memphis
Outstanding Large Ensemble sponsored by Gould's Academy
The Sardines - Arlington High School - The SpongeBob Musical
Outstanding Chorus sponsored by Susan Fetz, Becky Siano & Sherry Williams
New Albany High School - Tuck Everlasting
Outstanding Student Orchestra sponsored by Ted Donaldson
New Albany High School - Tuck Everlasting
Outstanding Dance Execution sponsored by Sherry and Don Williams
Houston High School - The Addams Family
Outstanding Choreography sponsored by Daniel Stuart Nelson
New Albany High School - Tuck Everlasting
Outstanding Playbill sponsored by Christina Torres and Alex Barton
Evangelical Christian School - Matilda
Outstanding Poster sponsored by directFX
New Albany High School - Tuck Everlasting
Outstanding Front of House sponsored by Friends of the Orpheum (FOTO)
St. Benedict at Auburndale - The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Outstanding Artistic Element sponsored In Memory of Julia Mason
Milan High School - Matilda
Outstanding Hair and Makeup sponsored by Blo Blow Dry Bar Germantown
The Rain - Northpoint Christian School - Singin' in the Rain
Outstanding Costumes sponsored by Kathryn and Jim Gilliland, Jr.
Cabot High School - White Christmas
Outstanding Lighting sponsored by The Pattons in honor of Sherry Williams
Houston High School - The Addams Family
Outstanding Sound Design and Execution sponsored by Lisa and Dr. Mike Cockrell - Cockrell Family Medical Center
Evangelical Christian School - Matilda
Outstanding Set sponsored by Veronica and Brett Batterson
St. Benedict at Auburndale - The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Outstanding Technical Achievement sponsored by Michelle Epps
Lakeland Preparatory School - Anything Goes
Outstanding Student Creative Achievement sponsored by Jerry & Ann Barton
Lakeland Preparatory School - Anything Goes
Outstanding Student Technical Achievement sponsored by Glassman, Wyatt, Tuttle, and Cox
Xavier Ware Jr. – Arlington High School – The SpongeBob Musical
Outstanding Student Stage Management Achievement sponsored by Jennifer McGrath
AJ Loritts – Evangelical Christian School – Matilda
The Bravo Award sponsored by Amy, Alex, and Jack Knight
Becca Graubart – Houston High School – The Addams Family
The Spotlight Award for Outstanding Transition Design and Execution
Libby DePriest as Matilda - Evangelical Christian School - Matilda
Ella Beth Wilson as Young Cosette - Hernando High School - Les Misérables School Edition
Liam Lackey as Young Will – Wynne High School - Big Fish: School Edition
Parker Burns as Crutchie - DeSoto Christian Academy - Newsies
The Inspiring Teacher Award sponsored by The Theatre Conservatory at The Memphis Jewish Community Center
Houston High School – The Addams Family
Outstanding Music Direction sponsored by Memphis Dental Corporation
Lalania Vaughn – Tipton – Rosemark Academy
Outstanding Featured Dancer sponsored by Debbie and Homer Branan
Waverly Watkins - St. Benedict at Auburndale - The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Outstanding Featured Actor sponsored by Gaskill Strategies in honor of Sam Gaskill
Addison Northcott - Collierville High School - Water for Elephants (High School Edition)
Outstanding Featured Actress sponsored by Robin and Billy Orgel
Alexander Li as Sheldon J. Plankton - Arlington High School - The SpongeBob Musical
Outstanding Supporting Actor sponsored by Rachel and Scott Bendure
Eden Stecchi as Medda Larkin - DeSoto Christian Academy - Newsies
Outstanding Supporting Actress sponsored by Crystal and Martin Hand
Jordan Farley as Camel - Collierville High School - Water for Elephants (High School Edition)
Outstanding Lead Actor sponsored by Lisa and John Bobango
Josie Li as Pearl Krabs - Arlington High School - The SpongeBob Musical
Outstanding Lead Actress sponsored by Cheryl and Bill Stegbauer
Hayden Hooper as Jacob - Collierville High School - Water for Elephants (High School Edition)
Outstanding Direction by a Teacher sponsored by Lura Elliott Turner in memory of her favorite music teacher, her mother Helen Elliott
Maggie Dinstuhl as Marlena - Collierville High School - Water for Elephants (High School Edition)
Outstanding Overall Production sponsored by Rob DelPriore
Stacey Peeney - St. Benedict at Auburndale - The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Outstanding Overall Production sponsored by Rob DelPriore
New Albany High School - Tuck Everlasting
About the Orpheum High School Musical Theatre Awards:
The Orpheum High School Musical Theatre Awards supports, promotes, and celebrates high school musical theatre throughout the Mid-South. The program aims to provide access to arts education, create opportunities for self-expression, develop relationships between schools and the Orpheum, encourage collaboration, enhance excellence, build community, and instill a lifelong passion for the arts. This year-long program invites students and schools to join a community of participating schools from a 150-mile radius in a variety of opportunities that meet each school where they are in providing access to arts education programming.
About The National High School Musical Theatre 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.
About the Orpheum Theatre Group:
The mission of the Orpheum Theatre Group is to enhance the communities we serve by utilizing the performing arts to entertain, educate, and enlighten while preserving the historic Orpheum Theatre and the Halloran Centre for Performing Arts & Education. For more information, visit orpheum-memphis.com.
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