CINDERELLA's Laura Osnes and Santino Fontana Host 2013 Jimmy Awards Tonight

The National High School Musical Theater Awards (NHSMTA) previously announced that 62 finalists selected from tens of thousands of students will compete for the coveted Jimmy Award for Best Performance by an Actor and Best Performance by an Actress, scholarships and other honors at an event on Broadway to be hosted by the Tony Award-nominated stars of Rodgers + Hammerstein's CINDERELLA, Laura Osnes (Cinderella) and Santino Fontana (the Prince). The fifth annual performance showcase featuring dynamic ensemble and solo performances exclusively from the musical theater cannon will take place tonight, July 1, 2013 at 7:30pm at the Minskoff Theatre (200 W. 45th St). Tickets, which range from $35-$179, are on sale at Ticketmaster.com.

Nominees qualified to compete in the national program by winning top honors this year at 31 regional high school musical awards competitions. These annual events involve more than 50,000 teens in cities across America and are sponsored by the country's leading performing arts organizations.

NHSMTA nominees prepared for their "Broadway debut" at a five-day theater intensive with NYU Tisch School of the Arts' New Studio on Broadway faculty members Liz Callaway, Telly Leung, Michael McElroy, Leslie Odom, Jr., Schele Williams-Kleinberger plus other theater professionals. Winners will be selected by a panel of industry experts including Scott Ellis (multi-Tony Award-nominated director); Kent Gash (New Studio on Broadway, NYU Tisch School of the Arts Department of Drama); Tony Award-nominee Montego Glover (Memphis); Rachel Hoffman (Telsey + Company); Alecia Parker(National Artists Management Company); Nick Scandalios (Nederlander Organization) and Bernie Telsey (Telsey + Company and MCC Theater).

Founded in 2009, NHSMTA's mission is to raise the profile of musical theater in schools, recognize dedicated teachers and inspire the next generation of performers and enthusiasts. Also known as The Jimmy Awards in honor of legendary Broadway producer/theater owner James M. Nederlander, the program has been the catalyst for more than $760,000 in educational scholarships made available to deserving students. NHSMTA is produced by the Broadway Education Alliance and supported by many leading theater industry organizations including The Broadway League, BWF (Weissler) Foundation, Disney Theatrical Productions, Jujamcyn Theatres, Music Theatre International, the Nederlander Organization, NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Pittsburgh CLO, Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization, Samuel French Library, Shubert Organization, Tams-Witmark Music Library, Inc., Ticketmaster and others. To learn more about the National High School Musical Theater Awards and/or to make a donation to the program, visit nhsmta.com.

2013 NOMINEES:

Atlanta, GA:

Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre Foundation
Georgia High School
Musical Theater Awards
Shuler Hensley Awards

Austin Crute (Best Actor)
McKenzie Kurtz (Best Actress)

Beverly, MA:

North Shore Music Theatre
Spotlight on Stars

Connor Fallon (Best Actor)
Laura Girard (Best Actress)

Charlotte, NC

Blumenthal Performing Arts
The Blumey Awards

Areon Mobasher (Best Actor)
Eva Maria Noblezada (Best Actress)

Chicago, IL

Broadway in Chicago
The Illinois High School Musical Theater Awards

John Clay III (Best Actor)
Taylor Marie Sherry (Best Actress)

Dallas, TX

Dallas Summer Musicals Inc.
DSM High School Musical Theatre Awards

Cam Wenrich (Best Actor)
Dakota Ratliff (Best Actress)

Denver, CO

Denver Center Attractions
The Bobby G Awards

Chris Maclean (Best Actor)
Nicole Seefried (Best Actress)

Des Moines, IA

Des Moines Performing Arts Awards
Iowa High School Musical Theater

Kellen Schrimper (Best Actor)
Bridget Johnston (Best Actress)

Durham, NC

Durham Performing Arts Center
Triangle Rising Star Awards

Samuel Hamashima (Best Actor)
Anna Higginson (Best Actress)

East Lansing, MI

Wharton Center for Performing Arts
Ovation Awards

Brian Baylor (Best Actor)
Mason Van Gieson (Best Actress)

Fort Worth, TX

Casa Mañana
Betty Lynn Buckley Awards

Benjamin Allen (Best Actor)
Sarah Roach (Best Actress)

Fullerton, CA

FCLO Music Theatre
John Raitt Awards for Youth (JRAY)

Shane Satterfield (Best Actor)
Sarah Lynn Mario (Best Actress)

Hershey, PA

Hershey Theatre
Hershey Theatre Apollo Awards

Benton Felty (Best Actor)
Emily Homburger (Best Actress)

Houston, TX

Theatre Under The Stars
The Tommy Tune Awards

Ryne Nardecchia (Best Actor)
Allison Anderson (Best Actress)

Irving, TX

Lyric Stage, Inc.
The Schmidt and Jones Awards

Bo Graham (Best Actor)
Sakyiwaa Baah (Best Actress)

Kansas City, MO

Kansas City Starlight Theatre
Blue Star Awards

Patrick Graham (Best Actor)
Lily Kaufmann (Best Actress)

Las Vegas, NV

The Smith Center
The Nevada High School Musical Theater Awards

Ray Winters (Best Actor)
Maddison Turner (Best Actress)

Logan, UT

Utah Festival Opera & Musical Theatre
The Utah High School Musical Theater Awards

Stirling Brenna (Best Actor)
Sierra Dew (Best Actress)

Los Angeles, CA

Pantages Theatre
The Jerry Herman Awards

Anthony Nappier (Best Actor)
Natalia Vivino (Best Actress)

Madison, WI

Overture Center for the Arts
The Tommy Awards

Billy Krager (Best Actor)
Martha Hellerman (Best Actress)

Memphis, TN

The Orpheum Theatre
The Orpheum High School Musical Theatre Awards

Russell Lehman (Best Actor)
Olivia Wingate (Best Actress)

Millburn, NJ

Paper Mill Playhouse
Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Awards

Matthew Durward Lynn (Best Actor)
Jana Bernard (Best Actress)

Mission Viejo, CA

McCoy Rigby Entertainment
The Childress M.A.C.Y. Awards

Michael Burrell (Best Actor)
Sarah Pierce (Best Actress)

New York, NY

Camp Broadway in association with CAP21
Camp Broadway
The Gershwin Awards

Harold E. Theurer (Best Actor)
Halle Mastroberardino (Best Actress)

Norwich, CT

The Spirit of Broadway Theater
Connecticut High School Musical Theater Awards

Taylor Varga (Best Actor)
Jillian Caillouette (Best Actress)

Pittsburgh, PA

Pittsburgh Musical Theater
Geneva College Henry Mancini Musical Theatre Awards

Zach Malinak (Best Actor)
Francesca Nardone (Best Actress)

Pittsburgh, PA

Pittsburgh CLO
Pittsburgh CLO Gene Kelly Awards

Angelo Ragghianti (Best Actor)
Rachael Houser (Best Actress)

Rochester, NY

Rochester Broadway Theatre League
Stars of Tomorrow

Stephen Heller (Best Actor)
MacKenzie Wright (Best Actress)

San Diego, CA

The Old Globe
Globe Honors

Hunter Schwarz (Best Actor)
Annika Gullahorn (Best Actress)

San Jose, CA

Broadway San Jose
Bay Area High School
Musical Theatre
Stage Top Honor Awards

Rodd Farhadi (Best Actor)
Myha'la Herrold (Best Actress)

Tampa, FL

Straz Center for the Performing Arts
Broadway Star of the Future

Tim Hart (Best Actor)
Chandler Lovelle (Best Actress)

Wichita, KS

Music Theatre of Wichita
The Jester Awards

Trevor McChristian (Best Actor)
Sophia Macias (Best Actress)