2017 Jimmy Award Nominees Announced; Ben Platt to Host Ceremony This Month at the Minskoff!

THE JIMMY AWARDS have announced that 74 high school students from across America will compete for the award for Best Performance by an Actor and Actress as well as other honors and scholarships at the ninth annual awards ceremony. The presentation will take place on Monday, June 26th at 7:30PM at the Minskoff Theatre, 200 West 45th Street in Manhattan.

Tickets can be purchased by visiting JIMMYAWARDS.COM or TICKETMASTER.COM and range from $39 to $95. Premium seats are $250.

This year's awards ceremony is hosted by Ben Platt, who is currently starring in Pasek & Paul's Broadway hit Dear Evan Hansen. He won the 2017 Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical for his portrayal of the title role.

Student performers qualify to compete in the national program by winning top honors at regional high school musical theatre awards competitions presented by Broadway League member performing arts centers. Over 1,300 high schools and 50,000 students participate in these annual events. Since the inception of the National High School Musical Theatre Awards (NHSMTA) in 2009, participating students have earned over $1,000,000 in university and conservatory scholarships. Several student participants have already been cast in Broadway, Touring and West End productions.

Jimmy Award nominees will prepare for their debut on a Broadway stage during a nine-day professional training intensive with NYU Tisch School of the Arts' New Studio on Broadway faculty members plus other theatre professionals.

Winners will be selected by a panel of judges comprised of notable theatre professionals including Tony Award-winning producers and award-winning casting experts.

During the ceremony, Brendan Jennings (Burbank, CA) and Larry Robinson (Monroe, NC) will receive the inaugural INSPIRING TEACHER AWARD presented by WELLS FARGO for the encouragement and inspiration that led their students to win the 2016 coveted Jimmy Award for Best Performance by an Actress and Best Performance by an Actor.

Founded in 2009 by Nederlander Alliances LLC, Pittsburgh CLO, and Broadway Education Alliance (BEA), NHSMTA's mission is to raise the profile of musical theatre in schools, recognize dedicated teachers and inspire the next generation of performers and enthusiasts. Named in honor of James M. Nederlander, the late legendary Broadway producer and theatre owner, The Jimmy Awards are supported by many leading theatre industry organizations. More information can be found at JIMMYAWARDS.COM.

The Broadway League administers the program through The Broadway League Foundation, which acts as its philanthropic arm. Part of the Foundation's mission is to enlighten and increase the public's knowledge, appreciation and awareness of the theatrical arts, and since its founding in 1993 has supported a number of projects to help preserve Broadway's heritage and introduce new audiences to Broadway theatre. The Foundation is a corporation organized under the Not-for-Profit Corporation Law of the State of New York, the purposes of which are exclusively charitable as defined in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. Donations to support the program can be made at JIMMYAWARDS.COM.

The 2017 National High School Musical Theatre Awards
Participating Theatre Organizations and their Nominees:

THE BROADWAY LEAGUE (Charlotte St. Martin, President), founded in 1930, is the national trade association for the Broadway industry. The League's 700-plus members include theatre owners and operators, producers, presenters, and general managers who present in nearly 200 markets in North America. Each year, League members bring Broadway to nearly 30 million people in New York and on tour across the U.S. and Canada. The Broadway League has recently added a new category for International membership to collaborate with professionals from around the world who produce and present Broadway quality theatre. The Broadway League annually co-presents the Antoinette Perry "Tony" Awards, one of the most coveted awards in the entertainment industry.

Key League programs and resources include: Kids' Night on Broadway, The Jimmy Awards, Stars in the Alley, Internet Broadway Database (ibdb.com),Broadway.org, SpotlightonBroadway.com, Commercial Theater Institute (with Theatre Development Fund), as well as numerous conferences and forums for our members. TheatreAccessNYC (co-produced with TDF) is the one-stop website of accessible Broadway performances for theatregoers with disabilities. Broadway.org is the League's official on-line headquarters for Broadway in NYC, on tour, and internationally.

For more information visit BroadwayLeague.com, or follow The Broadway League on Twitter @TheBwayLeague and on Facebook at Facebook.com/BroadwayLeague. Download the free Broadway.org and IBDB mobile apps from the iTunes App Store or Google Play.

Broadway theatres are filled with an exciting array of new and classic musicals and plays, providing the perfect experience for every audience. Great seats are available at every price point and are easy to buy online, by phone, or in person at theatre box offices. It's always the perfect time to see a show. Broadway performs every day of the week at multiple curtain times to accommodate every schedule.

Photo Credit: Henry McGee