Ari'el Stachel, Heidi Blickenstaff, and More to Present at the Jimmy Awards

The Jimmy Awards is pleased to announce the presenters for the 10th annual awards ceremony on Monday, June 25th at 7:30PM at the Minskoff Theatre, 200 West 45th Street in Manhattan. The six presenters will include 2018 Tony Award winner Ari'el Stachel (The Band's Visit), Jimmy Awards alumni and current Broadway stars JAI'LEN CHRISTINE LI JOSEY (SpongeBob SquarePants the Musical), Nathan Salstone (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts 1 and 2) and Kyle Selig (Mean Girls). Also presenting at this year's ceremony are the stars of the Disney Channel Original Movie "Freaky Friday" Heidi Blickenstaff and Cozi Zuehlsdorff.

The two-hour talent showcase will feature dynamic ensemble and solo performances and will be hosted by Tony Award winner Laura Benanti.

This year's Jimmy Awards ceremony will be streamed live in its entirety on Facebook with support from 2017 Tony Award winning Best MusicalDear Evan Hansen and Wells Fargo. Apples and Oranges Arts is the live stream and video production partner. The live stream will also include special content for those watching online.

The Jimmy Award nominees 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.

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 1,500 high schools and 100,000 students participate in these annual events.

Additionally, the INSPIRING TEACHER AWARD presented by WELLS FARGO will be bestowed on Janine Papin, Trinity Preparatory School, Winter Park, Florida and Nadine Love, William R. Boone High School, Orlando, Florida for the encouragement and inspiration that led their students to win the coveted 2017 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), the mission of the Jimmy Awards/National High School Musical Theatre Awards (NHSMTA) is to raise the profile of musical theatre in schools, recognize dedicated teachers, and inspire the next generation of performers and enthusiasts. Since the inception of the program, participating students have earned over $2,000,000 in university and conservatory scholarships. Several student participants have already been cast in Broadway, Touring and West End productions.

The Jimmy Awards are presented by the Broadway League Foundation in honor of legendary Broadway producer/theatre owner James M. Nederlander, and are supported by many leading theatre industry organizations. More information about the National High School Musical Theatre Awards program can be found at JimmyAwards.com.

The Broadway League Foundation acts as the philanthropic arm of the Broadway League. Part of the Foundation's mission is to enlighten and increase the public's knowledge, appreciation, and awareness of the theatrical arts. Since its founding in 1993, it has supported 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.