Save the Date: 7th Annual National High School Musical Theater Awards Coming in June

The Broadway League announces that the next annual NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL THEATER AWARDS (NHSMTA)/JIMMY AWARDS will take place on Monday, June 29th at 7:30pm at the Minskoff Theatre, 200 West 45th Street in Manhattan. The Broadway League will now be overseeing the centralized operations of this program.

High school students from across America will compete for the coveted Jimmy Award for Best Performance by an Actor and Best Performance by an Actress at the seventh annual presentation. The two-hour talent showcase will feature dynamic ensemble and solo performances. Tickets will be on sale to the public at a soon-to-be announced date.

Charlotte St. Martin, Executive Director of The Broadway League, said, "We are so very excited about this opportunity to add to the already spectacular program that was founded in 2009 by Pittsburgh CLO and Nederlander Alliances LLC. The mission of promoting the importance of theater arts programming in high schools and providing educational scholarships has been nurtured beautifully by James L. Nederlander, Van Kaplan, Susan Lee, and an Advisory Board made up of dedicated educators and professionals in the theater industry."

James L. Nederlander, President of the Nederlander Organization said, "This program is very personal to me, and I'm happy to be a part of it as it grows and evolves. Each year, watching the students make their first entrance on the stage of a Broadway theatre is an unforgettable and inspiring moment. The Jimmy Awards creates a pathway for promising young performers to pursue a career in the professional theater industry."

Student performers qualify to compete in the national program by winning top honors at regional high school musical awards competitions presented by Broadway League member performing arts centers. Over 1,500 high schools and 60,000 students participate in these annual events. Since its inception in 2009, the NHSMTA has enabled over $1,000,000 in university and conservatory scholarships to be awarded to talented students at the national and local level -- several of whom have already been cast in Broadway, Touring and West End productions.

Van Kaplan, Executive Producer, Pittsburgh CLO, and Director of the Jimmy Awards said, "The move to the Broadway League deepens our connection to regional theaters throughout the country and intensifies our mission to provide even more educational and career opportunities to the next generation of promising theater artists."

Myron Martin, President & CEO, The Smith Center for the Performing Arts and Chairman of the Advisory Board said, "I have watched the Jimmys grow through the tireless efforts of people across the country. I am thrilled about our new partnership with The Broadway League."

NHSMTA finalists will prepare for their Broadway debut during a five-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 industry experts.

Kent Gash, New Studio on Broadway, NYU Tisch School of the Arts Department of Drama, said, "It's an honor to be one of the judges and it's my favorite part of the school year. NYU is thrilled to continue our partnership and we look forward to the excitement and fulfillment that comes with working on the Jimmy Awards!"

Founded in 2009 by Nederlander Alliances LLC, Pittsburgh CLO, and Broadway Educational 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. Also known as The Jimmy Awards, in honor of legendary Broadway producer/theatre owner James M. Nederlander, the NHSMTA is supported by many leading theatre industry organizations. More information about the National High School Musical Theater Awards can be found at nhsmta.com.

The Broadway League will conduct 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 expose 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.

THE BROADWAY LEAGUE, 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, as well as suppliers of goods and services to the theatre industry. Each year, League members bring Broadway to nearly 30 million people in New York and on tour across the U.S. and Canada. For more information, visit www.BroadwayLeague.com, or follow The Broadway League on Twitter @TheBwayLeague or on Facebook. BROADWAY.ORG is the League's official on-line headquarters for Broadway in NYC and on tour. Download the free Broadway.org mobile app for iOS or Android, and the free IBDB mobile app for iOS or Android. The Broadway League annually presents the Antoinette Perry "Tony" Awards, one of the most coveted awards in the entertainment industry, with The American Theatre Wing.