Talented Teens Take Center Stage at 2017 Jimmy Awards; See the Winners Here!

The ninth annual JIMMY AWARDS were held on Monday, June 26th at the Minskoff Theatre on Broadway.

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 are currently in the midst of preparing for their Broadway debut during a nine-day professional training intensive with NYU Tisch School of the Arts' New Studio on Broadway faculty members plus other theatre professionals.

The six coaches -- Andréa Burns, Randy Graff, Adam Kantor, Michael McElroy, Howard McGillin, and Schele Williams are mentoring the 74 high school students from across America as they compete for the Jimmy Award for Best Performance by an Actor and Actress.

Winners are selected by a panel of judges comprised of notable theatre professionals including Tony Award-winning producers, award-winning casting experts and industry professionals: Kent Gash, Montego Glover, Rachel Hoffman, Kevin McCollum, Alecia Parker, Tara Rubin, Bernie Telsey, and Charlotte Wilcox. Additional judges during the week were Paul Canaan, Wayne Cilento, Tara Rubin, Stephanie Klapper, and Cesar Rocha.

The Jimmy Awards are presented by the Broadway League Foundation. 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. The Jimmy Awards are named in honor of the late James M. Nederlander, legendary Broadway producer/theatre owner. The NHSMTA program is supported by many leading theatre industry organizations.

More information about the National High School Musical Theatre Awards program can be found at JIMMYAWARDS.COM.

See below for a complete list of this year's winners.

Best Performance by an Actress
Sofia Deler

Best Performance by an Actor
Tony Moreno

Additional Finalists
Sam Primack
Nathan Keffer
Antonio Cipriano
Jasmine Rogers
Hatty King
Maggie Gidden

Best Performance in an Ensemble
Ian Hayes

Best Dancer Award
Anna Hertel

Rising Star Award
Sky Frank

Spirit of the Jimmys Award
Liz Valentin

Special Recognition Scholars
Seamus Foley
Eric Gaydon
Levi Hopkins
Sophia Rose Franklin
Jessica Lewis
Liz Valentin

Carnegie Mellon Pre-College Scholarship
Sam Primack

Inspiring Educator Awards
Larry Robinson
Brendan Jennings

Photo by Jennifer Broski.