Tony Nominee Zachary Levi to Host 2016 Jimmy Awards!

THE NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL THEATRE AWARDS (NHSMTA)/JIMMY AWARDS has announced that stage and screen star ZACHARY LEVI will host the eighth annual awards ceremony on Monday, June 27th at 7:30PM at the Minskoff Theatre, 200 West 45th Street in Manhattan. Sixty-two high school students from across America will compete for the Jimmy Award for Best Performance by an Actor and Actress at the eighth annual presentation. The talent showcase will feature dynamic ensemble and solo performances.

2016 Tony Award nominee Zachary Levi is making his Roundabout Theatre Company debut in She Loves Me on Broadway. Zachary recently starred in the NBC event series "Heroes Reborn." He is also known for his title role in the NBC hit series "Chuck," and for his leading role opposite Mandy Moore in Disney's 2010 hit film Tangled. He was also seen on the big screen in the 2013 release of the Marvel film Thor: The Dark World. Zachary made his Broadway debut in 2013 in the musical First Date opposite Krysta Rodriguez.

Charlotte St. Martin, President of the Broadway League, says, "Zachary Levi! Having such a talented performer sharing the stage with this year's nominees will be something they will always remember! The National High School Musical Theatre Awards are a way to praise and acknowledge the incredible theatre that is being done around the country in high schools, and the presence of an accomplished actor who is accessible to the next generation will be inspiring to so many students on stage and in the audience. I'd like to give a special thanks to Roundabout Theatre Company, currently celebrating their 50th Anniversary Season, for bringing Zachary to Broadway for the delightful She Loves Me which opened to rave reviews!"

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 1,000 high schools and 50,000 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.

NHSMTA nominees will prepare for their Broadway debut during a ten-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.

The 2016 National High School Musical Theatre Awards will debut new formatting for the program in order to accommodate more regional awards programs and provide opportunities for more students to experience Broadway and New York City. This year there will be 62 students representing 31 programs, compared to last year's 52 students representing 26 programs. The program will now take place over ten days.

The students will audition before a panel of judges early in the week, singing two prepared songs and participating in a dance call. Based on the audition results, the students will then be split into two tracks: The Medley Group and The Production Group, leading up to when all students will perform together in the opening and closing numbers on the Minskoff stage on Monday, June 27th. The groups will continue to work together throughout the week and receive the same amount of coaching. All nominees are eligible for the scholarships and awards.

Tickets can be purchased by visiting NHSMTA.COM or TICKETMASTER.COM and range from $39 to $89. Premium seats are $250.