The winners and finalists of the Jimmy Awards (officially known as the National High School Musical Theatre Awards) were revealed on June 23. Fabiola Caraballo Quijada won the award for Best Performance by an Actress and Chis Hayes took home the honor for Best Performance by an Actor. The duo competed alongside 108 other high school students, who participated in a week-long musical theater intensive and training program that culminated in the 16th annual awards ceremony, hosted by Josh Groban at the Minskoff Theatre.
The evening consisted of several medleys, where students performed snippets of a song from the show they performed at their high school, and a production number featuring those not in the character medleys. Individuals in the character medleys (which are chosen during the week prior to the ceremony) are in consideration for the eight finalist spots (four for Best Actor and four for Best Actress). The finalists then offer a full-length solo of a song of their choice.
Quijada, who was a finalist at the 2024 Jimmy Awards, performed “Astonishing” from “Little Women” in the finalist round. Hayes offered a rendition of the title song from “She Loves Me.” Quijada represented Broadway Dallas High School Musical Theatre Awards in Dallas, while Hayes is a participant from Las Vegas’ Nevada High School Musical Theater Awards. Each winner received a check for $25,000 from the Nederlander Producing Company of America.
The six additional finalists were Adam Bouchachia (Applause Awards in Orlando, Florida), Dawson Fullingimm (Discovery Awards in Tulsa, Oklahoma), JJ Korkin (Kravis Center Dream Awards inWest Palm Beach, Florida), Seger Ott-Rudolph (Brandon Victor Dixon Awards in Tulsa, Oklahoma) Kayla Rae (The Lucie Arnaz Awards in Orlando, Florida) and Kinsley Stephens (Georgia High School Musical Theatre Awards - Shuler Hensley Awards in Atlanta). Each received a $5,000 scholarship toward their future education, presented by the musical “MJ.”
The Jimmys also recognized several additional honors, all of which were accompanied by a $2,500 scholarship.
Gavin Evanson (The Monte Awards in Tucson, Arizona) was named the Rising Star, for impressive advancement during the Jimmy Awards program.
The Best Dancer honor, presented by the Shubert Organization, recognizes excellence in dance and movement and was given to Jamaur Houston (Broadway in Chicago Illinois High School Musical Theatre Awards in Chicago).
For embodying the spirit of the Jimmys, Kevin Wilson (The Patty Duke Awards in Boise, Idaho) was named recipient of the Spirit of the Jimmys Award, presented by Aki Nishino of “Chimney Town.”
Five participants were honored with Outstanding Performance in an Ensemble honors, acknowledging their outstanding collaboration during the Jimmy Awards program: Mira Cahalane (Playhouse Square Dazzle Awards in Cleveland, Ohio), Josiah D. Jennings (The DPAC Rising Star Awards in Durham, North Carolina), JJ McDonough (Philadelphia Independence Awards in Philadelphia), Kash Stevenson (Henry Mancini Awards in Midland, Pennsylvania) and Jayden Vega (Broadway Star of the Future in Tampa, Florida). This award was co-presented by “Boop! The Musical,” “Hadestown,” John Gore Organization (parent organization of Broadway News), No Guarantees and Thomas Schumacher.
Judges for the 2025 Jimmy Awards ceremony included Montego Glover, LaChanze, Joe Machota, Alecia Parker, Marc Platt, Tara Rubin, Nick Scandalios, Bernard Telsey and Lia Vollack. Prior to the ceremony, Kristian Charbonier, Stephanie Klapper, Sammy Lopez, Kevin Metzger-Timson, Dale A. Mott, Cody Renard Richard and Rachel Sussman served as preliminary judges who adjudicated and cast the nominees in the character and feature groups.
Prior to the week-long intensive, the Jimmys also named two student reporters, Jayden Hope Fernando from the Rita Moreno Awards in San Jose, California, and Jose Antonio Morales from the Majestic Empire Foundation’s Joci Award in San Antonio, Texas. The student reporter program takes place with support of Broadway News. The pair received coaching from Broadway New executive editor Ruthie Fierberg, provided live social media coverage of the preparation process and the Jimmy Awards red carpet and more.
The Jimmy Awards is presented by the Broadway League Foundation, the philanthropic division of the Broadway League, the industry’s trade association. Rachel Reiner, League director of audience engagement, serves as executive director of the awards.
Promotional partners for the 2025 Jimmy Awards include Applebee's, Big Bus Tours, Broadway News and Hard Rock Café.
