The Broadway League Foundation has revealed a date for the 2025 National High School Musical Theatre Awards (also known as the Jimmy Awards). The 17th annual ceremony, which acknowledges and celebrates high school-level theater across the United States, will take place on June 22, 2026 at 7:30 p.m. at Broadway’s Minskoff Theatre.
Each year, regional awards programs, based out of performing arts centers across the country, select two performers from local high school theater performances. These winners will come to New York City in June for a 10-day intensive of training sessions, rehearsals and coaching. The program culminates in the Jimmy Awards ceremony, featuring solo and ensemble performances, where two students will be named Best Performance by an Actor and Best Performance by an Actress.
116 students representing 58 cities are expected to participate in the 2026 Jimmys, which would be a record high.
“The Jimmy Awards are a powerful reminder of the transformative impact that arts education can have on young people,” said Broadway League president Jason Laks in a statement. “Each year, we are inspired by the skill, dedication and passion these students bring to the stage. These are the future stars and leaders of our industry, and the Jimmy Awards is the beginning of their journey.”
Founded in 2009 by Nederlander Alliances LLC, Pittsburgh CLO and Broadway Education Alliance (BEA), the mission of the Jimmy Awards is to advance a national conversation around the importance of arts education, honor teachers and their schools’ commitment to performing arts education and contribute to the development of future arts workers and audiences for live performing arts in communities across America.
Named for the late theater owner and producer James M. Nederlander, the Jimmy Awards has become an inimitable part of the Broadway pipeline, as Jimmys alumni have a strong presence in Broadway and touring companies each season. For the first time, the 2025 Tony Awards featured two Jimmy Awards alumni along the year’s slate of acting nominees (2009 Jimmys nominee Julia Knitel for “Dead Outlaw” and 2017 Jimmys finalist Jasmine Amy Rogers for “Boop! The Musical”).
The Jimmy Awards is a program of the Broadway League, the national trade association for the Broadway theater industry. The Jimmys are presented by the Broadway League Foundation, the charitable wing of the League. Rachel Reiner, the League’s longtime director of audience engagement, serves as executive director of the awards.
