Earlier tonight, the most talented teenagers from across the country took the stage at the Minskoff Theatre for the 15th Annual Jimmy Awards, hosted by Josh Groban. BroadwayWorld is excited to report that Damson Chola Jr. and Gretchen Shope have won Best Performance by an Actor and Best Perfromance by an Actress.
Shope was nominated for her portrayal of the title role in Alice By Heart while Damson portrayed Seymour Krelborn in Little Shop of Horrors.
The 15th annual Jimmy Awards welcomed 12 coaches who mentored the 102 high school students from across America who have come to New York City for a chance to win the Jimmy Award for Best Performance by an Actor and Actress. The coaches included: English Bernhardt, Janet Dacal, Colin Hanlon, MaryAnn Hu, Leonard Joseph, Adam Kantor, Telly Leung, Adam J. Levy, Desi Oakley, Eliseo Román, Steven Telsey, and EJ Zimmerman.
The panel of judges for the 2024 Jimmy Awards was comprised of notable theatre professionals including Tony Award®-winning producers, award-winning casting experts, and industry leaders. Winners and finalists were selected by Montego Glover, Kenny Leon, Joe Machota, Marc Platt, T. Oliver Reid, Tara Rubin, Nick Scandalios, Bernard Telsey, and Lia Vollack. This year, special guest judges included James Monroe Iglehart, Alan Menken, and Thomas Schumacher. Preliminary judges who evaluated and cast the nominees in the Character and Feature Groups included Gabriel Barre, Kristian Charbonier, Stephanie Klapper, Sammy Lopez, Kevin Metzger-Timson, and Dale Mott.
Throughout the evening, Victoria Clark, Justin Cooley, Andrew Barth Feldman, and Ayana Jackson were special guest presenters introducing various awards, musical numbers, and tributes.
About the Jimmy Awards:
The National High School Musical Theatre Awards®, better known as the Jimmy Awards®, is a coast-to-coast celebration of outstanding student achievement, recognizing individual talent in vocal, dance, and acting performance. The program impacts approximately 130,000 students who participate in regional high school musical theatre competitions sponsored by presenters of Touring Broadway productions throughout the United States. The 2024 Jimmy Awards anticipates welcoming more than 100 nominees from over 50 cities across the country as they make their debuts on a Broadway stage. During this exhilarating talent showcase, a panel of judges will select two students to receive the coveted awards of Best Performance by an Actor and Best Performance by an Actress. Named for Broadway impresario James M. Nederlander, the Jimmy Awards has been the catalyst for more than $6,000,000 in educational scholarships.
Founded in 2009 by Nederlander Alliances LLC, Pittsburgh CLO, and Broadway Education Alliance (BEA), the mission of the NHSMTA is to raise the profile of musical theatre in schools, honor dedicated teachers, and inspire the next generation of performers and enthusiasts. Numerous participants have already been cast in Broadway, Touring, and West End productions. As of this spring, 67 Jimmys alumni have performed on Broadway or on Tour.
