While all eyes will be on the 116 talented performers on the Minskoff Theatre stage tonight, June 22, two other offstage honorees have already been anounced for the 2026 Jimmy Awards.
Kristy Kosko of Greece Arcadia High School (Stars of Tomorrow, Rochester, NY) and Peter Smeallie of Albert Einstein High School (Brandon Victor Dixon Awards, Washington, D.C.) will be bestowed with the Inspiring Teacher Award, presented by MJ. The honorees were nominated for this recognition last spring by 2025 Jimmy Awards nominees and subsequently selected by a committee of Broadway League members.
Tune in tonight to watch the full ceremony live and recap as we checked in with Peter and Kristy to learn more about what makes them inspiring teachers. Read the full interview below!
Congratulations on this very special honor! How does it make you feel to be selected?
PS: Frankly, it hasn’t quite set in yet! Having just completed a 47-year career as a high school music and theatre teacher, I’ve never been one to seek the spotlight for my own benefit. My aim has always been to provide meaningful and memorable experiences for my students and the community, and this recognition comes as a true “cherry on top” of my career in education. It speaks to the support and encouragement I’ve received along the way from students, parents, collaborators and especially my family. And of course it also reflects beautifully on the terrific high school career of our Jimmy Award finalist Seger Ott- Rudolph, who so graciously nominated me for this honor!
KK: Honestly, it feels a little surreal. Receiving this award is deeply meaningful, but what I feel most is gratitude. This recognition doesn’t belong to me alone. Behind every young artist who steps onto a Jimmy Awards stage is a community of people who believed in them, encouraged them, and helped them find their voice. I’ve simply had the privilege of walking alongside some extraordinary young people. If this moment does anything, I hope it shines a light on them, and on the villages that helped them get here.
What was it like watching your students perform at last year’s ceremony?
KK: I’ve known Ian and Tessa since they were middle schoolers, still figuring out who they were, still finding their footing. To watch them walk onto that stage last year fully present and completely owning the moment brought me to tears. In a moment like that, you don’t just see a performance. You see the entire story behind it. I knew the journey that got them there. The self-doubt they pushed through, the risks they took, the countless hours of hard work. You see a young person becoming who they’re meant to be. As a teacher, there is nothing more rewarding than watching a student you believe in finally see themselves the way you’ve always seen them.
PS: It was a true out of body experience to watch him excel at the highest level. Seger’s development throughout his high school career was exceptional, and he boldly took on every challenge given to him, striving always to hone his craft and learn from experiences. At the same time, he remains the same caring, giving and well grounded person he has proven to be throughout his performing arts journey. He represented his theatre troupe, his school and his community with tremendous humility and grace, and I’m so proud of his accomplishments throughout the process.
What kind of advice did you give them going into their Jimmy Awards experience?
PS: I gave him the same advice I’d give to anyone presenting their work in an audition setting – be authentic, present your work honestly and be the person you’d want to work with. Talent can take you a long way towards getting you into the room, but being a team player who brings kindness and empathy to the table will keep you there.
KK: The advice was simple but important: be yourself. That’s what got you there in the first place. I also encouraged them to embrace being surrounded by so many incredibly talented young artists from across the country, to make friends, and build relationships. These are your future colleagues, castmates, and collaborators. Some of the connections you make may last a lifetime. But I also wanted to be honest. I told them there would probably be moments when they looked around the room and wondered if they belonged there. And that’s okay. Let it humble you, not intimidate you. And finally, I reminded them that their worth was never tied to an outcome. The real gift is the experience itself, the people you meet, the lessons you learn, and the moment you realize you belong in that room.”
What is the most fulfilling part about being a theatre teacher?
KK: If I had to capture it in one phrase: the chosen family. Theatre brings a group of young people together and asks them to be vulnerable, to collaborate, and to create something meaningful. In that process, something extraordinary happens.They find each other, and often, they find themselves. Some students walk through the door quiet, uncertain, almost invisible. Then one day something clicks. They step into the light and begin to see themselves differently. I had a front-row seat to that transformation every single day. The most fulfilling part is knowing that what we built extends far beyond the stage. We created memories, friendships, and bonds that last a lifetime. That’s the real legacy. Not the awards or the standing ovations. It’s the family we built along the way.
PS: As theatre teachers, we have the thrill and privilege of facilitating an authentic and meaningful experience for students of all ability levels and backgrounds. I’m excited to see students break through into the top tier of theatre work, but it’s just as wonderful to watch when a student finally “gets it”, whether it be the mastering of a song or scene, the development of a new tech skill or the discovery of a leadership trait that had been previously untapped. I love to reflect on each student’s individual development journey, as they progress from nervous, awkward freshman to poised, confident senior. As theatre teachers we have the unique opportunity to guide students through the whole process and become invested in their lives as vibrant contributing members of the society.
Why do you think that arts education is so important?
PS: All of the arts provide a window into – and mirror of – humanity. Our job as educators is to guide students toward productive, meaningful lives, and exposure to the arts is critical to developing people who live with empathy and grace. The world needs creative people in all walks of life so exposure to and training in all of the arts – visual arts, music, dance and theatre – is more critical now than ever. In the end it’s not really about producing the next Tony winner or global superstar – it’s about giving kids the tools they need to thrive creatively and sustain the planet.
KK: For so many young people, the arts are the first place they ever feel truly seen. In a world that can feel loud, competitive, and uncertain, the theatre classroom becomes a sanctuary where students are free to explore, to fail, to grow, and to be celebrated for exactly who they are. That kind of environment doesn’t just build better performers. It builds better human beings. Arts education is essential, and I don’t think we say that loudly enough. The skills students develop are life skills: confidence, communication, collaboration, creative problem-solving. Skills that matter in every profession and every stage of life. The arts also teach something harder to measure but just as important… what it means to be part of something bigger than yourself. And perhaps most importantly, the arts help us develop a part of us that so much of traditional education leaves untouched: the part that runs toward curiosity, that sits with emotion instead of suppressing it, that imagines what doesn’t exist yet and then works to bring it to life. Our world desperately needs that.
Are you excited to take the stage on June 22?
PS: Of course! I’m acutely aware that I’m representing the tireless efforts of theatre educators across the nation – they are truly the hardest working people in show business and they all deserve a shout out!
KK: Excited? Absolutely. I’m going to The Jimmys! I’m going to give a speech on a Broadway stage! How could I not be excited? What makes it truly special is that last year, Ian and Tessa, performed on that very stage. And this year, they’ll be sitting in the audience with me. I’m breathing it all in. It really does feel like a fairytale ending to a career I loved, and I’m choosing to embrace every single second of it.
