It's the most magical time of the year! No, we don't mean the recent Tony Awards (though we're obsessed with those, too). We mean the Jimmy Awards, the annual showcase of some of the most talented young performers in America. For one night, high schoolers from all across America gather to sing, act, and dance in front of a panel of professional judges. And that night, a number of them will be named finalists, and two will win the titles of Best Performance by an Actor and Best Performance by an Actress.
The 16th annual Jimmy Awards ceremony will take place at Broadway's Minskoff Theatre June 23. Josh Groban will host. The ceremony will stream for free beginning at 7:30 PM via the Jimmy Awards official Facebook and YouTube channels.
The Jimmy Awards isn't just a showcase. It's also been a valuable stepping stone for many of today's most exciting young performers, who've gone on to work on Broadway, film and television, and even been nominated for Tony Awards. From Andrew Barth Feldman to Rene茅 Rapp, below we spotlight 15 Jimmy Awards former winners and finalists who have gone on to achieve their musical theatre dreams (many of them you can see on Broadway right now).
半岛体育 is only calling out 20, but every Jimmy alum currently working in the entertainment industry can be .
Kyle Selig
Kyle Selig and Erika Henningsen in Mean Girls
Kyle Selig in Water for Elephants
Jasmine Forsberg, Jacob Dickey, Kyle Selig, Maria Wirries, Daniel Yearwood, and the company of Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends
Stephanie Styles
Corbin Bleu and Stephanie Styles in Kiss Me, Kate
Stephanie Styles in Ragtime
Stephanie Styles and company of Urinetown
Ryan McCartan
Ryan McCartan and Jessica Vosk in Wicked
Ryan McCartan in The Great Gatsby
Eva Noblezada
Eva Noblezada and Devin Ilaw in Miss Saigon
Eva Noblezada and Reeve Carney in Hadestown
Eva Noblezada in The Great Gatsby
Eva Noblezada
Company of SpongeBob SquarePants
Sophia Tzougros
Marla Louissaint. Lizzie Markson, and Hannah Schreer in Hadestown
Morgan Higgins
Morgan Higgins and Sami Gayle in Bad Cinderella
Josh Strobl
Sam Primack
Sam Primack in Dear Evan Hansen
Jasmine Amy Rogers
Jasmine Amy Rogers and company of Boop! The Musical
Andrew Barth Feldman
Andrew Barth Feldman in Little Shop of Horrors
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Andrew Barth Feldman, Jeanine Serralles, and Joanna Gleason in We Had A World
Rene茅 Rapp
Renee虂 Rapp in Mean Girls
Riley Thad Young
Jessi Kirtley
Casey Likes
Casey Likes and cast of Almost Famous
Casey Likes in Back to the Future: The Musical
Justin Cooley
Victoria Clark, Justin Cooley, Michael Iskander, Olivia Hardy, Nina White, and Fernell Hogan in Kimberly Akimbo
Anna Zavelson
Anna Zavelson and Ruthie Ann Miles in The Light in the Piazza
Kyle Selig
2010 winner Kyle Selig made his Broadway debut in The Book of Mormon in 2016. Selig can currently be seen in Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends on Broadway.
Stephanie Styles
2010 finalist Stephanie Styles made her Broadway debut as Lois Lane in the 2019 revival of Kiss Me, Kate. She was last seen in two productions at New York City Center: Ragtime and Urinetown.
Ryan McCartan
2011 winner Ryan McCartan originated the role of Jason "J.D." Dean in Heathers Off-Broadway. McCartan can currently be seen in the title role of Broadway's The Great Gatsby.
Eva Noblezada
2013 Jimmy Awards finalist Eva Noblezada made her Broadway debut in 2017 in Miss Saigon. She's since become a two-time Tony nominee and is currently starring on Broadway in Cabaret.
Jai'Len Christine Li Josey
2014 Jimmy Award winner Jai'Len Christine Li Josey made her Broadway debut in 2017 in SpongeBob SquarePants. She recently released her debut EP called Southern Delicacy.
Josh Strobl
2016 Jimmy Award winner Josh Strobl made his Broadway debut in Dear Evan Hansen. He is currently a cast member in The Outsiders on Broadway.
Morgan Higgins
2015 Jimmy winner Morgan Higgins made her Broadway debut in 2022 in Bad Cinderella.
Antonio Cipriano
2017 Jimmy finalist Antonio Cipriano made his Broadway debut in 2019 in Jagged Little Pill. He's since had numerous TV credits, including The Sex Lives of College Girls and Pretty Little Liars: Summer School.
Sam Primack
2017 Jimmy finalist Sam Primack made his Broadway debut in Dear Evan Hansen. He also starred in that show's national tour, as well as the national tour of The Addams Family.
Jasmine Amy Rogers
2017 Jimmy finalist Jasmine Amy Rogers starred in the Mean Girls national tour. She's currently playing Betty Boop in BOOP! on Broadway, which earned her a Tony nomination.
Andrew Barth Feldman
2018 Jimmy winner made his Broadway debut in 2019 in Dear Evan Hansen. He's also starred in the films A Tourist's Guide to Love and No Hard Feelings. He was last seen on stage in We Had a World Off-Broadway.
Rene茅 Rapp
Recently seen on screen as Regina George in the movie musical adaptation of Mean Girls, 2018 winner Rene茅 Rapp also starred in Mean Girls on Broadway. She released her debut album Snow Angel in 2023 and her second album Bite Me in 2025.
Casey Likes
2019 finalist Casey Likes made his Broadway debut in 2022 as William Miller in Almost Famous, before originating the role of Marty McFly in Back to the Future on Broadway. He will next star in the Off-Broadway revival of Heathers.
Justin Cooley
2021 finalist Justin Cooley made his Broadway debut in Kimberly Akimbo. Cooley became a Tony nominee in 2023 for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for that show. He recently reprised his role of Seth briefly for the Kimberly Akimbo national tour.
Anna Zavelson
2022 finalist Anna Zavelson made her stage debut alongside Tony winner Ruthie Ann Miles as Clara in the New York City Center Encores! staging of The Light in the Piazza. She then made her Broadway debut as Allie in The Notebook.
Sophia Tzougros
This 2014 finalist made her Broadway debut this past season as an ensemble member in Good Night, and Good Luck with George Clooney.
Marla Louissaint
2015 Jimmy winner Marla Louissaint is currently making her Broadway debut as one of the Fates in Hadestown (and an understudy for the role of Persephone).
Tony Moreno
This 2017 winner is currently a swing in The Book of Mormon on Broadway
Riley Thad Young
2018 finalist Riley Thad Young is currently in the ensemble of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
Jessi Kirtley
2019 finalist Jessi Kirtley is currently an understudy in Operation Mincemeat on Broadway.
Presented by the Broadway League Foundation and named in honor of the late producer and theatre owner James M. Nederlander, the Jimmy Awards see 110 nominees from 55 regional awards programs partaking in a week of events, workshops, and master classes with industry professionals. The week culminates in a ceremony, which will feature all 110 nominees performing on Broadway for the first time. The evening will feature ensemble and solo performances and will conclude with two students presented with the awards for Best Performance by an Actor and Best Performance by an Actress.
