Jimmy Awards 2023: Long Island, Texas teens win big at 14th annual high school talent show
NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- High School's brightest musical stars took center stage for the 14th annual Jimmy Awards ceremony at Broadway's Minskoff Theatre on Monday, with a local teenager taking home one of the night's biggest awards.
The Jimmy Awards, presented by the Broadway League Foundation, is a coast-to-coast celebration of outstanding student achievement, recognizing individual artistry in vocal, dance, and acting performance.
Lauren Marchand from Jericho High School on Long Island won the award for Best Performance by an Actress, while Langston Lee from Austin, Texas took home the award for Best Performance by an Actor.
WATCH | The Jimmy Awards Intermission Show hosted by Sandy Kenyon
Thomas Schumacher is the President and Producer of Disney Theatrical Productions and is one of the judges who decided Monday's winners.
The foundation has awarded more than $5 million in scholarships since its inception.
Who hosted the show?
Star of stage and screen Corbin Bleu of "High School Musical" fame returned to host this year's Jimmy Awards at the Minskoff Theatre.
It marked Bleu's second time in the role after first hosting the ceremony in 2021.
Who were the nominees?
The awards featured 96 nominees from 48 regional awards programs making their debuts on a Broadway stage.
You can view a full list of the 2023 Jimmy Awards Participating Theatre Organizations and their Nominees at the Jimmy Awards website.
WATCH: Students prepare to perform at the Jimmy Awards
Who were the coaches and judges?
The Jimmy Awards welcomes seven coaches who mentored the 96 high school students. The coaches included: Jenni Barber, Max Chernin, Maryann Hu, Adam Kantor, Telly Leung, Howard McGillin, and Desi Oakley.
The panel of judges for this year's show were comprised of notable theatre professionals including Tony Award-winning producers, award-winning casting experts, and industry leaders.
The winners, finalists, and semifinalists were selected by Khady Kamara, Joe Machota, Alecia Parker, T. Oliver Reid, Tara Rubin, Nick Scandalios, Thomas Schumacher, Bernie Telsey, and Sergio Trujillo.
Preliminary judges who evaluated and casted the nominees included Kristian Charbonier, Stephanie Klapper, Kevin Metzger-Timson, Dale Mott, and Seth Sklar-Heyn.
Will there be special guests?
Throughout the evening, special guest presenters introduced various awards, musical numbers, and tributes.
Eva Noblezada (Hadestown) presented the Week-in-Review video highlighting the incredible moments the nominees experienced while in NYC.
McKenzie Kurtz (Wicked) introduced the Tribute to Touring number honoring our touring venues' contributions to the Jimmy Awards and to Touring Broadway throughout the years.
The 2023 Jimmy Awards also welcomed two student reporters: "JD" Jonathan Gregory Davis from Broadway Star of the Future in Tampa, FL and Katie Koslow from The Stephen Sondheim Awards in New Haven, CT.
The aspiring journalists were selected following a nationwide submissions process and will cover The Jimmy Awards on social media, providing fans an inside look at the final preparations for the evening performance.
WATCH | Road to the Jimmy Awards special
(Information provided by The Broadway League)
