The Jerry Herman Awards

THE JERRY HERMAN AWARDS is a local celebration dedicated to recognizing, encouraging, and rewarding achievements and excellence in high school musical theatre. It is the local award ceremony for THE NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL THEATRE AWARDS, also known as The Jimmy’s, which take place annually at the Minskoff Theatre on Broadway in New York City. Every year two students are sent to New York to represent Los Angeles at The Jimmy’s to participate in a week-long workshop and compete for the coveted Jimmy Award, named after the late James M. Nederlander.

 

NHSMTA | Qualifying Best Actor/Actress Roles 2025

CLICK HERE to view the qualifying roles for Best Actor and Best Actress nominations.

2024 JERRY HERMAN AWARD WINNERS

BEST ACTRESS

  • Marley Garner - Canyon High School

BEST ACTOR

  • Mauricio Lara - John Burroughs High School

BEST SCENIC DESIGN

  • Charter Oak High School - Something Rotten

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN

  • Oakwood School - 9 to 5

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

  • New Roads School - Hairspray

BEST ORCHESTRA

  • Ramon C. Cortines School of Visual & Performing Arts - Cabaret

BEST TECHNICAL CREW

  • Ambassador Christian School - Anastasia

BEST ENSEMBLE OR CHORUS

  • Providence High School - Les Miserables

BEST MUSICAL STAGING OR CHOREOGRAPHY

  • John Burroughs High School - Shrek the Musical

BEST MUSICAL DIRECTION

  • Louisville High School - The Secret Garden

BEST PRODUCTION

  • Village Christian School - Beauty & the Beast

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

  • Agoura HS | Legally Blonde | Lucas Wienken as Professor Callahan

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

  • Palisades Charter HS | Mean Girls | Annika Johansson as Regina George“NO

SMALL PARTS” AWARD

  • Royal HS | Mean Girls | Aedyn Fredericksen as Shane Oman

Competing in the JERRY HERMAN AWARDS

Each year, Broadway in Hollywood hosts the Jerry Herman High School Musical Theatre Awards with one goal: to constructively support local high school performing arts programs. Both public and private high schools from all over Los Angeles County submit productions for consideration across twelve performance and technical categories:

  • Scenic Design
  • Lighting Design
  • Costume Design
  • Orchestra
  • Ensemble/Chorus
  • Musical Staging/Choreography
  • Musical Direction
  • Technical Crew
  • Supporting Actor
  • Supporting Actress
  • "No Small Parts"
  • Best Production

The Hollywood Pantages sends volunteer adjudicators to all of the performances. In the spring, a team at the Pantages, determine the nominees using the adjudicators’ notes and a digital recording of the production. 

To compete for the best actor and best actress categories, each participating school sends one male and one female lead to audition in front of a panel of industry judges. For two days leading up the award show, the best actor and actress nominees are narrowed down to three male and three female finalists. The six finalists perform a solo number on the night of the awards, with a trip to New York to participate in the National High School Musical Theatre Awards (The Jimmys) awarded to the final male and female contestants.

Adjudicator Application

Please CLICK HERE to sign up to be a volunteer adjudicator for the 2024 Jerry Herman Awards. Once you sign up, a member of our team will be contacting you with more information.

NHSMTA | The Jimmy Awards

CLICK HERE for information about the National High School Musical Theatre Awards (AKA: "The Jimmy Awards")

Interested in Participating? Contact Us!

Partcicipation Forms for the 2025 Jerry Herman Awards are now CLOSED. If you would like to participate next year, please email JHAWARDS@NEDERLANDER.COM  with your school's name, production, production dates, and a contact and someone from our team will connect with you!