The Jimmy Awards, a Broadway League-backed competition for high school students, has set a date for a virtual show in 2021.
The annual awards show, which involves musical theater students from across the country performing in solo and ensemble pieces, will air on July 15, 2021. The virtual date comes after the 2020 ceremony, scheduled for June 29, 2020, was cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns.
A date for the virtual 2020 Tony Awards, which were originally rescheduled to late fall 2020, has yet to be announced. The Tony Awards, presented by the League and the American Theatre Wing, typically occur about a month before the Jimmy Awards.
Additional details on a platform for the digital Jimmy Awards will be announced at a later date.
“The safety and security of our nominees, staff, and audience remain our top priority, and so the Jimmy Awards are going virtual this year. For 2021, we have adjusted the rules to allow the regional programs the opportunity to include high schools that do not present a full-scale production to be eligible at their discretion. Although fans won’t be in a Broadway theatre, we will still have the chance to cheer on all the talented nominees, see amazing performances, and be part of this wonderful celebration of arts education,” Charlotte St. Martin, president of the Broadway League, said in a press release.
In its 12-year history, the Jimmy Awards has resulted in the discovery of a number of Broadway stars including Andrew Barth Feldman, Reneé Rapp, Eva Noblezada and Jai’len Christine Li Josey.
The competition typically involves more than 140,000 students who participate in high school musical theater competitions across the country. Two nominees from each regional competition are then invited to New York to participate in training sessions and the final showcase.
