Emmy-nominated comedian, actor, writer, podcast host, and Titaníque co-producer Bowen Yang (Saturday Night Live, Wicked, Las Culturistas) will host the 17th annual Jimmy Awards, celebrating high school musical theatre talent, June 22 at Broadway’s Minskoff Theatre.

The
2026 Jimmy Awards will also stream for free beginning at 7:30 PM ET. Streaming links and information will be
available at JimmyAwards.com prior to the ceremony, which will
remain available online through the evening of June 25. (American Sign Language interpretation will be provided during the awards, and live closed captions will be available through the “CC” feature on the primary YouTube stream.)

“We
are thrilled to welcome Bowen Yang as host of the 2026 Jimmy Awards.
Bowen’s creativity, humor, and enthusiasm for the talent on the Jimmy
Awards stage make him an ideal champion for this program. Through his
work across television, film, podcasting, and live entertainment, he has
built a unique career that reflects the power of talent, authenticity,
and originality. We are excited for our nominees from across the country
to share the stage with him as we celebrate their achievements and
recognize the next generation of theatre artists,” said Jason Laks, president of The Broadway League, in a statement.

The
Jimmy Awards is the national talent showcase that features ensemble and solo performances from musical theatre talent from around the country. Each participating Regional Awards
Program awards top honors to two local student performers and sponsors
their travel to New York to participate in the annual ceremony.
A panel of judges will bestow awards and
scholarships, including the awards for Best Performance by an Actor and
Best Performance by an Actress. The Jimmy Awards play a leading role in
charting the future of the live performance industry, with over 90 alumni having performed on Broadway and in national tours and numerous others enjoying careers in film, television, and music.

Meet the 2025 Jimmy Award Winners: Fabiola Caraballo Quijada and Chris Hayes

The National High School Musical Theatre Awards, known as The Jimmy Awards, were founded in 2009 by Nederlander Alliances LLC, Pittsburgh CLO, and Broadway Education Alliance. Named for late Broadway impresario James M. Nederlander, the mission of the NHSMTA is to advance a national conversation about the importance of arts education, honor teachers and their schools’ commitment to performing arts education, and contribute to the development of future arts workers and audiences for live performing arts in communities across America.

Presented by The Broadway League Foundation Inc., the program impacts over 180,000 students who participate in regional
high school musical theatre competitions sponsored by presenters of
Touring Broadway productions throughout the country. The 2026
Jimmy Awards anticipates welcoming 116 nominees from 58 cities across
the country. To date, the awards have been the
catalyst for more than $9 million in educational scholarships.

The Jimmy Awards will
launch a digital lottery powered by Broadway Direct. A limited number
of $110 tickets will be available for the ceremony. The lottery is
currently accepting entries through June 10 at noon ET. (Once the lottery closes, winners will be notified
within minutes and will have 60 minutes to claim and pay for tickets.
Seat locations and number of tickets awarded by the lottery are subject
to availability. Lottery seats may be minimally obstructed; there is a limit of one
entry per person and limit of two tickets per entry.) Entry instructions
can be found by clicking here.