THE NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL THEATRE AWARDS™ (NHSMTA)/JIMMY® AWARDS is pleased to announce the inaugural INSPIRING TEACHER AWARD presented by WELLS FARGO to Brendan Jennings, John Burroughs High School, Burbank, CA, and Larry Robinson, Central Academy of Technology and Arts, Monroe, NC for the encouragement and inspiration that led their students to win the 2016 coveted Jimmy Award for Best Performance by an Actress and Best Performance by an Actor.

The 2016 Jimmy® for Best Performance by an Actress was presented to Amina Faye representing The Blumey Awards and the 2016 Jimmy® for Best Performance by an Actor was presented to Josh Strobl representing The Jerry Herman Awards. The first ever Inspiring Teacher Award presented by Wells Fargo will be presented this year to Amina Faye’s teacher, Larry Robinson, and to Josh Strobl’s teacher, Brendan Jennings.

The ninth annual awards ceremony will take place on Monday, June 26, 2017 at 7:30PM at the Minskoff Theatre, 200 West 45th Street in Manhattan.

74 high school students from 37 regional programs across America will compete for the Jimmy® for Best Performance by an Actor and Actress at the ninth annual presentation. The talent showcase will feature dynamic ensemble and solo performances.

“Wells Fargo’s education initiatives support the work of teachers in communities across the country. We have been a supporter of the Blumey Awards, the regional awards program participating in the National High School Musical Theatre Awards in Charlotte, since its inception. We are proud to extend our support for the Jimmy Awards at the national level and honor the teachers who are inspiring the stars of tomorrow. We look forward to saluting Mr. Jennings and Mr. Robinson for their extraordinary commitment to excellence,” said Jay Everette, SVP and Community Affairs Manager, Wells Fargo & Co.

“Behind every great talent is a great teacher who nurtured and inspired them, and we are so pleased to inaugurate the first ever Inspirational Teacher Award presented by Wells Fargo. Last year’s winners were taught to excel and to utilize their skills by two very special teachers, Brendan Jennings and Larry Robinson, and we applaud them!” says Charlotte St. Martin, President of the Broadway League. “The National High School Musical Theatre Awards are a way to praise and acknowledge the incredible theatre that is being created around the country in high schools, beginning in the rehearsal room all the way to the Jimmy Awards stage.”

Student performers qualify as nominees at the Jimmy Awards by winning top honors at regional high school musical theatre awards competitions presented by Broadway League member performing arts centers. Over 1,000 high schools and 50,000 students participate in these annual events. Since its inception in 2009, the NHSMTA has enabled over $1,000,000 in university and conservatory scholarships to be awarded to talented students at the national and local level—several of whom have already been cast in Broadway, Touring and West End productions.

The 2017 Jimmy Awards nominees will prepare for their debut on a Broadway stage during a ten-day professional training intensive with NYU Tisch School of the Arts' New Studio with Broadway faculty members plus other theatre professionals. Winners will be selected by a panel of industry experts.

Founded in 2009 by Nederlander Alliances LLC, Pittsburgh CLO, and Broadway Educational Alliance (BEA), NHSMTA's mission is to raise the profile of musical theatre in schools, recognize dedicated teachers and inspire the next generation of performers and enthusiasts. Also known as The Jimmy® Awards, in honor of legendary Broadway producer/theatre owner James M. Nederlander, the NHSMTA is supported by many leading theatre industry organizations. More information about the National High School Musical Theatre Awards can be found at NHSMTA.com.

The Broadway League conducts the program through The Broadway League Foundation, which acts as its philanthropic arm. Part of the Foundation’s mission is to enlighten and increase the public's knowledge, appreciation and awareness of the theatrical arts, and since its founding in 1993 has supported a number of projects to help preserve Broadway's heritage and introduce new audiences to Broadway theatre. The Foundation is a corporation organized under the Not-for-Profit Corporation Law of the State of New York, the purposes of which are exclusively charitable as defined in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.