About Us

In 1991, Pittsburgh CLO established the Gene Kelly Awards for Excellence in High School Musical Theater to recognize the achievements of high school musicals in the Pittsburgh area. Since then, CLO’s Kelly Awards program has served as a model for dozens of theater companies across the country to work in partnership with school systems in their area to engage and recognize 9-12 grade student thespians.

In 2008, over 54,000 students at 900 high schools in 30 communities across the United States participated in such programs. Like Pittsburgh’s own Gene Kelly Awards, several theaters have named their award after an acclaimed hometown talent.

Although these and other regional awards programs have been presented by theaters in select cities, there has never been a program that connected these local programs to each other or to the professional theater industry.

In June 2009, The National High School Musical Theater Awards™ became the first program to present a national award, the Jimmy™ Award, to a Best Actor and Best Actress from a group of student performers selected by 16 participating theaters that are members of the National Alliance for Musical Theatre, Consortium of Eastern Regional Theaters, Theatre Communications Group or the Broadway League. Winners were selected by a panel of industry experts. Two educator prizes were also announced.

Pittsburgh CLO and Nederlander Alliances, LLC produce the national program.

©The Al Hirschfeld Foundation