Dazzle Awards presented by Pat and John Chapman

The Dazzle Awards presented by Pat & John Chapman inspire and honor excellence in high school musical theater and recognize the importance of musical theater and arts education within the Northeast Ohio community. The program offers arts education opportunities throughout the school year including professional classes, audition workshops, apprenticeships and more, and culminates regionally at Playhouse Square with the Dazzle Awards Ceremony, modeled after the Tony Awards®, to recognize outstanding musical theater productions and students. 

Each year, a curated panel of independent adjudicators attends one production at each participating school and provides educational feedback and scores to determine nominations and awards in 15 categories. The Dazzle Awards program is affiliated with the National High School Musical Theatre Awards (“The Jimmy Awards”) presented by The Broadway League Foundation. The regional winners of the Best Actor and Actress categories will represent Playhouse Square and Northeast Ohio at The National High School Musical Theatre Awards® (The Jimmy Awards®).

The Jimmy Awards 

The National High School Musical Theatre Awards® (NHSMTA®), otherwise known as the Jimmy Awards®, was established in 2009 by Pittsburgh CLO and Nederlander Alliances, a division of The Nederlander Organization, to elevate the importance of theatre arts education in schools and reward excellence in student performance. Since then, the Jimmy Awards/NHSMTA has been the catalyst for more than $9 million in educational scholarships, and over 90 alumni have performed on Broadway and in National Tours. Named for Broadway impresario James M. Nederlander, this year-round program is administered by The Broadway League Foundation Inc. Over the years, the Jimmy Awards/NHSMTA has grown to include 58 affiliated regional high school musical theatre awards programs in communities throughout the United States and impacts approximately 180,000 students from 2,600 high schools. Sponsored annually by presenters of touring Broadway, nominees selected by these regional competitions travel to New York City to participate in the national program, a rigorous theatre intensive that includes coaching sessions, training, and rehearsals led by some of Broadway’s most accomplished professionals, culminating in an extraordinary, one-night-only talent showcase. For more information, visit JimmyAwards.com.