The Lucie Arnaz Awards

2026 Ceremony Date: May 31, 2026
The Lucie Arnaz Awards were created to honor and celebrate the outstanding work of teachers and students in the performing arts, specifically musical theatre, in both public and private high schools in The Inland Empire, which includes both Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

The Lucie Arnaz Awards serve as a regional competition for the National High School Musical Theatre Awards (NHSMTA), also known as the Jimmy Awards. McCallum Theatre will proudly serve as the new host venue for this prestigious event.

This year, 22 high schools will participate and compete for honors including Best Musical and Best Performance by an Actor and Actress. The awards ceremony at the McCallum Theatre will showcase performances from the five top musicals selected in the competition and feature performances from the top eight leading actors and actresses. From these finalists, two students will be selected to advance to the Jimmy Awards in New York City.

The McCallum Theatre is proud to host the Lucie Arnaz Awards as part of its membership in the Broadway League, supporting the growth of musical theatre education and celebrating the extraordinary talent of young performers in our region.

About the Jimmy Awards

The National High School Musical Theatre Awards (NHSMTA)—commonly known as the Jimmy Awards—is a national talent showcase that celebrates outstanding high school musical theatre performers from across the United States.

Each participating regional awards program, including the Lucie Arnaz Awards, selects two top student performers to represent their region at the national competition. These students travel to New York City to participate in an intensive theater program culminating in a performance on a Broadway stage. At the Jimmy Awards, two students are honored with Best Performance by an Actor and Best Performance by an Actress, the highest national recognition for high school musical theatre performers.

Founded in 2009 by Nederlander Alliances LLC, Pittsburgh CLO, and Broadway Education Alliance (BEA), the mission of the NHSMTA is to elevate the importance of musical theatre education in schools, recognize dedicated teachers, and inspire the next generation of performers and theater enthusiasts.

Past Jimmy Award participants include notable Broadway performers such as two-time Tony Award nominee Eva Noblezada, star of The Great Gatsby; Renee Rapp, who reprised her Broadway role in Mean Girls for the film adaptation; and Andrew Barth Feldman, who starred in Dear Evan Hansen on Broadway and appeared alongside Jennifer Lawrence in the film No Hard Feelings.