Photo by John Moore

Thomas Beeker, Best Actor winner at the 2022 Bobby G’s, made it to the Top Eight at the National High School Musical Theatre Awards®, also known as the Jimmy Awards®.

The Jimmy Awards® took place on June 27 at the Minskoff Theatre in New York City. After a week of workshops, coaching, and training with theatre and Broadway professionals, 92 high school students from all over the country took the stage to compete for the Best Performance by an Actor and Actress awards. 

Presented by The Broadway League Foundation, the Jimmy Awards® are a national celebration of outstanding student achievement, recognizing individual artistry in vocal, dance, and acting performance and elevating the importance of theatre arts education in schools. The first in-person ceremony in three years was hosted by Kate Reinders, Broadway star and star of “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” on Disney+. 

For the first time in Jimmy Awards® history, a representative from Colorado made it to the Top Eight Finalists. Thomas Beeker, a recent graduate from Frederick High School, won the Outstanding Lead Actor award at the 2022 Bobby G Awards held at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House on May 26. The Bobby G Awards are produced annually by DCPA Education to celebrate high school musical theatre programs in Colorado. 

At the Jimmy Awards®, Beeker performed in the opening number with all nominees and was featured prominently in a tribute number to Stephen Sondheim. After the Top Eight selection, he sang a solo to a sold-out house at the Minskoff Theater, the current home of Disney’s The Lion King. He performed “Wondering” from Bridges of Madison County. 

Beeker will receive a Finalist Scholarship of $3,000 to put towards his education. He will attend Montclair State University in the fall where he will pursue a Musical Theatre degree. “We have the opportunity to tell stories that aren’t heard often. We get to be a source of inspiration to people,” Beeker shared. 

More details about the Jimmy Awards® can be found at jimmyawards.com. For more information on the Bobby G Awards, visit the DCPA NewsCenter. 

View the full list of winners and scholarship recipients.