Two NY Teens to Sing it Out at Jimmy Awards
Emersyn Hunt and Jacob A. Solomon, who both were recently named an Outstanding Performer at the 2026 Roger Rees awards, will represent NYC at the upcoming 2026 Jimmy Awards, the coveted annual National High School Musical Theatre awards show.
| 17 Jun 2026 | 02:07
Emersyn Hunt (left) and Jacob Solomon (right) will represent Greater NY at the annual Jimmy Awards June 22 after winning Outstanding Performer at the 2026 Roger Rees Awards in May. (
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After winning the top award at the annual Roger Rees Awards, two teens were nominated to represent Greater NY at the 2026 Jimmy Awards, which celebrates talented high school students in musical theatre: the ‘next generation of Broadway talent.’
Emersyn Hunt, a junior at the Professional Performing Arts School in midtown NYC, and Jacob A. Solomon, a senior at Hauppauge High School in Long Island NY, will take to the stage June 22 for the 2026 Jimmy Awards at the Minskoff Theatre. The event and showcase, which will be hosted by comedian Bowen Yang, is the culmination of a one-week theatre intensive with Broadway professionals.
Established in 2009, the Jimmy Awards, named after Broadway producer James M. Nederlander, sought to reward ‘excellence in student performance, providing students with the opportunity to win scholarships and awards—including the top designation of ‘Best Performance by an Actor and Actress.’ From the Jimmy Awards, over 90 alumni have gone on to perform on Broadway and on National Tours.
The 116 nominees for this year’s Jimmy Awards were selected through regional competitions. Hunt and Solomon were nominated through their success at the NY Roger Rees Awards May 19, where they were both named ‘Outstanding Performer.’ Hunt was nominated for her performance as Beverley in “Come From Away,” while Solomon was nominated for his rendition of Nick Bottom in “Something Rotten!”
Monday’s event marks the Broadway debut for all of nominees and will be available to stream live.