Jake James, a 17-year-old student at City Springs Theatre Conservatory in Sandy Springs, won the 2026 National High School Musical Theatre Award and a $25,000 scholarship on Monday, June 22, at Broadway's Minskoff Theatre in New York City.

The honor, commonly called the Jimmy Award, is the nation's highest recognition in high school musical theater. James is a rising senior at Milton High School.

"Honestly, not even a little bit," James told Fox 5 Atlanta when asked whether he expected to win. "The entire week leading up, I hadn't even thought about that being a possibility."

James earned his spot at the national competition by winning Georgia's Shuler Hensley Award for his performance as Jacob Jankowski in Milton High School's production of "Water for Elephants." At the Jimmys, hosted by actor Bowen Yang, he performed two solos: "Silver Stars" from "Water for Elephants" and "It's Hard to Speak My Heart" from "Parade." The "Parade" number clinched the win.

Tony-winning composer Jason Robert Brown shared video of the performance on Instagram, writing that James "beautifully embodied" the song, according to ArtsATL.

Days after the ceremony, James stepped into the role of Nathan Detroit in City Springs Theatre Conservatory's production of "Guys and Dolls," the Conservatory's annual summer musical. The four-performance run drew more than 2,700 audience members and featured a cast of over 40 area students. Broadway veterans Kristine Reese ("Les Misérables") and Billy Tighe ("Pippin," "The Heart of Rock and Roll") directed.

Shuler Hensley, the Tony Award-winning artistic director of City Springs Theatre Company and the namesake of Georgia's high school theater awards, said James's win was "so well deserved, not only for his raw talent but also his work ethic and kindness to fellow actors."

Reese, who also serves as head of recruitment and curriculum at the Conservatory, told ArtsATL that James's poise at the Jimmys didn't surprise her. "His work is sophisticated and nuanced in all the ways," she said.

Before committing to theater, James was a competitive baseball player. He credits Milton High School theatre director Lynda Micki Ankiel with developing his talents. James told ArtsATL he plans to finish his senior year at Milton. He dreams of one day playing Ponyboy in the musical "The Outsiders."

James appeared live on Good Morning America after the win. The Jimmy Awards have been held annually since 2009, and previous winners include Broadway and film performers Eva Noblezada, Andrew Barth Feldman, and Renée Rapp.