Road to the Jimmys 2026, Episode 1: Geoffrey Ko, The Jimmy Awards Music Supervisor
Ko shares how the Jimmy Awards combine professional training, performance and mentorship for talented teens from across America
(Photo by Jenny Anderson for Broadway.com)
What to Know
- The Jimmy Awards bring together top high school musical theater performers from across the U.S. and will take place on June 22 at Broadway’s Minskoff Theatre
- Broadway music supervisor and conductor Geoffrey Ko oversees all music for the Jimmy Awards, including arranging and conducting the ceremony’s opening and closing numbers
- Beyond the competition, the Jimmy Awards provide mentorship, training and professional Broadway experience, giving young performers the opportunity to learn directly from industry professionals and prepare for future careers in theater
If the Tony Awards speak to what’s happening on Broadway now, the Jimmy Awards forecast Broadway's future. Formally known as the National High School Musical Theatre Awards, the Jimmy Awards are an annual celebration of outstanding musical theater talent in high schools across America—from Dallas to Des Moines, San Antonio to San Diego, Memphis to Minneapolis. This year's Jimmy Awards will be held on June 22 at the Minskoff Theatre. Until then, The Broadway Show will be chronicling the Road to the Jimmys, spotlighting a few of the regional competitions that send their most talented teens to New York City each spring.
Participating in the Jimmy Awards is an opportunity for young performers from across the country to learn directly from the professionals shaping Broadway today, and few embody that spirit more than music supervisor and conductor Geoffrey Ko. Ko, whose Broadway credits include Titanique, The Notebook and Be More Chill, helps bring the Jimmy Awards to life each year, working closely with nominees as they prepare for one of the most exciting weeks of their young careers. From arranging large-scale musical numbers to mentoring emerging talent, he plays a major role in creating the experience that is the Jimmy Awards.
Ko is responsible for all of the music during the week of rehearsal leading up to the ceremony, as well as arranging the opening and closing numbers that will be performed on stage at the Minskoff Theatre. He also serves as Music Director for those performances, and conducts the ceremony as it plays out. “It is a theatrical experience,” Ko says. “We are putting on a show. But at the end of the day, we want to make sure it is both a good experience and a learning experience for [the nominees]. We want to make sure there’s an educational aspect of it and that we are always holding them to a high professional standard.”
Watch the video below!