MADISON — Wisconsin’s brightest high school musical theater talent takes center stage this June at the 2026 Jerry Awards. The 2026 celebration expands to 118 productions and two high-energy award shows at 3:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Sunday, June 7 in Overture Hall.
Each show will feature a unique lineup of students from participating schools, with standout performances by Outstanding Award recipients, giving audiences two chances to experience the passion and talent thriving in Wisconsin schools. With two performances, this year’s format opens the doors to more of the students’ family members and friends — and the public — to be part of the excitement.
Tickets ($41 each or $28 for students) are now on sale at overture.org. Tickets sell out quickly. A livestream option is available for those who can’t be in person. Livestream tickets are Pay What You Wish ($10 minimum).
This year’s Jerry Awards honor more than 500 student achievements from productions in 100 communities statewide, showcasing excellence across schools of all sizes and resources. The celebration continues as two Outstanding Lead Performers, selected on Monday, May 25, will go on to represent the program at the National High School Musical Theatre Awards (Jimmy Awards) in New York City.
To view the complete list of award recipients, go to https://www.overture.org/engage/jerry-awards-ensemble/.
Participation statistics for the 2025/26 season:
● 118 productions
● 101 schools/community theater organizations
● 43 schools are represented in the 56 Outstanding Lead Performance Award recipients
● 31 counties
● 62 reviewers (At least 2 attended each production)
● 265+ Awards presented
● 118,000 people involved in the Jerry Awards through engagement with their local high school musical.
Local schools and their performances include:
● Monroe High School “Shrek the Musical”
● New Glarus High School “Big Fish: School Edition”
2025-2026 Jerry Award Recipients
Outstanding Ensemble
● Monroe High School — Shrek: The Musical
Spirit Award
● Mylee Evonovich — Monroe High School — Shrek the Musical
Outstanding Youth Performance
● Jay Maliszewski — Shrek: The Musical — Young Shrek
