LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — It was a big night for recent high school graduate Chris Hayes.
The Las Vegas Academy of the Arts grad won Best Performance by an Actor at the Jimmy Awards in New York, the first student from Nevada to do so, alongside fellow champion Fabiola Caraballo Quijada from Texas.
Check out some of the clips from his winning performance:
It basically means he's the best high school musical theatre actor in the nation.
That recognition also came with a scholarship worth $25,000. He joined more than 100 other students in New York this past week, learning from some of the best in the Broadway world.
It all culminated with the win and a speech thanking his teachers, siblings and parents.
"I love you guys so, so much," he said. "And really none of this could have happened without you guys. And I'd like to say hi to all of my friends back home. Hi guys. I love you guys all so much, too."
I spoke with him before the competition, and he said the Jimmy Awards were something he's been dreaming of since his freshman year.
It was also a big night for Bishop Gorman's director of performing arts Elena Ferrante-Martin.
She won the Inspiring Teacher Award. It goes to two educators who provide valuable guidance and encouragement to their students and school communities. She's also Hayes's vocal coach.
It was also a momentous night for Nevada's other contestant Marie Muñoz. She's the first actress from Nevada to compete at the Jimmy Awards two consecutive years after her debut in 2024.
“Walking in this year and meeting all of the new nominees and experiencing new coachings, new environment, not only do I have last year to help motivate me and have that in my toolbox, but I feel like now I can really stop and smell the roses. Now that I've done it once, I can really actually enjoy the experience of the Jimmy Awards,” she told me.
2025 Jimmy Award winners Chris Hayes and Fabiola Caraballo Quijada on Good Morning America
