The Gene Kelly Awards for Excellence in High School Musical Theater, named after the actor/director Gene Kelly, are given out yearly by Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera. The award was founded in 1991 and celebrates excellence in the musicals of the Pittsburgh area's high schools. Technical/design awards and group awards including Outstanding Musical are awarded in four levels based on production budget. The organization also offers scholarships to high school seniors involved in any aspect of their school's production. As of 2025, there are 34 participating schools. In 2009, the Gene Kelly Awards spawned the National High School Musical Theater Awards, nicknamed "The Jimmys", which Pittsburgh CLO co-produces with Nederlander Presentations. The Awards were cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Awards in 2021 were limited to individual awards only.
Categories Outstanding Actor Outstanding Actress Outstanding Supporting Actor Outstanding Supporting Actress Outstanding Student Artist - Individual or Group Outstanding Student Orchestra Outstanding Vocal Ensemble* Outstanding Dance Ensemble* Outstanding Crew/Technical Execution* Outstanding Scenic Design* Outstanding Costume Design* Outstanding Lighting Design* Outstanding Musical* *Awards given in four budget categories
Participating schools Avonworth High School Baldwin High School Bishop Canevin High School Brentwood High School Carlynton Jr./Sr. High School Central Catholic / Oakland Catholic High Schools Chartiers Valley High School Deer Lakes High School Elizabeth Forward High School Gateway High School Hampton High School Keystone Oaks High School McKeesport Area High School Montour High School North Hills High School Our Lady of the Sacred Heart High School Penn Hills High School Pine-Richland High School Pittsburgh Allderdice High School Pittsburgh CAPA 6-12 Plum Senior High School Quaker Valley High School Redeemer Lutheran School Riverview Jr./Sr. High School Serra Catholic High School Seton-La Salle Catholic High School Sewickley Academy Shady Side Academy Senior School Springdale Jr./Sr. High School St. Joseph High School Thomas Jefferson High School Upper St. Clair High School West Allegheny High School Westinghouse Arts Academy Woodland Hills High School
Former participants Brashear High School Bethel Park High School East Allegheny High School Eden Christian Academy Fox Chapel Area High School Moon Area High School North Allegheny High School North Catholic High School Northgate Junior – Senior High School Peabody High School Perry Traditional Academy Propel Braddock Hills Robinson Township Christian School Schenley High School Shaler Area High School South Park High School South Allegheny High School South Fayette High School Steel Valley High School Vincentian Academy West Mifflin Area High School Winchester Thurston School
Nominees and winners
2026 nominees +CategoryNomineeRoleSchoolMusicalOutstanding Scenic Design Budget Category IBishop Canevin Our Lady of the Sacred Heart
Pittsburgh Allderdice Into the Woods Hadestown: Teen Edition
CurtainsOutstanding Scenic Design Budget Category IICentral & Oakland Catholic McKeesport
PlumThe Addams Family Musical Fiddler on the Roof
SeussicalOutstanding Scenic Design Budget Category IIIElizabeth Forward North Hills
Shady Side AcademyThe Prince of Egypt Mamma Mia!
Anything Goes (2022 Revision)Outstanding Scenic Design Budget Category IVPine-Richland Thomas Jefferson
Woodland HillsChicago: Teen Edition 9 to 5
Young FrankensteinOutstanding Costume Design Budget Category IOur Lady of the Sacred Heart Saint Joseph
SpringdaleHadestown: Teen Edition Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
The Addams Family MusicalOutstanding Costume Design Budget Category IICentral & Oakland Catholic McKeesport
PlumThe Addams Family Musical Fiddler on the Roof
SeussicalOutstanding Costume Design Budget Category IIIElizabeth Forward Penn Hills
West AlleghenyThe Prince of Egypt Once on this Island
9 to 5Outstanding Costume Design Budget Category IVHampton Pine-Richland
RiverviewOnce Upon a Mattress Chicago: Teen Edition
The Addams Family MusicalOutstanding Lighting Design Budget Category IOur Lady of the Sacred Heart Pittsburgh Allderdice
Saint JosephHadestown: Teen Edition Curtains
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor DreamcoatOutstanding Lighting Design Budget Category IICentral & Oakland Catholic McKeesport
PlumThe Addams Family Musical Fiddler on the Roof
SeussicalOutstanding Lighting Design Budget Category IIIElizabeth Forward North Hills
Pittsburgh CAPAThe Prince of Egypt Mamma Mia!
Guys and DollsOutstanding Lighting Design Budget Category IVGateway Pine-Richland
Woodland HillsCatch Me If You Can Chicago: Teen Edition
Young FrankensteinOutstanding Student OrchestraAvonworth Pine-Richland
Pittsburgh Allderdice
Pittsburgh CAPA
Shady Side Academy
Thomas JeffersonThe Phantom of the Opera Chicago: Teen Edition
Curtains
Guys and Dolls
Anything Goes (2022 Revision)
9 to 5Outstanding Vocal Ensemble Budget Category IOur Lady of the Sacred Heart Pittsburgh Allderdice
Saint JosephHadestown: Teen Edition Curtains
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor DreamcoatOutstanding Vocal Ensemble Budget Category IICentral & Oakland Catholic McKeesport
PlumThe Addams Family Musical Fiddler on the Roof
SeussicalOutstanding Vocal Ensemble Budget Category IIIElizabeth Forward Pittsburgh CAPA
West AlleghenyThe Prince of Egypt Guys and Dolls
9 to 5Outstanding Vocal Ensemble Budget Category IVGateway Pine-Richland
Westinghouse Arts AcademyCatch Me If You Can Chicago: Teen Edition
Into the WoodsOutstanding Dance Ensemble Budget Category IOur Lady of the Sacred Heart Pittsburgh Allderdice
Saint JosephHadestown: Teen Edition Curtains
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor DreamcoatOutstanding Dance Ensemble Budget Category IICentral & Oakland Catholic Plum
Quaker ValleyThe Addams Family Musical Seussical
Alice By HeartOutstanding Dance Ensemble Budget Category IIIElizabeth Forward North Hills
West AlleghenyThe Prince of Egypt Mamma Mia!
9 to 5Outstanding Dance Ensemble Budget Category IVGateway Pine-Richland
Woodland HillsCatch Me If You Can Chicago: Teen Edition
Young FrankensteinOutstanding Crew/Technical Execution Budget Category IOur Lady of the Sacred Heart Pittsburgh Allderdice
Saint JosephHadestown: Teen Edition Curtains
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor DreamcoatOutstanding Crew/Technical Execution Budget Category IICentral & Oakland Catholic McKeesport
PlumThe Addams Family Musical Fiddler on the Roof
SeussicalOutstanding Crew/Technical Execution Budget Category IIIKeystone Oaks North Hills
Shady Side AcademyMamma Mia! Mamma Mia!
Anything Goes (2022 Revision)Outstanding Crew/Technical Execution Budget Category IVGateway Pine-Richland
Thomas JeffersonCatch Me If You Can Chicago: Teen Edition
9 to 5Outstanding Student ArtistAva Anderson Anastasia Bakaturski
Spencer Callaghan
Andrew Horvath
Juliet Moore Mary-Kate StockStage Manager Dramaturg
Student Director
Student Sound Technician; Lead Student Carpenter
Choreographer
Student PR LeaderGateway McKeesport
Elizabeth Forward
Thomas Jefferson
Deer Lakes
BaldwinCatch Me If You Can Fiddler on the Roof
The Prince of Egypt
9 to 5
Damn Yankees
9 to 5Outstanding Supporting ActorNathan Connelly Sonny Davis
Vincent Jackson
Robert Reed-Williams, Jr.
Lucas Sotereanos
Adam SteinerSir Harry Igor
Uncle Fester
Rapunzel's Prince
Motel
The MonsterHampton Woodland Hills
Central & Oakland Catholic
Westinghouse Arts Academy
McKeesport
Woodland HillsOnce Upon a Mattress Young Frankenstein
The Addams Family Musical
Into the Woods
Fiddler on the Roof
Young FrankensteinOutstanding Supporting ActressLola Armfield Emerson Henry
Caisey Kreg
Sophia Priore
Livia Rocco
Olivia SafranHolly Miriam
Roz Keith
Matron "Mama" Morton
Elizabeth Benning
Frau BlücherChartiers Valley Elizabeth Forward
West Allegheny
Pine-Richland
Woodland Hills
Woodland HillsThe Wedding Singer The Prince of Egypt
9 to 5
Chicago: Teen Edition
Young Frankenstein
Young FrankensteinOutstanding ActorLeo Alfieri Will Benedum
Paxon Masters
Eamonn McElfresh
Theodor Mertz
Michael PfeffercornDr. Frederick Frankenstein Baker
The Phantom
Sky Masterson
Gomez Addams
TevyeWoodland Hills Westinghouse Arts Academy
Avonworth
Pittsburgh CAPA
Central & Oakland Catholic
McKeesportYoung Frankenstein Into the Woods
The Phantom of the Opera
Guys and Dolls
The Addams Family Musical
Fiddler on the RoofOutstanding ActressElise Duckworth Marian Mangual
Lucy Myers
Parker Pile
Loren Prisuta
Annabelle WatsonRoxie Hart Sarah Brown
Christine Daaé
Donna Sheridan
Velma Kelly
Miss AdelaidePine-Richland Seton LaSalle
Avonworth
North Hills
Pine-Richland
Seton LaSalleChicago: Teen Edition Guys and Dolls
The Phantom of the Opera
Mamma Mia!
Chicago: Teen Edition
Guys and DollsOutstanding Musical Budget Category IOur Lady of the Sacred Heart Saint JosephHadestown: Teen Edition Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor DreamcoatOutstanding Musical Budget Category IICentral & Oakland Catholic PlumThe Addams Family Musical SeussicalOutstanding Musical Budget Category IIIElizabeth Forward North HillsThe Prince of Egypt Mamma Mia!Outstanding Musical Budget Category IVPine-Richland Woodland HillsChicago: Teen Edition Young Frankenstein
2025 nominees and winners +CategoryNomineeRoleSchoolMusicalOutstanding Scenic Design Budget Category IAvonworth Carlynton
Our Lady of the Sacred HeartSweeney Todd Hadestown
Children of EdenOutstanding Scenic Design Budget Category IICentral & Oakland Catholic Elizabeth Forward
WestinghouseNewsies Hadestown
The SpongeBob MusicalOutstanding Scenic Design Budget Category IIIMontour North Hills
Pittsburgh CAPADisney's The Little Mermaid Alice by Heart
Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812Outstanding Scenic Design Budget Category IVHampton Riverview
Woodland HillsHadestown Something Rotten!
HairsprayOutstanding Costume Design Budget Category IAvonworth Carlynton
Our Lady of the Sacred HeartSweeney Todd Hadestown
Children of EdenOutstanding Costume Design Budget Category IIElizabeth Forward McKeesport
WestinghouseHadestown Titanic the Musical
The SpongeBob MusicalOutstanding Costume Design Budget Category IIIMontour North Hills
Pittsburgh CAPADisney's The Little Mermaid Alice by Heart
Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812Outstanding Costume Design Budget Category IVHampton Riverview
Woodland HillsHadestown Something Rotten!
HairsprayOutstanding Lighting Design Budget Category ICarlynton Our Lady of the Sacred Heart
Pittsburgh AllderdiceHadestown Children of Eden
9 to 5: The MusicalOutstanding Lighting Design Budget Category IIChartiers Valley Elizabeth Forward
WestinghouseSomething Rotten! Hadestown
The SpongeBob MusicalOutstanding Lighting Design Budget Category IIINorth Hills Pittsburgh CAPA
West AlleghenyAlice by Heart Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812
FootlooseOutstanding Lighting Design Budget Category IVHampton Riverview
Woodland HillsHadestown Something Rotten!
HairsprayOutstanding Student OrchestraHampton North Hills
Pine-Richland
Pittsburgh Allderdice
Pittsburgh CAPA
Shady Side AcademyHadestown Alice by Heart
42nd Street
9 to 5: The Musical
Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812
We Will Rock YouOutstanding Vocal Ensemble Budget Category IAvonworth Our Lady of the Sacred Heart
Pittsburgh AllderdiceSweeney Todd Children of Eden
9 to 5: The MusicalOutstanding Vocal Ensemble Budget Category IIElizabeth Forward McKeesport
WestinghouseHadestown Titanic the Musical
The SpongeBob MusicalOutstanding Vocal Ensemble Budget Category IIINorth Hills Pittsburgh CAPA
West AlleghenyAlice by Heart Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812