Gene Kelly Awards
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*
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
- 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
- Plum Senior High School
- 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
2025 nominees and winners
2024 nominees and winners
| Category | Nominee | Role | School | Musical |
| Best Scenic Design Budget Category I | --- --- --- | --- --- --- | Bishop Canevin Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Shady Side Academy | All Shook Up Oklahoma! Zombie Prom |
| Best Scenic Design Budget Category II | --- --- --- | --- --- --- | Avonworth Quaker Valley West Allegheny | Into The Woods The Addams Family Bye Bye Birdie |
| Best Scenic Design Budget Category III | --- --- --- | --- --- --- | Elizabeth Forward North Hills Pittsburgh CAPA | Big Fish The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Sweeney Todd |
| Best Scenic Design Budget Category IV | --- --- --- | --- --- --- | Hampton Pine-Richland Thomas Jefferson | Tuck Everlasting Mamma Mia! Beauty And The Beast |
| Best Costume Design Budget Category I | --- --- --- | --- --- --- | Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Saint Joseph Shady Side Academy | Oklahoma! Tarzan Zombie Prom |
| Best Costume Design Budget Category II | --- --- --- | --- --- --- | Avonworth Quaker Valley Serra Catholic | Into The Woods The Addams Family The Addams Family |
| Best Costume Design Budget Category III | --- --- --- | --- --- --- | North Hills Pittsburgh CAPA Westinghouse | The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Sweeney Todd Chicago |
| Best Costume Design Budget Category IV | --- --- --- | --- --- --- | Hampton Thomas Jefferson Woodland Hills | Tuck Everlasting Beauty and the Beast Wonderland |
| Best Lighting Design Budget Category I | --- --- --- | --- --- --- | Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Saint Joseph Shady Side Academy | Oklahoma! Tarzan Zombie Prom |
| Best Lighting Design Budget Category II | --- --- --- | --- --- --- | Avonworth Quaker Valley West Allegheny | Into The Woods The Addams Family Bye Bye Birdie |
| Best Lighting Design Budget Category III | --- --- --- | --- --- --- | North Hills Pittsburgh CAPA Westinghouse | The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Sweeney Todd Chicago |
| Best Lighting Design Budget Category IV | --- --- --- | --- --- --- | Pine-Richland Thomas Jefferson Woodland Hills | Mamma Mia! Beauty and the Beast Wonderland |
| Best Student Orchestra | --- --- --- --- --- --- | --- --- --- --- --- --- | Hampton North Hills Pine-Richland Shady Side Academy Thomas Jefferson Westinghouse | Tuck Everlasting The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Mamma Mia! Zombie Prom Beauty and the Beast Chicago |
| Best Vocal Ensemble Budget Category I | --- --- --- | --- --- --- | Bishop Canevin Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Shady Side Academy | All Shook Up Oklahoma! Zombie Prom |
| Best Vocal Ensemble Budget Category II | --- --- --- | --- --- --- | Avonworth Quaker Valley West Allegheny | Into The Woods The Addams Family Bye Bye Birdie |
| Best Vocal Ensemble Budget Category III | --- --- --- | --- --- --- | North Hills Pittsburgh CAPA Westinghouse | The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Sweeney Todd Chicago |
| Best Vocal Ensemble Budget Category IV | --- --- --- | --- --- --- | Hampton Thomas Jefferson Woodland Hills | Tuck Everlasting Beauty and the Beast Wonderland |
| Best Dance Ensemble Budget Category I | --- --- --- | --- --- --- | Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Saint Joseph Shady Side Academy | Oklahoma! Tarzan Zombie Prom |
| Best Dance Ensemble Budget Category II | --- --- --- | --- --- --- | Quaker Valley Sewickley Academy West Allegheny | The Addams Family Singin' In The Rain Bye Bye Birdie |
| Best Dance Ensemble Budget Category III | --- --- --- | --- --- --- | North Hills Pittsburgh CAPA Westinghouse | The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Sweeney Todd Chicago |
| Best Dance Ensemble Budget Category IV | --- --- --- | --- --- --- | Hampton Thomas Jefferson Woodland Hills | Tuck Everlasting Beauty and the Beast Wonderland |
| Best Crew/Technical Execution Budget Category I | --- --- --- | --- --- --- | Bishop Canevin Saint Joseph Shady Side Academy | All Shook Up Tarzan Zombie Prom |
| Best Crew/Technical Execution Budget Category II | --- --- --- | --- --- --- | Avonworth Keystone Oaks McKeesport | Into The Woods Anything Goes Joseph... |
| Best Crew/Technical Execution Budget Category III | --- --- --- | --- --- --- | North Hills Pittsburgh CAPA Westinghouse | The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Sweeney Todd Chicago |
| Best Crew/Technical Execution Budget Category IV | --- --- --- | --- --- --- | Pine-Richland Thomas Jefferson Woodland Hills | Mamma Mia! Beauty and the Beast Wonderland |
| Outstanding Student Artist | Brady Bandik Bree Boyd Kennedy Edwards Sophie Feldhues Abigail Gindlesperger Bailey Linza | Lighting Designer Student Producer Stage Manager Dance Captain Student Director Choreographer | Thomas Jefferson Woodland Hills Gateway Our Lady Of The Sacred Heart Elizabeth Forward Saint Joseph | Beauty and the Beast Wonderland Chicago Oklahoma! Big Fish Saint Joseph |
| Best Supporting Actor | Cole Johnston Jack Kelly Leo Matthews Eamonn McElfresh Jack Miller Javian Ortega-Rodriguez | Vice Principal Douglas Panch Chip Tolentino Jud Fry Tobias Ragg Fester Adams Beadle Bamford | North Hills North Hills Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Pittsburgh CAPA Quaker Valley Pittsburgh CAPA | The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Oklahoma! Sweeney Todd The Addams Famils Sweeney Todd |
| Best Supporting Actress | Sophia Burik Kelly Campion Addy Janicki Kayleigh Johnson Rissa Williams Jay Zhu | Rona Lisa Peretti Marie Mama Morton Mrs. Potts Beggar Woman Delilah Strict | North Hills Baldwin Westinghouse Thomas Jefferson Pittsburgh CAPA Shady Side Academy | The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Cinderella Chicago Beauty and the Beast Sweeney Todd Zombie Prom |
| Best Actor | Zachary Burkovich Mateo Carrasco Tyler Guinto-Brody Severin Harmon Max Peluso Kai Sachon | Shrek Gomez Addams Edward Bloom Cosmo Brown Don Lockwood Sweeney Todd | Penn Hills Carlynton Elizabeth Forward Sewickley Academy Sewickley Academy Pittsburgh CAPA | Shrek The Addams Family Big Fish Singin' In The Rain Singin' In The Rain Sweeney Todd |
| Best Actress | Emma Hopf Hope Johnson Mariana Mangual Lucy Myers Paulina Sanchez Olivia Virgin | William Barfee Mrs. Lovett Dorothy The Witch Roxie Hart Belle | North Hills Pittsburgh CAPA Seton LaSalle Avonworth Montour Thomas Jefferson | The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Sweeney Todd The Wizard of Oz Into The Woods Chicago Beauty and the Beast |
| Best Musical Budget Category I | --- --- --- | --- --- --- | Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Saint Joseph | Oklahoma Tarzan |
| Best Musical Budget Category II | --- --- --- | --- --- --- | Avonworth Quaker Valley | Into The Woods The Addams Family |
| Best Musical Budget Category III | --- --- --- | --- --- --- | North Hills Westinghouse | The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Chicago |
| Best Musical Budget Category IV | --- --- --- | --- --- --- | Thomas Jefferson Woodland Hills | Beauty and the Beast Wonderland |