Metro Atlanta teen earns one of the nation's top high school theater honors

A metro Atlanta teenager is starting his senior year with one of the nation's highest honors in high school musical theater.

Jake James of Milton High School is the 2026 winner of the Jimmy Award for best lead actor.

"It was insane. I actually got to be there, and I feel like I pulled my husband's arm out of his socket," said Micki Ankiel, the theater director at Milton High School. "I leapt up so fast when they called his name."

James has been performing in musical theater since elementary school.

"It actually started because of my sister. She always did theater, and I did baseball, so we were always kind of separate," James said. "She told me, 'Hey, you should come and do a little one-month camp over the summer.'"

He has been hooked ever since, even giving up baseball to take acting more seriously.

"Once I started doing theater and actually diving into the work, not just having fun, but devoting time to working on characters and being able to be a different person on stage, that's when I really fell in love with things and could see myself doing this forever," James said.

Forever is not just a pipe dream for the high school senior after winning the Jimmy Award.

"The Jimmys are the national high school musical theater awards up in New York," James said. "If you are a winner of your regional program for best actor or actress, you are eligible to go to the Jimmys."

What does the future hold for James?

"I want to go to college. I want to do a BFA in musical theater. That's the goal," James said. "Most importantly, I just want to have my senior year, get my diploma, walk the stage with all my friends, have a good time this year and just be a kid for now."

The Broadway stage can wait — for now.