LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB/WAVE) — Two Kentucky musical theater students are headed to New York City after being selected Sunday at the Kentucky Performing Arts (KPA) Bradley Awards in Louisville to advance to the national Jimmy Awards.
The KPA Bradley Awards, held at the Brown Theatre, recognize high school musical theater performers from across Kentucky and southern Indiana. The ceremony featured performances from students representing 35 participating schools.
Jack Nelson, a graduating senior at McCracken County High School in Paducah, and McKinley Harper, who will enter her senior year at George Rogers Clark High School in Winchester, were selected as regional finalists for the 2026 Jimmy Awards.
The nationally recognized program includes 10 days of coaching, master classes and rehearsals with Broadway professionals before culminating in an awards ceremony June 22 at the Minskoff Theatre in New York City. That event will be streamed online.
"I didn't think I would be at this stage in my life until much much later down the road," Nelson said. "So I'm very excited to perform on a Broadway stage and get to collaborate with other artists who are just as talented or more talented than me and just grow and push myself in that way."
Named for Bradley Broecker, the KPA Bradley Awards serve as the region’s official program affiliated with the Jimmy Awards.
Click here for the full list of winners from Sunday's ceremony.
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