On May 3, 2026, Canyon Drama attended the Jerry Herman Awards at the Montalbán Theatre in Hollywood to recognize three special actors!
The Jerry Herman Awards are a prestigious competition that celebrate the exceptional talent from high school students in Southern California. Receiving a nomination to perform and winning opens the opportunity for one boy and girl to attend the Jimmy Awards—a similar competition to the Jerry Herman Awards that is instead held in New York City and involves talent from across the United States!
Alongside the two lead actor nominations, the Jerry Herman Awards also recognize pivotal behind-the-scenes work that creates these incredible shows to come to life! These categories recognize the best of the following: Scenic Design, Lighting Design, Costume Design, Orchestra, Orchestra, Ensemble/Chorus, Musical Staging/Choreography, Musical Direction, Technical Crew, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, No Small Parts, and Production.
For this year’s Jerry Herman Awards, Canyon Drama was nominated for “Best Supporting Actor” for Brandon Davenport’s superb skills in his role of Anthony Hope in their spring production of “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street!” Although he did not win this category, Davenport’s performance was raw, stunning, and truly something you don’t see at every high school.
Alongside that nomination, the two phenomenal lead actors that qualified for the opportunity to be considered for the Jimmy Awards were Josh Ighodaro—for his performance as Sweeney Todd—and Diane Riser for her role as Johanna Barker! These two were then narrowed down to the final 40 candidates, which would soon be narrowed down to a final eight on the day of the Jerry Herman Awards.
Being selected to be a part of the top 40 candidates is already an immense honor, but Ighodaro was selected to be one of the eight final nominees. This allowed him to perform his solo song “Epiphany” from “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” in front of thousands of attendees.
His performance was nothing short of incredible. Ighodaro told the story of Sweeney Todd through his powerful voice and calculated movement, captivating the audience from the moment he stepped on stage until his final bow.
There are simply not enough words to describe his impeccable work throughout the years and the everlasting impact it leaves on audiences. Ighodaro is the epitome of a natural-born actor—an unequivocal talent that is only comparable to Broadway legends. Although he was not selected to attend the Jimmy Awards, he has a bright future ahead of him full of incredible opportunities.
Congratulations to Ighodaro, Riser, and Davenport on their truly remarkable achievements at the Jerry Herman Awards! Be sure not to miss out on the opportunity to see these three in “Little Shop of Horrors” along with the rest of the incredible Canyon Drama program! For more information, follow @chsdrama661 on Instagram for show dates, ticket sales, and other announcements!
