PIA is thrilled to announce our search for Student Reporters! This year, we're nominating outstanding student journalists to serve as a student reporter for the prestigious Jimmy Awards YouTube channel! If you have students passionate about storytelling, media, and giving voice to your school theatre community, we want to hear from you! Applications are due by March 27, 2026 @ 3:00pm.
Check out this video package of the PIA in the news in 2025.
Enrollment is open to any public, private, charter, or parochial Pennsylvania high school (grades 9-12 participants only) within a 20 mile radius of City Hall, Philadelphia. Pennsylvania schools on the immediate border of the radius may apply for an exemption for this rule. Scholarships may be available for schools with severely limited budgets by request from the Director.
The Philadelphia Independence Awards, Philly's nonprofit awards program dedicated to celebrating high school musical theater, seeks Adjudicators for its 2024-2025 season. Serving as a Philadelphia Independence Awards adjudicator is an excellent opportunity for educators (or future educators), actors, technicians, production staff, musicians, and/or graduate theater/music/arts education students.
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Two high school students from Philadelphia and Bucks County are taking their talents to the national level. Caroline Vollmer, a recent graduate from the Girard Academic Music Program, and Cameron Krauss, a senior at Neshaminy High School, will represent the Philadelphia region at the upcoming Jimmy Awards. The awards highlight the best of high school musical theatre talent and feature nominees from over 50 regions around the U.S. Vollmer and Krauss spoke with Action News Anchor Gray Hall on what this honor means to them and their schools.
The 2024 Philadelphia Independence Awards were held on May 20 at the Temple University Performing Arts Center. Thirty schools participated in this year's competition. Special thanks to Temple University and hosts Rick Williams and Jenny Lee Stern. Congratulations to the winners and to all of the schools involved!
Congratulations to this year's nominees for the Philadelphia Independence Awards. Join us at the Temple Performing Arts Center on May 20 to see who wins!
The Philadelphia Independence Awards (PIA) presented a $3000 grant to Frankford High School, a public school in the Philadelphia School District, to support their performing arts department's annual musical...
Happy New Year! We are excited to announce our fourth annual FREE high school theater Workshop Day! Please see the registration document for workshops offered this year. Workshop Day will take place on Saturday, January 27 from 9am-noon at the Kimmel Cultural Campus. Student check-in will begin at 8:30am. All students MUST pre-register, as spaces for certain workshops are limited. This year we have more focused workshops on writing and development of material in addition to marketing consultation opportunities and traditional performance workshops.
The Philadelphia Independence Awards is proud to announce that our 4th annual FREE HIGH SCHOOL THEATER WORKSHOP DAY will take place on Saturday, January 27 from 9am-noon at the Kimmel Cultural Campus! We are in the process of gathering workshops. Registration will be required and will open in a few weeks (I will communicate once it is open). You may send as many students as you like. We heard feedback from last year, and this year we will have a projections workshop sponsored by The University of the Arts along with another improv workshop sponsored by the Paper Doll Ensemble! Additionally, we will host a musical theater songwriting workshop!
The Philadelphia Independence Awards, Philly's nonprofit awards program dedicated to celebrating high school musical theater, seeks Adjudicators for its 2023-24 season. Serving as a Philadelphia Independence Awards adjudicator is an excellent opportunity for educators (or future educators), actors, technicians, production staff, musicians, and/or graduate theater/music/arts education students.
Enrollment is open to any public, private, charter, or parochial Pennsylvania high school (grades 9-12 participants only) within a 20 mile radius of City Hall, Philadelphia. Pennsylvania schools on the immediate border of the radius may apply for an exemption for this rule. Scholarships may be available for schools with severely limited budgets by request from the Director.
The Temple University Performing Arts Center was home to the 5th annual Philadelphia Independence Awards for High School Theater. On this night, twenty-one schools concluded their theater season in grand style. Hosted by Rick Williams and Jenny Lee Stern, 27 awards were presented and nine schools performed. Congratulations to the winners and to all of the schools involved!