The Jimmy Awards

Dallas talent secures back-to-back big wins at national theater awards

Fabiola Caraballo Quijada and Chris Hayes Jimmy Awards

2025 winners Fabiola Caraballo Quijada and Chris Hayes.

Photo by Rebecca J Michelson

For the second year in a row, a Dallas high school student has taken home the top honor at the National High School Musical Theatre Awards, aka the Jimmy Awards.

Tyler Legacy High School's Fabiola Caraballo Quijada, who last year placed in the top four, won Best Performance by an Actress with an already viral solo performance of "Astonishing" from the musical Little Women. This was Quijada’s third straight year performing and competing at the Jimmy Awards.

Last year, Damson Chola Jr. of Cleburne High School received the 2024 Jimmy Award for Best Performance by an Actor. This year, that honor went to Chris Hayes of Las Vegas Academy of the Arts. Braedon Carlton, from Cleburne High School, joined Quijada in competing for this year's Jimmy Awards.

Quijada will receive a $25,000 scholarship and plans on attending Texas State University in San Marcos this fall.

“It feels amazing to have been able to achieve a dream of mine three years in the making,” says Quijada. “I am so grateful for all the people who believed in me and helped me get this far, including those at Broadway Dallas who have taught me to challenge and believe in myself. I am blessed to have been given the opportunity to speak up for what means to me on the podium, and I hope I can continue to inspire stories of strength in artists like me on and offstage.”

Hosted by Josh Groban and presented by The Broadway League Foundation, the Jimmy Awards took place June 23 at the Minskoff Theatre on Broadway. Quijada and Carlton were among over 100 selected participants from 55 regional awards programs across the country who spent 10 days in New York City in rehearsals and private coaching sessions at The Juilliard School in preparation for their performance on Broadway.

To get to the Jimmy Awards, both Quijada and Carlton first competed in the 14th annual Broadway Dallas High School Musical Theatre Awards, which took place on May 17 at the Music Hall at Fair Park.

“Our nonprofit arts organization’s programs continue to grow in terms of the number of students and community members served as well as the individual impact we have on each of their lives,” says Allison Bret, director of education and community partnerships at Broadway Dallas. “Fabiola and Braedon’s success is a national recognition that Broadway Dallas’ commitment to increased access and inclusion for more students and schools at a local level is a worthwhile investment in the future of the art here and wherever these talented young students’ careers take them.”

2025 winners Fabiola Caraballo Quijada and Chris Hayes.Photo by Rebecca J Michelson

Over its 16 years, the Jimmy Awards have turned out a long roster of successful alumni. A few of the big names include pop star and actress Renee Rapp (winner, 2018); movie star Andrew Barth Feldman (winner, 2018); two-time Tony nominee Eva Noblezada (finalist, 2013); and a pair of 2025 Tony Award nominees for Best Actress in a musical, Jasmine Amy Rogers (finalist, 2017) and Julia Knitel (nominee, 2009).

Registration for the next year's Broadway Dallas High School Musical Theatre Awards is not open yet, but typically begins in August.

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Music and Fashion

Miranda Lambert's 'Velvet Rodeo' wardrobe stars in new DFW exhibition

“Miranda Lambert: Velvet Rodeo” at National Cowgirl Museum & Hall of Fame

Photo by Tyler Conrad

“Miranda Lambert: Velvet Rodeo” will open on November 7 at the National Cowgirl Museum & Hall of Fame.

Country star Miranda Lambert is bringing a bit of Las Vegas glamour and bling to North Texas. Her one-of-a-kind wardrobe from her "Velvet Rodeo" residency will go on display at the National Cowgirl Museum & Hall of Fame in Fort Worth when its new Icons Gallery opens November 7.

According to a release, the exhibition, called "Miranda Lambert: Velvet Rodeo," was created in collaboration with Lambert, and will feature costumes from the singer's Las Vegas residency, which ran from September 2022 to April 2024.

Lambert said her inspiration came from an earlier visit to the Fort Worth museum, where she spotted historic Western pieces that she photographed and sent to her stylist, Tiffany Gifford. They combined those influences with the glitz of Elvis Presley's heyday to create the "Velvet Rodeo" wardrobe.

“Seeing these pieces now have a life beyond the stage as part of the Museum’s new Icons Gallery feels really full circle and special,” Lambert said in a statement.

Visitors will now have the opportunity to study garments usually seen in motion and under stage lights, appreciating the details that help transform clothing into an essential part of a performance.

The Icons Gallery is part of the Museum’s 16,000-square-foot expansion, which introduces new galleries and experiences that explore the accomplishments and influence of women of the West. The $19 million expansion features a new entrance facing Dickies Arena, new galleries including a photography gallery, an event space accommodating up to 250, and the new Cowgirl Carousel.

Miranda Lambert, right, with rodeo queens onstage at the 45th Cowgirl Hall of Fame Induction Luncheon at Dickies Arena. Photo by Ashley Gongora

Lambert, who was inducted into the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame in 2021, is an active mounted shooting competitor and horsewoman, giving her a connection to the West that reaches beyond her music. "Velvet Rodeo" brings together Lambert's identity as a cowgirl and her creative expression as a performer.

“Miranda’s confidence, determination and independence make her a wonderful representative of the women we honor,” says Pat Riley, executive director of the National Cowgirl Museum & Hall of Fame, in the release. “Opening our Icons Gallery with this collaboration celebrates her accomplishments while giving visitors a new way to connect with a cowgirl they know and admire.”

According to a museum spokesperson, the temporary exhibition will remain on display for at least one year; no specific end date was given.

In preparation for the expansion grand opening, the Cowgirl will be closed to the public beginning October 19 and will reopen November 7, with a members-only preview at 10 am and a public opening at noon.

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