{{Short description|American choreographer and director}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2021}} {{Infobox person | name = Jamal Sims | image = <!-- filename only, no "File:" or "Image:" prefix, and no enclosing brackets --> | alt = <!-- descriptive text for use by speech synthesis (text-to-speech) software --> | caption = | birth_name = <!-- only use if different from name --> | birth_date = | birth_place = Pomona, California, U.S. | death_date = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} (DEATH date then BIRTH date) --> | death_place = | other_names = | occupation = {{hlist|director}} {{hlist|choreographer}} {{hlist|executive producer}} | years_active = | known_for = | notable_works = }} '''Jamal Sims''' is an American choreographer, executive producer, and director.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Choreographer Jamal Sims Talks Directorial Debut With Queer Underground Dance Documentary 'When the Beat Drops'|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/pride/8301677/jamal-sims-when-the-beat-drops-bucking-documentary-interview |last=Street |first=Mikelle |date=October 4, 2018|access-date=November 2, 2020|magazine=Billboard}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Tangcay|first=Jazz|date=January 31, 2020|title=RuPaul and Choreographer Jamal Sims on Bringing 'Drag Race' to Vegas|url=https://variety.com/2020/artisans/awards/rupauls-drag-race-vegas-jamal-sims-1203488647/|access-date=November 2, 2020|magazine=Variety}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Idelson|first=Karen|date=August 8, 2019|title='Descendants 3' Choreographer Mixed Dancing, Acting and Sword Fighting|url=https://variety.com/2019/artisans/production/descendants-3-choreographer-sword-fighting-1203295770/|access-date=November 2, 2020|magazine=Variety}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Stephenson |first=Cassidy |date=2022-09-23 |title=Beauty and the Beast: Shania Twain and Martin Short in Talks to Join ABC Special |url=https://www.cbr.com/martin-short-shania-twain-join-beauty-beast-special/ |access-date=2022-09-25 |website=CBR |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Career== Sims created the choreography for Miley Cyrus' 2009 promotional single "Hoedown Throwdown" for ''Hannah Montana: The Movie''. He also served as the director and choreographer for Cyrus' 2009 ''Wonder World Tour''.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Beck|first=Michael A.|date=January 2010|title=Miley Cyrus: Queen of Gags|journal=Mobile Production Monthly|publisher=Tour Guide Publications|volume=3|issue=1|page=36|url=http://mobileproductionpro.com/publications/mpm_issues/mobile_production_monthly_v3_i1.pdf|access-date=January 30, 2011|archive-date=October 11, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101011020423/http://mobileproductionpro.com/publications/mpm_issues/mobile_production_monthly_v3_i1.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>
Since 2014, Sims has regularly appeared in ''RuPaul’s Drag Race'' as a choreographer and guest judge. His directorial debut, ''When the Beat Drops'', premiered on Logo TV in 2018.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Shea|first=Ryan|date=August 9, 2018|title=World-Renowned Choreographer Jamal Sims Discusses His New Documentary|url=https://instinctmagazine.com/world-renowned-choreographer-jamal-sims-discusses-his-new-documentary/|access-date=November 2, 2020|magazine=Instinct}}</ref>
In 2022, Sims becomes a choreographer for season 2 of ''RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Eakin |first=Marah |date=2022-08-12 |title=RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race Recap: Here We Go Again |url=https://www.vulture.com/article/rupauls-secret-celebrity-drag-race-season-2-episode-1-recap.html |access-date=2022-09-25 |website=Vulture |language=en-us |archive-date=September 25, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220925025120/https://www.vulture.com/article/rupauls-secret-celebrity-drag-race-season-2-episode-1-recap.html |url-status=live }}</ref> It was announced to the public that Sims would be serving as executive producer and choreographer for the ''Beauty and the Beast'' television special on ABC, starring Shania Twain and Martin Short.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Malkin |first1=Marc |date=2022-09-22 |title=Martin Short and Shania Twain in Final Talks to Join 'Beauty and the Beast' TV Special (EXCLUSIVE) |url=https://variety.com/2022/tv/columns/martin-short-shania-twain-beauty-and-the-beast-abc-1235379916/ |access-date=2022-09-25 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref>
== Personal life == Sims is of African descent and he is gay. His biggest influence is Michael Jackson. He spent most of his childhood in Atlanta, Georgia.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-08-22 |title=When The Beat Drops Bucking Movie |url=https://www.theroot.com/when-the-beat-drops-proves-that-bucking-started-with-bl-1828403472 |access-date=2022-09-25 |website=The Root |language=en-us |archive-date=September 25, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220925033545/https://www.theroot.com/when-the-beat-drops-proves-that-bucking-started-with-bl-1828403472 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=August 09 |first1=Joseph Longo |last2=EDT |first2=2018 at 03:02 PM |title='When the Beat Drops' honors a queer dance world beyond 'Pose' |url=https://ew.com/tv/2018/08/09/when-the-beat-drops-documentary/ |access-date=2022-09-25 |website=EW.com |language=en}}</ref>
In 2019, Sims and his life partner Octavius Terry-Sims ended their marriage.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-12-20 |title=Gay Power Couple Jamal Sims and Octavius Terry-Sims Announce They Are Splitting Up |url=https://www.aazios.com/articles/gay-power-couple-jamal-sims-and-octavius-terry-sims-announce-they-are-splitting |access-date=2022-09-25 |website=www.aazios.com |language=en |archive-date=September 25, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220925034628/https://www.aazios.com/articles/gay-power-couple-jamal-sims-and-octavius-terry-sims-announce-they-are-splitting |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Kozma |first=Leila |date=2021-07-09 |title=Who Is 'RuPaul's Drag Race' Star Jamal Sims Dating Now? He and His Hubby Broke up in 2019 |url=https://www.distractify.com/p/jamal-sims-husband |access-date=2022-09-25 |website=Distractify |language=en-US |archive-date=September 25, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220925035105/https://www.distractify.com/p/jamal-sims-husband |url-status=live }}</ref>
== Filmography ==
=== Film === {| class="wikitable" |+ !Year !Title !Role !Notes |- |2001 |''Vanilla Sky'' |Himself |rowspan=2|Choreographer |- | rowspan="2" |2004 |''After the Sunset'' |Himself |- |''Garfield: The Movie'' |Himself |Dance choreographer |- |2005 |''Beauty Shop'' |Himself |rowspan=2|Choreographer |- |2006 |''Step Up'' |Himself |- | rowspan="2" |2007 |''Hairspray'' |Himself |Associate choreographer |- |''Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story'' |Himself |Assistant choreographer |- | rowspan="3" |2008 |''Get Smart'' |Himself |rowspan=6|Choreographer |- |''Step Up 2: The Streets'' |Himself |- |''Soul Men'' |Himself |- | rowspan="3" |2009 |''17 Again'' |Himself |- |''Hannah Montana: The Movie'' |Himself |- |''Year One'' |Himself |- | rowspan="3" |2010 |''Madonna: Sticky & Sweet Tour'' |Himself |rowspan=2|Choreographer; Concert film |- |''Miley Cyrus: Live at the O2'' |Himself |- |''Step Up 3D'' |Himself |Supervising choreographer |- | rowspan="3" |2011 |''Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son'' |Himself |rowspan=6|Choreographer |- |''Footloose'' |Himself |- |''Jack and Jill'' |Himself |- | rowspan="2" |2012 |''Step Up Revolution'' |Himself |- |''VeggieTales: The Princess and the Popstar'' |Himself |- | rowspan="2" |2013 |''The Best Man Holiday'' |Himself |- |''Shoshana Bean: Cold Turkey'' |Himself |Director; Short film |- |2014 |''Step Up All In'' |Himself |Choreographer; associate producer |- |2018 |''When the Beat Drops'' |Himself |Director |- | rowspan="2" |2019 |''Aladdin'' |Himself |Choreographer; dance double |- |''Descendants 3'' |Dr. Facilier |Also choreographer |- | rowspan="2" |2021 |''Encanto'' |rowspan=3|Himself |rowspan=3|Choreography |- |''He's All That'' |- |2022 |''13: The Musical'' |}
=== Television === {| class="wikitable" |+ !Year !Title !Role !Notes |- |2005 |''Six Feet Under'' |Himself |Choreographer; "The Rainbow of Her Reasons" |- |2009 |''Teen Choice Awards 2009'' |Himself |rowspan=4|Choreographer |- | rowspan="3" |2010 |''82nd Annual Academy Awards'' |Himself |- |''Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards 2010'' |Himself |- |''Teen Choice Awards 2010'' |Himself |- |2011 |''RuPaul's Drag U'' (season 2) |Himself |Choreographer; "Nominated by Loved Ones" and "Mama Mia, I Need Help!" |- |2012 |''S2udio City'' |Himself |Consulting producer - 10 episodes Director - 5 episodes |- |2014 |''RuPaul's Drag Race'' (season 6) |Himself |Guest Judge/Choreographer; "Sissy That Walk" |- |2015 |''RuPaul's Drag Race'' (season 7) |Himself |Choreographer; "Glamazonian Airways" |- |rowspan="2"|2016 |''RuPaul's Drag Race'' (season 8) |Himself |Guest Judge/Choreographer; "Bitch Perfect" |- |''So You Think You Can Dance: The Next Generation'' |Himself |Guest choreographer |- |- |2019 |''RuPaul's Drag Race'' (season 11) |Himself |Choreographer: "Grand Finale" |- |2020 |''RuPaul's Drag Race'' (season 12) |Himself |Choreographer; "Madonna: The Unauthorized Rusical" and "Grand Finale" Guest Judge/Choreographer; "Viva Drag Vegas" |- | |''RuPaul's Drag Race: Vegas Revue'' |Himself |Choreographer |- | rowspan="3" |2021 |''Barbie: Big City, Big Dreams'' |Himself |Choreographer; TV Movie |- |''RuPaul's Drag Race'' (season 13) |Himself |Guest Judge; "Condragulations" and "Social Media: The Unverified Rusical" Choreographer; "Gettin' Lucky" |- |''RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars'' (season 6) |Himself |Guest Judge; "Halftime Headliners" Choreographer; "This Is Our Country" |- | rowspan="3" |2022 |''Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration'' |Himself |Choreographer and co-executive producer; TV special |- |''Encanto at the Hollywood Bowl'' |Himself |Director; TV special |- |''RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race'' (season 2) |Himself |Choreographer |- |2023 |''Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies'' |Himself |Choreographer |- | rowspan="3" |2024 |''RuPaul's Drag Race'' (season 16) |Himself |Guest Judge/Choreographer; "Werq the World" |- |''RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars'' (season 9) |Himself |Guest appearance; "Grand Finale Variety Extravaganza: Part 2" |- |''RuPaul's Drag Race Global All Stars'' |Himself |Main judge |- | rowspan="2" |2025 |''RuPaul's Drag Race'' (season 17) |Himself |Guest Judge/Choreographer; "The Wicked Wiz of Oz: The Rusical!" Guest Judge; "Grand Finale" |- |''RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars'' (season 10) |Himself |Choreographer; "Winner Winner, Chicken Dinner" Guest Judge/Choreographer; "Stagecooch" |- | rowspan="2" |2026 |''RuPaul's Drag Race'' (season 18) |Himself |Guest appearance; "You Can't Keep a Good Drag Queen Down!" Guest Judge; "Drag Queens for Change", "All RuPaul-A-Paruza Smackdown" and "Grand Finale"
Guest Judge/Choreographer; "Fannie: The Hard Knock Ball Rusical" |- |''RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars'' (season 11) |Himself |Guest Judge; "Duets: It Takes Two" |}
==Awards and nominations== ===Emmy Awards=== {| class="wikitable" |- !| Year !| Category !| Work !| Result !| Ref. |- |align="center" rowspan="3"| 2023 | Outstanding Choreography for Scripted Programming | ''Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies'' | {{nom}} | rowspan="5"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/jamal-sims|title=Jamal Sims Emmy History|accessdate=July 30, 2025}}</ref> |- |rowspan="4"| Outstanding Choreography for Variety or Reality Programming | ''Encanto at the Hollywood Bowl'' | {{nom}} |- | ''Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration'' | {{nom}} |- |align="center"| 2024 | ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' | {{nom}} |- |align="center"| 2025 | ''The Lion King at the Hollywood Bowl'' | {{pending}} |- |}
===GLAAD Media Awards=== {| class="wikitable" |- !| Year !| Category !| Work !| Result !| Ref. |- |align="center"| 2018 | Outstanding Documentary | ''When the Beat Drops'' | {{nom}} | <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-glaad-media-awards-nominees-lgbtq-20190125-story.html|title='The Favourite,' 'Crazy Rich Asians' and 'Pose' are among GLAAD Media Awards nominees|author=Sonaiya Kelley|date=January 25, 2019|accessdate=July 30, 2025}}</ref> |- |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1744801/ Jamal Sims] at IMDb * [https://www.queerty.com/beat-drops-creators-sissy-shaming-conformity-nasty-lie-20180809 Article about Sims] in ''Queerty'' * [https://thegrapevine.theroot.com/when-the-beat-drops-proves-that-bucking-started-with-bl-1828403472 Article about Sims] in ''The Root''
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sims, Jamal}} Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Living people Category:African-American LGBTQ people Category:American choreographers Category:American gay men Category:American LGBTQ directors Category:LGBTQ choreographers Category:LGBTQ people from Georgia (U.S. state) Category:People from Atlanta