This list will get you psyched for Broadway's biggest night.
Broadway’s biggest night, the Tony Awards, is almost here. It all gets underway Sunday, June 16, at 6:30 p.m. PT/3:30 p.m. PT with The Tony Awards: Act One, co-hosted by Julianne Hough and Utkarsh Ambudkar. That 90-minute pre-show, where many of the technical awards are presented, streams on Pluto TV (click on the “ET” channel).
Immediately following, at 8:00 p.m. PT/5 p.m. PT, CBS will air the 77th Annual Tony Awards, withAriana DeBosehosting for the third year in a row. The three-hour show will also stream onParamount+in the U.S. Both shows will be held at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City.
The Tony telecast is set to include performances from all five nominees for best musical (Hell’s Kitchen, Illinoise, The Outsiders, SuffsandWater for Elephants) and from three of the four nominees for best revival of a musical (Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club, Merrily We Roll Along and The Who’s Tommy).The Tonys will not include a performance from the fourth nominee for best revival of a musical,Gutenberg! The Musical!,which closed on Jan. 28.
The telecast is also set to feature a performance fromStereophonic, the “play with music” written by Will Butler, formerly of Arcade Fire. Stereophonic tied withHell’s Kitchen, a musical based on the music ofAlicia Keys, for the most nominations of any production this year (13).
To get you primed for Sunday’s show, here’s a list of 25 Tony Awards record-holders.
Production with the most nominations
Hamilton: An American Musical(2016) — 16. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical went on to win 11 awards. The play with the most nominations is Stereophonic (2024) – 13.
Production with the most awards
The Producers, the new Mel Brooks musical(2001) — 12.
Musical that has won the most awards, counting all of its Broadway productions
Rodgers and Hammerstein’sSouth Pacific— 17. The original 1949 production won 10 Tonys. The 2008 revival won seven. (Bonus facts: The original is the only show in Broadway history to sweep all four acting categories. The 2008 production won more Tonys than any other musical revival in history.)
Musicals with the most nominations that didn’t win any awards
The Scottsboro Boys (2011) and Mean Girls (2018). In addition, one play went 0-12 on Tony night: Slave Play (2020).
Most wins in one night by an individual
Trey Parker forThe Book of Mormon(2011). Parker won for best book of a musical, best score, best direction and (under the name Important Musicals LLC, a company he headed with his partner, Matt Stone) best musical.
First best musical winner where one person single-handedly wrote the book, music and lyrics
The Mystery of EdwinDrood(1986,Rupert Holmes). Holmes is known to music fans for topping the Billboard Hot 100 as both artist and songwriter in 1979 with “Escape (The Pina Colada Song).” Four subsequent best musical winners have equaled this feat: Rent(1996, Jonathan Larson);Hamilton: An American Musical(2016,Lin-Manuel Miranda);Hadestown(2019, Anaïs Mitchell) and A Strange Loop (2022, Michael R. Jackson).
First show to win as best musical where the book, music and lyrics were all written by women
Fun Home(2015). Lisa Kron wrote the book and lyrics. Jeanine Tesori composed the music.
Only tie for best musical
The Sound of MusicandFiorello!(1960).The Sound of Musicis far more famous today, butFiorello!, aboutFiorello La Guardia, mayor of New York City from 1934-46, won a Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
Best musical winner with the shortest Broadway run
Passion(1994), with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, closed after just 280 performances.
Only show to win best musical after closing
Hallelujah, Baby!(1968). The show, which starredLeslie Uggams, won the Tony on April 21. It had closed on Jan. 13.
Youngest and oldest winners for best lead actress in a musical
Liza Minnelli was the youngest. The second-generation star was just 19 in 1965 when she won her first Tony for Flora, the Red Menace. Bette Midler was the oldest. She was 71 in 2017 when she won for a revival of Hello, Dolly!
Performer with the most awards won in competition
Audra McDonald (six). McDonald’s awards are split evenly between plays and musicals.
Most wins for best actress in a musical
Angela Lansbury(four). She won forMame(1966),Dear World(1969),Gypsy(1975) andSweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street(1979). In addition, Lansbury has hosted more Tony telecasts than anyone else—five between 1968-89.
Youngest winner for best score
Lin-Manuel Miranda was just 28 when he won forIn the Heights.
First Black composer to win for best original score
Charlie Smalls for The Wiz (1975). The score yielded such enduring songs as “Ease on Down the Road” and “Home.” The only previous Black winner in the category was poet Langston Hughes, who wrote the lyrics for the first winner, Street Scene (1947), which was composed by Kurt Weill.
First Black performers to win best actress and best actor in a musical
Diahann Carroll inNo Strings(1962) and Cleavon Little inPurlie(1970), respectively.
First Asian performer to win best actress in a musical
Lea SalongainMiss Saigon(1991). Salonga was born in the Philippines.
First actor to win best actor in a musical for playing a female character
Harvey Fierstein for playing Edna Turnblad inHairspray(2003).
First actor to win best actor in a musical for playing a transgender character
Neil Patrick Harrisfor playing Hedwig inHedwig and the Angry Inch(2014). Harris has hosted the Tonys four times, winning a Primetime Emmy each time.
Most wins for best score
Stephen Sondheim (six). The Tonys didn’t have a best score category in 1971, but Sondheim won both for best music and best lyrics forCompany, so we’re counting it. Most by a woman: Betty Comden (three).
Only tie for best score
John Kander and Fred Ebb forKiss of the Spider WomanandPete TownshendforThe Who’s Tommy(1993).
Only posthumous winners for best score
T.S. Eliot forCats(1983) and Jonathan Larson forRent(1996). Eliot had died in 1965; Larson, earlier in 1996.
First woman to win best score without a male collaborator
Cyndi Lauper forKinky Boots(2013). Lauper topped the Hot 100 twice as both artist and songwriter, with “Time After Time” (1984) and “True Colors” (1986).
Most wins for best direction of a musical
Harold Prince (eight). First woman to win in that category — Julie Taymor forThe Lion King(1998).
Most wins for best choreography
Bob Fosse (eight). Most by a woman: Susan Stroman (four).
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