The Tony Awards for excellence in Broadway theatre Sunday highlighted history with awards for a musical on the suffragette movement, a gritty remake of a book set in the 1960s and a tale of a 1970s rock band.
The ceremony took place for the first time at New York City’s Lincoln Center with Tony-nominated and Oscar-winning actress Ariana DeBose hosting for the third year in a row, after presiding over last year’s writerless event, opening the show with an elaborately choreographed dance number.
Shaina Taub won best score and best book of a musical for “Suffs,” the story of the suffragette movement, featuring an all-woman cast.
“Stereophonic” took the Tony Awards for best play and best direction for Daniel Aukin. David Adjmi’s play about a 70s-era rock band making an album, featuring original songs by Will Butler, formerly of Arcade Fire, broke the record for the most nominations for a play in Tonys history.
“Succession” star Jeremy Strong won best lead actor in a play for his role in the Henrik Ibsen play “Enemy of the People,” and Daniel Radcliffe, best known for his starring role in the Harry Potter movie franchise, won best featured actor for “Merrily We Roll Along.”
Will Brill beat out two other actors in his production, “Stereophonic,” for best featured actor in a play. Kara Young, who is the first Black actor, male or female, to be nominated for a Tony three years in a row, won the award for best featured actress in a play for her role in “Purlie Victorious.”
Justin Peck won the best choreography Tony for the dance musical “Illinoise,” which brought Sufjan Steven’s 2005 concept album “Illinois” to the stage.
Danya Taymor won for direction of a musical an adaptation of S.E. Hinton’s coming-of-age novel “The Outsiders,” upsetting favored “Merrily We Roll Along” actor Maria Friedman. The win set producer Angelina Jolie one step closer to the coveted ‘EGOT’ status.
Maleah Joi Moon won best lead actress in a musical for her role in “Hell’s Kitchen” and Jonathan Groff won for best lead actor in a musical for “Merrily We Roll Along.”
Best revival of a musical award winner “Merrily We Roll Along” has been a favourite narrative of the season, delighting audiences and critics with the revived production of Stephen Sondheim’s most famous flop, which closed after 52 previews and 16 performances in its first go-round on Broadway in 1981.
Shaina Taub won best score and best book of a musical for “Suffs,” the story of the suffragette movement, featuring an all-woman cast.
Below is a full list of winners and nominees:
Best Musical
“The Outsiders” — Winner
“Hell’s Kitchen”
“Illinoise”
“Suffs”
“Water for Elephants”
Best Play
“Stereophonic” — Winner
“Jaja’s African Hair Braiding”
“Mary Jane”
“Mother Play”
“Prayer for the French Republic”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Maleah Joi Moon, “Hell’s Kitchen” — Winner
Eden Espinosa, “Lempicka”
Kelli O’Hara, “Days of Wine and Roses”
Maryann Plunkett, “The Notebook”
Gayle Rankin, “Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club”‘
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Jonathan Groff, “Merrily We Roll Along” — Winner
Brody Grant, “The Outsiders”
Dorian Harewood, “The Notebook”
Brian d’Arcy James, “Days of Wine and Roses”
Eddie Redmayne, “Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Sarah Paulson, “Appropriate” — Winner
Betsy Aidem, “Prayer for the French Republic”
Jessica Lange, “Mother Play”
Rachel McAdams, “Mary Jane”
Amy Ryan, “Doubt: A Parable”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
Jeremy Strong, “An Enemy of the People” — Winner
William Jackson Harper, “Uncle Vanya”
Leslie Odom Jr., “Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch”
Liev Schreiber, “Doubt: A Parable”
Michael Stuhlbarg, “Patriots”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Will Brill, “Stereophonic” — Winner
Eli Gelb, “Stereophonic”
Jim Parsons, “Mother Play”
Tom Pecinka, “Stereophonic”
Corey Stoll, “Appropriate”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Kara Young, “Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch” — Winner
Quincy Tyler Bernstine, “Doubt: A Parable”
Juliana Canfield, “Stereophonic”
Celia Keenan-Bolger, “Mother Play”
Sarah Pidgeon, “Stereophonic”
Best Direction of a Play
Daniel Aukin, “Stereophonic” — Winner
Anne Kauffman, “Mary Jane”
Kenny Leon, “Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch”
Lila Neugebauer, “Appropriate”
Whitney White, “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding”
Best Direction of a Musical
Danya Taymor, “The Outsiders” — Winner
Maria Friedman, “Merrily We Roll Along”
Michael Greif, “Hell’s Kitchen”
Leigh Silverman, “Suffs”
Jessica Stone, “Water for Elephants”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
Daniel Radcliffe, “Merrily We Roll Along” — Winner
Roger Bart, “Back to the Future: The Musical”
Joshua Boone, “The Outsiders”
Brandon Victor Dixon, “Hell’s Kitchen”
Sky Lakota-Lynch, “The Outsiders”
Steven Skybell, “Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
Kecia Lewis, “Hell’s Kitchen” — Winner
Shoshana Bean, “Hell’s Kitchen”
Amber Iman, “Lempicka”
Nikki M. James, “Suffs”
Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer, “Monty Python’s Spamalot”
Lindsay Mendez, “Merrily We Roll Along”
Bebe Neuwirth, “Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club”
Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
“Suffs” — Winner
“Days of Wine and Roses”
“Here Lies Love”
“Stereophonic”
“The Outsiders”
Best Revival of a Play
“Appropriate” — Winner
“An Enemy of the People”
“Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch”
Best Revival of a Musical
“Merrily We Roll Along” — Winner
“Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club”
“Gutenberg! The Musical!”
“The Who’s Tommy”
Best Book of a Musical
“Suffs” — Winner
“Hell’s Kitchen”
“The Notebook”
“The Outsiders”
“Water for Elephants”
Best Costume Design of a Play
“Jaja’s African Hair Braiding” — Winner
“Appropriate”
“An Enemy of the People”
“Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch”
“Stereophonic”
Best Costume Design of a Musical
“The Great Gatsby” — Winner
“Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club”
“Hell’s Kitchen”
“Suffs”
“Water for Elephants”
Best Orchestrations
“Merrily We Roll Along” — Winner
“Hell’s Kitchen”
“Illinoise”
“The Outsiders”
“Stereophonic”
Best Scenic Design of a Musical
“Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club” — Winner
“Back to the Future: The Musical”
“Hell’s Kitchen”
“Here Lies Love”
“Lempicka”
“The Outsiders”
“Water for Elephants”
Best Scenic Design of a Play
“Stereophonic” — Winner
“Appropriate”
“An Enemy of the People”
“Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch”
“Jaja’s African Hair Braiding”
Best Choreography
“Illinoise” — Winner
“Hell’s Kitchen”
“Here Lies Love”
“The Outsiders”
“Water for Elephants”
Best Lighting Design of a Musical
“The Outsiders” — Winner
“Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club”
“Hell’s Kitchen”
“Illinoise”
“Water for Elephants”
Best Lighting Design of a Play
“Appropriate” — Winner
“An Enemy of the People”
“Grey House”
“Prayer for the French Republic”
“Stereophonic”
Best Sound Design of a Play
“Stereophonic” — Winner
“Appropriate”
“Grey House”
“Jaja’s African Hair Braiding”
“Mary Jane”
Best Sound Design of a Musical
“The Outsiders” — Winner
“Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club”
“Hell’s Kitchen”
“Here Lies Love”
“Merrily We Roll Along”
Dancers including DeBose, reviving her Oscar-winning role as Anita in Steven Spielberg‘s film version of “West Side Story,” paid tribute to Broadway legend Chita Rivera, who died in January at the age of 91.
During a pre-show event hosted by actors Julianne Hough and Utkarsh Ambudkar, Tonys were awarded mostly in technical categories. The pre-show included the award for best regional theatre, which went to Philadelphia’s Wilma theatre, and the Isabelle Stevenson Award, which was awarded to Billy Porter for his work as an activist and spokesperson for the LGBTQ+ communities.
Director Jack O’Brien and writer, director and producer George C. Wolfe each received the 2024 Special Tony Award for lifetime achievement in the theatre.
Special Tony Awards were also presented to Alex Edelman for his one-man show “Just For Us,” Abe Jacob for his work in sound design, and Nikiya Mathis for her wig design in “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding.”
The ceremony took place for the first time at New York City’s Lincoln Center with Tony-nominated and Oscar-winning actress Ariana DeBose hosting for the third year in a row, after presiding over last year’s writerless event, opening the show with an elaborately choreographed dance number.
Shaina Taub won best score and best book of a musical for “Suffs,” the story of the suffragette movement, featuring an all-woman cast.
“Stereophonic” took the Tony Awards for best play and best direction for Daniel Aukin. David Adjmi’s play about a 70s-era rock band making an album, featuring original songs by Will Butler, formerly of Arcade Fire, broke the record for the most nominations for a play in Tonys history.
“Succession” star Jeremy Strong won best lead actor in a play for his role in the Henrik Ibsen play “Enemy of the People,” and Daniel Radcliffe, best known for his starring role in the Harry Potter movie franchise, won best featured actor for “Merrily We Roll Along.”
Will Brill beat out two other actors in his production, “Stereophonic,” for best featured actor in a play. Kara Young, who is the first Black actor, male or female, to be nominated for a Tony three years in a row, won the award for best featured actress in a play for her role in “Purlie Victorious.”
Justin Peck won the best choreography Tony for the dance musical “Illinoise,” which brought Sufjan Steven’s 2005 concept album “Illinois” to the stage.
Danya Taymor won for direction of a musical an adaptation of S.E. Hinton’s coming-of-age novel “The Outsiders,” upsetting favored “Merrily We Roll Along” actor Maria Friedman. The win set producer Angelina Jolie one step closer to the coveted ‘EGOT’ status.
Maleah Joi Moon won best lead actress in a musical for her role in “Hell’s Kitchen” and Jonathan Groff won for best lead actor in a musical for “Merrily We Roll Along.”
Best revival of a musical award winner “Merrily We Roll Along” has been a favourite narrative of the season, delighting audiences and critics with the revived production of Stephen Sondheim’s most famous flop, which closed after 52 previews and 16 performances in its first go-round on Broadway in 1981.
Shaina Taub won best score and best book of a musical for “Suffs,” the story of the suffragette movement, featuring an all-woman cast.
Below is a full list of winners and nominees:
Best Musical
“The Outsiders” — Winner
“Hell’s Kitchen”
“Illinoise”
“Suffs”
“Water for Elephants”
Best Play
“Stereophonic” — Winner
“Jaja’s African Hair Braiding”
“Mary Jane”
“Mother Play”
“Prayer for the French Republic”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Maleah Joi Moon, “Hell’s Kitchen” — Winner
Eden Espinosa, “Lempicka”
Kelli O’Hara, “Days of Wine and Roses”
Maryann Plunkett, “The Notebook”
Gayle Rankin, “Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club”‘
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Jonathan Groff, “Merrily We Roll Along” — Winner
Brody Grant, “The Outsiders”
Dorian Harewood, “The Notebook”
Brian d’Arcy James, “Days of Wine and Roses”
Eddie Redmayne, “Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Sarah Paulson, “Appropriate” — Winner
Betsy Aidem, “Prayer for the French Republic”
Jessica Lange, “Mother Play”
Rachel McAdams, “Mary Jane”
Amy Ryan, “Doubt: A Parable”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
Jeremy Strong, “An Enemy of the People” — Winner
William Jackson Harper, “Uncle Vanya”
Leslie Odom Jr., “Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch”
Liev Schreiber, “Doubt: A Parable”
Michael Stuhlbarg, “Patriots”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Will Brill, “Stereophonic” — Winner
Eli Gelb, “Stereophonic”
Jim Parsons, “Mother Play”
Tom Pecinka, “Stereophonic”
Corey Stoll, “Appropriate”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Kara Young, “Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch” — Winner
Quincy Tyler Bernstine, “Doubt: A Parable”
Juliana Canfield, “Stereophonic”
Celia Keenan-Bolger, “Mother Play”
Sarah Pidgeon, “Stereophonic”
Best Direction of a Play
Daniel Aukin, “Stereophonic” — Winner
Anne Kauffman, “Mary Jane”
Kenny Leon, “Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch”
Lila Neugebauer, “Appropriate”
Whitney White, “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding”
Best Direction of a Musical
Danya Taymor, “The Outsiders” — Winner
Maria Friedman, “Merrily We Roll Along”
Michael Greif, “Hell’s Kitchen”
Leigh Silverman, “Suffs”
Jessica Stone, “Water for Elephants”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
Daniel Radcliffe, “Merrily We Roll Along” — Winner
Roger Bart, “Back to the Future: The Musical”
Joshua Boone, “The Outsiders”
Brandon Victor Dixon, “Hell’s Kitchen”
Sky Lakota-Lynch, “The Outsiders”
Steven Skybell, “Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
Kecia Lewis, “Hell’s Kitchen” — Winner
Shoshana Bean, “Hell’s Kitchen”
Amber Iman, “Lempicka”
Nikki M. James, “Suffs”
Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer, “Monty Python’s Spamalot”
Lindsay Mendez, “Merrily We Roll Along”
Bebe Neuwirth, “Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club”
Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
“Suffs” — Winner
“Days of Wine and Roses”
“Here Lies Love”
“Stereophonic”
“The Outsiders”
Best Revival of a Play
“Appropriate” — Winner
“An Enemy of the People”
“Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch”
Best Revival of a Musical
“Merrily We Roll Along” — Winner
“Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club”
“Gutenberg! The Musical!”
“The Who’s Tommy”
Best Book of a Musical
“Suffs” — Winner
“Hell’s Kitchen”
“The Notebook”
“The Outsiders”
“Water for Elephants”
Best Costume Design of a Play
“Jaja’s African Hair Braiding” — Winner
“Appropriate”
“An Enemy of the People”
“Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch”
“Stereophonic”
Best Costume Design of a Musical
“The Great Gatsby” — Winner
“Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club”
“Hell’s Kitchen”
“Suffs”
“Water for Elephants”
Best Orchestrations
“Merrily We Roll Along” — Winner
“Hell’s Kitchen”
“Illinoise”
“The Outsiders”
“Stereophonic”
Best Scenic Design of a Musical
“Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club” — Winner
“Back to the Future: The Musical”
“Hell’s Kitchen”
“Here Lies Love”
“Lempicka”
“The Outsiders”
“Water for Elephants”
Best Scenic Design of a Play
“Stereophonic” — Winner
“Appropriate”
“An Enemy of the People”
“Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch”
“Jaja’s African Hair Braiding”
Best Choreography
“Illinoise” — Winner
“Hell’s Kitchen”
“Here Lies Love”
“The Outsiders”
“Water for Elephants”
Best Lighting Design of a Musical
“The Outsiders” — Winner
“Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club”
“Hell’s Kitchen”
“Illinoise”
“Water for Elephants”
Best Lighting Design of a Play
“Appropriate” — Winner
“An Enemy of the People”
“Grey House”
“Prayer for the French Republic”
“Stereophonic”
Best Sound Design of a Play
“Stereophonic” — Winner
“Appropriate”
“Grey House”
“Jaja’s African Hair Braiding”
“Mary Jane”
Best Sound Design of a Musical
“The Outsiders” — Winner
“Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club”
“Hell’s Kitchen”
“Here Lies Love”
“Merrily We Roll Along”
Dancers including DeBose, reviving her Oscar-winning role as Anita in Steven Spielberg‘s film version of “West Side Story,” paid tribute to Broadway legend Chita Rivera, who died in January at the age of 91.
During a pre-show event hosted by actors Julianne Hough and Utkarsh Ambudkar, Tonys were awarded mostly in technical categories. The pre-show included the award for best regional theatre, which went to Philadelphia’s Wilma theatre, and the Isabelle Stevenson Award, which was awarded to Billy Porter for his work as an activist and spokesperson for the LGBTQ+ communities.
Director Jack O’Brien and writer, director and producer George C. Wolfe each received the 2024 Special Tony Award for lifetime achievement in the theatre.
Special Tony Awards were also presented to Alex Edelman for his one-man show “Just For Us,” Abe Jacob for his work in sound design, and Nikiya Mathis for her wig design in “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding.”
