Fresh Faces Shine Bright: Tony Awards Celebrate Broadway’s Rising Stars
The 78th Tony Awards transformed Radio City Music Hall into a glittering constellation of theatrical excellence and sartorial splendor. Host Cynthia Erivo commanded the evening with powerhouse vocals and impeccable style, setting the tone for Broadway’s most prestigious celebration. “Maybe Happy Ending” emerged as the night’s crowned jewel, claiming six coveted Tonys including Best New Musical. Fresh faces illuminated the winners’ circle: Nicole Scherzinger’s triumphant turn in “Sunset Boulevard,” Sarah Snook’s compelling “Dorian Gray” performance, Cole Escola’s scene-stealing “Oh, Mary!” debut, and Darren Criss’s magnetic musical theater mastery. The evening celebrated theatrical artistry at its finest, with Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’s Pulitzer-winning “Purpose” and revival honors for “Eureka Day” and “Sunset Boulevard” completing Broadway’s most dazzling night.
Here is the full list of winners.
Best New Musical
“Maybe Happy Ending”
Nominees in this category: “Buena Vista Social Club”; “Dead Outlaw”; “Death Becomes Her”; “Operation Mincemeat”
Best New Play
“Purpose”
Nominees in this category: “English”; “The Hills of California”; “John Proctor Is the Villain”; “Oh, Mary!”
Best Musical Revival
“Sunset Boulevard”
Nominees in this category: “Floyd Collins”; “Gypsy”; “Pirates! The Penzance Musical”
Best Play Revival
“Eureka Day”
Nominees in this category: “Our Town”; “Romeo + Juliet”; “Yellow Face”
Best Leading Actress in a Play
Sarah Snook, “The Picture of Dorian Gray”
Nominees in this category: Laura Donnelly, “The Hills of California”; Mia Farrow, “The Roommate”; LaTanya Richardson Jackson, “Purpose”; Sadie Sink, “John Proctor Is the Villain”
Best Leading Actor in a Play
Cole Escola, “Oh, Mary!”
Nominees in this category: George Clooney, “Good Night, and Good Luck”; Jon Michael Hill, “Purpose”; Daniel Dae Kim, “Yellow Face”; Harry Lennix, “Purpose”; Louis McCartney, “Stranger Things: The First Shadow”
Best Leading Actress in a Musical
Nicole Scherzinger, “Sunset Boulevard”
Nominees in this category: Jasmine Amy Rogers, “Boop!”; Megan Hilty, “Death Becomes Her”; Audra McDonald, “Gypsy”; Jennifer Simard, “Death Becomes Her”
Best Leading Actor in a Musical
Darren Criss, “Maybe Happy Ending”
Nominees in this category: Andrew Durand, “Dead Outlaw”; Tom Francis, “Sunset Boulevard”; Jonathan Groff, “Just in Time”; Jeremy Jordan, “Floyd Collins”; James Monroe Iglehart, “A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical”
Best Direction of a Musical
Michael Arden, “Maybe Happy Ending”
Nominees in this category: Saheem Ali, “Buena Vista Social Club”; David Cromer, “Dead Outlaw”; Christopher Gattelli, “Death Becomes Her”; Jamie Lloyd, “Sunset Boulevard”
Best Direction of a Play
Sam Pinkleton, “Oh, Mary!”
Nominees in this category: Knud Adams, “English”; Sam Mendes, “The Hills of California”; Danya Taymor, “John Proctor Is the Villain”; Kip Williams, “The Picture of Dorian Gray”
Best Featured Actress in a Play
Kara Young, “Purpose”
Nominees in this category: Tala Ashe, “English”; Jessica Hecht, “Eureka Day”; Marjan Neshat, “English”; Fina Strazza, “John Proctor Is the Villain”
Best Featured Actor in a Play
Francis Jue, “Yellow Face”
Nominees in this category: Glenn Davis, “Purpose”; Gabriel Ebert, “John Proctor Is the Villain”; Bob Odenkirk, “Glengarry Glen Ross” Conrad Ricamora, “Oh, Mary!”
Best Featured Actress in a Musical
Natalie Venetia Belcon, “Buena Vista Social Club”
Nominees in this category: Julia Knitel, “Dead Outlaw”; Gracie Lawrence, “Just in Time”; Justina Machado, “Real Women Have Curves”; Joy Woods, “Gypsy”
Best Featured Actor in a Musical
Jak Malone, “Operation Mincemeat”
Nominees in this category: Brooks Ashmanskas, “Smash”; Jeb Brown, “Dead Outlaw”; Danny Burstein, “Gypsy”; Taylor Trensch, “Floyd Collins”
Best Costume Design of a Play
Marg Horwell, “The Picture of Dorian Gray”
Nominees in this category: Brenda Abbandandolo, “Good Night, and Good Luck”; Rob Howell, “The Hills of California”; Holly Pierson, “Oh, Mary!”; Brigitte Reiffenstuel, “Stranger Things: The First Shadow”
Best Choreography
Patricia Delgado and Justin Peck, “Buena Vista Social Club”
Nominees in this category: Joshua Bergasse, “Smash”; Camille A. Brown, “Gypsy”; Christopher Gattelli, “Death Becomes Her”; Jerry Mitchell, “Boop!”
