A guide to the Tony Awards

The 79th Tony Awards take place on Sunday 7 June 2026, with Schmigadoon!, The Lost Boys, Ragtime, Death of a Salesman, The Rocky Horror Show, and Cats: The Jellicle Ball leading.

Summary

• The Tony Awards will take place this Sunday at Radio City Music Hall
• Singer Pi!nk will be hosting the awards
• Many nominated shows started their lives in London including Two Strangers and Giant

Broadway is a hotbed of some of the most exciting theatrical talent in the world, with explosive performances taking place every night. Once a year, the great and good gather together to celebrate the highlights of the season at the Tony Awards, which always makes for a lavish and spectacular affair. The 79th Tony Awards ceremony takes place this Sunday at Radio City Music Hall presented by Grammy and Emmy Award-winning singer P!nk.

Named after Antoinette Perry, an actress, director, producer, and leader of the American Theatre Wing during World War II, the “Tonys” quickly became a byword for theatrical excellence. Read on to learn more about the Tonys and this year’s celebrations.

Book tickets to Tony Award-nominated shows on New York Theatre Guide.

What are the Tony Awards?

Officially titled the Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, the annual Tony Awards are the highest accolade in American theatre. They are the Broadway equivalent of the Olivier Awards, which celebrate West End theatre. They were established by producer and director Brock Pemberton, who named them after his colleague Antoinette Perry (1888-1946), who had co-founded the non-profit organisation the American Theatre Wing. The first Tony Awards took place on 6 April 1947 at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. "Tony" was the nickname Pemberton used when he referred to an award he was handing out — and the name stuck.

What does a Tony Award look like?

A Tony Award comprises a spinnable medallion featuring the masks of comedy and tragedy mounted on a black base with a miniature pewter plaque. The award was designed by the Dutch-born American artist and designer Herman Rosse. The trophies were first distributed at the third Tony Awards in 1949; on the first two occasions, gifts such as jewellery, cigarette lighters, and money holders were awarded.

Which shows are eligible for Tony nominations?

To be deemed eligible for consideration by the judges for the Tony Awards, a show must have had its opening night by the cut-off date agreed by the management committee (for the 2026 Tony Awards, all shows must have opened between April 28, 2025 and April 26, 2026). In terms of venues, a Broadway theatre is defined as having 500 or more seats. 40 of the 41 eligible venues are located within Times Square, plus Lincoln Center’s Vivian Beaumont Theater.

What are the categories in the Tony Awards?

The Tony Awards include 26 competitive awards and four special honorary awards. The categories are as follows:

Performance categories

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical

Show and technical categories

Best Musical Best Revival of a Musical Best Direction of a Musical Best Book of a Musical Best Original Score Best Orchestrations Best Choreography Best Scenic Design in a Musical Best Costume Design in a Musical Best Lighting Design in a Musical Best Sound Design of a Musical Best Play Best Revival of a Play Best Direction of a Play Best Scenic Design in a Play Best Costume Design in a Play Best Lighting Design in a Play Best Sound Design of a Play

Special awards

Regional Theatre Tony Award Special Tony Award (includes Lifetime Achievement Award) Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre Isabelle Stevenson Award (for charitable and advocacy work)

Who are the nominees for this year’s Tony Awards?

A full list of categories and nominees for the 79th Tony Awards (2025) can be found here. Leading the pack are new musicals Schmigadoon! and The Lost Boys, with 12 nods each, closely followed by the revival of Ragtime (11) as well as Death of a Salesman, The Rocky Horror Show, and Cats: The Jellicle Ball (9 each).

Numerous household names from film and television, including Laurie Metcalf, Daniel Radcliffe, John Lithgow, and Luke Evans have received nominations, alongside many outstanding Broadway veterans like Caissie Levy and Shoshana Bean and newcomers.

When are this year’s Tony Awards?

The Tony Awards usually take place in June and this year’s ceremony takes place on Sunday 7 June 2026.

Where are this year’s Tony Awards taking place?

This year’s Tony Awards ceremony will be held at Radio City Music Hall. This Art Deco venue accommodates almost 6,000 people and is the home of the Radio City Dance Rockettes, a female precision dance troupe who have performed at the venue since 1932. Radio City has hosted the Tonys on multiple occasions and has also hosted the Grammys six times and the MTV Video Music Awards 12 times.

Who is the host of this year’s Tony Awards?

This year’s Tony Awards ceremony will be hosted by Grammy and Emmy Award-winning singer P!nk. Her songs are featured in the musicals & Juliet and Moulin Rouge! The Musical, and her pop hits include "Get the Party Started," “Who Knew,” “Just Give Me a Reason,” “So What,” "Raise Your Glass," and "Perfect."

Last year's awards were presented by British star Cynthia Erivo, who plays Elphaba in the Wicked films and recently performed in a solo adaptation of Dracula in the West End.

Which shows will be performing at this year’s Tony Awards?

The ceremony will feature performances from all four shows nominated for Best Musical, including The Lost Boys, Schmigadoon!, Titanique, and Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York), as well as all three for Best Revival of a Musical: Cats: The Jellicle Ball, Ragtime, and The Rocky Horror Show.

Will the Tony Awards be broadcast in the UK?

The Tony Awards will not be shown on television in the UK nor will it be available for streaming; however, you can keep up in real time (if you’re awake!) on social media and numerous clips from the performances will become available on YouTube shortly afterwards.

Have any of this year’s Tony-nominated productions been seen in the West End?

Yes, several of this year’s Tony-nominated shows have previously been seen in the West End. Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) started its life at the New Wolsey Theatre (with a different name — The Season), before making its London premiere at the Kiln Theatre and then opening in the West End. Giant previously opened at the Royal Court, before heading to the West End _ John Lithgow has performed in all three productions. Every Brilliant Thing recently had a run at @sohoplace and Oedipus played in the West End at the end of 2024, with Lesley Manville and Mark Strong. James Graham's Punch had runs at the Young Vic and in the West End, following its debut at Nottingham Playhouse. Titanique, which began its journey Off-Broadway before transferring to the West End, can be seen at the Criterion Theatre.

What are some fun facts about this year’s Tony nominations?

• June Squibb is making Tony Awards history as the oldest-nominated performer of all time. The 96-year-old performer plays aging widow Marjorie in Marjorie Prime. The nomination is also her first!
• The nominees for Best Book of a Musical and Best Original Score are all comprised of first-time Broadway writers, with Schmigadoon!'s Cinco Paul and Two Strangers's Jim Barne and Kit Buchan making their Broadway debuts.
• Christopher Gattelli is nominated for Best Direction of a Musical and Best Choreography for Schmigadoon! — the same categories he was nominated for last year for Death Becomes Her.
• Three former Elphabas in Wicked are all up for Tonys this year, including Shoshana Bean (The Lost Boys), Ana Gasteyer (Schmigadoon!), and Caissie Levy (Ragtime).

Book tickets to Tony Award-nominated shows on New York Theatre Guide.