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| name = Tony Award | name = Tony Award
| current_awards = 77th Tony Awards | current_awards = 77th Tony Awards
| image = Tony Awards.jpg | image = ]
| image2 = Tony Award Medallion.jpg | image2 = Tony Award Medallion.jpg
| imagesize = 250px | imagesize = 250px
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The awards are given for Broadway productions and performances. One is also given for ]. Several discretionary non-competitive awards are given as well, including a ], the ], and the ].<ref>Staff (undated). {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161223002914/http://www.tonyawards.com/en_US/about/index.html |date=December 23, 2016 }}. tonyawards.com. Retrieved September 13, 2013.</ref> The awards are given for Broadway productions and performances. One is also given for ]. Several discretionary non-competitive awards are given as well, including a ], the ], and the ].<ref>Staff (undated). {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161223002914/http://www.tonyawards.com/en_US/about/index.html |date=December 23, 2016 }}. tonyawards.com. Retrieved September 13, 2013.</ref>
The awards were founded by theatre producer and director ] and are named after ], an actress, producer and theatre director who was co-founder and secretary of the American Theatre Wing. The trophy consists of a spinnable medallion, with faces portraying an adaptation of the comedy and tragedy masks, mounted on a black base with a pewter swivel. The awards were founded by theatre producer and director ] They are named after ], an actress, producer and theatre director who was co-founder and secretary of the American Theatre Wing. The trophy consists of a spinnable medallion, with faces portraying an adaptation of the comedy and tragedy masks, mounted on a black base with a pewter swivel.


The rules for the Tony Awards are set forth in the official document "Rules and Regulations of The American Theatre Wing's Tony Awards", which applies for that season only.<ref name=rules> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170702095413/http://www.tonyawards.com/pdf/2014_Tony_Rules_Regulations_April_25.pdf |date=July 2, 2017 }} tonyawards.com, accessed June 12, 2014</ref> The Tony Awards are the New York theatre industry's equivalent to the ]s for television, the ]s for music, and the ] (Oscars) for film, and a person who has won all four is said to have won the ]. The Tony Awards are the U.S. equivalent of the ]'s ] and ]'s ]s. The rules for the Tony Awards are set forth in the official document "Rules and Regulations of The American Theatre Wing's Tony Awards", which applies for that season only.<ref name=rules> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170702095413/http://www.tonyawards.com/pdf/2014_Tony_Rules_Regulations_April_25.pdf |date=July 2, 2017 }} tonyawards.com, accessed June 12, 2014</ref> The Tony Awards are the New York theatre industry's equivalent to the ]s for television, the ]s for music, and the ] (Oscars) for film. A person who has won all four is said to have won the ]. The Tony Awards are the U.S. equivalent of the ]'s ] and ]'s ]s.


==Award categories== ==Award categories==
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==History== ==History==
{{main|List of Tony Awards ceremonies}} {{main|List of Tony Awards ceremonies}}
The award was founded in 1947 by a committee of the ] (ATW) headed by Brock Pemberton. The award is named after ], nicknamed Tony, an actress, director, producer and co-founder of the American Theatre Wing, who died in 1946.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://www.playbill.com/news/article/151710-FROM-THE-2011-TONY-PLAYBILL-Who-Was-the-Original-Tony | first = Ellis | last = Nassour | title = From The 2011 Tony Playbill: Who Was the Original 'Tony'? | work = ] | date = June 10, 2011 | access-date = July 4, 2013 | url-status=dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130506203106/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/151710-FROM-THE-2011-TONY-PLAYBILL-Who-Was-the-Original-Tony | archive-date = May 6, 2013 | df = mdy-all }}</ref> As her official biography at the Tony Awards website states, "At <nowiki>] story editor] Jacob Wilk's suggestion, proposed an award in her honor for distinguished stage acting and technical achievement. At the initial event in 1947, as he handed out an award, he called it a Tony. The name stuck."<ref name="tony">{{cite web| url = http://www.tonyawards.com/en_US/history/perry.html | first = Ellis | last= Nassour | title = Who Is 'Tony'? | publisher =tonyawards.com | access-date = September 13, 2013}}</ref> Nevertheless, the awards were sometimes referred to as the "Perry Awards" in their early years.<ref>{{cite news |title=20 Stage Notables Get Perry Awards |work=] |date=April 7, 1947 |page=40}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Drama, Musical Win Perry Prizes |work=] |date=March 30, 1953 |page=26}}</ref> The award was founded in 1947 by a committee of the ] (ATW), headed by Brock Pemberton. The award is named after ], nicknamed Tony, an actress, director, producer and co-founder of the American Theatre Wing, who died in 1946.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://www.playbill.com/news/article/151710-FROM-THE-2011-TONY-PLAYBILL-Who-Was-the-Original-Tony | first = Ellis | last = Nassour | title = From The 2011 Tony Playbill: Who Was the Original 'Tony'? | work = ] | date = June 10, 2011 | access-date = July 4, 2013 | url-status=dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130506203106/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/151710-FROM-THE-2011-TONY-PLAYBILL-Who-Was-the-Original-Tony | archive-date = May 6, 2013 | df = mdy-all }}</ref> As her official biography at the Tony Awards website states, "At <nowiki>] story editor] Jacob Wilk's suggestion, proposed an award in her honor for distinguished stage acting and technical achievement. At the initial event in 1947, as he handed out an award, he called it a Tony. The name stuck."<ref name="tony">{{cite web| url = http://www.tonyawards.com/en_US/history/perry.html | first = Ellis | last= Nassour | title = Who Is 'Tony'? | publisher =tonyawards.com | access-date = September 13, 2013}}</ref> Nevertheless, the awards were sometimes referred to as the "Perry Awards" in their early years.<ref>{{cite news |title=20 Stage Notables Get Perry Awards |work=] |date=April 7, 1947 |page=40}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Drama, Musical Win Perry Prizes |work=] |date=March 30, 1953 |page=26}}</ref>


The ] was held on April 6, 1947, at the ] hotel in New York City.<ref>] (2004). ''Broadway{{spaced ndash}} Its History, People and Places''. ]. p. 531. {{ISBN|978-0-415-93704-7}}.</ref> The first prizes were "a scroll, cigarette lighter and articles of jewelry such as 14-carat gold compacts and bracelets for the women, and money clips for the men".<ref name=history>{{cite news | last = Nassour | first = Ellis | url = http://www.playbill.com/news/article/151713-FROM-THE-2011-TONY-PLAYBILL-Tony-Awards-at-65-Then-and-Now | title = From the 2011 Tony Playbill: Tony Awards at 65 – Then and Now | work = ] | date = June 12, 2011 | access-date = September 13, 2013 | url-status=dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130506203019/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/151713-FROM-THE-2011-TONY-PLAYBILL-Tony-Awards-at-65-Then-and-Now | archive-date = May 6, 2013 | df = mdy-all }}</ref> ATW co-founder ] was responsible for over seeing the organization of the first awards.<ref>{{cite news| work= ] | url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1978/03/17/110805260.html?pageNumber=33|title=Louise Heims Beck, Widow of the Producer And a Founder of American Theater Wing|first= Alfred E.|last= Clark|date= March 17, 1978 |page= 33}}{{subscription required}}</ref> It was not until the third awards ceremony in 1949 that the first Tony medallion was given to award winners.<ref name=history/> The ] was held on April 6, 1947, at the ] hotel in New York City.<ref>] (2004). ''Broadway{{spaced ndash}} Its History, People and Places''. ]. p. 531. {{ISBN|978-0-415-93704-7}}.</ref> The first prizes were "a scroll, cigarette lighter and articles of jewelry such as 14-carat gold compacts and bracelets for the women, and money clips for the men".<ref name=history>{{cite news | last = Nassour | first = Ellis | url = http://www.playbill.com/news/article/151713-FROM-THE-2011-TONY-PLAYBILL-Tony-Awards-at-65-Then-and-Now | title = From the 2011 Tony Playbill: Tony Awards at 65 – Then and Now | work = ] | date = June 12, 2011 | access-date = September 13, 2013 | url-status=dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130506203019/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/151713-FROM-THE-2011-TONY-PLAYBILL-Tony-Awards-at-65-Then-and-Now | archive-date = May 6, 2013 | df = mdy-all }}</ref> ATW co-founder ] was responsible for overseeing the organization of the first awards.<ref>{{cite news| work= ] | url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1978/03/17/110805260.html?pageNumber=33|title=Louise Heims Beck, Widow of the Producer And a Founder of American Theater Wing|first= Alfred E.|last= Clark|date= March 17, 1978 |page= 33}}{{subscription required}}</ref> It was not until the third awards ceremony in 1949 that the first Tony medallion was given to award winners.<ref name=history/>


Since 1967, the award ceremony has been broadcast on U.S. national television and includes songs from the nominated musicals, and occasionally has included video clips of, or presentations about, nominated plays. The American Theatre Wing and ] jointly present and administer the awards. Audience size for the telecast is generally well below that of the Academy Awards shows, but the program reaches an affluent audience, which is prized by advertisers. According to a June 2003 article in '']'': "What the Tony broadcast does have, say CBS officials, is an all-important demographic: rich and smart. Jack Sussman, CBS's senior vice president in charge of specials, said the Tony show sold almost all its advertising slots shortly after CBS announced it would present the three hours. 'It draws upscale premium viewers who are attractive to upscale premium advertisers,' Mr. Sussman said..."<ref>Jesse McKinley (June 1, 2003). . '']''. Retrieved September 13, 2013.</ref><ref>{{failed verification|date=September 2013|reason=this attribution not really needed anyway since there is nyt citation}} {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080316035442/http://www.tonyawards.com/en_US/archive/index.html |date=March 16, 2008 }} tonyawards.com</ref> The viewership has declined from the early years of its broadcast history (for example, the number of viewers in 1974 was 20&nbsp;million; in 1999, 9.2&nbsp;million) but has settled into between six and eight million viewers for most of the decade of the 2000s.<ref>Gorman, Bill (June 10, 2011).. ]. Retrieved September 13, 2013.</ref> In contrast, the 2009 Oscar telecast had 36.3&nbsp;million viewers.<ref>Bierly, Mandi (February 24, 2009). {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090227082710/http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2009/02/oscars-dollhous.html |date=February 27, 2009}}. '']''. Retrieved September 13, 2013.</ref> Since 1967, the award ceremony has been broadcast on U.S. national television and includes songs from the nominated musicals, and occasionally has included video clips of, or presentations about, nominated plays. The American Theatre Wing and ] jointly present and administer the awards. Audience size for the telecast is generally well below that of the Academy Awards shows, but the program reaches an affluent audience, which is prized by advertisers. According to a June 2003 article in '']'': "What the Tony broadcast does have, say CBS officials, is an all-important demographic: rich and smart. Jack Sussman, CBS's senior vice president in charge of specials, said the Tony show sold almost all its advertising slots shortly after CBS announced it would present the three hours. 'It draws upscale premium viewers who are attractive to upscale premium advertisers,' Mr. Sussman said..."<ref>Jesse McKinley (June 1, 2003). . '']''. Retrieved September 13, 2013.</ref><ref>{{failed verification|date=September 2013|reason=this attribution not really needed anyway since there is nyt citation}} {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080316035442/http://www.tonyawards.com/en_US/archive/index.html |date=March 16, 2008 }} tonyawards.com</ref> The viewership has declined from the early years of its broadcast history (for example, the number of viewers in 1974 was 20&nbsp;million; in 1999, 9.2&nbsp;million) but has settled into between six and eight million viewers for most of the decade of the 2000s.<ref>Gorman, Bill (June 10, 2011).. ]. Retrieved September 13, 2013.</ref> In contrast, the 2009 Oscar telecast had 36.3&nbsp;million viewers.<ref>Bierly, Mandi (February 24, 2009). {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090227082710/http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2009/02/oscars-dollhous.html |date=February 27, 2009}}. '']''. Retrieved September 13, 2013.</ref>


=== Medallion === === Medallion ===
The Tony Award medallion was designed by ] ] and is a mix of mostly ] and a little ], with a ] on the outside; a black acrylic glass base, and the nickel-plated pewter swivel.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.playbill.com/features/article/118031.html | last = Pincus-Roth | first = Zachary | title = Ask Playbill.com: Tony Statuettes | work = ] | date = May 22, 2008 | access-date = September 13, 2013 | url-status=dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081208071125/http://www.playbill.com/features/article/118031.html | archive-date = December 8, 2008 | df = mdy-all }}</ref> The face of the medallion portrays an adaptation of the comedy and tragedy masks. Originally, the reverse side had a relief profile of Antoinette Perry; this later was changed to contain the winner's name, award category, production and year. The medallion has been mounted on a black base since 1967.<ref>{{cite web | author = Staff | url = http://www.tonyawards.com/en_US/about/faq/index.html#20 | title = Tony Awards FAQ | publisher = tonyawards.com | access-date = September 13, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | author = Staff | url = http://americantheatrewing.org/tony/history_of_the_tony_awards.php | title = A History of the Tony Awards | publisher = ] | access-date = September 13, 2013 | url-status=dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130716221216/http://americantheatrewing.org/tony/history_of_the_tony_awards.php | archive-date = July 16, 2013 | df = mdy-all }}</ref> The Tony Award medallion was designed by ] ] and is a mix of mostly ] and a little ], with a ] on the outside; a black acrylic glass base, and the nickel-plated pewter swivel.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.playbill.com/features/article/118031.html | last = Pincus-Roth | first = Zachary | title = Ask Playbill.com: Tony Statuettes | work = ] | date = May 22, 2008 | access-date = September 13, 2013 | url-status=dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081208071125/http://www.playbill.com/features/article/118031.html | archive-date = December 8, 2008 | df = mdy-all }}</ref> The face of the medallion portrays an adaptation of the comedy and tragedy masks. Originally, the reverse side had a relief profile of Antoinette Perry; this later was changed to contain the winner's name, award category, production and year. The medallion has been mounted on a black base since 1967.<ref>{{cite web | author = Staff | url = http://www.tonyawards.com/en_US/about/faq/index.html#20 | title = Tony Awards FAQ | publisher = tonyawards.com | access-date = September 13, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | author = Staff | url = http://americantheatrewing.org/tony/history_of_the_tony_awards.php | title = A History of the Tony Awards | publisher = ] | access-date = September 13, 2013 | url-status=dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130716221216/http://americantheatrewing.org/tony/history_of_the_tony_awards.php | archive-date = July 16, 2013 | df = mdy-all }}</ref>


A larger base was introduced and first presented in the 2010 award ceremony. That base is slightly taller{{spaced ndash}} {{convert|5|in|cm}}, up from {{convert|3+1/4|in|cm}}{{spaced ndash}} and heavier{{spaced ndash}} {{convert|3+1/2|lb|kg}}, up from {{convert|1+1/2|lb|g|abbr=off}}. This change was implemented to make the award "feel more substantial" and easier to handle at the moment the award is presented to the winners, according to Howard Sherman, the executive director of the American Theatre Wing: A larger base was introduced and first presented in the 2010 award ceremony. That base is slightly taller{{spaced ndash}} {{convert|5|in|cm}}, up from {{convert|3+1/4|in|cm}}{{spaced ndash}} and heavier{{spaced ndash}} {{convert|3+1/2|lb|kg}}, up from {{convert|1+1/2|lb|g|abbr=off}}. This change was implemented to make the award "feel more substantial" and easier to handle at the moment the award is presented to the winners, according to Howard Sherman, the executive director of the American Theatre Wing:
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The awards met further criticism when they eliminated the ] in 2014.<ref>{{cite web|title=Breaking News: Tony Awards Committee Meets – Changes Rules for Revival Authors, Erases 2 Creative Categories for 2014–15!|url=http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Breaking-News-Tony-Awards-Committee-Meets-Changes-Rules-for-Revival-Authors-Erases-2-Creative-Categories-for-2014-15-20140611#.U5jgd5Rymvk|website=Broadway World|access-date=June 9, 2015}}</ref> In 2014, a petition calling for the return of the Sound Design categories received more than 30,000 signatures.<ref>Cox, Gordon (April 24, 2017). '']'' Retrieved April 27, 2017.</ref> Addressing their previous concerns over Tony voters<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.americantheatre.org/2017/04/24/tony-awards-to-reinstate-sound-design-categories/|title=Tony Awards to Reinstate Sound Design Categories|author=((American Theatre Editors))|date=April 24, 2017}}</ref> in the category, it was announced that upon the awards' return for the 2017–2018 season, they would be decided by a subset of voters based on their expertise.<ref name="americantheatre.org"/><ref>McPhee, Ryan (April 24, 2017). '']'' Retrieved April 27, 2017.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2017/legit/news/tony-awards-sound-design-catogories-restored-1202393694/|title=Tony Awards to Restore Sound Design Categories Next Season|first=Gordon|last=Cox|date=April 24, 2017}}</ref> The awards met further criticism when they eliminated the ] in 2014.<ref>{{cite web|title=Breaking News: Tony Awards Committee Meets – Changes Rules for Revival Authors, Erases 2 Creative Categories for 2014–15!|url=http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Breaking-News-Tony-Awards-Committee-Meets-Changes-Rules-for-Revival-Authors-Erases-2-Creative-Categories-for-2014-15-20140611#.U5jgd5Rymvk|website=Broadway World|access-date=June 9, 2015}}</ref> In 2014, a petition calling for the return of the Sound Design categories received more than 30,000 signatures.<ref>Cox, Gordon (April 24, 2017). '']'' Retrieved April 27, 2017.</ref> Addressing their previous concerns over Tony voters<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.americantheatre.org/2017/04/24/tony-awards-to-reinstate-sound-design-categories/|title=Tony Awards to Reinstate Sound Design Categories|author=((American Theatre Editors))|date=April 24, 2017}}</ref> in the category, it was announced that upon the awards' return for the 2017–2018 season, they would be decided by a subset of voters based on their expertise.<ref name="americantheatre.org"/><ref>McPhee, Ryan (April 24, 2017). '']'' Retrieved April 27, 2017.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2017/legit/news/tony-awards-sound-design-catogories-restored-1202393694/|title=Tony Awards to Restore Sound Design Categories Next Season|first=Gordon|last=Cox|date=April 24, 2017}}</ref>


Some advocates of ] and ] people have criticized the separation of male and female acting categories in the Tony Awards, Academy Awards, and Emmy Awards. Though some commentators worry that ] would cause men to dominate unsegregated categories, other categories are unsegregated. The ] went gender-neutral in 2012, while the ] introduced a single ] category in 2019 to replace their two gender-specific younger actor and actress categories.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/2021/07/14/1015863360/nonbinary-gender-neutral-emmy-awards-oscars-tonys-mj-rodriguez-asia-kate-dillon |publisher=] |title=Best Actor Or Actress? Gender-Expansive Performers Are Forced To Choose |date=July 14, 2021 |first=Melissa|last=Block}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://deadline.com/2019/10/daytime-emmy-awards-natas-national-academy-of-television-arts-and-sciences-gender-identity-1202772702/ |publisher=] |title=Daytime Emmy Awards Eliminates Gender Distinction From Outstanding Younger Performer Category |date=October 30, 2019 |author=Dino-Ray Ramos}}</ref> In 2023, ] and ] became the first nonbinary actors to be nominated for Tony Awards. Both would go on to win in their respective categories. Fellow nonbinary performer Justin David Sullivan withdrew from Tony consideration due to the gendered categories.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Alex Newell and J. Harrison Ghee Make History as First Nonbinary Actors Nominated for Tony Awards |url=https://people.com/theater/j-harrison-ghee-alex-newell-first-nonbinary-actors-nominated-for-tony-awards/ |access-date=2023-05-05 |website=Peoplemag |language=en}}</ref> Some advocates of ] and ] people have criticized the separation of male and female acting categories in the Tony Awards, Academy Awards, and Emmy Awards. Though some commentators worry that ] would cause men to dominate unsegregated categories, other categories are unsegregated. The ] went gender-neutral in 2012, while the ] introduced a single ] category in 2019 to replace their two gender-specific younger actor and actress categories.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/2021/07/14/1015863360/nonbinary-gender-neutral-emmy-awards-oscars-tonys-mj-rodriguez-asia-kate-dillon |publisher=] |title=Best Actor Or Actress? Gender-Expansive Performers Are Forced To Choose |date=July 14, 2021 |first=Melissa|last=Block}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://deadline.com/2019/10/daytime-emmy-awards-natas-national-academy-of-television-arts-and-sciences-gender-identity-1202772702/ |publisher=] |title=Daytime Emmy Awards Eliminates Gender Distinction From Outstanding Younger Performer Category |date=October 30, 2019 |author=Dino-Ray Ramos}}</ref> In 2023, ] and ] became the first nonbinary actors to be nominated for Tony Awards. Both would go on to win in their respective categories. Fellow nonbinary performer Justin David Sullivan withdrew from Tony consideration due to the gendered categories.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Alex Newell and J. Harrison Ghee Make History as First Nonbinary Actors Nominated for Tony Awards |url=https://people.com/theater/j-harrison-ghee-alex-newell-first-nonbinary-actors-nominated-for-tony-awards/ |access-date=2023-05-05 |date=2023-05-02|website=People|publisher=Dotdash Meredith|language=en|first1=Benjamin|last1=VanHoose}}</ref>


==Records==
==Award milestones==
{{Main|List of Tony Award records}}
{{More citations needed|section|date=January 2021}}
Some notable records and facts about the Tony Awards include the following:<ref> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170708040920/https://www.tonyawards.com/en_US/history/facts/index.html |date=July 8, 2017 }} tonyawards.com, Retrieved August 26, 2017.</ref>

===Productions===
* Nominations: The most Tony nominations ever received by a single production was the musical '']'' (2016) with 16 nominations in 13 categories, narrowly passing the previous holders of this record, '']'' (2001; 15 nominations in 12 categories) and '']'' (2009; 15 nominations in 13 categories). The most Tony nominations for a non-musical play was '']'' (2024; 13 nominations in 10 categories).
* Wins: The most Tony Awards ever received by a single production was the musical '']'' (2001) with 12 awards, including Best Musical.
* Non-musical wins: The most Tonys ever received by a non-musical play was '']'' (2007) with 7 awards, including Best Play.
* Most nominations with fewest wins: Musicals '']'' (2011) and '']'' (2018), as well as non-musical play '']'' (2020) are tied: all three were nominated for 12 Tony Awards but did not win any.<ref>Jones, Kenneth; Gans, Andrew (May 3, 2011). {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161022063110/http://www.playbill.com/article/2011-tony-nominations-announced-book-of-mormon-earns-14-nominations-com-178833 |date=October 22, 2016 }} '']'' (playbill.com), Retrieved August 26, 2017.</ref>
*Four musicals have won all "big six" awards for original musicals: '']'' (1950 awards), '']'' (1979 awards), '']'' (2003 awards)<ref>Jones, Kenneth (June 9, 2003), {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170825143059/http://www.playbill.com/article/take-me-out-hairspray-are-top-winners-in-2003-tony-awards-long-days-journey-nine-also-hot-com-113640 |date=August 25, 2017 }} '']'' (playbill.com) Retrieved August 26, 2017.</ref> and '']'' (2018 awards); each won the ], ], ], ], ], and ] awards.
**Two plays have won all "big four" awards for original plays: '']'' (1963 awards) and '']'' (1984 awards); both won the ], ], ], and ] awards.
* Acting Awards: Only one production, '']'' (1950 awards), has won all four of the acting awards in a single year.
* Words and Music: Only nine musicals have won the ] when a person had (co-)written the Book (non-sung dialogue and storyline) and the Score (music and lyrics): 1958 winner '']'' (] – awards for Book and Score did not exist that year), 1986 winner '']'' (] – who also won for Book and Score), 1996 winner '']'' (] posthumously – who also won for Book and Score), 2001 winner ] (] – also won for Book and Score), 2005 winner '']'' (] – the only one who failed to win for Book or Score in a year where these awards existed), 2011 winner '']'' (], ], and ] also won for Book and Score), 2016 winner ] (] also won for Book and Score), 2019 winner '']'' (] also won for Score), and 2022 winner '']'' (] also won for Book).
* Design Awards: Eleven shows have swept the Design Awards (original 3 of Best Scenic Design, Best Costume Design, Best Lighting Design – joined by Best Sound Design starting in 2008): ''Follies'' (1972), ''The Phantom of the Opera'' (1986), ''The Lion King'' (1998), ''The Producers'' (2001), '']'' (2005), ''The Coast of Utopia'' (2007), the 2008 revival of ''South Pacific'' (first to sweep the expanded four awards for Creative Arts), '']'' (first straight play to sweep the expanded four awards for Creative Arts) (2012), '']'' (2018), '']'' and '']'' (both 2020).
* Revivals: '']'' by ] in 2012 became the first show (play or musical) to win as Best Production in four different years: Best Play at the 1949 awards, Best Revival at the 1984 awards (before the Best Revival award was split into two categories for Play and Musical in 1994), and Best Revival of a Play at the 1999 and 2012 awards. ''La Cage aux Folles'' made history as the first musical to win as Best Production in three different years, Best Musical at the 1984 awards and Best Revival of a Musical at both the 2005 awards and the 2010 awards. '']'' has also garnered three Tony Awards, one for each time it has been produced on Broadway, first as Best Musical and then twice as Best Revival of a Musical. '']'' has also won three Tony Awards, first as Best Musical in 1971, followed by Best Revival of a Musical in 2007 and 2022.

===Individuals===
* Most wins: ] won a record 21 Tony Awards, more than any other individual, including eight for Best Direction of a Musical, eight for Best Musical, two for Best Producer of a Musical, and three special Tony Awards. ] has ten Tony Awards including three for direction, four for choreography, two for performing, and one special Tony Award. ] holds the record for most Tony wins of any composer, with five awards for Best Original Score, one each for Best Composer and Best Lyricist (for ''Company'', before the two categories were combined as Best Original Score) and one special Tony Award. ] won the most Tonys for Best Choreography, with eight. ] won a record eight Tony Awards for his scenic designs. ] has the most awards for lighting design, with nine. ] holds the record for most Tony wins for acting, with six. ] has the most Tony wins for a playwright with five, followed by ] with four. Stoppard has five for Best Play, while McNally has two for Best Play and two for Best Book of a Musical.
* Most nominations: ], Audra McDonald, and ] are tied for the most nominations of any performer, with ten apiece.<ref> ibdb.com, accessed August 11, 2019</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Richardson |first=Randi |date=2 May 2023 |title=10-time Tony nominee Audra McDonald continues to make Broadway history |url=https://www.today.com/popculture/awards/audra-mcdonald-10th-tony-nomination-record-tied-rcna82425 |access-date=2023-05-02 |website=TODAY.com |language=en}}</ref><ref> ibdb.com, accessed August 11, 2019</ref>
* Performers in two categories: Six performers have been nominated in two acting categories in the same year: ], ], ], ], ], and ]. Plummer in 1982 was nominated for Best Actress in a Play for '']'' and Best Featured Actress in a Play for ''],'' for which she won. Ivey in 1984 was nominated as Best Featured Actress in Musical for '']'' and Best Featured Actress in a Play for ''].'' In 2002, Burton was nominated for Best Actress in Play for '']'' and Best Featured Actress in a Play for '']''. Maxwell was nominated in 2010 for Best Actress in a Play for '']'' and Best Featured Actress in a Play for '']''. Rylance was nominated in 2014 for Best Actor in a Play for '']'' and Best Featured Actor in a Play for '']'', for which he won. Pope was nominated in 2019 for Best Actor in a Play for '']'' and Best Featured Actor in a Musical for '']''.
* Performers with nominations in all four acting categories: Five performers have been nominated in all four acting categories for which they are eligible.
** ] was the first performer to be nominated in all four categories: Best Featured Actor in a Play for '']'' (1989), Best Actor in a Musical for '']'' (1994), Best Featured Actor in a Musical for both '']'' (2000) and '']'' (2008), and Best Actor in a Play for '']'' (2007). He won in three of the categories (and four of the five nominations), missing only for the performance in ''Journey's End''.
** ] was the second performer to be nominated in all four categories (no wins), achieving this over a mere six seasons: Best Featured Actor in a Musical for '']'' (2004), Best Actor in a Musical for '']'' (2007), Best Featured Actor in a Play for '']'' (2008), and Best Actor in a Play for '']'' (2009).
** ] was the third performer to be nominated in all four acting categories. She won Best Actress in a Musical for '']'' (1966), '']'' (1969), '']'' (1975), and '']'' (1979). She was nominated for Best Actress in a Play for '']'' (2007) and Best Featured Actress in a Musical for '']'' (2010). She won Best Featured Actress in a Play for '']'' (2009).
** ] became the fourth performer to achieve this distinction with nominations (no wins) for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for '']'' (2005), Best Featured Actress in a Play for '']'' (2007) and '']'' (2010), Best Actress in a Play for '']'' (2010), and Best Actress in a Musical for '']'' (2012).
** ] became the fifth performer to accomplish the feat and the first to win in all four categories, winning two for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for '']'' (1994) and '']'' (1998); two for Best Featured Actress in a Play for '']'' (1996) and '']'' (2004); one for Best Actress in a Musical for '']'' (2012), and one for Best Actress in a Play for '']'' (2014). She was also nominated for Best Actress in a Musical for '']'' (2000) and '']'' (2007) and for Best Actress in a Play for '']'' (2020/21) and '']'' (2022).
* Performers Playing Opposite Sex: While several performers have won Tonys for roles that have involved cross-dressing, only four have won for playing a character of the opposite sex: ] in the title role of ''Peter Pan'' (1955), ] as Edna Turnblad in ''Hairspray'' (2003), ] as Olivia in '']'' (2014), and ] as Yitzhak in ''Hedwig and the Angry Inch'' (2014). In 2000, Australian actor ] won the Special Tony Award for a live theatrical event at the 55th Annual Tony Awards for ''Dame Edna: The Royal Tour''.
* Shared Performances: the three young actors who shared the duties of performing the title role in '']'' (2009 awards){{spaced ndash}} ], ] and ]{{spaced ndash}} shared a single nomination and win, for ]. Previously, the only prior joint winners were ] and ], who shared the ] award in 1975 for '']'' and '']'', two plays they co-wrote and co-starred in. In 2003, the 10 stars of ]'s '']'' won a joint ] award, as did the four co-leads in the title role of '']'' in 2013.
* Two genders, one role: ] (], 1972) and ] (], 2013) both won for the role of the Leading Player in '']'', marking the first time the same role has garnered Tony Awards for both a man and a woman in a Broadway production.
* Writing and performing: Two people have won Tonys as both an author and as a performer. ] won Best Play and Best Lead Actor in a Play for ''Torch Song Trilogy'' (1983), Best Book of a Musical for '']'', and Best Lead Actor in a Musical for '']''. ] won Best Play for ''August: Osage County'' (2008) and Best Lead Actor in a Play for ''Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'' (2013).
* Youngest and oldest winners of Best Score or Best Book: ] is the youngest person to win Best Score; he was 27 when he won in tandem with ] for '']''. ] is the oldest person to win the award; he was 76 when he won for '']''. If ] had been alive when he won for '']'', he would have been 94. Eliot is also one of two people to win the award posthumously, the other being ], who won for '']''. He would have been 36.
*Youngest and oldest actors to win: ] is the oldest actor to win a Tony, for '']'' (at age 78), and ] for oldest actress for '']'' (at age 90). The youngest actor to win a Tony Award, at age 11, was ], for his featured role in '']'' (1966) a record which still stands today. 25 years later, at 11 and a half years old, ] took home a ] for '']'', cementing her place in Tony history as the youngest woman to win the award.
*Youngest and oldest winners for ]: ] is the youngest to win the award, for '']'' (at age 19). ] is the oldest actress to win the award, for '']'' (at age 71).
*In 2013, the four girls who alternated in the ] in '']'' (], aged 9; ], aged 10; ], aged 10; and ], aged 10) shared an honorary Tony Award, making Gennusa the youngest to ever receive a Tony, albeit a non-competitive one.

===Firsts===
* First African-American to win ]: ] for '']'' in 1950.
* First African-American to win ]: ] for '']'' in 1954.
* First female author to win ]: ] with her partner (and husband) Albert Hackett for '']'' in 1956.
* First African-American to win ]: ] for '']'' in 1962.
* First African-American to win ]: ] for '']'' in 1969.
* First African-American to win ]: ] for '']'' in 1970.
* First African-American author to win ]: ] for '']'' in 1974.
* First African-American composer to solely win ]: ] for '']'' in 1975.
* First female to win ]: ] for '']'' in 1978. (In 1968, she became the first female to win the previous version of the Best Score Award, the Tony Award for Best Composer And Lyricist for '']'')
* First Asian-American author to win ]: ] for '']'' in 1988.
* First Asian-American to win ]: ] for '']'' in 1988.
* First female author to solely win ]: ] for '']'' in 1989.
* First Asian to win ]: ] for '']'' in 1991.
* First woman to win ]: ] for '']'' in 1998.
* First woman to win ]: ] for '']'' in 1998.
* First African-American to win ]: ] for '']'' in 2004.
*First Brazilian to win ]: ] for '']'' in 2008.
* First woman to solely win ]: ] for '']'' in 2013.
* First Asian-American to win ]: ] for '']'' in 2015.
* First female team to win ] and ]: ] & ] for ] in 2015.
* First Lebanese-American to win ]: ] for '']'' in 2018.
* First Yemeni-American to win ]: ] for '']'' in 2018.
* First person who uses a wheelchair to be nominated for and to receive a Tony Award for acting: ] with the ] for '']'' in 2019.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Fierberg |first=Ruthie |url=http://www.playbill.com/article/ali-stroker-talks-making-broadway-history-with-her-2019-tony-nomination |title=Ali Stroker Talks Making Broadway History With Her 2019 Tony Nomination |magazine=Playbill |date=May 2, 2019 |access-date=May 6, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/ali-stroker-makes-history-wheelchair-tony-award.amp |title=Tony Award winner Ali Stroker makes history as first wheelchair user to win trophy |publisher=Fox News |access-date=June 10, 2019}}</ref>
* First woman to be nominated for and to win ]: ] for '']'' in 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2019/06/234416/jessica-paz-hadestown-sound-design-tonys-2019-first-woman-nominee|title=Jessica Paz's Unlikely Journey From Scuba Store Employee To Landmark Tony Nominee|last=Smith|first=Courtney E.|website=www.refinery29.com |access-date=May 20, 2020}}</ref>
* First Latino playwright to win ]: ] for ] in 2020.
* First openly trans performer to be nominated for a Tony Award: ] with the ] for '']'' in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2022/jun/01/l-morgan-lee-trans-tony-nomination-a-strange-loop|website=www.theguardian.com |access-date=June 15, 2022|title=L Morgan Lee on making Broadway history: 'I could not stop crying' |date=June 2022 }}</ref>
* First openly ] performers to be nominated for and win a Tony Award: ] and ], for ] and ], respectively, in 2023.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Vanasco |first=Jennifer |date=2 May 2023 |title='Some Like It Hot' leads with 13 Tony Award nominations |work=NPR |url=https://www.npr.org/2023/05/02/1172716875/tony-award-nominations-2023-theater-musicals |access-date=2 May 2023}}</ref>
* First African-American to win ]: Dede Atiye, for '']'' in 2024.{{citation needed|date=June 2024}}
* First woman to solely win both ] and ]: ], for '']'' in 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brunner |first=Jeryl |title=This Year’s Tony Awards Celebrated Women In An Epic And Historic Way |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/jerylbrunner/2024/06/19/this-years-tony-awards-celebrated-women-in-an-epic-and-historic-way/ |access-date=2024-06-21 |website=Forbes}}</ref>


==See also== ==See also==
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==External links== ==External links==
* {{Official website}} ''Tony Award ® Productions'' * {{Official website}} ''Tony Award ® Productions''
* {{Twitter}}
* {{Facebook}}
* {{Instagram}}
* {{YouTube |custom=tonyawards |title=The Tony Awards}}
* *
* *

Latest revision as of 18:08, 27 December 2024

Annual awards for Broadway theatre "Tonys" redirects here. For other uses, see Tony.

Tony Award
Current: 77th Tony Awards
Tony Awards logo
Awarded forExcellence in Broadway theatre
CountryUnited States
Presented byAmerican Theatre Wing and The Broadway League
First awardedApril 6, 1947; 77 years ago (1947-04-06) by American Theatre Wing
Websitewww.tonyawards.com Edit this at Wikidata
The Tony Award medallion designed by Herman Rosse in 1949

The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in Manhattan. The ceremony is usually held in June.

The awards are given for Broadway productions and performances. One is also given for regional theatre. Several discretionary non-competitive awards are given as well, including a Special Tony Award, the Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre, and the Isabelle Stevenson Award.

The awards were founded by theatre producer and director Brock Pemberton. They are named after Antoinette "Tony" Perry, an actress, producer and theatre director who was co-founder and secretary of the American Theatre Wing. The trophy consists of a spinnable medallion, with faces portraying an adaptation of the comedy and tragedy masks, mounted on a black base with a pewter swivel.

The rules for the Tony Awards are set forth in the official document "Rules and Regulations of The American Theatre Wing's Tony Awards", which applies for that season only. The Tony Awards are the New York theatre industry's equivalent to the Emmy Awards for television, the Grammy Awards for music, and the Academy Awards (Oscars) for film. A person who has won all four is said to have won the EGOT. The Tony Awards are the U.S. equivalent of the United Kingdom's Laurence Olivier Awards and France's Molière Awards.

Award categories

Most recent Tony Award winners
← 2023 2024 Tony Awards 2025 →
 
Award Best Leading Actor in a Play Best Leading Actress in a Play
Winner Jeremy Strong
(An Enemy of the People) 		Sarah Paulson
(Appropriate)
 
Award Best Leading Actor in a Musical Best Leading Actress in a Musical
Winner Jonathan Groff
(Merrily We Roll Along) 		Maleah Joi Moon
(Hell's Kitchen)
 
Award Best Direction of a Musical Best Direction of a Play
Winner Danya Taymor
(The Outsiders) 		Daniel Aukin
(Stereophonic)
Previous Best Musical

Kimberly Akimbo

Previous Best Play
Leopoldstadt

 Best Musical

The Outsiders

Best Play
Stereophonic

As of 2014, there were 26 categories of awards, in addition to several special awards. Starting with 11 awards in 1947, the names and number of categories have changed over the years. Some examples: the category Best Book of a Musical was originally called "Best Author (Musical)." The category of Best Costume Design was one of the original awards. For two years, in 1960 and 1961, this category was split into Best Costume Designer (Dramatic) and Best Costume Designer (Musical). It then went to a single category, but in 2005 it was divided again. For the category of Best Director of a Play, a single category was for directors of plays and musicals prior to 1960.

A newly established non-competitive award, The Isabelle Stevenson Award, was given for the first time at the awards ceremony in 2009. The award is for an individual who has made a "substantial contribution of volunteered time and effort on behalf of one or more humanitarian, social service or charitable organizations."

The category of Best Special Theatrical Event was retired as of the 2009–2010 season. The categories of Best Sound Design of a Play and Best Sound Design of a Musical were retired as of the 2014–2015 season. On April 24, 2017, the Tony Awards administration committee announced that the Sound Design Award would be reintroduced for the 2017–2018 season.

Performance categories

Show and technical categories

Special awards

Retired awards

History

Main article: List of Tony Awards ceremonies

The award was founded in 1947 by a committee of the American Theatre Wing (ATW), headed by Brock Pemberton. The award is named after Antoinette Perry, nicknamed Tony, an actress, director, producer and co-founder of the American Theatre Wing, who died in 1946. As her official biography at the Tony Awards website states, "At Jacob Wilk's suggestion, proposed an award in her honor for distinguished stage acting and technical achievement. At the initial event in 1947, as he handed out an award, he called it a Tony. The name stuck." Nevertheless, the awards were sometimes referred to as the "Perry Awards" in their early years.

The 1st Tony Awards was held on April 6, 1947, at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York City. The first prizes were "a scroll, cigarette lighter and articles of jewelry such as 14-carat gold compacts and bracelets for the women, and money clips for the men". ATW co-founder Louise Heims Beck was responsible for overseeing the organization of the first awards. It was not until the third awards ceremony in 1949 that the first Tony medallion was given to award winners.

Since 1967, the award ceremony has been broadcast on U.S. national television and includes songs from the nominated musicals, and occasionally has included video clips of, or presentations about, nominated plays. The American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League jointly present and administer the awards. Audience size for the telecast is generally well below that of the Academy Awards shows, but the program reaches an affluent audience, which is prized by advertisers. According to a June 2003 article in The New York Times: "What the Tony broadcast does have, say CBS officials, is an all-important demographic: rich and smart. Jack Sussman, CBS's senior vice president in charge of specials, said the Tony show sold almost all its advertising slots shortly after CBS announced it would present the three hours. 'It draws upscale premium viewers who are attractive to upscale premium advertisers,' Mr. Sussman said..." The viewership has declined from the early years of its broadcast history (for example, the number of viewers in 1974 was 20 million; in 1999, 9.2 million) but has settled into between six and eight million viewers for most of the decade of the 2000s. In contrast, the 2009 Oscar telecast had 36.3 million viewers.

Medallion

The Tony Award medallion was designed by art director Herman Rosse and is a mix of mostly brass and a little bronze, with a nickel plating on the outside; a black acrylic glass base, and the nickel-plated pewter swivel. The face of the medallion portrays an adaptation of the comedy and tragedy masks. Originally, the reverse side had a relief profile of Antoinette Perry; this later was changed to contain the winner's name, award category, production and year. The medallion has been mounted on a black base since 1967.

A larger base was introduced and first presented in the 2010 award ceremony. That base is slightly taller – 5 inches (13 cm), up from 3+1⁄4 inches (8.3 cm) – and heavier – 3+1⁄2 pounds (1.6 kg), up from 1+1⁄2 pounds (680 grams). This change was implemented to make the award "feel more substantial" and easier to handle at the moment the award is presented to the winners, according to Howard Sherman, the executive director of the American Theatre Wing:

We know the physical scale of the Oscars, Emmys and Grammys. While we're not attempting to keep up with the Joneses, we felt this is a significant award, and it could feel and look a bit more significant... By adding height, now someone can grip the Tony, raise it over their head in triumph and not worry about keeping their grip. Believe me, you can tell the difference.

For the specific Tony Awards presented to a Broadway production, awards are given to the author and up to two of the producers free of charge. All other members of the above-the-title producing team are eligible to purchase the physical award. Sums collected are designed to help defray the cost of the Tony Awards ceremony itself. An award cost $400 as of at least 2000, $750 as of at least 2009, and, as of 2013, had been $2,500 "for several years", according to Tony Award Productions.

Details of the Tony Awards

Source: Tony Awards Official Site, Rules

Rules for a new play or musical

For the purposes of the award, a new play or musical is one that has not previously been produced on Broadway and is not "determined… to be a 'classic' or in the historical or popular repertoire", as determined by the Administration Committee (per Section (2g) of the Rules and Regulations). The rule about "classic" productions was instituted by the Tony Award Administration Committee in 2002, and stated (in summary) "A play or musical that is determined ... to be a 'classic' or in the historical or popular repertoire shall not be eligible for an award in the Best Play or Best Musical Category but may be eligible in that appropriate Best Revival category." Shows transferred from Off-Broadway or the West End are eligible as "new", as are productions based closely on films.

This rule has been the subject of some controversy, as some shows, such as Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Violet, have been ruled ineligible for the "new" category, meaning that their authors did not have a chance to win the important awards of Best Play or Best Musical (or Best Score or Best Book for musicals). On the other hand, some people feel that allowing plays and musicals that have been frequently produced to be eligible as "new" gives them an unfair advantage because they will have benefited from additional development time as well as additional familiarity with the Tony voters.

Committees and voters

The Tony Awards Administration Committee has twenty-four members: ten designated by the American Theatre Wing, ten by The Broadway League, and one each by the Dramatists Guild, Actors' Equity Association, United Scenic Artists and the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers. This committee, among other duties, determines eligibility for nominations in all awards categories.

The Tony Awards Nominating Committee makes the nominations for the various categories. This rotating group of theatre professionals is selected by the Tony Awards Administration Committee. Nominators serve three-year terms and are asked to see every new Broadway production. The Nominating Committee for the 2012–13 Broadway season (named in June 2012) had 42 members; the Nominating Committee for the 2014–2015 season has 50 members and was appointed in June 2014.

There are approximately 868 eligible Tony Award voters (as of 2014), a number that changes slightly from year to year. The number was decreased in 2009 when the first-night critics were excluded as voters. That decision was changed, and members of the New York Drama Critics' Circle were invited to be Tony voters beginning in the 2010–2011 season.

The eligible Tony voters include the board of directors and designated members of the advisory committee of the American Theatre Wing, members of the governing boards of Actors' Equity Association, the Dramatists Guild, the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers, United Scenic Artists, and the Association of Theatrical Press Agents and Managers, members of the Theatrical Council of the Casting Society of America and voting members of The Broadway League (in 2000, what was then The League of American Theaters and Producers changed membership eligibility and Tony voting status from a lifetime honor to all above-the-title producers, to ones who had been active in the previous 10 years. This action disenfranchised scores of Tony voters, including Gail Berman, Harve Brosten, Dick Button, Tony Lo Bianco, and Raymond Serra).

Eligibility date (Season)

To be eligible for Tony Award consideration, a production must have officially opened on Broadway by the eligibility date that the Management Committee establishes each year. For example, the cut-off date for eligibility the 2013–2014 season was April 24, 2014. The season for Tony Award eligibility is defined in the Rules and Regulations.

In 2020, the 74th Annual Tony Awards were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On August 21, 2020, it was announced that the 74th Annual Tony Awards would take place digitally later in 2020.

Broadway theatre

A Broadway theatre is defined as having 500 or more seats, among other requirements. While the rules define a Broadway theatre in terms of its size, not its geographical location, the list of Broadway theatres is determined solely by the Tony Awards Administration Committee. As of the 2016–2017 season, the list consisted solely of 41 theaters: 40 located in the vicinity of Times Square in New York City and Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont Theater.

Criticism

While the theatre-going public may consider the Tony Awards to be the Oscars of live theatre, critics have suggested that the Tony Awards are primarily a promotional vehicle for a small number of large production companies and theatre owners in New York City. In a 2014 Playbill article, Robert Simonson wrote that "Who gets to perform on the Tony Awards broadcast, what they get to perform, and for how long, have long been politically charged questions in the Broadway theatre community..." The producers "accept the situation ... because just as much as actually winning a Tony, a performance that lands well with the viewing public can translate into big box-office sales." Producer Robyn Goodman noted that, if the presentation at the ceremony shows well and the show wins a Tony, "you're going to spike at the box office".

The awards met further criticism when they eliminated the sound design awards in 2014. In 2014, a petition calling for the return of the Sound Design categories received more than 30,000 signatures. Addressing their previous concerns over Tony voters in the category, it was announced that upon the awards' return for the 2017–2018 season, they would be decided by a subset of voters based on their expertise.

Some advocates of gender equality and non-binary people have criticized the separation of male and female acting categories in the Tony Awards, Academy Awards, and Emmy Awards. Though some commentators worry that gender discrimination would cause men to dominate unsegregated categories, other categories are unsegregated. The Grammy Awards went gender-neutral in 2012, while the Daytime Emmy Awards introduced a single Outstanding Younger Performer in a Drama Series category in 2019 to replace their two gender-specific younger actor and actress categories. In 2023, J. Harrison Ghee and Alex Newell became the first nonbinary actors to be nominated for Tony Awards. Both would go on to win in their respective categories. Fellow nonbinary performer Justin David Sullivan withdrew from Tony consideration due to the gendered categories.

Records

Main article: List of Tony Award records

See also

References

  1. American Theatre Wing. "2014 Rules for use of Tony Awards trademarks" Archived April 9, 2017, at the Wayback Machine tonyawards.com, April 8, 2017
  2. Gans, Andrew (December 18, 2007). "League of American Theatres and Producers Announces Name Change" Archived December 21, 2007, at the Wayback Machine. Playbill. Retrieved September 13, 2013. The League of American Theatres and Producers was renamed "The Broadway League".
  3. Staff (undated). "Who's Who" Archived December 23, 2016, at the Wayback Machine. tonyawards.com. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
  4. ^ "Tony Awards Rules and Regulations for 2013–14 season" Archived July 2, 2017, at the Wayback Machine tonyawards.com, accessed June 12, 2014
  5. Pesner, Ben. "The Tony Awards – Category by Category" tonyawards.com , accessed June 12, 2014
  6. Gans, Andrew (October 8, 2008). "Tony Awards to Present Isabelle Stevenson Award in May 2009" Archived December 11, 2008, at the Wayback Machine Playbill. Retrieved September 2013.
  7. Gans, Andrew (June 18, 2009)."Tony Awards Retire Special Theatrical Event Category" Archived June 29, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. Playbill. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
  8. Bowgen, Philippe. "Tony Award Administration Committee Eliminates Sound Design Categories" Archived June 13, 2014, at the Wayback Machine playbill.com, June 11, 2014
  9. ^ American Theatre Editors (April 24, 2017). "Tony Awards to Reinstate Sound Design Categories" American Theatre Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  10. Nassour, Ellis (June 10, 2011). "From The 2011 Tony Playbill: Who Was the Original 'Tony'?". Playbill. Archived from the original on May 6, 2013. Retrieved July 4, 2013.
  11. Nassour, Ellis. "Who Is 'Tony'?". tonyawards.com. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
  12. "20 Stage Notables Get Perry Awards". The New York Times. April 7, 1947. p. 40.
  13. "Drama, Musical Win Perry Prizes". The New York Times. March 30, 1953. p. 26.
  14. Bloom, Ken (2004). "Tony Award" Broadway – Its History, People and Places. Taylor & Francis. p. 531. ISBN 978-0-415-93704-7.
  15. ^ Nassour, Ellis (June 12, 2011). "From the 2011 Tony Playbill: Tony Awards at 65 – Then and Now". Playbill. Archived from the original on May 6, 2013. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
  16. Clark, Alfred E. (March 17, 1978). "Louise Heims Beck, Widow of the Producer And a Founder of American Theater Wing". The New York Times. p. 33.(subscription required)
  17. Jesse McKinley (June 1, 2003). "The Tony Awards; Is There a Tony Doctor in the House". The New York Times. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
  18. Tony Homepage Archived March 16, 2008, at the Wayback Machine tonyawards.com
  19. Gorman, Bill (June 10, 2011)."Guess This Year's 'Tony Awards' Viewership (Poll) + Ratings History". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
  20. Bierly, Mandi (February 24, 2009). "Ratings: Oscars Up, 'Dollhouse' Down" Archived February 27, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
  21. Pincus-Roth, Zachary (May 22, 2008). "Ask Playbill.com: Tony Statuettes". Playbill. Archived from the original on December 8, 2008. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
  22. Staff. "Tony Awards FAQ". tonyawards.com. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
  23. Staff. "A History of the Tony Awards". American Theatre Wing. Archived from the original on July 16, 2013. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
  24. Piepenburg, Erik. "Tony Gets a Mini-Makeover" The New York Times, June 10, 2010
  25. Healy, Patrick (July 4, 2013). "Broadway Success Has a Price: $2,500". The New York Times. Retrieved July 4, 2013.
  26. ^ Staff (undated). "Rules & Voting". tonyawards.com. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
  27. Gans, Andrew; Simonson, Robert (September 19, 2002). "New Tony Awards Ruling on Classic Texts May Affect Current and Upcoming Shows" Archived September 28, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. Playbill. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
  28. Gerard, Jeremy (April 25, 2014). "Tony Bosses Declare Broadway Debutantes 'Violet' & 'Hedwig' Ineligible For Best Musical Category". Deadline.
  29. Gans, Andrew. "Tony Administration Committee Convenes for Final Meeting of the Season April 25" Archived April 26, 2014, at the Wayback Machine playbill.com, April 25, 2014
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External links

Tony Awards
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