Difference between revisions of "Tony Awards" - New World Encyclopedia

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{{Infobox award
 
{{Infobox award
 
| name          = Tony Award
 
| name          = Tony Award
 
| current_awards = 75th Tony Awards
 
| current_awards = 75th Tony Awards
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| image          = [[File:James Monroe Iglehart Tony Awards Announcement.jpg|300px]]
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| image          = [[File:James Monroe Iglehart Tony Awards Announcement.jpg|250px]]
 
| imagesize      = 250px
 
| imagesize      = 250px
 
| caption        = James Monroe Iglehart holding his Tony Award
 
| caption        = James Monroe Iglehart holding his Tony Award
 
| awarded_for    = Excellence in [[Broadway theatre]]
 
| awarded_for    = Excellence in [[Broadway theatre]]
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| presenter      = [[American Theatre Wing]] and [[The Broadway League]]
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| presenter      = [[American Theatre Wing]]<br>and [[The Broadway League]]
 
| country        = United States
 
| country        = United States
 
| year          = {{Start date and age|1947|4|6}}
 
| year          = {{Start date and age|1947|4|6}}
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| website        = {{Official URL}}
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| website        = [https://www.tonyawards.com/ Tony Awards]
 
}}
 
}}
  
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The '''Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre''',<ref>American Theatre Wing. [http://www.tonyawards.com/pdf/Trademark_Rules_2104.pdf "2014 Rules for use of Tony Awards trademarks"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170409113249/http://www.tonyawards.com/pdf/Trademark_Rules_2104.pdf |date=April 9, 2017 }} tonyawards.com, April 8, 2017</ref> more commonly known as the '''Tony Award''', recognizes excellence in live [[Broadway theatre]]. The awards are presented by the [[American Theatre Wing]] and [[The Broadway League]]<ref>Gans, Andrew (December 18, 2007).  [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/113654.html "League of American Theatres and Producers Announces Name Change"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071221090634/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/113654.html |date=December 21, 2007 }}. ''[[Playbill]]''.  Retrieved September 13, 2013.  The League of American Theatres and Producers was renamed "The Broadway League".</ref> at an annual ceremony in [[Midtown Manhattan]].
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The '''Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre''', more commonly known as the '''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 [[Midtown Manhattan]].  
  
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The awards are given for Broadway productions and performances. One is also given for [[Regional theatre in the United States|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]].<ref>Staff (undated).  [http://www.tonyawards.com/en_US/about/index.html "Who's Who"] {{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>
 
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The awards were founded by theatre producer and director [[Brock Pemberton]] and are named after [[Antoinette Perry|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 awards were founded by theatre producer and director [[Brock Pemberton]] and are named after [[Antoinette Perry|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.
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{{toc}}
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The Tony Awards are the New York theatre industry's equivalent to the [[Emmy Award]]s for television, the [[Grammy Award]]s for music, and the [[Academy Awards]] (Oscars) for film, and 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 Award]]s.
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==History==
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The award was founded in 1947 by a committee of the [[American Theatre Wing]] (ATW) headed by theatre producer and director [[Brock Pemberton]] and are named after [[Antoinette Perry|Antoinette "Tony" Perry]], an actress, producer and theatre director who was co-founder and secretary of the American Theatre Wing, who died in 1946.<ref name=Nassour>Ellis Nassour, [https://www.playbill.com/article/from-the-2011-tony-playbill-who-was-the-original-tony-com-179991 From The 2011 Tony Playbill: Who Was the Original 'Tony'?] ''Playbill'' (June 10, 20110. Retrieved May 12, 2023. </ref> As her official biography at the Tony Awards website states,
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<blockquote>Pemberton memorialized her as “an individualist who met life head on, dramatized life, and gave of a generous nature.” He 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>Ellis Nassour, [https://www.tonyawards.com/history/antoinette-perry/ Antoinette Perry] ''The Tony Awards''. Retrieved May 12, 2023.</ref></blockquote>
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Actress Vera Allen observed,
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<blockquote>Tony might have been small in stature, but, oh, the strength she had. And the strength she gave others. People must wonder who Antoinette Perry was. We should tell them. Here we have the only award named in honor of a real person who made real contributions. Naming the awards after Tony was justified by her Herculean tasks during the war years, but she was so much more!<ref name=Nassour/></blockquote>
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Nevertheless, the awards were sometimes referred to as the "Perry Awards" in their early years.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1947/04/07/archives/20-stage-notables-get-perry-awards-authors-producers-others-honored.html 20 Stage Notables Get Perry Awards] ''The New York Times'' (April 7, 1947). Retrieved May 12, 2023.</ref>
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The [[1st Tony Awards]] was held on April 6, 1947, at the [[Waldorf-Astoria Hotel|Waldorf Astoria]] hotel in [[New York City]].<ref> Ken Bloom, ''Broadway: An Encyclopedia'' (Routledge, 2003, ISBN 978-0415937047).</ref> ATW co-founder [[Louise Heims Beck]] was responsible for over seeing the organization of the first awards. 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>Ellis Nassour [https://playbill.com/article/from-the-2011-tony-playbill-tony-awards-at-65-then-and-now-com-180008 From The 2011 Tony Playbill: Tony Awards at 65 — Then and Now] ''Playbill'' (June 12, 2011). Retrieved May 12, 2023.</ref> It was not until the third awards ceremony in 1949 that the first Tony medallion was given to award winners.<ref name=history/>
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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]]'':
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<blockquote>"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." <ref>Jesse McKinley, [https://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/01/arts/theater-the-tony-awards-is-there-a-tony-doctor-in-the-house.html?scp=1&sq=tony%20doctor%20house&st=cse The Tony Awards; Is There a Tony Doctor in the House] ''The New York Times'' (June 1, 2003). Retrieved May 12, 2023.</ref></blockquote>
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== Tony Award Medallion ==
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The Tony Award medallion was designed by [[art director]] [[Herman Rosse]]. 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>[https://www.tonyawards.com/about/faq/ FAQ] ''Tony Awards''. Retrieved May 13, 2023.</ref> The award is a mix of mostly [[brass]] and a little [[bronze]], with a [[Electroless nickel plating|nickel plating]] on the outside; a black acrylic glass base, and the nickel-plated pewter swivel.<ref> Zachary Pincus-Roth, [https://playbill.com/article/ask-playbillcom-tony-statuettes-com-150356 Ask Playbill.com: Tony Statuettes] ''Playbill'' (May 22, 2008). Retrieved May 13, 2023. </ref>
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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|3.25|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 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>[http://www.tonyawards.com/pdf/2014_Tony_Rules_Regulations_April_25.pdf "Tony Awards Rules and Regulations for 2013–14 season"] {{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 [[Emmy Award]]s for television, the [[Grammy Award]]s for music, and the [[Academy Awards]] (Oscars) for film, and a person who has won all four is said to have won the [[List of people who have won Academy, Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Awards|EGOT]]. The Tony Awards are the U.S. equivalent of the United Kingdom's [[Laurence Olivier Awards]] and France's [[Molière Award]]s.
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<blockquote>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.<ref>Erik Piepenburg, [https://archive.nytimes.com/artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/10/tony-gets-a-mini-makeover/?_php=true&_type=blogs&ref=theater&_r=0 Tony Gets a Mini-Makeover] ''The New York Times'' (June 10, 2010). Retrieved May 13, 2023.</ref></blockquote>
  
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The [[75th Tony Awards|75th annual ceremony]] was held on June 12, 2022, at [[Radio City Music Hall]] in New York City and was broadcast live on [[CBS]], as well as the [[Paramount+]] streaming service. [[Ariana DeBose]] served as the host.
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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 by 2013, had been $2,500 "for several years," according to Tony Award Productions.<ref>Patrick Healy, [https://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/04/theater/theaterspecial/broadway-success-has-a-price-2500.html Broadway Success Has a Price: $2,500] ''The New York Times'' (July 4, 2013). Retrieved May 13, 2023.</ref>
  
 
==Award categories==
 
==Award categories==
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{{Infobox election
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The awards, currently 26 categories, are given for theatrical excellence in Broadway productions and performances. One award is also given for [[Regional theatre in the United States|regional theatre]]. Several discretionary non-competitive awards are given as well, including a [[Special Tony Award]], Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, the [[Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre]], and the [[Isabelle Stevenson Award]]. The Tony Awards and Carnegie Mellon University also present the Excellence in Theatre Education Award annually to a K-12 theatre educator in the U.S.<ref name=Categories>[https://www.tonyawards.com/about/rules-and-regulations/ The Award Categories] ''Tony Awards''. Retrieved May 13, 2023.</ref>
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| election_name = Most recent Tony Award winners
 
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| 2data1 = [[Simon Russell Beale]]<br />(''[[The Lehman Trilogy]]'')
 
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| image1 = Simon Russell Beale.jpg
 
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| 2data2 = [[Deirdre O'Connell (actress)|Deirdre O'Connell]]<br />(''[[Dana H.]]'')
 
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| image2 = Deirdre o connell 2022 1.jpg
 
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| 2data4 = [[Myles Frost]]<br />(''[[MJ the Musical|MJ]]'')
 
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| image4_size = 160x160px
 
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| after_election = ''[[A Strange Loop]]''<br /><br />'''Best Play'''<br />''[[The Lehman Trilogy]]''
 
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| 2data5 = [[Joaquina Kalukango]]<br />(''[[Paradise Square (musical)|Paradise Square]]'')
 
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| image5 = Joaquina kalukango 2022 1.jpg
 
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| 2data7 = [[Marianne Elliott]]<br />(''[[Company (musical)|Company]]'')
 
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| image7 = Marianne elliott 2022 2.jpg
 
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| 2data8 = [[Sam Mendes]]<br />(''[[The Lehman Trilogy]]'')
 
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| image8 = Sam Mendes, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, 2013 (cropped).jpg
 
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| before_election = ''[[Moulin Rouge! (musical)|Moulin Rouge!]]''<br /><br />'''Previous Best Play'''<br />''[[The Inheritance (play)|The Inheritance]]''
 
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| election_date = [[75th Tony Awards|2022 Tony Awards]]
 
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| 1blank = Award
 
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| type = primary
 
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| ongoing = 2056
 
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| previous_election = 74th Tony Awards
 
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| previous_year = 2020
 
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| next_election = 76th Tony Awards
 
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| next_year = 2023
 
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| 2blank = Winner
 
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| title = Best Musical
 
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| 1data1 = [[Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Play|Best Leading Actor in a Play]]
 
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| 1data2 = [[Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play|Best Leading Actress in a Play]]
 
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| 1data4 = [[Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical|Best Leading Actor in a Musical]]
 
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| 1data5 = [[Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical|Best Leading Actress in a Musical]]
 
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| 1data7 = [[Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical|Best Direction of a Musical]]
 
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| 1data8 = [[Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play|Best Direction of a Play]]
 
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| image8_size = 160x160px
 
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}}
 
  
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{{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.<ref>Pesner, Ben. [http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:PlU7Vyi2yzQJ:http://www.tonyawards.com/en_US/news/articles/2009-04-27/200502021107372432593.html%2Btony+award+categories&lr=&hl=en&as_qdr=all&prmd=ivns&strip=1 "The Tony Awards – Category by Category"] tonyawards.com (webcache.googleusercontent.com), accessed June 12, 2014</ref>
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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.<ref name=Penser>Ben Pesner, [https://www.tonyawards.com/news/the-tony-awards-category-by-category/ The Tony Awards – Category by Category] ''Tony Awards''. Retrieved May 13, 2023. </ref>
  
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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."<ref>Gans, Andrew (October 8, 2008). [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/122167.html "Tony Awards to Present Isabelle Stevenson Award in May 2009"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081211010001/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/122167.html |date=December 11, 2008 }} ''[[Playbill]]''. Retrieved September 2013.</ref>
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A recently 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."<ref name=Penser/>
  
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The category of [[Tony Award for Best Special Theatrical Event|Best Special Theatrical Event]] was retired as of the 2009–2010 season.<ref>Gans, Andrew (June 18, 2009).[http://www.playbill.com/news/article/130376-Tony_Awards_Retire_Special_Theatrical_Event_Category "Tony Awards Retire Special Theatrical Event Category"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090629230812/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/130376-Tony_Awards_Retire_Special_Theatrical_Event_Category |date=June 29, 2009 }}. ''[[Playbill]]''. Retrieved September 13, 2013.</ref> The categories of Best Sound Design of a Play and Best Sound Design of a Musical were retired as of the 2014–2015 season.<ref>Bowgen, Philippe. [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/192282-Tony-Award-Administration-Committee-Eliminates-Sound-Design-Categories "Tony Award Administration Committee Eliminates Sound Design Categories"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140613025503/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/192282-Tony-Award-Administration-Committee-Eliminates-Sound-Design-Categories |date=June 13, 2014 }} playbill.com, June 11, 2014</ref> On April 24, 2017, the Tony Awards administration committee announced that the Sound Design Award would be reintroduced for the 2017–2018 season.<ref name="americantheatre.org">American Theatre Editors (April 24, 2017). [http://www.americantheatre.org/2017/04/24/tony-awards-to-reinstate-sound-design-categories/ "Tony Awards to Reinstate Sound Design Categories"].''[[American Theatre (magazine)|American Theatre]]'' Retrieved April 27, 2017.</ref>
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The category of [[Tony Award for Best Special Theatrical Event|Best Special Theatrical Event]] was retired as of the 2009–2010 season.<ref>Andrew Gans, [https://playbill.com/article/tony-awards-retire-special-theatrical-event-category-com-162018 Andrew Tony Awards Retire Special Theatrical Event Category] ''Playbill'' (June 18, 2009). Retrieved May 13, 2023.</ref> 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 and that they would be decided by a subset of voters based on their expertise.<ref> Ryan McPhee, [https://playbill.com/article/the-tony-awards-will-reinstate-the-best-sound-design-categories The Tony Awards Will Reinstate the Best Sound Design Categories] ''Playbill'' (April 24, 2017). Retrievevf May 13, 2023.</ref>
  
 
===Performance categories===
 
===Performance categories===
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{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
 
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
 
* [[Regional Theatre Tony Award]]
 
* [[Regional Theatre Tony Award]]
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* [[Special Tony Award]] (includes Lifetime Achievement Award)
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* [[Special Tony Award]]  
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* [[Lifetime Achievement Award]]
 
* [[Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre]]
 
* [[Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre]]
 
* [[Isabelle Stevenson Award]]
 
* [[Isabelle Stevenson Award]]
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{{div col end}}
 
{{div col end}}
  
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==History==
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==Rules and voting==
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{{main|List of Tony Awards ceremonies}}
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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>[https://www.tonyawards.com/about/rules-and-regulations/ Rules & Regulations] ''Tony Awards''. Retrieved May 13, 2023.</ref>
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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.<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 = [[Playbill]] | 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>[</nowiki>[[Warner Bros.]] story editor] Jacob Wilk's suggestion, [Pemberton] 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=[[The New York Times]] |date=April 7, 1947 |page=40}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Drama, Musical Win Perry Prizes |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=March 30, 1953 |page=26}}</ref>
 
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The [[1st Tony Awards]] was held on April 6, 1947, at the [[Waldorf-Astoria Hotel|Waldorf Astoria]] hotel in New York City.<ref>[[Ken Bloom|Bloom, Ken]] (2004). [https://books.google.com/books?id=GBiEO8q59f0C&dq=Waldorf+%22Tony+Awards%22&pg=PA531 "Tony Award"] ''Broadway{{spaced ndash}} Its History, People and Places''. [[Taylor & Francis]]. 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 = [[Playbill]] | 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 [[Louise Heims Beck]] was responsible for over seeing the organization of the first awards.<ref>{{cite news| work= [[The New York Times]] | 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}}</ref> It was not until the third awards ceremony in 1949 that the first Tony medallion was given to award winners.<ref name=history/>
 
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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..."<ref>Jesse McKinley (June 1, 2003).  [https://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/01/arts/theater-the-tony-awards-is-there-a-tony-doctor-in-the-house.html?scp=1&sq=tony%20doctor%20house&st=cse "The Tony Awards; Is There a Tony Doctor in the House"]. ''[[The New York Times]]''.  Retrieved September 13, 2013.</ref><ref>{{failed verification|date=September 2013|reason=this attribution not really needed anyway since there is nyt citation}} [http://www.tonyawards.com/en_US/archive/index.html Tony Homepage] {{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).[https://web.archive.org/web/20110613003153/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/06/10/guess-this-years-tony-awards-viewership-poll-ratings-history/95299/ "Guess This Year's 'Tony Awards' Viewership (Poll) + Ratings History"]. [[TV by the Numbers]]. Retrieved September 13, 2013.</ref> In contrast, the 2009 Oscar telecast had 36.3&nbsp;million viewers.<ref>Bierly, Mandi (February 24, 2009). [http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2009/02/oscars-dollhous.html "Ratings: Oscars Up, 'Dollhouse' Down"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090227082710/http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2009/02/oscars-dollhous.html |date=February 27, 2009}}. ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''. Retrieved September 13, 2013.</ref>
 
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=== Medallion ===
 
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The Tony Award medallion was designed by [[art director]] [[Herman Rosse]] and is a mix of mostly [[brass]] and a little [[bronze]], with a [[Electroless nickel plating|nickel plating]] 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 = [[Playbill]] | 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 = [[American Theatre Wing]] | 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>
 
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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|3.25|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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{{blockquote|We know the physical scale of the [[Academy Awards|Oscars]], [[Emmy Award|Emmys]] and [[Grammy Award|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.<ref>Piepenburg, Erik. [http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/10/tony-gets-a-mini-makeover/?_php=true&_type=blogs&ref=theater&_r=0&gwh=ED5ADDAAACB01991ECC707B9B68915C5&gwt=pay# "Tony Gets a Mini-Makeover"] ''The New York Times'', June 10, 2010</ref>}}
 
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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.<ref name=nytpurchase>{{cite news |  title = Broadway Success Has a Price: $2,500 | url = http://theater.nytimes.com/2013/07/04/theater/theaterspecial/broadway-success-has-a-price-2500.html | first = Patrick | last= Healy | work = [[The New York Times]] | date = July 4, 2013 | access-date = July 4, 2013}}</ref>
 
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==Details of the Tony Awards==
 
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''Source: Tony Awards Official Site, Rules<ref name=rulesandreg>Staff (undated). [http://www.tonyawards.com/en_US/about/rules.html "Rules & Voting"]. tonyawards.com. Retrieved September 13, 2013.</ref>''
 
  
 
===Rules for a new play or musical===
 
===Rules for a new play or musical===
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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).<ref name=rules/> 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."<ref>Gans, Andrew; Simonson, Robert (September 19, 2002). [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/72186-New-Tony-Awards-Ruling-on-Classic-Texts-May-Affect-Current-and-Upcoming-Shows "New Tony Awards Ruling on Classic Texts May Affect Current and Upcoming Shows"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130928024548/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/72186-New-Tony-Awards-Ruling-on-Classic-Texts-May-Affect-Current-and-Upcoming-Shows |date=September 28, 2013 }}.  ''[[Playbill]]''. Retrieved September 13, 2013.</ref> Shows transferred from [[Off-Broadway]] or the [[West End theatre|West End]] are eligible as "new", as are productions based closely on films.
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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).<ref name=rules/> 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."<ref>Andrew Gans
 +
and Robert Simonson, [https://playbill.com/article/new-tony-awards-ruling-on-classic-texts-may-affect-current-and-upcoming-shows-com-108385 New Tony Awards Ruling on Classic Texts May Affect Current and Upcoming Shows] ''Playbill'' (September 19, 2002). Retrieved May 13, 2023.</ref>  
  
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This rule has been the subject of some controversy, as some shows, such as ''[[Hedwig and the Angry Inch (musical)|Hedwig and the Angry Inch]]'' and ''[[Violet (musical)|Violet]]'',<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2014/04/tonys-hedwig-violet-ineligible-best-musical-category-720036/|title=Tony Bosses Declare Broadway Debutantes 'Violet' & 'Hedwig' Ineligible For Best Musical Category|last=Gerard|first=Jeremy|date=April 25, 2014 |website=Deadline |language= en}}</ref> 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{{Who|date=April 2011}} 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.
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Shows transferred from [[Off-Broadway]] or the [[West End theatre|West End]] are eligible as "new," as are productions based closely on films. This rule has been the subject of some controversy, as some new Broadway shows, such as ''[[Hedwig and the Angry Inch (musical)|Hedwig and the Angry Inch]]'' and ''[[Violet (musical)|Violet]]'', were ruled ineligible for the "new" category due to having been mounted previously off-Broadway.<ref>Jeremy Gerard, [https://deadline.com/2014/04/tonys-hedwig-violet-ineligible-best-musical-category-720036/ Tony Bosses Declare Broadway Debutantes 'Violet' & 'Hedwig' Ineligible For Best Musical Category] ''Deadline'' (April 25, 2014). Retrieved May 13, 2023.</ref>
  
 
===Committees and voters===
 
===Committees and voters===
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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.<ref>Gans, Andrew. [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/190384-Tony-Administration-Committee-Convenes-for-Final-Meeting-of-the-Season-April-25 "Tony Administration Committee Convenes for Final Meeting of the Season April 25"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140426104049/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/190384-Tony-Administration-Committee-Convenes-for-Final-Meeting-of-the-Season-April-25 |date=April 26, 2014 }} playbill.com, April 25, 2014</ref>
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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.<ref>Andrew Gans, [https://playbill.com/article/tony-administration-committee-convenes-for-final-meeting-of-the-season-april-25-com-217588 Tony Administration Committee Convenes for Final Meeting of the Season April 25] ''Playbill'' (April 25, 2014). Retrieved May 14, 2023.</ref>
  
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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.<ref name=nomin>Gans, Andrew. [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/192264-50-Member-Tony-Awards-Nominating-Committee-Announced-for-2014-15-Season 50-Member Tony Awards Nominating Committee Announced for 2014–15 Season"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140613070757/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/192264-50-Member-Tony-Awards-Nominating-Committee-Announced-for-2014-15-Season |date=June 13, 2014 }} playbill.com, June 11, 2014</ref> The Nominating Committee for the 2012–13 Broadway season (named in June 2012) had 42 members;<ref>Jones, Kenneth (June 18, 2012). [https://archive.today/20130131134310/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/167162-Mark-Brokaw-Cheyenne-Jackson-Liza-Gennaro-Adam-Guettel-and-More-Join-Tony-Nominating-Committee-for-2012-13 "Mark Brokaw, Cheyenne Jackson, Liza Gennaro, Adam Guettel and More Join Tony Nominating Committee for 2012–13"]. ''[[Playbill]]''. Retrieved September 13, 2013.</ref> the Nominating Committee for the 2014–2015 season has 50 members and was appointed in June 2014.<ref name=nomin/>
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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.<ref name=nomin>Andrew Gans, [https://playbill.com/article/50-member-tony-awards-nominating-committee-announced-for-2014-15-season-com-322401 50-Member Tony Awards Nominating Committee Announced for 2014–15 Season] ''Playbill'' (June 11, 2014). Retrieved May 14, 2023.</ref>  
  
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There are approximately 868 eligible Tony Award voters (as of 2014),<ref name=rulesandreg/> a number that changes slightly from year to year. The number was decreased in 2009 when the first-night critics were excluded as voters.<ref>{{registration required|date=September 2013}} Healy, Patrick (July 15, 2009). [https://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/16/theater/theaterspecial/16tony.html?_r=1&8dpc "Tony Awards Committee Trims List of Voters, Citing Conflicts"]. ''[[The New York Times]]''.  Retrieved July 15, 2009.</ref><ref>Gans, Andrew. [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/131109-First-Nighters-Lose-Tony-Voting-Privilege "First-Nighters Lose Tony-Voting Privilege"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714171547/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/131109-First-Nighters-Lose-Tony-Voting-Privilege |date=July 14, 2014 }} playbill.com, July 14, 2009</ref> 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.<ref>Gans, Andrew. [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/138184-Tony-Awards-Extend-Votes-to-Members-of-New-York-Drama-Critics-Circle "Tony Awards Extend Votes to Members of New York Drama Critics' Circle"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714154742/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/138184-Tony-Awards-Extend-Votes-to-Members-of-New-York-Drama-Critics-Circle |date=July 14, 2014 }} playbill.com, March 25, 2010</ref>
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The number of eligible Tony Award voters changes slightly from year to year. For example, the number was decreased in 2009 when the first-night critics were excluded as voters.<ref>Patrick Healey, [https://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/16/theater/theaterspecial/16tony.html?_r=1&8dpc Tony Awards Committee Trims List of Voters, Citing Conflicts] ''The New York Times'' (July 15, 2009). Retrieved May 14, 2023.</ref> The rule was subsequently modified, and members of the [[New York Drama Critics' Circle]] were invited to be Tony voters beginning in the 2010–2011 season.<ref>Andrew Gans, [https://playbill.com/article/tony-awards-extend-votes-to-members-of-new-york-drama-critics-circle-com-167123 Tony Awards Extend Votes to Members of New York Drama Critics' Circle] {''Playbill'' (March 25, 2010). Retrieved May 14, 2023.</ref>
  
 
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]]).
 
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)===
 
===Eligibility date (Season)===
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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.<ref>Gans, Andrew. [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/183019-68th-Annual-Tony-Awards-Will-Be-Broadcast-Live-from-Radio-City-Music-Hall?tsrc=hph "68th Annual Tony Awards Will Be Broadcast Live from Radio City Music Hall"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222211111/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/183019-68th-Annual-Tony-Awards-Will-Be-Broadcast-Live-from-Radio-City-Music-Hall?tsrc=hph |date=February 22, 2014 }} Playbill, October 9, 2013</ref> The season for Tony Award eligibility is defined in the Rules and Regulations.
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The season for Tony Award eligibility is defined in the Rules and Regulations. 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.<ref>Andrew Gans, [https://playbill.com/article/68th-annual-tony-awards-will-be-broadcast-live-from-radio-city-music-hall-com-210394 68th Annual Tony Awards Will Be Broadcast Live from Radio City Music Hall] ''Playbill'' (October 9, 2013). Retrieved May 14, 2023.</ref>
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In 2020, the 74th Annual Tony Awards were postponed due to the [[COVID-19]] pandemic.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/major-events-cancelled-or-postponed-due-to-the-coronavirus-2020|title=Here is the latest major events that have been canceled or postponed because of the coronavirus outbreak, including the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the Cannes Film Festival, and the 74th Annual Tony Awards|last=Casado|first=Joey Hadden, Laura|website=Business Insider|access-date=April 2, 2020}}</ref> On August 21, 2020, it was announced that the 74th Annual Tony Awards would take place digitally later in 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://playbill.com/article/the-2020-tony-awards-to-be-held-digitally-this-fall|title=The 2020 Tony Awards to Be Held Digitally This Fall|last=McPhee|first=Ryan|website=Playbill|date=August 21, 2020|access-date=August 21, 2020}}</ref>
 
  
 
===Broadway theatre===
 
===Broadway theatre===
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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]].<ref>Pincus-Roth, Zachary (February 7, 2008). [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/114923.html "Ask Playbill.com: Broadway or Off-Broadway{{spaced ndash}} Part I"]. ''[[Playbill]]''. Retrieved September 13, 2013.</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/02/theater/hudson-theater-broadway.html|title=The Hudson Theater Is Back on Broadway|access-date=September 4, 2018}}</ref>
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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. The list consisted solely of 41 theaters: 39 theatres that the Broadway community generally knows to be the Broadway theatres, located in the vicinity of [[Times Square]] in New York City; as well as a small number of others including [[Lincoln Center]]'s [[Vivian Beaumont Theater]].<ref>Zachary Pincus-Roth, [https://playbill.com/article/ask-playbillcom-broadway-or-off-broadwaypart-i-com-147549 ASK PLAYBILL.COM: Broadway or Off-Broadway—Part I] ''Playbill'' (February 8, 2008). Retrieved May 14, 2023.</ref><ref>Erik Peipenberg, [https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/02/theater/hudson-theater-broadway.html The Hudson Theater Is Back on Broadway] ''The New York Times'' (February 2, 2017). Retrieved May 14, 2023.</ref>
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== Criticism ==
 
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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]].<ref>{{cite news | author = Okrent, Daniel | author-link = Daniel Okrent | title = The Public Editor; There's No Business Like Tony Awards Business | work = [[The New York Times]] | date=  May 9, 2004 | url = https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C03EEDA143CF93AA35756C0A9629C8B63 | access-date = September 13, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303816504577309663296504788|title=Why Straight Plays Can't Make It on Broadway|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|first=Terry|last=Teachout|date=March 29, 2012|access-date=February 5, 2016|url-access=subscription }}</ref> 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".<ref>Simonson, Robert. [https://archive.today/20140613212957/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/192237-Previews-of-Coming-Attractions-Tony-Awards-Favor-Future-Musicals-Over-Present-Ones/pg1 "Previews of Coming Attractions: Tony Awards Favor Future Musicals Over Present Ones"] playbill.com, June 12, 2014</ref>
 
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The awards met further criticism when they eliminated the [[Tony Award for Best Sound Design|sound design awards]] 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). [https://variety.com/2017/legit/news/tony-awards-sound-design-catogories-restored-1202393694/ "Tony Awards to Restore Sound Design Categories Next Season"] ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' 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). [http://www.playbill.com/article/the-tony-awards-will-reinstate-the-best-sound-design-categories "The Tony Awards Will Reinstate the Best Sound Design Categories"] ''[[Playbill.com]]'' 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>
 
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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 [[Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Performer in a Drama Series|Outstanding Younger Performer in a Drama Series]] 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=[[National Public Radio]] |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=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |title=Daytime Emmy Awards Eliminates Gender Distinction From Outstanding Younger Performer Category |date=October 30, 2019 |author=Dino-Ray Ramos}}</ref>
 
  
 
==Award milestones==
 
==Award milestones==
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{{More citations needed|section|date=January 2021}}
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[[File:Acceptance Speech Alex Lacamoire (cropped).png|thumb|300px| "Hamilton" orchestrator Alex Lacamoire accepting a 2016 Tony Award in the Creative Arts Awards portion of the ceremony]]
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Some notable records and facts about the Tony Awards include the following:<ref>[https://www.tonyawards.com/en_US/history/facts/index.html "Facts & Trivia – History from the Tony Awards"] {{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>
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Some notable records and facts about the Tony Awards include the following:<ref>[https://www.tonyawards.com/history/facts-and-trivia/ Facts & Trivia] ''Tony Awards''. Retrieved May 14, 2023.</ref>
  
 
===Productions===
 
===Productions===
Line 178: Line 140:
 
* Wins: The most Tony Awards ever received by a single production was the musical ''[[The Producers (musical)|The Producers]]'' (2001) with 12 awards, including Best Musical.
 
* Wins: The most Tony Awards ever received by a single production was the musical ''[[The Producers (musical)|The Producers]]'' (2001) with 12 awards, including Best Musical.
 
* Non-musical wins: The most Tonys ever received by a non-musical play was ''[[The Coast of Utopia]]'' (2007) with 7 awards, including Best Play.
 
* Non-musical wins: The most Tonys ever received by a non-musical play was ''[[The Coast of Utopia]]'' (2007) with 7 awards, including Best Play.
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* Most nominations with fewest wins: Musicals ''[[The Scottsboro Boys (musical)|The Scottsboro Boys]]'' (2011) and ''[[Mean Girls (musical)|Mean Girls]]'' (2018), as well as non-musical play ''[[Slave 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). [http://www.playbill.com/article/2011-tony-nominations-announced-book-of-mormon-earns-14-nominations-com-178833 "2011 Tony Nominations Announced; 'Book of Mormon' Earns 14 Nominations] {{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]]'' (playbill.com), Retrieved August 26, 2017.</ref>
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*Musicals that won all "big six" awards for original musicals: ''[[South Pacific (musical)|South Pacific]]'' (1950 awards), ''[[Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (musical)|Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street]]'' (1979 awards), ''[[Hairspray (musical)|Hairspray]]'' (2003 awards)<ref> Kenneth Jones, [https://www.playbill.com/article/take-me-out-hairspray-are-top-winners-in-2003-tony-awards-long-days-journey-nine-also-hot-com-113640 'Take Me Out', 'Hairspray' Are Top Winners in 2003 Tony Awards; 'Long Day's Journey', 'Nine' Also Hot] ''Playbill'' (June 9, 2003). Retrieved May 14, 2023.</ref> and ''[[The Band's Visit (musical)|The Band's Visit]]'' (2018 awards); each won the [[Tony Award for Best Musical|Best Musical]], [[Tony Award for Best Original Score|Best Score]], [[Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical|Best Book]], [[Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical|Best Performance by a Leading Actor]], [[Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical|Best Performance by a Leading Actress]], and [[Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical|Best Direction]] awards.
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*Four musicals have won all "big six" awards for original musicals: ''[[South Pacific (musical)|South Pacific]]'' (1950 awards), ''[[Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (musical)|Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street]]'' (1979 awards), ''[[Hairspray (musical)|Hairspray]]'' (2003 awards)<ref>Jones, Kenneth (June 9, 2003), [http://www.playbill.com/article/take-me-out-hairspray-are-top-winners-in-2003-tony-awards-long-days-journey-nine-also-hot-com-113640 " 'Take Me Out', 'Hairspray' Are Top Winners in 2003 Tony Awards; 'Long Day's Journey', 'Nine' Also Hot"]{{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]]'' (playbill.com) Retrieved August 26, 2017.</ref> and ''[[The Band's Visit (musical)|The Band's Visit]]'' (2018 awards); each won the [[Tony Award for Best Musical|Best Musical]], [[Tony Award for Best Original Score|Best Score]], [[Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical|Best Book]], [[Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical|Best Performance by a Leading Actor]], [[Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical|Best Performance by a Leading Actress]], and [[Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical|Best Direction]] awards.
+
**Plays that won all "big four" awards for original plays: ''[[Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?]]'' (1963 awards) and ''[[The Real Thing (play)|The Real Thing]]'' (1984 awards); both won the [[Tony Award for Best Play|Best Play]], [[Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Play|Best Performance by a Leading Actor]], [[Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play|Best Performance by a Leading Actress]], and [[Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play|Best Direction]] awards.
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**Two Plays have won all "big four" awards for original plays: ''[[Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?]]'' (1963 awards) and ''[[The Real Thing (play)|The Real Thing]]'' (1984 awards); both won the [[Tony Award for Best Play|Best Play]], [[Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Play|Best Performance by a Leading Actor]], [[Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play|Best Performance by a Leading Actress]], and [[Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play|Best Direction]] awards.
+
* Acting Awards: ''[[South Pacific (musical)|South Pacific]]'' (1950 awards), has won all four of the acting awards in a single year.
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* Acting Awards: Only one production, ''[[South Pacific (musical)|South Pacific]]'' (1950 awards), has won all four of the acting awards in a single year.
+
* Design Awards: Shows that 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), ''The Light in the Piazza'' (2005), ''The Coast of Utopia'' (2007),  the 2008 revival of ''South Pacific'' (first to sweep the expanded four awards for Creative Arts), ''[[Peter and the Starcatcher]]'' (first straight play to sweep the expanded four awards for Creative Arts) (2012), ''[[Harry Potter and the Cursed Child]]'' (2018), ''[[A Christmas Carol (2017 play)|A Christmas Carol]]'' and ''[[Moulin Rouge! (musical)|Moulin Rouge!]]'' (both 2020).
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* Words and Music: Only seven musicals have won the [[Tony Award for Best Musical]] when a person had (co-)written the Book (non-sung dialogue and storyline) and the Score (music and lyrics): 1958 winner ''[[The Music Man]]'' ([[Meredith Willson]] – award for Book and Score did not exist that year), 1986 winner ''[[Drood|The Mystery of Edwin Drood]]'' ([[Rupert Holmes]] – who also won for Book and Score), 1996 winner ''[[Rent (musical)|Rent]]'' ([[Jonathan Larson]] posthumously – who also won for Book and Score), 2011 winner ''[[The Book of Mormon (musical)|The Book of Mormon]]'' ([[Trey Parker]], [[Robert Lopez]], and [[Matt Stone]] also won for Book and Score), 2016 winner [[Hamilton (musical)|''Hamilton'']] ([[Lin-Manuel Miranda]] also won for Book and Score), 2019 winner ''[[Hadestown (musical)|Hadestown]]'' ([[Anaïs Mitchell]] also won for Score), and 2022 winner ''[[A Strange Loop]]'' ([[Michael R. Jackson|Michael R Jackson]] also won for Book)
 
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* 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), ''The Light in the Piazza'' (2005), ''The Coast of Utopia'' (2007),  the 2008 revival of ''South Pacific'' (first to sweep the expanded four awards for Creative Arts), ''[[Peter and the Starcatcher]]'' (first straight play to sweep the expanded four awards for Creative Arts) (2012), ''[[Harry Potter and the Cursed Child]]'' (2018), ''[[A Christmas Carol (2017 play)|A Christmas Carol]]'' and ''[[Moulin Rouge! (musical)|Moulin Rouge!]]'' (both 2020).
 
 
* Revivals: ''[[Death of a Salesman]]'' by [[Arthur Miller]] 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. ''[[The King and I]]'' 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. ''[[Company (musical)|Company]]'' has also won three Tony Awards, first as Best Musical in 1971, followed by Best Revival of a Musical in 2007 and 2022.
 
* Revivals: ''[[Death of a Salesman]]'' by [[Arthur Miller]] 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. ''[[The King and I]]'' 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. ''[[Company (musical)|Company]]'' has also won three Tony Awards, first as Best Musical in 1971, followed by Best Revival of a Musical in 2007 and 2022.
  
 
===Individuals===
 
===Individuals===
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[[File:Danya Polykov and Stephen Sondheim, 04.2014, NYC (cropped).jpg|thumb|300px|Stephen Sondheim]]
 
* Wins: [[Harold Prince]] has received 21 Tony Awards, more than anyone else, including eight for Best Direction of a Musical, eight for Best Musical, two for Best Producer of a Musical, and three special Tony Awards. [[Tommy Tune]] has received ten Tony Awards including three for direction, four for choreography, two for performing, and one special Tony Award. [[Stephen Sondheim]] has won more music Tony Awards than any other individual, with eight awards (six for Best Original Score, one for Best Composer, and one for Best Lyricist). [[Bob Fosse]] has won the most Tonys for choreography, also eight. [[Oliver Smith (designer)|Oliver Smith]] has won a record eight scenic design Tony Awards. [[Jules Fisher]] has won the most lighting design awards, with nine. [[Audra McDonald]] has the most performance Tony Awards with six. [[Terrence McNally]] and [[Tom Stoppard]] are the most awarded writers with four Tonys each; McNally has won Best Play twice and Best Book of a Musical twice, while Stoppard has won Best Play four times.
 
* Wins: [[Harold Prince]] has received 21 Tony Awards, more than anyone else, including eight for Best Direction of a Musical, eight for Best Musical, two for Best Producer of a Musical, and three special Tony Awards. [[Tommy Tune]] has received ten Tony Awards including three for direction, four for choreography, two for performing, and one special Tony Award. [[Stephen Sondheim]] has won more music Tony Awards than any other individual, with eight awards (six for Best Original Score, one for Best Composer, and one for Best Lyricist). [[Bob Fosse]] has won the most Tonys for choreography, also eight. [[Oliver Smith (designer)|Oliver Smith]] has won a record eight scenic design Tony Awards. [[Jules Fisher]] has won the most lighting design awards, with nine. [[Audra McDonald]] has the most performance Tony Awards with six. [[Terrence McNally]] and [[Tom Stoppard]] are the most awarded writers with four Tonys each; McNally has won Best Play twice and Best Book of a Musical twice, while Stoppard has won Best Play four times.
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* Most nominations: [[Julie Harris (American actress)|Julie Harris]] and [[Chita Rivera]] have been nominated more often than any other performer, ten apiece.<ref>[https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/julie-harris-44243#Awards "Julie Harris Awards"] ibdb.com, accessed August 11, 2019</ref><ref>[https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/chita-rivera-57887#Awards "Chita Rivera Awards"] ibdb.com, accessed August 11, 2019</ref>
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* Nominations: [[Julie Harris (American actress)|Julie Harris]] and [[Chita Rivera]] have been nominated more often than any other performer, ten apiece.<ref>[https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/julie-harris-44243#Awards Julie Harris; Tony Awards] ''IBDB''. Retrieved May 14, 2023.</ref><ref>[https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/chita-rivera-57887#Awards Chita Rivera: Tony Awards] ''IBDB''. Retrieved May 14, 2023.</ref>
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* Performers in two categories: Six performers have been nominated in two acting categories in the same year: [[Amanda Plummer]], [[Dana Ivey]], [[Kate Burton (actress)|Kate Burton]], [[Jan Maxwell]], [[Mark Rylance]], and [[Jeremy Pope (actor)|Jeremy Pope]].  Plummer in 1982 was nominated for Best Actress in a Play for ''[[A Taste of Honey]]'' and Best Featured Actress in a Play for ''[[Agnes of God]],'' for which she won. Ivey in 1984 was nominated as Best Featured Actress in Musical for ''[[Sunday in the Park with George]]'' and Best Featured Actress in a Play for ''[[Heartbreak House]].'' In 2002, Burton was nominated for Best Actress in Play for ''[[Hedda Gabler]]'' and Best Featured Actress in a Play for ''[[The Elephant Man (play)|The Elephant Man]]''. Maxwell was nominated in 2010 for Best Actress in a Play for ''[[The Royal Family (play)|The Royal Family]]'' and Best Featured Actress in a Play for ''[[Lend Me a Tenor]]''. Rylance was nominated in 2014 for Best Actor in a Play for ''[[Richard III (play)|Richard III]]'' and Best Featured Actor in a Play for ''[[Twelfth Night]]'', for which he won. Pope was nominated in 2019 for Best Actor in a Play for ''[[Choir Boy]]'' and Best Featured Actor in a Musical for ''[[Ain't Too Proud (musical)|Ain't Too Proud]]''.
+
* Writing and performing: Tony winners as both an author and as a performer. [[Harvey Fierstein]] won Best Play and Best Lead Actor in a Play for ''Torch Song Trilogy'' (1983), Best Book of a Musical for ''[[La Cage aux Folles (musical)|La Cage aux Folles]]'', and Best Lead Actor in a Musical for ''[[Hairspray (musical)|Hairspray]]''. [[Tracy Letts]], the author of 2008 Best Play ''August: Osage County'', won Best Lead Actor in a Play for ''Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'' (2013).
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* Performers in all categories: Five performers have been nominated for all four performance awards for which a performer is eligible.
 
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** [[Boyd Gaines]] was the first performer to be nominated for each of Best Featured Actor in a Play in ''[[The Heidi Chronicles]]'' (1989), Best Actor in a Musical for ''[[She Loves Me]]'' (1994), Best Featured Actor in a Musical for ''[[Contact (musical)|Contact]]'' (2000) and ''[[Gypsy (musical)|Gypsy]]'' (2008) and Best Actor in a Play for ''[[Journey's End]]'' (2007). Gaines won in three of the categories (and four of the five nominations), missing only for the performance in ''Journey's End''.
 
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** [[Raúl Esparza]] 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 ''[[Taboo (musical)|Taboo]]'' (2004), Best Actor in a Musical for ''[[Company (musical)|Company]]'' (2007), Best Featured Actor in a Play for ''[[The Homecoming]]'' (2008), and Best Actor in a Play for ''[[Speed-the-Plow]]'' (2009).
 
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** [[Angela Lansbury]] was the third performer to be nominated for all four performance awards. She won Best Actress in a Musical for ''[[Mame (musical)|Mame]]'' (1966), ''[[Dear World]]'' (1969), ''[[Gypsy: A Musical Fable|Gypsy]]'' (1975), and ''[[Sweeney Todd (musical)|Sweeney Todd]]'' (1979). She was nominated for Best Actress in a Play for ''[[Deuce (play)|Deuce]]'' (2007). She won Best Featured Actress in a Play for ''[[Blithe Spirit (play)|Blithe Spirit]]'' (2009). She was nominated for Featured Actress in a Musical for ''[[A Little Night Music]]'' (2010).
 
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** [[Jan Maxwell]] became the fourth performer to achieve this distinction by being nominated (no wins) for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for ''[[Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (musical)|Chitty Chitty Bang Bang]]'' (2005), Best Featured Actress in a Play for ''[[Coram Boy (play)|Coram Boy]]'' (2007) and ''[[Lend Me a Tenor]]'' (2010), Best Actress in a Play for ''[[The Royal Family (play)|The Royal Family]]'' (2010), and Best Actress in a Musical for ''[[Follies]]'' (2012).
 
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** [[Audra McDonald]] became the fifth performer to accomplish the feat and the first to win in all four categories, winning Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical for ''[[Carousel (musical)|Carousel]]'' (1994) and ''[[Ragtime (musical)|Ragtime]]'' (1998), Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play for ''[[Master Class]]'' (1996) and ''[[A Raisin in the Sun]]'' (2004), Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical for ''[[Porgy and Bess]]'' (2012), and Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play for ''[[Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill]]'' (2014). She was nominated for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical for ''[[Marie Christine]]'' (2000) and ''[[110 in the Shade]]'' (2007) and for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play for ''[[Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune]]'' (2020/21).
 
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* 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: [[Mary Martin]] in the title role of ''Peter Pan'' (1955), [[Harvey Fierstein]] as Edna Turnblad in ''Hairspray'' (2003), [[Mark Rylance]] as Olivia in ''[[Twelfth Night]]'' (2014), and [[Lena Hall]] as Yitzhak in ''Hedwig and the Angry Inch'' (2014). In 2000, Australian actor [[Barry Humphries]] won the Special Tony Award for a live theatrical event at the 55th Annual Tony Awards for ''Dame Edna: The Royal Tour''.
 
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* Shared Performances: All three of the young actors who shared the duties of performing the lead character in ''[[Billy Elliot the Musical]]'' (2009 awards){{spaced ndash}} [[David Alvarez (actor)|David Alvarez]], [[Trent Kowalik]] and [[Kiril Kulish]]{{spaced ndash}} also shared a single nomination, then shared the win, for [[Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical|Best Actor in a Musical]]. Previously, the only prior joint winners were [[John Kani]] and [[Winston Ntshona]], who shared the [[Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play|Best Actor in a Play]] award in 1975 for ''[[Sizwe Banzi is Dead]]'' and ''[[The Island (play)|The Island]]'', two plays they co-wrote and co-starred in.
 
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* Two genders for one role: [[Ben Vereen]] and [[Patina Miller]] both won, respectively, [[Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical|Best Actor in a Musical]] in 1972 and [[Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical|Best Actress in a Musical]] in 2013 for the role of the Leading Player in ''[[Pippin (musical)|Pippin]]'', marking the first time the same role has been won by both a man and a woman in a Broadway production.
 
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* Writing and performing: Two people have won Tonys as an author and as a performer. [[Harvey Fierstein]] won Best Play and Best Lead Actor in a Play for ''Torch Song Trilogy'' (1983), Best Book of a Musical for ''[[La Cage aux Folles (musical)|La Cage aux Folles]]'', and Best Lead Actor in a Musical for ''[[Hairspray (musical)|Hairspray]]''. [[Tracy Letts]], the author of 2008 Best Play ''August: Osage County'', won Best Lead Actor in a Play for ''Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'' (2013).
 
 
* Youngest and oldest winners of Best Score or Best Book: [[Lin-Manuel Miranda]] is the youngest person to win the award; he was 28 when he won for ''[[In the Heights (musical)|In The Heights]]''. If [[T. S. Eliot]] had been alive when he won for ''[[Cats (musical)|Cats]]'', he would have been 94. Eliot is one of two people to receive the award posthumously, the other being [[Jonathan Larson]], who won for ''[[Rent (musical)|Rent]]''. He would have been 36.
 
* Youngest and oldest winners of Best Score or Best Book: [[Lin-Manuel Miranda]] is the youngest person to win the award; he was 28 when he won for ''[[In the Heights (musical)|In The Heights]]''. If [[T. S. Eliot]] had been alive when he won for ''[[Cats (musical)|Cats]]'', he would have been 94. Eliot is one of two people to receive the award posthumously, the other being [[Jonathan Larson]], who won for ''[[Rent (musical)|Rent]]''. He would have been 36.
 
*Youngest and oldest actors to win: [[Frank Langella]] is the oldest actor to win a Tony, for his performance in ''[[The Father (Zeller play)|The Father]]'' (won at age 78), and [[Lois Smith]] holds the record for oldest actress for her performance in ''[[The Inheritance (play)|The Inheritance]]'' (won at age 90). The youngest actor to win a Tony Award, at age 11, was [[Frankie Michaels]], in 1966, for his featured performance in ''[[Mame (musical)|Mame]]'', a record which still stands today. Twenty-five years later, at 11 and a half years old, [[Daisy Eagan]] took home a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance in ''[[The Secret Garden (musical)|The Secret Garden]]'', cementing her place in Tony history as the youngest woman to win the award.  
 
*Youngest and oldest actors to win: [[Frank Langella]] is the oldest actor to win a Tony, for his performance in ''[[The Father (Zeller play)|The Father]]'' (won at age 78), and [[Lois Smith]] holds the record for oldest actress for her performance in ''[[The Inheritance (play)|The Inheritance]]'' (won at age 90). The youngest actor to win a Tony Award, at age 11, was [[Frankie Michaels]], in 1966, for his featured performance in ''[[Mame (musical)|Mame]]'', a record which still stands today. Twenty-five years later, at 11 and a half years old, [[Daisy Eagan]] took home a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance in ''[[The Secret Garden (musical)|The Secret Garden]]'', cementing her place in Tony history as the youngest woman to win the award.  
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*Youngest and oldest winners for [[Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical|Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical]]: [[Liza Minnelli|Liza Minelli]] is the youngest actress to win the award, for her performance in ''[[Flora the Red Menace]]'' (won at age 19). [[Bette Midler]] is the oldest actress to win the award, for her performance in ''[[Hello, Dolly! (musical)|Hello, Dolly!]]'' (won at age 71).  
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*Youngest and oldest winners for [[Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical|Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical]]: [[Liza Minnelli|Liza Minelli]] is the youngest actress to win the award, for her performance in ''[[Flora the Red Menace]]'' (won at age 19). [[Bette Midler]] is the oldest actress to win the award, for her performance in ''[[Hello, Dolly! (musical)|Hello, Dolly!]]'' (won at age 71).
  
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*In 2013, the four girls who alternated for the [[Matilda Wormwood|title role]] in ''[[Matilda the Musical]]'' ([[Sophia Gennusa]], aged 9; [[Bailey Ryon]], aged 10; [[Oona Laurence]], aged 10; and [[Milly Shapiro]], aged 10) won a joint Tony Honors award, making Gennusa the youngest to ever receive a Tony, albeit a non-competitive one.
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== Criticism ==
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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]].<ref>Daniel Okrent, [https://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/09/weekinreview/the-public-editor-there-s-no-business-like-tony-awards-business.html The Public Editor; There's No Business Like Tony Awards Business] ''The New York Times'' (May 9, 2004). Retrieved May 14, 2023.</ref><ref>Terry Teachout, [https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702303816504577309663296504788 Why Straight Plays Can't Make It on Broadway] ''The Wall Street Journal'' (March 29, 2012). Retrieved May 14, 2023.</ref>
  
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===Firsts===
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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."<ref>Robert Simonson, [https://archive.ph/20140613212957/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/192237-Previews-of-Coming-Attractions-Tony-Awards-Favor-Future-Musicals-Over-Present-Ones/pg1 Previews of Coming Attractions: Tony Awards Favor Future Musicals Over Present Ones] ''Playbill'' (June 12, 2014). Retrieved May 14, 2023.</ref>
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* First African-American to win [[Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical|Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musica]]<nowiki/>l: [[Juanita Hall]] for ''[[South Pacific (musical)|South Pacific]]'' in 1950.
 
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* First African-American to win [[Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical|Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical]]: [[Harry Belafonte]] for ''[[John Murray Anderson's Almanac]]'' in 1954.
 
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* First female author to win [[Tony Award for Best Play|Best Play]]: [[Frances Goodrich]] with her partner (and husband) Albert Hackett for ''[[The Diary of Anne Frank (play)|The Diary of Anne Frank]]'' in 1956.
 
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* First African-American to win [[Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical|Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical]]: [[Diahann Carroll]] for ''[[No Strings]]'' in 1962.
 
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* First African-American to win [[Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play|Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play]]: [[James Earl Jones]] for ''[[The Great White Hope]]'' in 1969.
 
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* First African-American to win [[Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical|Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical]]: [[Cleavon Little]] for ''[[Purlie]]'' in 1970.
 
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* First African-American author to win [[Tony Award for Best Play|Best Play]]: [[Joseph A. Walker (playwright)|Joseph A. Walker]] for ''[[The River Niger]]'' in 1974.
 
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* First African-American composer to solely win [[Tony Award for Best Score]]: [[Charlie Smalls]] for ''[[The Wiz]]'' in 1975.
 
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* First female to win [[Tony Award for Best Score]]: [[Betty Comden]] for ''[[On the Twentieth Century]]'' 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 ''[[Hallelujah, Baby!]]'')
 
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* First Asian-American author to win [[Tony Award for Best Play|Best Play]]: [[David Henry Hwang]] for ''[[M Butterfly]]'' in 1988.
 
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* First Asian-American to win [[Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play|Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play]]: [[BD Wong]] for ''[[M Butterfly]]'' in 1988.
 
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* First female author to solely win [[Tony Award for Best Play|Best Play]]: [[Wendy Wasserstein]] for ''[[The Heidi Chronicles]]'' in 1989.
 
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* First Asian to win [[Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical|Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical]]: [[Lea Salonga]] for ''[[Miss Saigon]]'' in 1991.
 
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* First female to win [[Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical|Best Direction of a Musical]]: [[Julie Taymor]] for ''[[The Lion King (musical)|The Lion King]]'' in 1998.
 
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* First female to win [[Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play|Best Direction of a Play]]: [[Garry Hynes]] for ''[[The Beauty Queen of Leenane]]'' in 1998.
 
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* First African-American to win [[Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play|Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play]]: [[Phylicia Rashad]] for ''[[A Raisin in the Sun]]'' in 2004.
 
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*First Brazilian to win [[Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical|Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical]]: [[Paulo Szot]] for ''[[South Pacific (musical)|South Pacific]]''  in 2008.
 
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* First female to solely win [[Tony Award for Best Score]]: [[Cyndi Lauper]] for ''[[Kinky Boots (musical)|Kinky Boots]]'' in 2013.
 
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* First Asian-American to win [[Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical|Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical]]: [[Ruthie Ann Miles]] for ''[[The King and I]]'' in 2015.
 
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* First female team to win [[Tony Award for Best Score]] and [[Tony Award for Best Book]]: [[Jeanine Tesori]] & [[Lisa Kron]] for [[Fun Home (musical)|''Fun Home'']] in 2015.
 
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*First Latiné playwright to win [[Tony Award for Best Play]]: [[Matthew Lopez (writer)|Matthew López]] for [[The Inheritance (play)|''The Inheritance'']] in 2020. 
 
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* First Lebanese-American to win [[Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical]]: [[Tony Shalhoub]] for ''[[The Band's Visit (musical)|The Band's Visit]]'' in 2018.
 
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* First Yemeni-American to win [[Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical]]: [[Ari'el Stachel]] for ''[[The Band's Visit (musical)|The Band's Visit]]'' in 2018.
 
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* First person who uses a wheelchair to be nominated for and to receive a Tony Award for acting: [[Ali Stroker]] with the [[Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical]] for ''[[Oklahoma!]]'' 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>
 
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* First female to be nominated for and to win [[Tony Award for Best Sound Design|Best Sound Design of a Musical]]: [[Jessica Paz]] for  ''[[Hadestown]]'' 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|language=en|access-date=May 20, 2020}}</ref>
 
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* First openly trans performer to be nominated for a Tony Award: [[L Morgan Lee]] with the [[Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical]] for ''[[A Strange Loop]]'' 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|language=en|access-date=June 15, 2022|title=L Morgan Lee on making Broadway history: 'I could not stop crying' |date=June 2022 }}</ref>
 
  
 
==Notes==
 
==Notes==
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==References==
 
==References==
−
 
+
* Bloom, Ken. ''Broadway: An Encyclopedia''. Routledge, 2003. ISBN 978-0415937047
 +
* Morrow, Lee Alan. ''The Tony Award Book: Four Decades of Great American Theater''. Abbeville Press, 1987. ISBN 978-0792448747
 +
* Pacheco, Patrick (ed.). ''American Theatre Wing, An Oral History: 100 Years, 100 Voices, 100 Million Miracles''. Michael Friedman Group, 2018. ISBN 1513261460
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
−
All links retrieved  
+
All links retrieved May 12, 2023.
  
 
* [https://www.tonyawards.com/ Tony Awards Official Website]
 
* [https://www.tonyawards.com/ Tony Awards Official Website]
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* [https://www.cbs.com/shows/tony_awards/ Tony Awards (CBS official broadcast website)]
+
* [https://www.cbs.com/shows/tony_awards/ The Tony Awards (CBS official broadcast website)]
 
* [https://americantheatrewing.org/ American Theatre Wing (official website)]
 
* [https://americantheatrewing.org/ American Theatre Wing (official website)]
 
* [https://www.broadwayleague.com/home/ The Broadway League (official website)]
 
* [https://www.broadwayleague.com/home/ The Broadway League (official website)]
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[[Category:Art, music, literature, sports and leisure]]
 
[[Category:Art, music, literature, sports and leisure]]
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[[Category:Performing arts]]
 
{{Credits|Tony_Awards|1148828526}}
 
{{Credits|Tony_Awards|1148828526}}

Latest revision as of 19:02, 14 May 2023

Tony Award
James Monroe Iglehart Tony Awards Announcement.jpg

James Monroe Iglehart holding his Tony Award

Awarded forExcellence in Broadway theatre
CountryUnited States
Presented byAmerican Theatre Wing
and The Broadway League
WebsiteTony Awards

The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the 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 Midtown Manhattan.

The awards were founded by theatre producer and director Brock Pemberton and 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 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, and 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.

History

The award was founded in 1947 by a committee of the American Theatre Wing (ATW) headed by theatre producer and director Brock Pemberton and are named after Antoinette "Tony" Perry, an actress, producer and theatre director who was co-founder and secretary of the American Theatre Wing, who died in 1946.[1] As her official biography at the Tony Awards website states,

Pemberton memorialized her as “an individualist who met life head on, dramatized life, and gave of a generous nature.” He 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.[2]

Actress Vera Allen observed,

Tony might have been small in stature, but, oh, the strength she had. And the strength she gave others. People must wonder who Antoinette Perry was. We should tell them. Here we have the only award named in honor of a real person who made real contributions. Naming the awards after Tony was justified by her Herculean tasks during the war years, but she was so much more![1]

Nevertheless, the awards were sometimes referred to as the "Perry Awards" in their early years.[3]

The 1st Tony Awards was held on April 6, 1947, at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York City.[4] ATW co-founder Louise Heims Beck was responsible for over seeing the organization of the first awards. 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."[5] It was not until the third awards ceremony in 1949 that the first Tony medallion was given to award winners.[5]

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." [6]

Tony Award Medallion

The Tony Award medallion was designed by art director Herman Rosse. 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.[7] The award 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.[8]

A larger base was introduced and first presented in the 2010 award ceremony. That base is slightly taller – 5 inches (13 cm), up from 3.25 inches (8.3 cm) – and heavier – 3+1/2 pounds (3.2 kg), up from 1+1/2 pounds (230 g). 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.[9]

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 by 2013, had been $2,500 "for several years," according to Tony Award Productions.[10]

Award categories

The awards, currently 26 categories, are given for theatrical excellence in Broadway productions and performances. One award is also given for regional theatre. Several discretionary non-competitive awards are given as well, including a Special Tony Award, Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, the Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre, and the Isabelle Stevenson Award. The Tony Awards and Carnegie Mellon University also present the Excellence in Theatre Education Award annually to a K-12 theatre educator in the U.S.[11]

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.[12]

A recently 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."[12]

The category of Best Special Theatrical Event was retired as of the 2009–2010 season.[13] 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 and that they would be decided by a subset of voters based on their expertise.[14]

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
  • Lifetime Achievement Award
  • Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre
  • Isabelle Stevenson Award

Retired awards

  • Best Author
  • Best Conductor and Musical Director
  • Best Costume Design (split into two categories: Best Costume Design in a Musical and Best Costume Design in a Play)
  • Best Lighting Design (split into two categories: Best Lighting Design in a Musical and Best Lighting Design in a Play)
  • Best Newcomer
  • Best Revival (split into two categories: Best Revival of a Musical and Best Revival of a Play)
  • Best Scenic Design (split into two categories: Best Scenic Design in a Musical and Best Scenic Design in a Play)
  • Best Stage Technician
  • Best Special Theatrical Event
  • Best Director (split into two categories: Best Direction of a Musical and Best Direction of a Play)

Rules and voting

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.[15]

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).[15] 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."[16]

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 new Broadway shows, such as Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Violet, were ruled ineligible for the "new" category due to having been mounted previously off-Broadway.[17]

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.[18]

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.[19]

The number of eligible Tony Award voters changes slightly from year to year. For example, the number was decreased in 2009 when the first-night critics were excluded as voters.[20] The rule was subsequently modified, and members of the New York Drama Critics' Circle were invited to be Tony voters beginning in the 2010–2011 season.[21]

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)

The season for Tony Award eligibility is defined in the Rules and Regulations. 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.[22]

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. The list consisted solely of 41 theaters: 39 theatres that the Broadway community generally knows to be the Broadway theatres, located in the vicinity of Times Square in New York City; as well as a small number of others including Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont Theater.[23][24]

Award milestones

"Hamilton" orchestrator Alex Lacamoire accepting a 2016 Tony Award in the Creative Arts Awards portion of the ceremony

Some notable records and facts about the Tony Awards include the following:[25]

Productions

  • Nominations: The most Tony nominations ever received by a single production was the musical Hamilton (2016) with 16 nominations in 13 categories, narrowly passing the previous holders of this record, The Producers (2001; 15 nominations in 12 categories) and Billy Elliot (2009; 15 nominations in 13 categories). The most Tony nominations for a non-musical play was Slave Play (2020; 12 nominations in 10 categories).
  • Wins: The most Tony Awards ever received by a single production was the musical The Producers (2001) with 12 awards, including Best Musical.
  • Non-musical wins: The most Tonys ever received by a non-musical play was The Coast of Utopia (2007) with 7 awards, including Best Play.
  • Musicals that won all "big six" awards for original musicals: South Pacific (1950 awards), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (1979 awards), Hairspray (2003 awards)[26] and The Band's Visit (2018 awards); each won the Best Musical, Best Score, Best Book, Best Performance by a Leading Actor, Best Performance by a Leading Actress, and Best Direction awards.
    • Plays that won all "big four" awards for original plays: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1963 awards) and The Real Thing (1984 awards); both won the Best Play, Best Performance by a Leading Actor, Best Performance by a Leading Actress, and Best Direction awards.
  • Acting Awards: South Pacific (1950 awards), has won all four of the acting awards in a single year.
  • Design Awards: Shows that 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), The Light in the Piazza (2005), The Coast of Utopia (2007), the 2008 revival of South Pacific (first to sweep the expanded four awards for Creative Arts), Peter and the Starcatcher (first straight play to sweep the expanded four awards for Creative Arts) (2012), Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (2018), A Christmas Carol and Moulin Rouge! (both 2020).
  • Revivals: Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller 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. The King and I 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. Company has also won three Tony Awards, first as Best Musical in 1971, followed by Best Revival of a Musical in 2007 and 2022.

Individuals

Stephen Sondheim
  • Wins: Harold Prince has received 21 Tony Awards, more than anyone else, including eight for Best Direction of a Musical, eight for Best Musical, two for Best Producer of a Musical, and three special Tony Awards. Tommy Tune has received ten Tony Awards including three for direction, four for choreography, two for performing, and one special Tony Award. Stephen Sondheim has won more music Tony Awards than any other individual, with eight awards (six for Best Original Score, one for Best Composer, and one for Best Lyricist). Bob Fosse has won the most Tonys for choreography, also eight. Oliver Smith has won a record eight scenic design Tony Awards. Jules Fisher has won the most lighting design awards, with nine. Audra McDonald has the most performance Tony Awards with six. Terrence McNally and Tom Stoppard are the most awarded writers with four Tonys each; McNally has won Best Play twice and Best Book of a Musical twice, while Stoppard has won Best Play four times.
  • Nominations: Julie Harris and Chita Rivera have been nominated more often than any other performer, ten apiece.[27][28]
  • Writing and performing: Tony winners as both an author and as a performer. Harvey Fierstein won Best Play and Best Lead Actor in a Play for Torch Song Trilogy (1983), Best Book of a Musical for La Cage aux Folles, and Best Lead Actor in a Musical for Hairspray. Tracy Letts, the author of 2008 Best Play August: Osage County, won Best Lead Actor in a Play for Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (2013).
  • Youngest and oldest winners of Best Score or Best Book: Lin-Manuel Miranda is the youngest person to win the award; he was 28 when he won for In The Heights. If T. S. Eliot had been alive when he won for Cats, he would have been 94. Eliot is one of two people to receive the award posthumously, the other being Jonathan Larson, who won for Rent. He would have been 36.
  • Youngest and oldest actors to win: Frank Langella is the oldest actor to win a Tony, for his performance in The Father (won at age 78), and Lois Smith holds the record for oldest actress for her performance in The Inheritance (won at age 90). The youngest actor to win a Tony Award, at age 11, was Frankie Michaels, in 1966, for his featured performance in Mame, a record which still stands today. Twenty-five years later, at 11 and a half years old, Daisy Eagan took home a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance in The Secret Garden, cementing her place in Tony history as the youngest woman to win the award.
  • Youngest and oldest winners for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical: Liza Minelli is the youngest actress to win the award, for her performance in Flora the Red Menace (won at age 19). Bette Midler is the oldest actress to win the award, for her performance in Hello, Dolly! (won at age 71).

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.[29][30]

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."[31]

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Ellis Nassour, From The 2011 Tony Playbill: Who Was the Original 'Tony'? Playbill (June 10, 20110. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
  2. ↑ Ellis Nassour, Antoinette Perry The Tony Awards. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
  3. ↑ 20 Stage Notables Get Perry Awards The New York Times (April 7, 1947). Retrieved May 12, 2023.
  4. ↑ Ken Bloom, Broadway: An Encyclopedia (Routledge, 2003, ISBN 978-0415937047).
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Ellis Nassour From The 2011 Tony Playbill: Tony Awards at 65 — Then and Now Playbill (June 12, 2011). Retrieved May 12, 2023.
  6. ↑ Jesse McKinley, The Tony Awards; Is There a Tony Doctor in the House The New York Times (June 1, 2003). Retrieved May 12, 2023.
  7. ↑ FAQ Tony Awards. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
  8. ↑ Zachary Pincus-Roth, Ask Playbill.com: Tony Statuettes Playbill (May 22, 2008). Retrieved May 13, 2023.
  9. ↑ Erik Piepenburg, Tony Gets a Mini-Makeover The New York Times (June 10, 2010). Retrieved May 13, 2023.
  10. ↑ Patrick Healy, Broadway Success Has a Price: $2,500 The New York Times (July 4, 2013). Retrieved May 13, 2023.
  11. ↑ The Award Categories Tony Awards. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Ben Pesner, The Tony Awards – Category by Category Tony Awards. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
  13. ↑ Andrew Gans, Andrew Tony Awards Retire Special Theatrical Event Category Playbill (June 18, 2009). Retrieved May 13, 2023.
  14. ↑ Ryan McPhee, The Tony Awards Will Reinstate the Best Sound Design Categories Playbill (April 24, 2017). Retrievevf May 13, 2023.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Rules & Regulations Tony Awards. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
  16. ↑ Andrew Gans and Robert Simonson, New Tony Awards Ruling on Classic Texts May Affect Current and Upcoming Shows Playbill (September 19, 2002). Retrieved May 13, 2023.
  17. ↑ Jeremy Gerard, Tony Bosses Declare Broadway Debutantes 'Violet' & 'Hedwig' Ineligible For Best Musical Category Deadline (April 25, 2014). Retrieved May 13, 2023.
  18. ↑ Andrew Gans, Tony Administration Committee Convenes for Final Meeting of the Season April 25 Playbill (April 25, 2014). Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  19. ↑ Andrew Gans, 50-Member Tony Awards Nominating Committee Announced for 2014–15 Season Playbill (June 11, 2014). Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  20. ↑ Patrick Healey, Tony Awards Committee Trims List of Voters, Citing Conflicts The New York Times (July 15, 2009). Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  21. ↑ Andrew Gans, Tony Awards Extend Votes to Members of New York Drama Critics' Circle {Playbill (March 25, 2010). Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  22. ↑ Andrew Gans, 68th Annual Tony Awards Will Be Broadcast Live from Radio City Music Hall Playbill (October 9, 2013). Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  23. ↑ Zachary Pincus-Roth, ASK PLAYBILL.COM: Broadway or Off-Broadway—Part I Playbill (February 8, 2008). Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  24. ↑ Erik Peipenberg, The Hudson Theater Is Back on Broadway The New York Times (February 2, 2017). Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  25. ↑ Facts & Trivia Tony Awards. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  26. ↑ Kenneth Jones, 'Take Me Out', 'Hairspray' Are Top Winners in 2003 Tony Awards; 'Long Day's Journey', 'Nine' Also Hot Playbill (June 9, 2003). Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  27. ↑ Julie Harris; Tony Awards IBDB. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  28. ↑ Chita Rivera: Tony Awards IBDB. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  29. ↑ Daniel Okrent, The Public Editor; There's No Business Like Tony Awards Business The New York Times (May 9, 2004). Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  30. ↑ Terry Teachout, Why Straight Plays Can't Make It on Broadway The Wall Street Journal (March 29, 2012). Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  31. ↑ Robert Simonson, Previews of Coming Attractions: Tony Awards Favor Future Musicals Over Present Ones Playbill (June 12, 2014). Retrieved May 14, 2023.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Bloom, Ken. Broadway: An Encyclopedia. Routledge, 2003. ISBN 978-0415937047
  • Morrow, Lee Alan. The Tony Award Book: Four Decades of Great American Theater. Abbeville Press, 1987. ISBN 978-0792448747
  • Pacheco, Patrick (ed.). American Theatre Wing, An Oral History: 100 Years, 100 Voices, 100 Million Miracles. Michael Friedman Group, 2018. ISBN 1513261460

External links

All links retrieved May 12, 2023.

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