
The show must—and did—go on! Although the ceremony was nearly canceled due to the ongoing WGA strike, the 76th Tony Awards took place—to the great relief of everyone's inner theater kid—on Sunday, June 11 at the United Palace Theatre in the Jackson Heights neighborhood of Manhattan.
"Kimberly Akimbo" closed the night with a best musical win. The comedy about a rapidly-aging New Jersey teen also took home four other Tonys, including best book, score, actress in a featured role of a musical for Bonnie Milligan, and lead actress in a musical for Victoria Clark.
"I was so sure I knew who I was and who I wasn’t and you proved me completely wrong," Clark said in her acceptance speech, shouting out the "Kimberly Akimbo" creative team of composer Jeanine Tesori, book writer/lyricist David Lindsay-Abaire, and director Jessica Stone.
History was made when Alex Newell won best featured actor in a musical for their performance in "Shucked," becoming the first performer who identifies as non-binary to take home a Tony. “Thank you for seeing me, Broadway," Newell said in their acceptance speech.
"I should not be up here, as a queer, non-binary, fat, Black little baby from Massachusetts," they continued. "To anyone that thinks that they can’t do it, I am going to look you dead in your face [and say] that you can do anything you put your mind to."
Shortly afterward, J. Harrison Ghee won lead actor in a musical for their "Some Like It Hot" performance, becoming the first openly non-binary performer to win the category. "For every trans, non-binary, gender nonconforming human who ever was told you couldn't be and couldn't be seen. This is for you," Ghee said.
Another theme of the night was support for writers amidst the ongoing WGA strike. This year's ceremony, hosted by Ariana DeBose, was performed without a script or teleprompter.
“My parents raised me to believe in the power of labor and workers being compensated and treated fairly. We stand with the WGA in solidarity," said Miriam Silverman as she accepted her featured actress in a play Tony for "The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window."
Here’s the full list of this year’s nominees, with winners noted in bold.
Best Musical
“& Juliet”
“Kimberly Akimbo” (winner)
“New York, New York”
“Shucked”
“Some Like It Hot”
Best Revival of a Musical
“Into the Woods”
“Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot”
“Parade” (winner)
“Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”
Best Play
“Ain’t No Mo’ ”
“Between Riverside and Crazy”
“Cost of Living”
“Fat Ham”
“Leopoldstadt” (winner)
Best Revival of a Play
“August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson”
“A Doll’s House”
“The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window”
“Suzan-Lori Parks’ Topdog/Underdog” (winner)
Best Book of a Musical
“& Juliet,” David West Read
“Kimberly Akimbo,” David Lindsay-Abaire (winner)
“New York, New York,” David Thompson and Sharon Washington
“Shucked,” Robert Horn
“Some Like It Hot,” Matthew López and Amber Ruffin
Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theater
“Almost Famous,” music by Tom Kitt; lyrics by Cameron Crowe and Kitt
“Kimberly Akimbo,” music by Jeanine Tesori; lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire (winner)
“KPOP,” music and lyrics by Helen Park and Max Vernon
“Shucked,” music and lyrics by Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally
“Some Like It Hot,” music by Marc Shaiman; lyrics by Scott Wittman and Shaiman
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, “Suzan-Lori Parks’ Topdog/Underdog”
Corey Hawkins, “Suzan-Lori Parks’ Topdog/Underdog”
Sean Hayes, “Good Night, Oscar” (winner)
Stephen McKinley Henderson, “Between Riverside and Crazy”
Wendell Pierce, “Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Jessica Chastain, “A Doll’s House”
Jodie Comer, “Prima Facie” (winner)
Jessica Hecht, “Summer, 1976”
Audra McDonald, “Ohio State Murders”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Christian Borle, “Some Like It Hot”
J. Harrison Ghee, “Some Like It Hot” (winner)
Josh Groban, “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”
Brian d’Arcy James, “Into the Woods”
Ben Platt, “Parade”
Colton Ryan, “New York, New York”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Annaleigh Ashford, “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”
Sara Bareilles, “Into the Woods”
Victoria Clark, “Kimberly Akimbo” (winner)
Lorna Courtney, “& Juliet”
Micaela Diamond, “Parade”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Jordan E. Cooper, “Ain’t No Mo’ ”
Samuel L. Jackson, “August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson”
Arian Moayed, “A Doll’s House”
Brandon Uranowitz, “Leopoldstadt” (winner)
David Zayas, “Cost of Living”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Nikki Crawford, “Fat Ham”
Crystal Lucas-Perry, “Ain’t No Mo’ ”
Miriam Silverman, “The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window” (winner)
Katy Sullivan, “Cost of Living”
Kara Young, “Cost of Living”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
Kevin Cahoon, “Shucked”
Justin Cooley, “Kimberly Akimbo”
Kevin Del Aguila, “Some Like It Hot”
Jordan Donica, “Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot”
Alex Newell, “Shucked” (winner)
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
Julia Lester, “Into the Woods”
Ruthie Ann Miles, “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”
Bonnie Milligan, “Kimberly Akimbo” (winner)
NaTasha Yvette Williams, “Some Like It Hot”
Betsy Wolfe, “& Juliet”
Best Scenic Design of a Play
Miriam Buether, “Prima Facie”
Tim Hatley and Andrzej Goulding, “Life of Pi” (winner)
Rachel Hauck, “Good Night, Oscar”
Richard Hudson, “Leopoldstadt”
Dane Laffrey and Lucy Mackinnon, “A Christmas Carol”
Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Beowulf Boritt, “New York, New York” (winner)
Mimi Lien, “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”
Michael Yeargan and 59 Productions, “Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot”
Scott Pask, “Shucked”
Scott Pask, “Some Like It Hot”
Best Costume Design of a Play
Tim Hatley, Nick Barnes, and Finn Caldwell, “Life of Pi”
Dominique Fawn Hill, “Fat Ham”
Brigitte Reiffenstuel, “Leopoldstadt” (winner)
Emilio Sosa, “Ain’t No Mo’ ”
Emilio Sosa, “Good Night, Oscar”
Best Costume Design of a Musical
Gregg Barnes, “Some Like It Hot” (winner)
Susan Hilferty, “Parade”
Jennifer Moeller, “Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot”
Clint Ramos and Sophia Choi, “KPOP”
Paloma Young, “& Juliet”
Donna Zakowska, “New York, New York”
Best Lighting Design of a Play
Neil Austin, “Leopoldstadt”
Natasha Chivers, “Prima Facie”
Jon Clark, “A Doll’s House”
Bradley King, “Fat Ham”
Tim Lutkin, “Life of Pi” (winner)
Jen Schriever, “Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman”
Ben Stanton, “A Christmas Carol”
Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Ken Billington, “New York, New York”
Lap Chi Chu, “Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot”
Heather Gilbert, “Parade”
Howard Hudson, “& Juliet”
Natasha Katz, “Some Like It Hot”
Natasha Katz, “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” (winner)
Best Sound Design of a Play
Jonathan Deans and Taylor Williams, “Ain’t No Mo’ ”
Carolyn Downing, “Life of Pi” (winner)
Joshua D. Reid, “A Christmas Carol”
Ben and Max Ringham, “A Doll’s House”
Ben and Max Ringham, “Prima Facie”
Best Sound Design of a Musical
Kai Harada, “New York, New York”
John Shivers, “Shucked”
Scott Lehrer and Alex Neumann, “Into the Woods”
Gareth Owen, “& Juliet”
Nevin Steinberg, “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” (winner)
Best Direction of a Play
Saheem Ali, “Fat Ham”
Jo Bonney, “Cost of Living”
Jamie Lloyd, “A Doll’s House”
Patrick Marber, “Leopoldstadt” (winner)
Stevie Walker-Webb, “Ain’t No Mo’ ”
Max Webster, “Life of Pi”
Best Direction of a Musical
Michael Arden, “Parade” (winner)
Lear DeBessonet, “Into the Woods”
Casey Nicholaw, “Some Like It Hot”
Jack O’Brien, “Shucked”
Jessica Stone, “Kimberly Akimbo”
Best Choreography
Steven Hoggett, “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”
Casey Nicholaw, “Some Like It Hot” (winner)
Susan Stroman, “New York, New York”
Jennifer Weber, “& Juliet”
Jennifer Weber, “KPOP”
Best Orchestrations
Bill Sherman and Dominic Fallacaro, “& Juliet”
John Clancy, “Kimberly Akimbo”
Jason Howland, “Shucked”
Charlie Rosen and Bryan Carter, “Some Like It Hot” (winner)
Daryl Waters and Sam Davis, “New York, New York”