Theater people have been patient and, finally, tonight is our night. The 74th Annual Tony Awards took place Sunday, September 26, a whole two years since we last gave our regards to Broadway. Tonight’s ceremony honors the 2019–2020 season, which was unceremoniously cut short when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down Broadway. Awards were given out during a live presentation exclusively on Paramount+, hosted by six-time winner Audra McDonald. Then, we got the live special The Tony Awards Present: Broadway’s Back! — hosted by 2016 winner Leslie Odom Jr. and also airing on CBS — with performances from Jagged Little Pill, Moulin Rouge! The Musical, and Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, as well as the presentation of the awards for Best Play, Best Revival of a Play, and Best Musical. This year’s Tony’s were full of historical, if a bit perplexing, nominations; for example, Aaron Tveit was the only nominee in the Best Actor in a Musical category. While Jeremy O. Harris’s Slave Play was up for a record 12 Tonys, it took home none. The Inheritance won Best Play, making Matthew Lopez the first Latinx writer to receive the award. Earlier in the evening, Danny Burstein won his first Tony after seven nominations, and David Alan Grier gave a rousing speech for his Soldier’s Play win. Lots to celebrate, no matter the current state of theater. Find the full list of 2021 Tony winners below.
Best Play
Grand Horizons
The Inheritance
Sea Wall/A Life
Slave Play
The Sound Inside
Best Musical
Jagged Little Pill
Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Tina — The Tina Turner Musical
Best Revival of a Play
Betrayal
Frankie and Johnny in the Claire de Lune
A Soldier’s Play
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
Ian Barford, Linda Vista
Andrew Burnap, The Inheritance
Jake Gyllenhaal, Sea Wall/A Life
Tom Hiddleston, Betrayal
Tom Sturridge, Sea Wall/A Life
Blair Underwood, A Soldier’s Play
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Joaquina Kalukango, Slave Play
Laura Linney, My Name Is Lucy Barton
Audra McDonald, Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune
Mary-Louise Parker, The Sound Inside
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Aaron Tveit, Moulin Rouge! The MusicalÂ
Per a note from the Tonys: “From The Tony Awards Rules: If the Tony Awards Nominating Committee has determined that if there is only one nominee in a category listed, such category shall be submitted to the Tony Voters which may, by the affirmative vote of sixty (60%) percent of the total ballots cast, grant an Award in that category.â€
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Karen Olivo, Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Elizabeth Stanley, Jagged Little Pill
Adrienne Warren, Tina — The Tina Turner Musical
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Ato Blankson-Wood, Slave Play
James Cusati-Moyer, Slave Play
David Alan Grier, A Soldier’s Play
John Benjamin Hickey, The Inheritance
Paul Hilton, The Inheritance
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
Danny Burstein, Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Derek Klena, Jagged Little Pill
Sean Allan Krill, Jagged Little Pill
Sahr Ngaujah, Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Daniel J. Watts, Tina — The Tina Turner Musical
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Jane Alexander, Grand Horizons
Chalia La Tour, Slave Play
Annie McNamara, Slave Play
Lois Smith, The Inheritance
Cora Vander Broek, Linda Vista
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
Kathryn Gallagher, Jagged Little Pill
Celia Rose Gooding, Jagged Little Pill
Robyn Hurder, Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Lauren Patten, Jagged Little Pill
Myra Lucretia Taylor, Tina — The Tina Turner Musical
Best Direction of a Play
David Cromer, The Sound Inside
Stephen Daldry, The Inheritance
Kenny Leon, A Soldier’s Play
Jamie Lloyd, Betrayal
Robert O’Hara, Slave Play
Best Direction of a Musical
Phyllida Lloyd, Tina — The Tina Turner Musical
Diane Paulus, Jagged Little Pill
Alex Timbers, Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Best Scenic Design of a Play
Bob Crowley, The Inheritance
Soutra Gilmour, Betrayal
Rob Howell, A Christmas Carol
Derek McLane, A Soldier’s Play
Clint Ramos, Slave Play
Best Costume Design of a Play
Dede Ayite, Slave Play
Dede Ayite, A Soldier’s Play
Bob Crowley, The Inheritance
Rob Howell, A Christmas Carol
Clint Ramos, The Rose Tattoo
Best Lighting Design of a Play
Jiyoun Chang, Slave Play
Jon Clark, The Inheritance
Heather Gilbert, The Sound Inside
Allen Lee Hughes, A Soldier’s Play
Hugh Vanstone, A Christmas Carol
Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Riccardo Hernández and Lucy Mackinnon, Jagged Little Pill
Derek McLane, Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Mark Thompson and Jeff Sugg, Tina — The Tina Turner Musical
Best Costume Design of a Musical
Emily Rebholz, Jagged Little Pill
Mark Thompson, Tina — The Tina Turner Musical
Catherine Zuber, Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Bruno Poet, Tina — The Tina Turner Musical
Justin Townsend, Jagged Little Pill
Justin Townsend, Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Best Sound Design of a Play
Paul Arditti and Christopher Reid, The Inheritance
Simon Baker, A Christmas Carol
Lindsay Jones, Slave Play
Daniel Kluger, Sea Wall/A Life
Daniel Kluger, The Sound Inside
Best Sound Design of a Musical
Jonathan Deans, Jagged Little Pill
Peter Hylenski, Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Nevin Steinberg, Tina — The Tina Turner Musical
Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
A Christmas Carol, music, Christopher Nightingale
The Inheritance, music, Paul Englishby
The Rose Tattoo, music, Fitz Patton and Jason Michael Webb
Slave Play, music, Lindsay Jones
The Sound Inside, music, Daniel Kluger
Best Book of a Musical
Jagged Little Pill, Diablo Cody
Moulin Rouge! The Musical, John Logan
Tina — The Tina Turner Musical, Katori Hall, Frank Ketelaar, and Kees Prins
Best Orchestrations
Tom Kitt, Jagged Little Pill
Katie Kresek, Charlie Rosen, Matt Stine, and Justin Levine, Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Ethan Popp, Tina — The Tina Turner Musical
Best Choreography
Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Jagged Little Pill
Sonya Tayeh, Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Anthony Van Laast, Tina — The Tina Turner Musical
Special Tony Awards
David Byrne’s American Utopia
Freestyle Love Supreme
The Broadway Advocacy Coalition