Tony Awards 2025 Recap: Winners, Performances and Highlights
The 78th edition of the Tony Awards lit up Radio City Music Hall, with Cynthia Erivo as host
The 78th Annual Tony Awards lit up Radio City Music Hall on June 8, 2025, hosted by Cynthia Erivo, who opened the night with a stirring rendition of “Sometimes All You Need Is a Song”. Her performance set a powerful tone for a show packed with unforgettable moments.
One of the night’s biggest stars was Maybe Happy Ending, a touching romantic comedy about androids, which took home six awards—including Best Musical, Best Book, and Best Score. In the play category, Best Play went to Purpose by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, a bold and thought-provoking drama with a strong political edge.
The award for Best Revival of a Musical went to Sunset Boulevard, with Nicole Scherzinger winning Best Leading Actress in a Musical for her powerful performance—her emotional speech was one of the most memorable moments of the night.
Nicole Scherzinger performing As If We Never Said Goodbye at the Tony Awards (view from the audience) pic.twitter.com/cPrmR8iIUH
— Portal Nicole Scherzinger (@PortalNicole) June 9, 2025
Darren Criss made history by becoming the first Asian-American man to win Best Leading Actor in a Musical, also for Maybe Happy Ending. Meanwhile, Cole Escola broke new ground as the first openly non-binary performer to win Best Leading Actor in a Play, thanks to their standout role in Oh, Mary!.
Finally, Sarah Snook wowed audiences and judges alike, winning Best Leading Actress in a Play for her intense one-woman take on The Picture of Dorian Gray.
Special Honors
Harvey Fierstein received a Lifetime Achievement Award, celebrating his enduring contributions to theater. The musicians of Buena Vista Social Club and the team behind Stranger Things technical effects also received special Tony awards.
Congratulations to the cast and crew of the Buena Vista Social Club musical, who between them collected FOUR Tony awards yesterday! 👏 pic.twitter.com/dcsqBkSzRj
— Buena Vista Social Club (@BuenaVistaSC) June 9, 2025
The 2025 Tony Awards highlighted a Broadway season defined by diversity, innovation, and powerful storytelling. With performances that moved audiences and historic wins that broadened representation on Broadway, this year’s ceremony felt like a true celebration of where theater is today—and where it’s headed next.
Full List of Winners
Best Play
- English
Author: Sanaz Toossi - The Hills of California
Author: Jez Butterworth - John Proctor Is the Villain
Author: Kimberly Belflower - Oh, Mary!
Author: Cole Escola - Purpose — WINNER
Author: Branden Jacobs-Jenkins
Musical
- Buena Vista Social Club
- Dead Outlaw
- Death Becomes Her
- Maybe Happy Ending — WINNER
- Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical
Revival of a Play
- Eureka Day — WINNER
Author: Jonathan Spector - Romeo + Juliet
- Thornton Wilder’s Our Town
- Yellow Face
Author: David Henry Hwang
Revival of a Musical
- Floyd Collins
Book/Additional Lyrics: Tina Landau
Music & Lyrics: Adam Guettel - Gypsy
- Pirates! The Penzance Musical
- Sunset Blvd. — WINNER
Best Performance
Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
- George Clooney, Good Night, and Good Luck
- Cole Escola, Oh, Mary! — WINNER
- Jon Michael Hill, Purpose
- Daniel Dae Kim, Yellow Face
- Harry Lennix, Purpose
- Louis McCartney, Stranger Things: The First Shadow
Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
- Laura Donnelly, The Hills of California
- Mia Farrow, The Roommate
- LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Purpose
- Sadie Sink, John Proctor Is the Villain
- Sarah Snook, The Picture of Dorian Gray — WINNER
Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
- Darren Criss, Maybe Happy Ending — WINNER
- Andrew Durand, Dead Outlaw
- Tom Francis, Sunset Blvd.
- Jonathan Groff, Just in Time
- James Monroe Iglehart, A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical
- Jeremy Jordan, Floyd Collins
Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
- Megan Hilty, Death Becomes Her
- Audra McDonald, Gypsy
- Jasmine Amy Rogers, BOOP! The Musical
- Nicole Scherzinger, Sunset Blvd. — WINNER
- Jennifer Simard, Death Becomes Her
Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
- Glenn Davis, Purpose
- Gabriel Ebert, John Proctor is the Villain
- Francis Jue, Yellow Face — WINNER
- Bob Odenkirk, Glengarry Glen Ross
- Conrad Ricamora, Oh, Mary!
Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
- Tala Ashe, English
- Jessica Hecht, Eureka Day
- Marjan Neshat, English
- Fina Strazza, John Proctor Is the Villain
- Kara Young, Purpose — WINNER
Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
- Brooks Ashmanskas, Smash
- Jeb Brown, Dead Outlaw
- Danny Burstein, Gypsy
- Jak Malone, Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical (— WINNER
- Taylor Trensch, Floyd Collins
Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
- Natalie Venetia Belcon, Buena Vista Social Club (WINNER)
- Julia Knitel, Dead Outlaw
- Gracie Lawrence, Just in Time
- Justina Machado, Real Women Have Curves: The Musical
- Joy Woods, Gypsy
Direction of a Play
- Knud Adams, English
- Sam Mendes, The Hills of California
- Sam Pinkleton, Oh, Mary! — WINNER
- Danya Taymor, John Proctor is the Villain
- Kip Williams, The Picture of Dorian Gray
Direction of a Musical
- Saheem Ali, Buena Vista Social Club
- Michael Arden, Maybe Happy Ending — WINNER
- David Cromer, Dead Outlaw
- Christopher Gattelli, Death Becomes Her
- Jamie Lloyd, Sunset Blvd.
Book of a Musical
Buena Vista Social Club, Marco Ramirez
Dead Outlaw, Itamar Moses
Death Becomes Her, Marco Pennette
Maybe Happy Ending, Will Aronson and Hue Park (WINNER)
Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical, David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson and Zoë Roberts
Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
- Dead Outlaw
Music & Lyrics: David Yazbek and Erik Della Penna - Death Becomes Her
Music & Lyrics: Julia Mattison and Noel Carey - Maybe Happy Ending — WINNER
Music: Will Aronson
Lyrics: Will Aronson and Hue Park - Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical
Music & Lyrics: David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson and Zoë Roberts - Real Women Have Curves: The Musical
Music & Lyrics: Joy Huerta and Benjamin Velez
Scenic Design of a Play
- Marsha Ginsberg, English
- Rob Howell, The Hills of California
- Marg Horwell and David Bergman, The Picture of Dorian Gray
- Miriam Buether and 59, Stranger Things: The First Shadow — WINNER
- Scott Pask, Good Night, and Good Luck
Scenic Design of a Musical
- Rachel Hauck, Swept Away
- Dane Laffrey and George Reeve, Maybe Happy Ending — WINNER
- Arnulfo Maldonado, Buena Vista Social Club
- Derek McLane, Death Becomes Her
- Derek McLane, Just in Time
Costume Design of a Play
- Brenda Abbandandolo, Good Night, and Good Luck
- Marg Horwell, The Picture of Dorian Gray — WINNER
- Rob Howell, The Hills of California
- Holly Pierson, Oh, Mary!
- Brigitte Reiffenstuel, Stranger Things: The First Shadow
Costume Design of a Musical
- Dede Ayite, Buena Vista Social Club
- Gregg Barnes, BOOP! The Musical
- Clint Ramos, Maybe Happy Ending
- Paul Tazewell, Death Becomes Her — WINNER
- Catherine Zuber, Just in Time
Lighting Design of a Play
- Natasha Chivers, The Hills of California
- Jon Clark, Stranger Things: The First Shadow — WINNER
- Heather Gilbert and David Bengali, Good Night, and Good Luck
- Natasha Katz and Hannah Wasileski, John Proctor is the Villain
- Nick Schlieper, The Picture of Dorian Gray
Lighting Design of a Musical
- Jack Knowles, Sunset Blvd. — WINNER
- Tyler Micoleau, Buena Vista Social Club
- Scott Zielinski and Ruey Horng Sun, Floyd Collins
- Ben Stanton, Maybe Happy Ending
- Justin Townsend, Death Becomes Her
Sound Design of a Play
- Paul Arditti, Stranger Things: The First Shadow — WINNER
- Palmer Hefferan, John Proctor Is the Villain
- Daniel Kluger, Good Night, and Good Luck
- Nick Powell, The Hills of California
- Clemence Williams, The Picture of Dorian Gray
Sound Design of a Musical
- Jonathan Deans, Buena Vista Social Club — WINNER
- Adam Fisher, Sunset Blvd.
- Peter Hylenski, Just in Time
- Peter Hylenski, Maybe Happy Ending
- Dan Moses Schreier, Floyd Collins
Choreography
- Joshua Bergasse, Smash
- Camille A. Brown, Gypsy
- Christopher Gattelli, Death Becomes Her
- Jerry Mitchell, BOOP! The Musical
- Patricia Delgado and Justin Peck, Buena Vista Social Club — WINNER
Orchestrations
- Andrew Resnick and Michael Thurber, Just in Time
- Will Aronson, Maybe Happy Ending
- Bruce Coughlin, Floyd Collins
- Marco Paguia, Buena Vista Social Club — WINNER
- David Cullen and Andrew Lloyd Webber, Sunset Blvd.