The biggest story at the Tony Awards every year is the race to be crowned the season's best Broadway musical. But that's just one of the prizes up for grabs at the Tony Awards, which honor Broadway shows for outstanding acting, writing, direction and design. Which productions from the 2024–2025 season will follow in the footsteps of recent winners like Hamilton, Hadestown and Maybe Happy Ending? With our guide to Tony Awards, you can revisit stellar moments from the history of the Tonys, find our coverage of this year's races and get prepped to watch the 2026 Tony Awards broadcast.
What are the Tony Awards?
The Tony Awards, a.k.a. the Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, recognize achievement in Broadway theater. Only plays and musicals produced in one of the 41 officially recognized Broadway venues are eligible for Tony Awards. The awards are co-presented by the American Theatre Wing and the Broadway League in New York City.
When are the 2026 Tony Awards?
The 79th Annual Tony Awards will be given out on Sunday, June 7, 2026.
What period of time is covered by the 2026 Tony Awards?
The Tony Award season runs from early May to late April. The cut-off date for Tony eligibility this year was April 26, 2026.
Where is the 2026 Tony Awards ceremony being held?
The Tony Awards are back at the enormous Radio City Music Hall this year, where they have been held for most of the 21st century.
How will the Tony Awards be broadcast in 2025?
The main three-hour portion of the Tonys ceremony will be broadcast live on CBS on both coasts, starting at 8pm ET (5pm PT) on June 8, 2026. It will also be available live throughout the country for premium subscribers to the streaming service Paramount+. If the broadcast structure is the same as it has been for the past several years, an earlier 90-minute portion of the ceremony called The Tony Awards: Act One—including the design awards and several other categories—will be streamed live throughout the country in the "ET" section of the free streaming service Pluto TV starting at 6:40pm ET/3:40pm PT.
When are the 2026 Tony nominations announced?
A handful of nominations will be announced live by the actors Uzo Aduba and Darren Criss on CBS This Morning at 8:30am ET on Tuesday, May 5; they will then announce the full list of 2026 Tony nominations at 9am ET on the Tony Awards YouTube channel. The list will be posted on the Tony Awards website immediately thereafter.
Who is hosting the 2026 Tony Awards?
The Tony Awards usually have a different host every year, though some popular performers—including Angela Lansbury, Hugh Jackman, Neil Patrick Harris and Ariana DeBose—have hosted multiple times. Last year's host was be the wickedly talented Cynthia Erivo, who won a Tony herself for The Color Purple in 2016; this year, the 2026 ceremony will be led by the pop star Pink.
Who will perform on the 2026 Tony Awards?
The Tony Awards telecast on CBS usually features live performances by all of the nominees for Best Musical and Best Revival of a Musical, as well as other musical numbers at the discretion of the producers.
Who will present on the Tony Awards?
The list of presenters for the 2026 ceremony has not yet been announced.
How do I get tickets to see the Tony Awards live?
A imited number of balcony tickets to the Tony Awards are available to the general public, but be warned: They tend to go for more than $1,000 a pop on the resale market.
Who nominates and votes for the Tony Awards?
The Tony nominations are chosen by a committee of roughly 50 theater professionals from different disciplines, who serve overlapping three-year terms. A larger group of theater people—more than 800 of them—then votes on the actual awards. The voter rolls are dominated by producers but also include writers, designers, directors, casting reps and critics, including the members of the Nominating Committee.
What categories are in the Tony Awards?
Tony Awards traditionally go to winners in 26 categories: Best Play, Best Musical, Best Revival of a Play, Best Revival of a Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre, Best Director of a Play, Best Director of a Musical, 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 Actress in a Musical, Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical, Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical, Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical, Best Choreography, Best Orchestrations, Best Scenic Design of a Play, Best Scenic Design of a Musical, Best Costume Design of a Play, Best Costume Design of a Musical, Best Lighting Design of a Play, Best Lighting Design of a Musical, Best Sound Design of a Play and Best Sound Design of a Musical. A number of Special Tony Awards may also be awarded each year.
Who is receiving Special Tony Awards at the 2026 Tony Awards?
Special Tony Awards for Lifetime Achievement will be awarded in 2026 to the longtime Lincoln Center Theatre artistic director Andre Bishop, the lighting designer Jules Fisher and the writer-director James Lapine, who collaborated with Stephen Sondheim on Sunday in the Park with George, Into the Woods and Passion. The Isabella Stevenson Award will go to the musical director Mary-Mitchell Campbell for her advocacy work. Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre will go to 1/52 Project, which provides financial support for emerging designers; to the production manager Jake Bell; to the Broadway signage master Kenn Lubin; and to the entertainment lawyer Loren Plotkin.
