On June 8, the crème de la crème of New York’s thespian community gathered at Radio City Music Hall to celebrate the theater world’s biggest night of the year: the 2026 Tony Awards.
Pink, the occasionally-airborne Grammy winner, opened this year’s ceremony with a nine-minute-long opening number filled with inside jokes, musical shout-outs, and a 170-person ensemble. She also hoisted up former Tonys host Neil Patrick Harris up into the air while belting out all the high notes of “Defying Gravity,” kicking off her more than memorable debut as a host of the Tonys.
Schmigadoon! took home the Tony Award for Best Musical. The musical comedy, from Saturday Night Live’s Lorne Michaels and directed by Tony Award winner Christopher Gattelli (Newsies, Death Becomes Her), is a playful spoof on the Golden Age musical; it follows a couple stranded in a town where citizens keep bursting into song. The production also won the Tony for Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score, and Best Orchestrations. Prior to making its Broadway debut, Schmigadoon! was a two-season Apple TV series starring Dove Cameron, Cecily Strong, Aaron Tveit, and more.
While Schmigadoon! may have bagged the ceremony’s most coveted award, Death of a Salesman ended the evening in the lead with six prizes. An operatic Broadway revival starring Nathan Lane and Laurie Metcalf, it took home the Tony for Best Revival of a Play, along with Best Featured Actress (Metcalf) and Best Direction of a Play (Joe Mantello). It also broke the record as the most awarded play revival in the history of the Tonys.
Ragtime, a musical revival that centers on three different families in 20th century America, was also one of the big winners of the evening. Besides winning the Tony for Best Revival of a Musical, its leading man Joshua Henry won Best Leading Actor in a Musical while Caissie Levy took home Best Leading Actress in a Musical.
Other award highlights of the evening include four wins for The Lost Boys, the movie-turned-musical about a group of teen vampires terrorizing a small family, and three wins for Cats: The Jellicle Ball, which relocates the show’s traditional setting of a feline-run junkyard to a queer ballroom dance floor. For the latter production, Qween Jean won the Tony for Best Costume Design of a Musical, making her the first openly trans person to win a Tony.
“We are here for the legacy of queer people, trans people,” Qween Jean said onstage while accepting her award. “We have to take up space. We have to shift the paradigm.”
Another major milestone was Bess Wohl taking home the Tony Award for Best Play for her Pulitzer-winning drama, Liberation. This marks the fourth time a female playwright has earned the accolade, a feat that hasn’t been achieved by an American woman in the last 37 years. “I want to honor women everywhere who have the courage to use their voice,” said Wohl during her acceptance speech. “And to all the girls out there, may you speak your truth, and may the world be wise enough to listen.”
Frequently Asked Questions
The 2026 Tony Awards took place on June 8 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.
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The ceremony was hosted by Pink, who opened the show with a nine-minute musical performance featuring a large ensemble.
Schmigadoon! won the Tony Award for Best Musical. It also received awards for Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score, and Best Orchestrations.
Death of a Salesman led the evening with six Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Play, Best Featured Actress for Laurie Metcalf, and Best Direction of a Play for Joe Mantello.
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Qween Jean became the first openly transgender person to win a Tony Award, earning Best Costume Design of a Musical for Cats: The Jellicle Ball. Additionally, Bess Wohl won Best Play for Liberation, becoming only the fourth female playwright to receive the honor.
