The 78th Tony Awards lit up Radio City Music Hall last night with Maybe Happy Ending stealing the show earning six awards including Best Musical. The heartfelt robot love story outshone heavyweights like Buena Vista Social Club and Death Becomes Her which each had 10 nominations. Purpose a Pulitzer Prize-winning family drama nabbed Best Play while Sunset Boulevard and Eureka Day won Best Musical Revival and Best Play Revival. Hosted by Wicked star Cynthia Erivo the night celebrated Broadway’s diverse talent with first-time wins for stars like Nicole Scherzinger and Sarah Snook.
A Night of Triumphs and Firsts
Maybe Happy Ending a Korean-born musical about two robots finding love in Seoul won hearts and six Tonys including Best Musical Best Book and Best Score for Will Aronson and Hue Park. Darren Criss took Best Leading Actor in a Musical for his role as a humanoid robot a nod to his physical theater roots. Purpose by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins won Best Play making him only the third playwright to win Tonys in consecutive years after 2024’s Appropriate. Kara Young made history as the first Black performer to win back-to-back Tonys for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her hilarious yet steely role in Purpose.
Nicole Scherzinger a former Pussycat Doll clinched Best Leading Actress in a Musical for her Broadway debut as Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard beating out legend Audra McDonald. Sarah Snook wowed as Best Leading Actress in a Play for playing all 26 roles in The Picture of Dorian Gray while Cole Escola took Best Leading Actor in a Play for their campy Oh Mary! as a reimagined Mary Todd Lincoln. Buena Vista Social Club scored four awards including Best Choreography and Best Orchestrations while Sunset Boulevard’s revival nabbed three including Best Musical Revival.
Standout Moments and Performances
The ceremony hosted by Erivo kicked off with a dazzling musical number and featured performances from nominated musicals like Gypsy Dead Outlaw and Operation Mincemeat. A highlight was the 10th-anniversary tribute to Hamilton with original cast members Lin-Manuel Miranda Phillipa Soo and Leslie Odom Jr. performing. Social media lit up with fans praising Erivo’s energy and Escola’s “rococo” speech thanking “Tebow from Grindr.” Harvey Fierstein received a Lifetime Achievement Award and Celia Keenan-Bolger earned the Isabelle Stevenson Award for her advocacy work both presented during the Tony Awards: Act One preshow hosted by Renée Elise Goldsberry and Darren Criss.
Many winners used their speeches to address social issues. Francis Jue Best Featured Actor in a Play for Yellow Face spoke to those feeling unseen in “authoritarian times” while Jak Malone Best Featured Actor in a Musical for Operation Mincemeat celebrated trans representation with his role as Hester. One fan posted “Broadway’s diversity shone tonight Black Asian Latino queer and trans voices owned the stage” reflecting the inclusive spirit of the 2025 Tonys.
Broadway’s Record-Breaking Season
The 2024-25 season was a blockbuster with Broadway grossing $1.89 billion surpassing pre-COVID records per the Broadway League. Despite Hollywood stars like George Clooney Mia Farrow and Bob Odenkirk going home empty-handed the night belonged to theater veterans and newcomers alike. Death Becomes Her won only one award for Paul Tazewell’s costume design despite 10 nominations while Stranger Things: The First Shadow took three including Best Sound Design. Posts online hailed the season’s humor from Oh Mary!’s camp to Eureka Day’s sharp satire calling it a “year of laughter.”