The 77th Annual Tony Awards take place on Sunday, June 16, 2023. Check out our guide to the upcoming ceremony.
Announced last October, CBS will present the “The 77th Annual Tony Awards,” which will broadcast live from The David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, on the CBS Television Network, and streaming live and on demand on Paramount+.
The 77th celebration will recognize all of the award categories and honor the incredible artistry of the 2023-2024 season. The Tony Awards is presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing.
HISTORY
The Antoinette Perry “Tony” Awards are bestowed annually on theatre professionals for distinguished achievement. The Tony is one of the most coveted awards in the entertainment industry and the annual telecast is considered one of the most prestigious programs on television.
The Tony Awards are produced in collaboration with Tony Award Productions, a joint venture of The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing, and White Cherry Entertainment.
The 2024 American Theatre Wing’s Tony Awards are presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing. At The Broadway League, Lauren Reid is Chair and Charlotte St. Martin is President. At the American Theater Wing, Emilio Sosa is Chair and Heather A. Hitchens is President & CEO.
LOCATION
Designed by the renowned architect Philip Johnson especially for George Balanchine and New York City Ballet, the David H. Koch Theater, originally named the New York State Theater, opened in 1964, and was the second major venue to open at Lincoln Center. Home of New York City Ballet and host to performances by artists from across the globe, the David H. Koch Theater is considered one of the world’s greatest performing arts venues.
FORMAT
Emmy Award winner Julianne Hough and star of CBS’ “Ghosts” Utkarsh Ambudkar will host The Tony Awards: Act One, a live pre-show with exclusive content that is available to viewers for free on Pluto TV – the leading free streaming television service – beginning Sunday, June 16 at 6:30-8:00 PM, ET/3:30-5:00 PM, PT. Hough, who starred in the hit Broadway play “POTUS,” and Ambudkar, who made his Broadway debut in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s improvisational hip-hop show “Freestyle Love Supreme,” will kick off Broadway’s biggest night with the presentation of the first round of Tony Awards during the exciting pre-show telecast.
Viewers can access The Tony Awards: Act One on their smart TV, streaming device, mobile app or online by going to Pluto TV and clicking on the “ET” channel – free and easy.
Immediately following, The 77th Annual Tony Awards, with Academy Award winner and Tony Award nominee Ariana DeBose, will air live from the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, from 8:00-11:00 PM, LIVE ET/5:00-8:00 PM, LIVE PT on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+ in the U.S. (live and on-demand for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers, or on-demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the special airs)*.
“I couldn’t pass up the chance to host the Tonys one more time at Lincoln Center. I’m excited to collaborate with the team to create an incredible celebration of this season’s achievements on Broadway for our community and for everyone at home,” said DeBose.
“We are incredibly honored to welcome Tony Award-nominated actress Ariana DeBose as this year’s host for Broadway’s biggest night, taking place for the first time at the iconic Lincoln Center. Ariana’s unique sense of artistry, creativity and talent continues to elevate the show and captivate nominees and viewers alike,” shared Heather Hitchens, president and CEO of the American Theatre Wing and Jason Laks, interim president of the Broadway League.
“The third time is definitely going to be a charm for a host who is as charming and insanely talented as Ariana DeBose!” said Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner, executive producers for White Cherry Entertainment.
Outdoor Simulcast Event
The Tony Awards announced that American Express will be hosting “Broadway Fanfare,” a simulcast event in Damrosch Park at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, as the Official Payments Partner of the 77th Annual Tony Awards.
Open to the general public, the simulcast event on Sunday, June 16 will begin at 7:30pm ET with a pre-show featuring performances and appearances by notable Broadway talent. The event will give attendees an opportunity to partake in Broadway’s most prestigious awards ceremony through various onsite activations and photo moments. American Express Card Members attending the event will enjoy exclusive perks, such as a dedicated Card Member entrance. Terms and capacity limitations apply.
“We are thrilled to welcome American Express as the Official Payments Partner of the Tony Awards,” said Heather Hitchens, president and CEO of the American Theatre Wing and Jason Laks, interim president of the Broadway League. “We anticipate a spectacular evening celebrating the magic and diversity of Broadway, bringing the excitement of the Tony Awards to theater fans everywhere.”
Follow @TheTonyAwards on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and Facebook.
PERFORMERS
The ceremony will feature show-stopping performances from the casts of Tony Award nominated best musicals and revivals, including Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club, Hell’s Kitchen, Illinoise, Merrily We Roll Along, Stereophonic, Suffs, The Outsiders, The Who’s Tommy, and Water for Elephants.
KEY NOMINATIONS
The nominees for the 77th Tony Awards were announced on Tuesday, April 30, 2024 by Tony Award winners Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Renée Elise Goldsberry.
Best Musical
Best Play
- Jaja’s African Hair Braiding
- Mary Jane
- Mother Play
- Prayer for the French Republic
- Stereophonic
Best Revival of a Musical
- Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club
- Gutenberg! The Musical!
- Merrily We Roll Along
- The Who’s Tommy
Best Revival of a Play
- Appropriate
- An Enemy of the People
- Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp through the Cotton Patch
Best Book of a Musical
- Kristoffer Diaz – Hell’s Kitchen
- Bekah Brunstetter – The Notebook
- Justin Levine and Adam Rapp – The Outsiders
- Shaina Taub – Suffs
- Rick Elice – Water for Elephants
Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
- Days of Wine and Roses – Adam Guettel (music and lyrics)
- Here Lies Love – David Byrne and Fatboy Slim (music and lyrics)
- Stereophonic – Will Butler (original songs by)
- Suffs – Shaina Taub (music and lyrics)
- The Outsiders – Jamestown Revival (Zach Chance and Jonathan Clay) and Justin Levine (music and lyrics)
For a full list of nominees, click on this link. You can also print out a PDF ballot here.
From a touring Broadway perspective, we traditionally don’t see many tour announcements from shows currently running on Broadway until after the ceremony. However, The Outsiders recently announced plans for a North American Tour to begin in fall 2025.
It is even rarer to have a current touring production be nominated for a Tony with its New York counterpart still playing, but the new musical adaptation of Back to the Future, which announced a tour back in March 2023, is in the early stages of its North American Tour. It is up for two awards: Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical (Roger Bart) and Best Scenic Design of a Musical (Tim Hatley and Finn Ross).
It is highly likely that additional tours (and, sadly, show closures) will be announced in the weeks following the results of the awards ceremony. To see which shows that might be touring, check out the Projected Shows page.
By all accounts, this year’s ceremony is expected to be fairly unpredictable. With a packed lineup of new musicals, plays, and revivals, picking winners will be tougher than ever.
* Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers will have access to stream live via the live feed of their local CBS affiliate on the service, as well as on-demand. Paramount+ Essential subscribers will not have the option to stream live, but will have access to on-demand the day after the special airs.
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