Tony Awards History
The Tony Awards, established in 1947, are the most prestigious accolades in American theatre. Initially known as the Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, they honor the best Broadway productions and performances each season.
Over the years, the Tony Awards have undergone several notable changes. In 1967, the eligibility criteria were expanded to include Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway productions. The number of award categories has also fluctuated, with new categories being added and others being retired.
Evolution of Award Categories
The Tony Awards initially recognized only a handful of categories, including Best Play, Best Musical, and Best Actor and Actress in a Leading Role. Over time, additional categories were added to recognize specific aspects of theatre production, such as Best Scenic Design, Best Costume Design, and Best Lighting Design.
In recent years, the Tony Awards have introduced categories to reflect the changing landscape of Broadway theatre. For example, the Best Play Revival and Best Musical Revival categories were created to honor productions that bring classic works back to the stage.
Eligibility Criteria
The eligibility criteria for the Tony Awards have also evolved over time. Initially, only Broadway productions were eligible for consideration. However, in 1967, the criteria were expanded to include Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway productions.
Today, productions are eligible for Tony Award consideration if they have played at least 21 performances in a Broadway theatre during the eligibility period. Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway productions are eligible if they have played at least 21 performances in a non-Broadway theatre during the eligibility period.
Tony Awards Categories
The Tony Awards recognize excellence in Broadway theatre and are presented annually by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League. The awards are given in a wide range of categories, including acting, directing, production design, and musical theatre.
The Tony Awards were first presented in 1947, and the categories have changed over the years to reflect the evolving nature of Broadway theatre. Some categories have been added, while others have been discontinued. The current list of Tony Award categories is as follows:
| Category | Description | Eligibility Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| Best Play | A new play that has opened on Broadway during the season. | The play must be at least 90 minutes long and have a minimum of 12 performances. |
| Best Musical | A new musical that has opened on Broadway during the season. | The musical must have a minimum of 20 performances. |
| Best Revival of a Play | A revival of a play that has not been performed on Broadway for at least 20 years. | The revival must have a minimum of 12 performances. |
| Best Revival of a Musical | A revival of a musical that has not been performed on Broadway for at least 10 years. | The revival must have a minimum of 20 performances. |
| Best Actor in a Play | An actor who has given an outstanding performance in a leading role in a play. | The actor must have appeared in at least 20 performances of the play. |
| Best Actress in a Play | An actress who has given an outstanding performance in a leading role in a play. | The actress must have appeared in at least 20 performances of the play. |
| Best Featured Actor in a Play | An actor who has given an outstanding performance in a supporting role in a play. | The actor must have appeared in at least 20 performances of the play. |
| Best Featured Actress in a Play | An actress who has given an outstanding performance in a supporting role in a play. | The actress must have appeared in at least 20 performances of the play. |
| Best Actor in a Musical | An actor who has given an outstanding performance in a leading role in a musical. | The actor must have appeared in at least 20 performances of the musical. |
| Best Actress in a Musical | An actress who has given an outstanding performance in a leading role in a musical. | The actress must have appeared in at least 20 performances of the musical. |
| Best Featured Actor in a Musical | An actor who has given an outstanding performance in a supporting role in a musical. | The actor must have appeared in at least 20 performances of the musical. |
| Best Featured Actress in a Musical | An actress who has given an outstanding performance in a supporting role in a musical. | The actress must have appeared in at least 20 performances of the musical. |
| Best Direction of a Play | A director who has given an outstanding performance in directing a play. | The director must have directed at least 20 performances of the play. |
| Best Direction of a Musical | A director who has given an outstanding performance in directing a musical. | The director must have directed at least 20 performances of the musical. |
| Best Scenic Design of a Play | A scenic designer who has created an outstanding set design for a play. | The scenic designer must have designed the set for at least 20 performances of the play. |
| Best Scenic Design of a Musical | A scenic designer who has created an outstanding set design for a musical. | The scenic designer must have designed the set for at least 20 performances of the musical. |
| Best Costume Design of a Play | A costume designer who has created an outstanding costume design for a play. | The costume designer must have designed the costumes for at least 20 performances of the play. |
| Best Costume Design of a Musical | A costume designer who has created an outstanding costume design for a musical. | The costume designer must have designed the costumes for at least 20 performances of the musical. |
| Best Lighting Design of a Play | A lighting designer who has created an outstanding lighting design for a play. | The lighting designer must have designed the lighting for at least 20 performances of the play. |
| Best Lighting Design of a Musical | A lighting designer who has created an outstanding lighting design for a musical. | The lighting designer must have designed the lighting for at least 20 performances of the musical. |
| Best Sound Design of a Play | A sound designer who has created an outstanding sound design for a play. | The sound designer must have designed the sound for at least 20 performances of the play. |
| Best Sound Design of a Musical | A sound designer who has created an outstanding sound design for a musical. | The sound designer must have designed the sound for at least 20 performances of the musical. |
| Best Orchestrations | An orchestrator who has created an outstanding orchestration for a musical. | The orchestrator must have orchestrated the music for at least 20 performances of the musical. |
| Best Choreography | A choreographer who has created an outstanding choreography for a musical. | The choreographer must have choreographed the dance for at least 20 performances of the musical. |
Tony Awards Winners and Nominees
The Tony Awards are the most prestigious awards in American theater, honoring excellence in Broadway productions. Here’s a look at some of the winners and nominees from the past five years:
Best Musical
- 2019: Hadestown
- 2018: The Band’s Visit
- 2017: Dear Evan Hansen
- 2016: Hamilton
- 2015: Fun Home
Best Play
- 2019: The Ferryman
- 2018: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
- 2017: Oslo
- 2016: The Humans
- 2015: Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Best Revival of a Musical
- 2019: Oklahoma!
- 2018: Once on This Island
- 2017: Hello, Dolly!
- 2016: The Color Purple
- 2015: The King and I
Best Revival of a Play
- 2019: The Waverly Gallery
- 2018: Angels in America
- 2017: August Wilson’s Jitney
- 2016: Arthur Miller’s The Crucible
- 2015: The Glass Menagerie
Best Leading Actor in a Musical
- 2019: Santino Fontana, Tootsie
- 2018: Tony Shalhoub, The Band’s Visit
- 2017: Ben Platt, Dear Evan Hansen
- 2016: Leslie Odom Jr., Hamilton
- 2015: Michael Cerveris, Fun Home
Best Leading Actress in a Musical
- 2019: Stephanie J. Block, The Cher Show
- 2018: Katrina Lenk, The Band’s Visit
- 2017: Bette Midler, Hello, Dolly!
- 2016: Cynthia Erivo, The Color Purple
- 2015: Kelli O’Hara, The King and I
Best Leading Actor in a Play
- 2019: Bryan Cranston, Network
- 2018: Andrew Garfield, Angels in America
- 2017: Kevin Kline, Present Laughter
- 2016: Frank Langella, The Humans
- 2015: Alex Sharp, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Best Leading Actress in a Play, Tony awards
- 2019: Elaine May, The Waverly Gallery
- 2018: Glenda Jackson, Three Tall Women
- 2017: Laurie Metcalf, A Doll’s House, Part 2
- 2016: Jessica Lange, Long Day’s Journey into Night
- 2015: Helen Mirren, The Audience
Notable Trends and Patterns
In recent years, there has been a growing trend of musicals winning the top awards. This is likely due to the increasing popularity of musicals among audiences. Additionally, there has been a rise in the number of revivals winning awards, indicating that audiences are eager to see classic shows brought back to life.
Another notable trend is the dominance of certain shows and performers. For example, Hamilton has won a record-breaking 11 Tony Awards, while Dear Evan Hansen and The Band’s Visit have both won multiple awards. Additionally, several performers have won multiple Tony Awards, including Audra McDonald, Nathan Lane, and Sutton Foster.
