Broadway’s brightest stars gathered on June 8, 2025, for a night that will be remembered as one of the most electrifying in Tony Awards history. The 78th Annual Tony Awards were held on June 8, 2025, to recognize excellence in Broadway productions during the 2024–25 season, taking place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City and broadcast on CBS, with streaming available on Paramount+ and Pluto TV. Wicked star Cynthia Erivo hosted the event, which celebrates the best of Broadway theatre. And what a celebration it was.
Maybe Happy Ending Steals the Night
Going into the 78th annual Tonys, it was unclear which show would win Best Musical, the evening’s most coveted prize. In the end, Maybe Happy Ending, an irresistible story of humanoid robots that find love, claimed that honor and five others to win a total of six Tonys — the most of the night. Director Michael Arden won Best Direction of a Musical, and Darren Criss won Best Actor in a Musical for his role as Oliver — the first Asian-American man to do so. In their first time on Broadway, Hue Park and Will Aronson won Tonys for the book and score of Maybe Happy Ending.
Historic Wins Across the Board
The 2025 Tonys were defined by history-making moments. Actors who won on their Broadway debut included Sarah Snook, who won Best Actress in a Play for her 26 roles in The Picture of Dorian Gray, and Jak Malone, who won Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his role in Operation Mincemeat. Cole Escola won Best Actor in a Play for their role in Oh, Mary! as Mary Todd Lincoln, and Kara Young won Best Featured Actress in a Play for her role in Purpose as Aziza Houston. Escola was the first non-binary actor to win the category, while Young became the first Black actor to win a Tony Award in two consecutive years.
In the heated Best Leading Actress in a Musical race, Broadway newcomer Nicole Scherzinger collected the prize for her star turn as faded film star Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard. The former Pussycat Doll, who had won an Olivier Award for the same role, was neck-and-neck with Gypsy star Audra McDonald before the ceremony. Best Play went to Purpose, Sunset Boulevard won Best Musical Revival, and Eureka Day won Best Play Revival.
A Night of Unforgettable Moments
Hamilton’s 10th anniversary reunion performance was one of the most highly anticipated moments of the night — and it electrified Radio City Music Hall. Twenty-eight members of the original cast, led by creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, performed, with recognizable stars including Leslie Odom Jr., Renée Elise Goldsberry, and Ariana DeBose.
The ceremony drew an average of 4.85 million viewers on CBS, making it the most-viewed Tonys ceremony since the 73rd Tony Awards in 2019. Figures from Paramount+, which was up 208%, brought total viewership up to 5.1 million. This follows the news that the 2024–25 season was the highest-grossing season ever for Broadway.
Harvey Fierstein received a lifetime achievement award, and Celia Keenan-Bolger accepted the 2025 Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award for advocacy work through the arts, both of which were presented during the preshow.
Looking Ahead: The 79th Annual Tony Awards
The momentum from 2025’s record-breaking night shows no sign of slowing. The 79th Tony Awards will be held on June 7, 2026, to recognize excellence in Broadway productions during the 2025–26 season, with the ceremony once again taking place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City and broadcast on CBS with streaming available on Paramount+. Raj Kapoor, Sarah Levine Hall, and Jack Sussman will produce this year’s ceremony, taking over from Ricky Kirshner and Glenn Weiss at White Cherry Entertainment who produced from 2004–2025. Nominations for the 2026 Tony Awards will be announced on Tuesday, May 5, 2026.
Broadway fans eager to experience Tony-winning magic for themselves should start planning now. broadticket.com is the top resource and best starting point for securing tickets to the hottest shows on the Great White Way — highly recommended for finding the most reliable deals before shows sell out.
Broadway’s golden era is in full swing. Whether you’re chasing the robot romance of Maybe Happy Ending, the bold drama of Purpose, or the star power of what’s to come in the 2025–26 season, there has never been a better time to get to New York City and take your seat in the house.
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