Tony Awards 2023: The 5 biggest talking points
Broadway’s biggest night took place on Sunday (11 June), as the 2023 Tony Awards celebrated the best of New York theatre.
The annual ceremony has recognised the biggest achievements in Broadway theatre since 1947.
This year’s Tony Awards took place at New York’s United Palace, led by Oscar-winning performer Ariana DeBose.
The revival of the classic musical Some Like It Hot led the pack with 13 nominations. In the plays category, Ain’t No Mo’, A Doll’s House, and Leopoldstadt were the most nominated, with six nods apiece.
The two biggest awards on the night went to Leopoldstadt for Best New Play, while Kimberly Akimbo was named Best New Musical.
Throughout the night, the audience enjoyed performances from the Tony-nominated casts of Camelot, Into the Woods, & Juliet, Kimberly Akimbo, New York, New York, Parade, Shucked, Some Like It Hot and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Lea Michele also returned to perform with the cast of Funny Girl.
You can read the full list of winners here.
Brit shows win big
Three years after it first opened in London’s West End, Tom Stoppard’s Leopoldstadt took home one of the night’s biggest awards for Best New Play.
The epic production also won for Best Director of a Play for Patrick Marber, Best Featured Actor in a Play for Brandon Uranowitz, and Best Costume Design of a Play for Brigitte Reiffenstuel.
Suzie Miller’s Prima Facie, which also began life in London, took home one of its four nominations, while the Broadway production of Life of Pi won in three design categories.
Ariana DeBose goes off script
Host Ariana DeBose may not have achieved a moment quite as viral as her Bafta rap and “Angela Bassett did the thing”, the actor still made a statement as she opened Sunday’s show.
With the Tony Awards impacted by the ongoing writers’ strike in the US, the West Side Story star opened the show from inside her dressing room, holding a binder labelled “script” filled with blank pages.
In her following speech, DeBose explained that there was a “good reason” for the blank script, saying: “Our siblings over at the WGA [Writers Guild of America] are currently on strike in pursuit of a fair deal – and how many of us know what that is?”
While striking members of the Writers Guild of America agreed not to picket the awards show, its writers were not permitted to work on the broadcast as part of the strike.
Jodie Comer declares Prima Facie role her “greatest honour”
Just days after she was forced to bring a Broadway performance to an end due to poor air quality in New York, Brit actor Jodie Comer took home her first Tony.
The Killing Eve star received the award for her role in one-woman sexual assault drama Prima Facie, beating fierce competition from Jessica Chastain, Audra McDonald and Jessica Hecht.
Speaking to the crowd about her Broadway debut, Comer said: “This has been my greatest honour, and it continues to be these three weeks left.”
The actor, who hails from Liverpool, also won the Best Actress in a Play award at the Oliviers earlier this year for the London production.
You can read The Independent’s review of Prima Facie here.
Lea Michele gets her Funny Girl flowers
13 years after Lea Michele first performed “Don’t Rain on My Parade” at the Tony Awards as part of the Glee cast, the actor returned to the stage.
This time, however, she was there in the role of Funny Girl’s Fanny Brice, after taking over the role from Beanie Feldstein in the Broadway production this year.
While Michele wasn’t eligible in this year’s Tonys – the show debuted on Broadway last year, when it picked up just one nomination – she closed out the 2023 ceremony, in a moment seen as symbolic for the actor.
Non-binary actors make history
It was a historic night for the LGBT+ community, as both Alex Newell and J Harrison Ghee became the first openly non-binary actors to win Tony Awards.
Newell, who appears in the Broadway musical Shucked, took home the award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical.
In their speech, Newell told the audience: “Thank you for seeing me, Broadway. I should not be up here as a queer non-binary, fat, Black lil baby from Massachusetts.”
Ghee, meanwhile, won the gong for Best Lead Actor in a Musical for their portrayal of a gender-questioning musician in the revival of Some Like It Hot.
“For every trans, non-binary, gender nonconforming human who was ever told you couldn’t be seen, this is for you,” they said in their acceptance speech.
Key Points
Winners list – live
Ariana DeBose addresses writers’ strike
Denée Benton calls Governor Ron DeSantis ‘the current Grand Wizard of Florida'
How to watch the Tony Awards
Sunday 11 June 2023 15:20 , Nicole Vassell
This year’s Tonys will kick off at 8pm ET at New York’s United Palace.
Viewers in the US will be able to watch the ceremony as it happens on CBS and Paramount Plus.
Isobel Lewis has the full details of how to enjoy the awards from afar:
Everything you need to know about the 2023 Tony Awards
This year’s nominations – in full
Sunday 11 June 2023 16:15 , Nicole Vassell
Funny Girl star Lea Michele and 2022 Lead Actor in a Musical winner Myles Frost announced the nominees in a ceremony on Tuesday 2 May.
The revival of Some Like it Hot leads the pack with 13 nominations. For the plays, it’s currently a three-way tie between Ain’t No Mo’, A Doll’s House and Leopoldstadt, with six nominations each.
Here’s the full list of nominees:
See the full list of nominations for this year’s Tony Awards
How is the writers’ strike affecting the Tony Awards?
Sunday 11 June 2023 17:15 , Nicole Vassell
Members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) have been on strike since Tuesday 2 May, with more than 11,500 writers across film, television and other entertainment forms downing pens until their terms are met by Hollywood executives.
This means that, in contrast to other years, no writers in the union were on hand to write a script for tonight’s show.
Lead host Ariana DeBose, and other presenters for the night, will be forced to use their improvisational skills to entertain the viewers and keep the show moving, with no scripted teleprompter.
At one point, the show itself was up in the air, before the WGA confirmed that they would not be picketing at the ceremony.
Who and what won at last year’s Tonys?
Sunday 11 June 2023 18:15 , Nicole Vassell
For the 2022 season, 29 of the 34 productions on Broadway stages received nominations.
Michael R Jackson’s A Strange Loop won Best Musical, while Stefano Massini’s The Lehman Trilogy bagged the coveted award for Best Play.
In terms of individual performers, Myles Frost, Joaquina Kalukango, Deirdre O’Connell, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Phylicia Rashad were among those to take home some of the night’s top acting prizes.
Here’s a look back at the full list of last year’s winners:
See the full list of winners at the Tony Awards 2022
WATCH: Ariana DeBose performs from Andrew Garfield’s lap in 2022
Sunday 11 June 2023 19:15 , Nicole Vassell
How did Jodie Comer’s performance in Prima Facie go down in the UK?
Sunday 11 June 2023 20:15 , Nicole Vassell
Before its Broadway transfer, Prima Facie ran at London’s Harold Pinter Theatre from April to June 2022.
Killing Eve star Jodie Comer takes on the show alone as a lawyer who frequently defends rapists, but is forced to call her whole belief system into question when she is raped by a fellow lawyer.
The play has four nominations at tonight’s awards: Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role (Jodie Comer), Best Sound Design, Best Lighting Design and Best Scenic Design for a Play.
Last year, The Independent gave the show four stars, with particular praise going to Comer’s performance.
Here’s Ava Wong Davies’ review in full:
Jodie Comer is extraordinary in the striking if tidy Prima Facie – review
WATCH: Alex Newell’s performance of ‘Independently Owned’ from Shucked
Sunday 11 June 2023 21:15 , Nicole Vassell
Alex Newell is nominated for Best Actor in a Musical for their portrayal of whiskey entrepreneur Lulu in the new Broadway musical, Shucked.
The former Glee actor makes history as the first non-binary performer to be nominated for a Tony Award.
Their performance of the song “Independently Owned” is frequently highlighted as a standout moment from the show and reliably receives standing ovations from the audience.
Watch the performance that continuously has crowds on their feet below.
The show must go on: Putting on a Tony Awards telecast during a writers' strike
Sunday 11 June 2023 22:15 , Nicole Vassell
Putting on a live telecast with no writers, no script and no rehearsal is no easy feat.
Due to the Writers Guild of America strike, no writers in the union were permitted to write material for this year’s Tony Awards.
Mark Kennedy looks into how the show will come together below:
The show must go on: Putting on a Tony Awards telecast during a writers' strike
WATCH: Ariana DeBose performs musical monologue at the Baftas
Sunday 11 June 2023 23:00 , Nicole Vassell
Effervescent performer Ariana DeBose will provide hosting duties for tonight’s show for the second year in a row.
Earlier this year, she created a viral moment with her musical monologue for the Baftas, in which she uttered the timeless words: “Angela Bassett did the thing.”
Here is a look back at the host’s unforgettable performance:
What does a Tony Award look like?
Sunday 11 June 2023 23:20 , Nicole Vassell
The Tony Award trophy consists of a spinnable medallion, with faces portraying an adaptation of the comedy and tragedy masks. It is mounted on a black base with a pewter swivel.
It stands at around 24cm tall (9.5 inches) and weighs 1.6kg (3.5 lbs).
Here’s Cynthia Nixon displaying hers proudly in 2006, after her Best Actress in a Play win for Rabbit Hole.
WATCH: Tony Awards 2022: Prince and Paris Jackson pay tribute to their late father
Sunday 11 June 2023 23:40 , Nicole Vassell
MJ: The Musical, a show about the life and career of Michael Jackson, received 10 nominations at last year’s ceremony.
In the end, it won four: Best Lead Actor in a Musical (Myles Frost), Best Lighting Design of a Musical, Best Sound Design of a Musical and Best Choreography.
Watch the moment Prince and Paris Jackson paid tribute to their late father at the awards in 2022 below:
What shows have received the most nominations at the Tonys?
Monday 12 June 2023 00:00 , Nicole Vassell
In the play category, the production with the most nominations is Jeremy O Harris’ Slave Play, which received 12 in 2020. The provocative show also holds the record of the play with the most losses, as it ended up winning none.
For musicals, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton received 16 nominations in 2016 and won 11, the highest number for an individual show that year.
15 minutes to go...
Monday 12 June 2023 00:47 , Tom Murray
Hello folks and thank you for joining us tonight for our live coverage of the Tony Awards! Some big names including plenty of British exports are up for the top gongs tonight, such as Killing Eve star Jodie Comer and the plays Prima Facie, Leopoldstadt and & Juliet.
Stay tuned...
The queen has arrived...
Monday 12 June 2023 00:52 , Tom Murray
💛 #TonyAwards 2023 💛 pic.twitter.com/mj6GUvA8wW
— Jessica Chastain (@jes_chastain) June 11, 2023
Lots of interest in Lupita Nyong’o’s outfit...
01:07 , Annabel Nugent
Black Panther star Lupita Nyong’o has many people talking about her daring red carpet outfit for the Tony Awards.
The Kenyan-Mexican actor, 40, was pictured wearing a silver breastplate that was actually modeled on her own body.
On Instagram, Nyong’o explained how the bold piece came to be.
“Misha Japanwala is a Pakistani artist and fashion designer, whose work is rooted in the rejection and deconstruction of external shame attached to one’s body. In her artistic process, she creates a realistic and true record of a person’s body as an act of resistance and celebration, and an insistence on being allowed to exist freely in our bodies,” Nyong’o wrote, adding that she was “honoured” and “humbled” to wear the piece for the award show.
Lots of chat about the writer’s strike early on
01:14 , Tom Murray
The Tony Awards very nearly didn’t happen tonight due to the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike that has crippled America’s entertainment industry.
As a result, the Tony Awards this year are unscripted – something that presenter Ariana DeBose immediately poked fun at in her opening segment.
Ariana DeBose addresses the #WritersStrike during her "live and unscripted" opening monologue at the #TonyAwards pic.twitter.com/PQkS029ya2
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) June 12, 2023
Follow along with the rolling list of winners here
01:20 , Tom Murray
The televised ceremony has just gotten started but a slew of trophies have already been awarded.
Many production awards, such as Best Original Score and Best Choreography, were announced in a pre-awards show ceremony.
Follow along here live as we update you with all the winners from tonight’s show.
The full list of Tony Awards 2023 winners
Brandon Uranowitz wins Best Featured Actor in a Play
01:32 , Tom Murray
“My imposter syndrome is on fire,” Brandon Uranowitz tells the Tony Awards crowd as he wins for his role in Leopoldstadt.
The Sir Tom Stoppard play debuted in London’s West End in 2020. It follows “a prosperous Jewish family who had fled the pogroms in the East”.
In a moment of undiluted LGBT+ pride, Uranowitz tells the audience: “When a child tells you who they are, believe them!”
Bonnie Milligan wins Best Featured Actress in a Musical
01:39 , Tom Murray
An emotional Bonnie Milligan wins Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her role as Aunt Debra in Kimberly Akimbo, which is based on Lindsay-Abaire’s 2001 comedy of the same name.
“I want to tell everybody that maybe doesn’t look like what the world tells you you should look like: that doesn’t matter, because guess what, it’s right. You belong somewhere,” she says in her acceptance speech.
ICYMI: Anna Uzele performs ‘New York, New York'
01:42 , Tom Murray
Uzele got one hell of a reception for this rendition of “New York, New York”. Check it out here:
this performance of “New York, New York” was everything. Anna Uzele is incredible#TonyAwards pic.twitter.com/HrbBLYlOqD
— Spencer Althouse (@SpencerAlthouse) June 12, 2023
Patrick Marber wins Best Directing of a Play for ‘Leopoldstadt'
01:44 , Annabel Nugent
ICYMI: How Ariana DeBose opened the Tony Awards
01:47 , Tom Murray
Presenter Ariana DeBose made a show-stopping entrance by leading an intricate dance number to open the show.
She also made fun of the fact that this year’s show was entirely unscripted due to the ongoing Hollywood writer’s strike.
Read all about it here:
‘I am unscripted – buckle up’: Ariana DeBose opens Tony Awards with passionate speech
Michael Arden wins Best Direction of a Musical
01:51 , Tom Murray
Parade director Michael Arden had an impassioned speech about the LGBT+ community when collecting his award for Best Direction of a Musical.
He told the audience: “When I was a kid, I was called the F word more times than I can remember. Well, now I’m a f***** with a Tony!”
The director of 'Parade,' Michael Arden, speaks to the queer community during his #TonyAwards acceptance speech pic.twitter.com/1KpiWxlqEf
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) June 12, 2023
‘Please welcome whoever walks on stage next'
01:56 , Tom Murray
A nice little moment of unscripted-ness there. DeBose can’t read the writing scrawled on her arm so asks the audience to “please welcome whoever walks on stage next”.
Miriam Silverman wins Best Featured Actress in a Play
02:01 , Annabel Nugent
Miriam Silverman wins her role in The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window. She used her time onstage to deliver a message in solidarity with the striking WGA members.
“Lorraine Hansberry was a visionary and a genius, and it is a divine, divine honor to speak her words every night,” she added of the late playwright.
Suzan Lori-Parks’ ‘Topdog/Underdog’ wins Best Revival of a Play
02:20 , Tom Murray
20 years after its initial debut, Topdog/Underdog was revived on Broadway, directed by Kenny Leon and starring Corey Hawkins and Candyman star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II.
The play tells the story of Lincoln and Booth, “two brothers whose names, given to them as a joke, foretell a lifetime of sibling rivalry and resentment”.
Alex Newell wins Best Featured Actor in a Musical
02:40 , Tom Murray
Alex Newell – one of the first openly non-binary performers to be nominated at the Tony Awards – wins for her role as Lulu in Shucked.
‘Hamilton’ star makes KKK joke about Ron DeSantis
02:50 , Tom Murray
Hamilton star Denée Benton just called Governor Ron DeSantis “the current Grand Wizard of Florida”.
The Grand Wizard was, of course, the national leader of the Ku Klux Klan.
Wow, that is punchy! The Tony Awards crowd loves it though.
Denée Benton WENT THERE and called out Ron DeSantis omg
“While I’m certain that the current Grand Wizard — I’m sorry. Excuse me — governor of my home state of Florida will be changing the name of this following town (Planation, Florida) immediately...”#TonyAwards pic.twitter.com/vju407GzHm— Spencer Althouse (@SpencerAlthouse) June 12, 2023
‘Parade’ wins Best Revival of a Musical
03:08 , Tom Murray
Ben Platt and Micaela Diamond previously performed ‘This Is Not Over Yet’ from the musical.
Ben Platt and Micaela Diamond perform "This Is Not Over Yet" from 'Parade' at the #TonyAwards pic.twitter.com/zgWuYkKM0W
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) June 12, 2023
J Harrison Ghee wins Best Lead Actor in a Musical
03:17 , Tom Murray
Just moments after Alex Newell became the first non-binary actor to win a Tony, we have another! J Harrison Ghee wins for their role in Some Like it Hot.
Jodie Comer takes it!!
03:28 , Tom Murray
Everyone’s favourite Scouser Jodie Comer has beaten out stiff competition from Jessica Chastain to win the Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Play.
She stars in Prima Facie, written by Suzie Miller, in which plays defence barrister Tessa who is raped by a colleague.
She scooped the Olivier Award for Best Actress for the play’s West End run back in April.
“Comer is alternately steely and impassioned, noble and embarrassed, flustered and composed. It’s a remarkably agile performance,” The Independent said in its four-star review of the play.
Her win comes after Comer was forced off stage this week due to New York’s poor air quality.
Tom Stoppard’s ‘Leopoldstadt' wins Best Play
03:44 , Tom Murray
Sir Tom Stoppard takes home the award for Best Play for Leopoldstadt – his intimate look at “a prosperous [Viennese] Jewish family who had fled the pogroms in the East”.
All four of Stoppard’s own grandparents were Jews murdered by Nazis in concentration camps.
Advocating for writers, Stoppard told the Tony Awards crowd: “I’ve noticed the theatre writer getting progressively devalued in the food chain… Writers are the sharp end of the inverted pyramid.”
ICYMI: Alex Newell and J Harrison Ghee became the first openly non-binary actors to win Tony Awards
03:50 , Tom Murray
Just moments after Alex Newell became the first non-binary actor to win a Tony, J Harrison Ghee joined them.
Newell won Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical for their role in Shucked while Ghee won Best Lead Actor in a Musical thanks to their portrayal of a gender-questioning musician in Some Like It Hot.
Read more:
Alex Newell and J Harrison Ghee become first openly non-binary actors to win a Tony
Sean Hayes wins Best Lead Actor in a Play
04:00 , Tom Murray
Will & Grace star Sean Hayes took home the Tony award for his role in Good Night, Oscar.
“This must be the first time an Oscar has won a Tony,” the actor quipped onstage.
Doug Wright’s play follows a 1958 episode of The Tonight Show, where host Jack Paar has Oscar Levant on as a guest comedian.
‘Kimberly Akimbo’ wins the final Tony Award of the night for Best Musical
04:15 , Tom Murray
Kimberly Akimbo, which follows a teenage girl suffering from a disease that causes her to age four and a half times as fast as normal, closes out the night with its win for Best Musical.
That’s all folks! Here are your winners...
04:16 , Tom Murray
The 76th annual Tony Awards has drawn to a close. You can find a full list of all the night’s winners and their fellow nominees here:
The full list of Tony Awards 2023 winners
ICYMI: Denée Benton called Governor Ron DeSantis ‘the current Grand Wizard of Florida'
04:46 , Tom Murray
Perhaps the show’s punchiest moment came when Hamilton star Denée Benton called Governor Ron DeSantis “the current Grand Wizard of Florida”.
The Grand Wizard was, of course, the national leader of the Ku Klux Klan.
The risquée jibe was met with a lot of laughter and applause at the United Palace event.
Watch Benton’s speech here:
Denée Benton WENT THERE and called out Ron DeSantis omg
“While I’m certain that the current Grand Wizard — I’m sorry. Excuse me — governor of my home state of Florida will be changing the name of this following town (Planation, Florida) immediately...”#TonyAwards pic.twitter.com/vju407GzHm— Spencer Althouse (@SpencerAlthouse) June 12, 2023
Sean Hayes’s speech in full
05:19 , Tom Murray
Sean Hayes had a very humourous acceptance speech after his Best Leading Actor in a Play win for his role in Good Night, Oscar.
Watch it here:
Sean Hayes accepts the #TonyAwards for best lead actor in a play pic.twitter.com/NwSyyNq9n5
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) June 12, 2023
Paul Sorvino and Tina Turner among those recognised in ‘In Memorium’ segment
05:48 , Tom Murray
Joaquina Kalukango performed “Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again” from Phantom of the Opera for the In Memoriam segment of the broadcast.
Watch it in full here:
A gorgeous tribute to those we've lost by @KalukangoJ at the #TonyAwards. 🤍 pic.twitter.com/y7Jm2jBhAR
— CBS (@CBS) June 12, 2023
Why was Michael Arden’s acceptance speech censored?
06:17 , Tom Murray
Many viewers were left confused on Sunday (11 June) night after Parade director Michael Arden’s acceptance speech got bleeped out.
Arden took home the award for Best Direction of a Musical.
Read more:
Viewers left baffled after director Michael Arden’s Tony speech is censored by CBS