Alex Newell became the first openly nonbinary actor to win a Tony Award Sunday night, taking home the honor for best featured actor in a musical for their critically acclaimed performance in Shucked. Newell, who also identifies as gender fluid, plays a whiskey distiller with an independent streak in the show, and routinely gets standing ovations for their performance of the song “Independently Owned.” Soon after on Sunday, the nonbinary actor J. Harrison Ghee also took home the award for best leading actor in a musical. They said of the honor: “For every trans, nonbinary, gender nonconforming human who ever was told you couldn't be, you couldn't be seen, this is for you.” Two people have previously won Tony Awards before later coming out as nonbinary.
