Some Like It Hot leads the field for the 76th Tony Awards, with 13 nominations. Musicals & Juliet, Shucked, and New York, New York follow with 9 nominations apiece. Kimberly Akimbo, the critical favorite and a true Broadway original, scored 8 nominations. Out of 38 eligible productions in 26 categories, this year there were 17 new plays, nine new musicals, six play revivals, and six musical revivals. The campaigns for all the nominees now begin in earnest. Big-name contenders include Audra McDonald, Samuel. L. Jackson, Jessica Chastain, Wendell Pierce (though Death of a Salesman did not receive a nomination for Best Play Revival), Jodie Comer, Ben Platt, Sara Bareilles, and Josh Groban.
J. Harrison Ghee, one of the first nonbinary actors to be nominated for a Tony (for Some Like It Hot), said in a statement: “I’m thrilled! It has been a fantastic journey to portray Jerry/Daphne, and I’ve been overwhelmed—in a good way—to see how audiences have received these characters. I’m thankful to every member of this production for creating such an affirming space where I get to show the complexity of this human and go on a beautiful ride every time the curtains go up. I’m grateful to the committee for recognizing this work. It’s a moment I will cherish forever.”
The nominees were mostly as anticipated, but notable snubs include Life of Pi going un-nominated in the Best Play category, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Bad Cinderella facing the same fate in the Best Musical category, Laura Linney going un-nominated for Summer, 1976 (her co-star Jessica Hecht was nominated), Oscar Isaac and Rachel Brosnahan going un-nominated for The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window, and the acclaimed Sharon D. Clarke not being nominated for Death of a Salesman. Phillipa Soo was not nominated for Camelot or Into the Woods.
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11 productions were shut out completely of all categories: musicals A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical and Bad Cinderella, plays Mike Birbiglia: The Old Man & The Pool, Peter Pan Goes Wrong, Pictures From Home, The Collaboration, The Kite Runner, The Thanksgiving Play, and Walking With Ghosts, and musical revivals Bob Fosse’s Dancin’ and 1776: The Musical.
769 Tony voters will ultimately anoint the winners; the Tonys will take place on June 11, and be broadcast live on CBS.
THE 2023 TONY AWARDS—COMPLETE NOMINATIONS
Best Play
Best Musical
Best Revival of a Play
August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson
The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window
Best Revival of a Musical
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Topdog/Underdog
Corey Hawkins, Topdog/Underdog
Sean Hayes, Good Night, Oscar
Stephen McKinley Henderson, Between Riverside and Crazy
Wendell Pierce, Death of a Salesman
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Christian Borle, Some Like It Hot
J. Harrison Ghee, Some Like It Hot
Josh Groban, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Brian D’Arcy James, Into the Woods
Ben Platt, Parade
Colton Ryan, New York, New York
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Jessica Chastain, A Doll’s House
Jodie Comer, Prima Facie
Jessica Hecht, Summer, 1976
Audra McDonald, Ohio State Murders
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Annaleigh Ashford, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Sara Bareilles, Into the Woods
Victoria Clark, Kimberly Akimbo
Lorna Courtney, & Juliet
Micaela Diamond, Parade
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Jordan E. Cooper, Ain’t No Mo’
Samuel L. Jackson, August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson
Brandon Uranowitz, Leopoldstadt
David Zayas, Cost of Living
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Nikki Crawford, Fat Ham
Crystal Lucas-Perry, Ain’t No Mo’
Miriam Silverman, The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window
Kara Young, Cost of Living
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
Kevin Cahoon, Shucked
Justin Cooley, Kimberly Akimbo
Kevin del Aguila, Some Like It Hot
Jordan Donica, Camelot
Alex Newell, Shucked
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
Ruthie Ann Miles, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Bonnie Milligan, Kimberly Akimbo
NaTasha Yvette Williams, Some Like It Hot
Betsy Wolfe, & Juliet
Best Book of a Musical
David West Read, & Juliet
David Lindsay-Abaire, Kimberly Akimbo
Robert Horn, Shucked
Matthew López and Amber Ruffin, Some Like It Hot
David Thompson and Sharon Washington, New York, New York
Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
Almost Famous, music by Tom Kitt; lyrics by Cameron Crowe and Tom Kitt
Kimberly Akimbo, music by Jeanine Tesori; lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire
KPOP, music and lyrics: Helen Park and Max Vernon
Shucked, music and lyrics: Shane McAnally and Brandy Clark
Some Like It Hot, music and lyrics: Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman
Best Orchestrations
Bill Sherman and Dominic Fallacaro, & Juliet
John Clancy, Kimberly Akimbo
Jason Howland, Shucked
Charlie Rosen and Bryan Carter, Some Like It Hot
Daryl Waters and Sam Davis, New York, New York
Best Direction of a Play
Saheem Ali, Fat Ham
Jo Bonney, Cost of Living
Jamie Lloyd, A Doll’s House
Patrick Marber, Leopoldstadt
Stevie Walker-Webb, Ain’t No Mo’
Max Webster, Life of Pi
Best Direction of a Musical
Michael Arden, Parade
Lear deBessonet, Into the Woods
Casey Nicholaw, Some Like It Hot
Jack O’Brien, Shucked
Jessica Stone, Kimberly Akimbo
Best Choreography
Steven Hoggett, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Casey Nicholaw, Some Like It Hot
Susan Stroman, New York, New York
Jennifer Weber, & Juliet
Jennifer Weber, KPOP
Best Scenic Design of a Play
Miriam Buether, Prima Facie
Tim Hatley and Andrzej Goulding, Life of Pi
Rachel Hauck, Good Night, Oscar
Richard Hudson, Leopoldstadt
Dane Laffrey & Lucy Mackinnon, A Christmas Carol
Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Beowulf Boritt, New York, New York
Mimi Lien, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Scott Pask, Shucked
Scott Pask, Some Like It Hot
Michael Yeargan and 59 Productions, Camelot
Best Costume Design of a Play
Tim Hatley, Nick Barnes and Finn Caldwell, Life of Pi
Dominique Fawn Hill, Fat Ham
Brigitte Reiffensutel, Leopoldstadt
Emilio Sosa, Ain’t No Mo’
Emilio Sosa, Good Night, Oscar
Best Costume Design of a Musical
Gregg Barnes, Some Like It Hot
Susan Hilferty, Parade
Jennifer Moeller, Camelot
Clint Ramos and Sophia Choi, KPOP
Paloma Young, & Juliet
Donna Zakowska, New York, New York
Best Lighting Design of a Play
Neil Austin, Leopoldstadt
Natasha Chivers, Prima Facie
Jon Clark, A Doll’s House
Bradley King, Fat Ham
Tim Lutkin, Life of Pi
Jen Schriever, Death of a Salesman
Ben Stanton, A Christmas Carol
Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Ken Billington, New York, New York
Lap Chi Chu, Camelot
Heather Gilbert, Parade
Howard Hudson, & Juliet
Natasha Katz, Some Like It Hot
Best Sound Design of a Play
Jonathan Deans and Taylor Williams, Ain’t No Mo’
Carolyn Downing, Life of Pi
Joshua D. Reid, A Christmas Carol
Ben and Max Ringham, A Doll’s House
Ben and Max Ringham, Prima Facie
Best Sound Design of a Musical
Kai Harada, New York, New York
John Shivers, Shucked
Scott Lehrer and Alex Neumann, Into the Woods
Gareth Owen, & Juliet
Nevin Steinberg, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
