There was an especially happy ending at the 78th Annual Tony Awards—presented June 8 at Radio City Music Hall—for the new musical Maybe Happy Ending, which was named Best Musical at the ceremony hosted by a dazzling Cynthia Erivo.
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Watch the evening’s performances, including numbers from all of this season’s Best Musical and Best Revival of a Musical nominees, here.
Maybe Happy Ending went into the evening as one of three shows tied for most-nominated productions of the season—along with Buena Vista Social Club and Death Becomes Her, each with 10 total nominations. The surprisingly moving musical about South Korean HelperBots that have been deemed obsolete ended up winning six 2025 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, the most of any show of the season.
The Best Play Tony went to Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ Purpose, which spotlights the secrets of an Illinois family of civil rights leaders, pastors, and congressmen, who are pillars of Black American politics. Jacobs-Jenkins made history as one of only three playwrights who have won back-to-back Tonys, following Tony Kushner and the late Terrence McNally; he is, however, the first-Black playwright to achieve that distinction.
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Jamie Lloyd’s stripped-down production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Blvd., which was a hit in London before arriving at Broadway’s St. James with four of its principal players (including now Tony–winning star Nicole Scherzinger), earned the Best Revival of a Musical Tony. Jonathan Spector’s Eureka Day, which ended its limited run at MTC’s Samuel J. Friedman in February, was named Best Revival of a Play. The razor-sharp, vaccine-themed satire of liberal parenting and community consensus in crisis had premiered Off-Broadway in 2019 prior to a London bow in 2022.
In the leading actor categories: Scherzinger repeated her Olivier-winning London success, earning the Tony for Leading Actress in a Musical for her work as ill-fated Norma Desmond in the revival of Sunset Blvd.; Darren Criss won his first Tony for Leading Actor in a Musical playing a robot with a heart named Oliver in Maybe Happy Ending; Sarah Snook won Leading Actress in a Play for taking on 26 characters in The Picture of Dorian Gray, often interacting with herself in pre-recorded video segments that blend the world of filmmaking with live theatre; and Cole Escola made history as the first openly non-binary actor to win Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play for their performance as an alcoholic Mary Todd Lincoln in their play Oh, Mary!
Best Director honors went to Sam Pinkleton (Best Direction of a Play for Oh, Mary!) and Michael Arden (Best Direction of a Musical for Maybe Happy Ending); Arden won the same award in 2023 for his direction of the revival of Parade.
Kara Young also made history at this year’s ceremony, becoming the first Black actor to win Tonys in consecutive seasons. This year, she earned the Featured Actress in a Play award for playing Aziza Houston in Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ Purpose. Last year, Young also won the Tony for Featured Actress in a Play for her work as Lutiebelle Gussie Mae Jenkins in the Broadway revival of Ossie Davis’ Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch. It should also be noted that Young has been Tony-nominated four consecutive years in a row, for each of her Broadway outings.
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During the first portion of the evening, Tony Awards: Act One, hosted by Tony winner Renée Elise Goldsberry and 2025 Tony winner Criss on PlutoTV, Paul Tazewell picked up the Tony Award for Best Costume Design of a Musical for his work on the stage adaptation of Death Becomes Her; earlier this year, Tazewell won an Academy Award for his costume designs for the first half of the Wicked film adaptation.
Watch the Performances From the 2025 Tony Awards
The Tony fun kicked off at 4 PM ET, when Playbill was live on YouTube from the red carpet as the stars arrived. Both portions of the Tony celebration will stream on demand following the live broadcasts. Follow along on Playbill.com, and via @playbill on social media.
Check out red carpet coverage here. Visit Playbill.com/Tonys for complete coverage of the 2025 Tony Awards.
See the full list of winners below:
Best Musical
Buena Vista Social Club
Dead Outlaw
Death Becomes Her
WINNER Maybe Happy Ending
Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Megan Hilty, Death Becomes Her
Audra McDonald, Gypsy
Jasmine Amy Rogers, BOOP! The Musical
WINNER Nicole Scherzinger, Sunset Blvd.
Jennifer Simard, Death Becomes Her
READ: To Nicole Scherzinger, Sunset Blvd. Is the Perfect Musical for Her Broadway Debut
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
WINNER Darren Criss, Maybe Happy Ending
Andrew Durand, Dead Outlaw
Tom Francis, Sunset Blvd.
Jonathan Groff, Just in Time
James Monroe Iglehart, A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical
Jeremy Jordan, Floyd Collins
Listen: Maybe Happy Ending Star and Producer Darren Criss Drops By The Playbill Podcast
Best Revival of a Musical
Floyd Collins, Tina Landau (book, additional lyrics) and Adam Guettel (music and lyrics)
Gypsy
Pirates! The Penzance Musical
WINNER Sunset Blvd.
Video: How to Be a Camera Operator on Sunset Blvd.
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
George Clooney, Good Night, and Good Luck
WINNER Cole Escola, Oh, Mary!
Jon Michael Hill, Purpose
Daniel Dae Kim, Yellow Face
Harry Lennix, Purpose
Louis McCartney, Stranger Things: The First Shadow
Listen: Oh, Mary! Writer-Star Cole Escola and Director Sam Pinkleton Bring Their Insanity to The Playbill Podcast
Best Direction of a Musical
Saheem Ali, Buena Vista Social Club
WINNER Michael Arden, Maybe Happy Ending
David Cromer, Dead Outlaw
Christopher Gattelli, Death Becomes Her
Jamie Lloyd, Sunset Blvd.
READ: Maybe Happy Ending Director Michael Arden on Fostering Original Musicals on Broadway
Best Direction of a Play
Knud Adams, English
Sam Mendes, The Hills of California
WINNER Sam Pinkleton, Oh, Mary!
Danya Taymor, John Proctor is the Villain
Kip Williams, The Picture of Dorian Gray
READ: Director Sam Pinkleton On the Art of Recasting Oh, Mary!
Best Revival of a Play
WINNER Eureka Day, Jonathan Spector
Romeo + Juliet
Thornton Wilder’s Our Town
Yellow Face, David Henry Hwang
Video: Jessica Hecht’s Vaccine Monologue From Eureka Day That Earned Her a Tony Nomination
Best Play
English
The Hills of California
John Proctor is the Villain
Oh, Mary!
WINNER Purpose
Phylicia Rashad and Branden Jacobs-Jenkins Collaborate to Find Purpose
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
WINNER Natalie Venetia Belcon, Buena Vista Social Club
Julia Knitel, Dead Outlaw
Gracie Lawrence, Just in Time
Justina Machado, Real Women Have Curves: The Musical
Joy Woods, Gypsy
READ: Natalie Venetia Belcon and Isa Antonetti Invite You to ‘Feel the Music’ in Buena Vista Social Club
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Tala Ashe, English
Jessica Hecht, Eureka Day
Marjan Neshat, English
Fina Strazza, John Proctor is the Villain
WINNER Kara Young, Purpose
Phylicia Rashad and Branden Jacobs-Jenkins Collaborate to Find Purpose
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
Brooks Ashmanskas, SMASH
Jeb Brown, Dead Outlaw
Danny Burstein, Gypsy
WINNER Jak Malone, Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical
Taylor Trensch, Floyd Collins
READ: Operation Mincemeat Releases Live Version of Standout Song ‘Dear Bill’
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Glenn Davis, Purpose
Gabriel Ebert, John Proctor is the Villain
WINNER Francis Jue, Yellow Face
Bob Odenkirk, Glengarry Glen Ross
Conrad Ricamora, Oh, Mary!
READ: To Daniel Dae Kim and Francis Jue, Yellow Face‘s Broadway Success Shows How Far Asian Americans Have Come
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Laura Donnelly, The Hills of California
Mia Farrow, The Roommate
LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Purpose
Sadie Sink, John Proctor is the Villain
WINNER Sarah Snook, The Picture of Dorian Gray
READ: Sarah Snook and Kip Williams Have Created a Picture of Dorian Gray for the Smartphone Age
Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
Dead Outlaw, David Yazbek and Erik Della Penna
Death Becomes Her, Julia Mattison and Noel Carey
WINNER Maybe Happy Ending, Will Aronson (music and lyrics) and Hue Park (lyrics)
Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical, David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson, and Zoë Roberts
Real Women Have Curves: The Musical, Joy Huerta and Benjamin Velez
Watch: Will Aronson and Hue Park Revisit Why They Cut a Singing Plant Number From Maybe Happy Ending
Best Costume Design of a Musical
Dede Ayite, Buena Vista Social Club
Gregg Barnes, BOOP! The Musical
Clint Ramos, Maybe Happy Ending
WINNER Paul Tazewell, Death Becomes Her
Catherine Zuber, Just in Time
VIDEO: The Jeopardy! Category Is… Costume Design With Paul Tazewell
Best Costume Design of a Play
Brenda Abbandandolo, Good Night, and Good Luck
WINNER Marg Horwell, The Picture of Dorian Gray
Rob Howell, The Hills of California
Holly Pierson, Oh, Mary!
Brigitte Reiffenstuel, Stranger Things: The First Shadow
READ: Marg Horwell Says The Picture of Dorian Gray‘s Most Impressive Quick Change Is One Audiences Don’t See
Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Rachel Hauck, Swept Away
WINNER Dane Laffrey and George Reeve, Maybe Happy Ending
Arnulfo Maldonado, Buena Vista Social Club
Derek McLane, Death Becomes Her
Derek McLane, Just in Time
READ: Maybe Happy Ending Designer Dane Laffrey Likes to ‘Push Dramatic Sequences to the Limit’
Best Scenic Design of a Play
Marsha Ginsberg, English
Rob Howell, The Hills of California
Marg Horwell and David Bergman, The Picture of Dorian Gray
WINNER Miriam Buether and 59, Stranger Things: The First Shadow
Scott Pask, Good Night, and Good Luck
Best Lighting Design of a Musical
WINNER Jack Knowles, Sunset Blvd.
Tyler Micoleau, Buena Vista Social Club
Scott Zielinski and Ruey Horng Sun, Floyd Collins
Ben Stanton, Maybe Happy Ending
Justin Townsend, Death Becomes Her
READ: How Lighting Designer Jack Knowles Transformed Sunset Blvd. ‘s Minimalist Space
Best Lighting Design of a Play
Natasha Chivers, The Hills of California
WINNER Jon Clark, Stranger Things: The First Shadow
Heather Gilbert and David Bengali, Good Night, and Good Luck
Natasha Katz and Hannah Wasileski, John Proctor is the Villain
Nick Schlieper, The Picture of Dorian Gray
Best Choreography
Joshua Bergasse, SMASH
Camille A. Brown, Gypsy
Christopher Gattelli, Death Becomes Her
Jerry Mitchell, BOOP! The Musical
WINNER Patricia Delgado and Justin Peck, Buena Vista Social Club
Best Orchestrations
Andrew Resnick and Michael Thurber, Just in Time
Will Aronson, Maybe Happy Ending
Bruce Coughlin, Floyd Collins
WINNER Marco Paguia, Buena Vista Social Club
David Cullen and Andrew Lloyd Webber, Sunset Blvd.
READ: The Band of Buena Vista Social Club Never Thought They’d Be on Broadway. Now They Have a Special Tony
Best Sound Design of a Musical
WINNER Jonathan Deans, Buena Vista Social Club
Adam Fisher, Sunset Blvd.
Peter Hylenski, Just in Time
Peter Hylenski, Maybe Happy Ending
Dan Moses Schreier, Floyd Collins
Best Book of a Musical
Buena Vista Social Club, Marco Ramirez
Dead Outlaw, Itamar Moses
Death Becomes Her, Marco Pennette
WINNER Maybe Happy Ending, Will Aronson and Hue Park
Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical, David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson, and Zoë Roberts
READ: Maybe Happy Ending Writers Hue Park and Will Aronson on the Art of Writing in 2 Languages
Best Sound Design of a Play
WINNER Paul Arditti, Stranger Things: The First Shadow
Palmer Hefferan, John Proctor is the Villain
Daniel Kluger, Good Night, and Good Luck
Nick Powell, The Hills of California
Clemence Williams, The Picture of Dorian Gray
Tally:
Maybe Happy Ending: 6
Buena Vista Social Club: 4
Stanger Things: 3
Sunset Blvd: 3
Oh, Mary!: 2
The Picture of Dorian Gray: 2
Purpose: 2
Death Becomes Her: 1
Eureka Day: 1
Operation Mincemeat: 1
Yellow Face: 1
The Tony Awards are produced in collaboration with Tony Award Productions, a joint venture of the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League, and White Cherry Entertainment. Ricky Kirshner and Glenn Weiss are executive producers and showrunners for White Cherry Entertainment. Weiss will serve as director.
The American Theatre Wing’s Tony Awards are presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing. At the Broadway League, Kristin Caskey is chair, and Jason Laks is president. At the American Theatre Wing, Emilio Sosa is chair, and Heather Hitchens is president and CEO.
Special Tony Awards
The musicians who make up the band of Buena Vista Social Club—Marco Paguia (music director, conductor/piano); David Oquendo (associate music director, guitar); Renesito Avich (tres); Gustavo Schartz (bass); Javier Días, Román Diaz, Mauricio Herrera (percussion); Jesus Ricardo (trumpet); Eddie Venegas (trombone); Hery Paz (woodwinds); Leonardo Reyna (piano)
The Illusions & Technical Effects of Stranger Things: The First Shadow (Jamie Harrison, Chris Fisher, Gary Beestone, and Edward Pierce)
Playwright, book writer, and actor Harvey Fierstein receives this year’s Lifetime Achievement Special Tony Award, and actor Celia Keenan-Bolger is being honored with the Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award in recognition of her long career of advocacy work. Receiving Tony Honors are the PBS series Great Performances, Goodspeed Musicals Artistic Director Michael Price, cultural nonprofit New 42, and the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center.
