See which productions topped the nominations, which plays and revivals earned attention, and which screen stars received Tony nods
The annual Tony Awards nominations have landed, and two fresh musicals are sharing the spotlight. New musical adaptations dominated the leading slots, with The Lost Boys and Schmigadoon! each receiving 12 nominations. Both productions are originals for the stage: The Lost Boys reimagines a cult 1980s vampire film for Broadway, while Schmigadoon! adapts the Apple TV series that affectionately parodies Golden Age musical conventions. This year also saw a strong showing for a revival and several plays, reflecting a balanced season across new work and reimagined classics.
Alongside those two frontrunners, the revival of Ragtime secured 11 nominations, and two other productions, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman and Cats: The Jellicle Ball, each landed nine. The field for best musical includes notable entries such as Titaníque, an Off-Broadway sensation that retells Titanic through a Celine Dion-infused lens, and the intimate rom-com Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York). Observers noted a relatively slim roster of musicals overall, with some potential contenders like Beaches and the Kristin Chenoweth-led The Queen of Versailles not making the cut after the latter closed early this season.
The nominations list highlights both commercial production values and daring creative choices. The Lost Boys and Schmigadoon! were recognized in major categories, including best musical and best direction, and both shows also feature performers singled out for acting nods: Shoshana Bean and Ali Louis Bourzgui for The Lost Boys, and Ana Gasteyer and Sara Chase for Schmigadoon!. The slate suggests an appetite for playful reinvention and genre mashups on Broadway, while the nominations for Ragtime and other revivals underscore the continued value of remounting beloved works with fresh creative teams and casts.
On the plays side, the best play category is populated by a mix of contemporary concerns and literary adaptation. Nominees include The Balusters, a darkly comic look at escalating neighborhood conflict; Giant, which focuses on controversy around a Roald Dahl review; Liberation, the newly honored Pulitzer Prize winner about a 1970s feminist collective; and Little Bear Ridge Road, a pandemic-set family drama about reconnection. Among revivals, productions such as Cats: The Jellicle Ball, Ragtime and The Rocky Horror Show received recognition, while other high-profile transfers such as Chess were left off the best revival of a musical list despite individual cast members earning nominations.
Some omissions generated buzz: shows that ran with heavy publicity still failed to make certain category lists. The absence of Chess from the revival category, for example, contrasts with nominations for several of its performers and illustrates how overall production consideration can diverge from individual acting recognition. Similarly, the exclusion of musicals that closed early or had shortened runs points to the practical realities of eligibility and timing. These snubs often provoke industry debate about the shape of the season and whether awards reflect artistic merit, commercial success, or a mixture of both.
The nominations also spotlight many familiar screen faces making the leap to stage acclaim. Daniel Radcliffe earned a nod for his one-man show, Every Brilliant Thing; Rose Byrne was recognized for the revival of Fallen Angels; Nathan Lane for his portrayal of Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman; and John Lithgow for embodying Roald Dahl in Giant. Other noteworthy nominees include Carrie Coon and Alden Ehrenreich. The awards ceremony will be hosted by Pink and take place at Radio City Music Hall on June 7. The show will be broadcast live on CBS and streamed on Paramount+, with a scheduled start time of 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
With nominations now public, attention will turn to final voting and the ceremony itself. The slate reflects the season’s eclecticism, balancing large-scale reimaginings, daring new musicals, and intimate dramatic work. Whether the biggest winners will mirror the nomination leaders remains to be seen, but the range of productions and the presence of notable screen actors indicate a vibrant moment for theater that bridges popular and critical interest. Observers and fans will be watching how recognition at the Tony Awards amplifies these shows’ box-office prospects and cultural reach.