The 79th Annual Tony Awards took place June 7, 2026, at Radio City Music Hall, where Schmigadoon! won Best Musical and Bess Wohl’s Liberation took home Best Play. Hosted by P!nk and broadcast on CBS, the ceremony saw Death of a Salesman dominate the evening with a season-high six trophies.
The night was a study in contrasts, pitting the high-energy, television-to-stage transition of Schmigadoon! against the Pulitzer Prize-winning gravity of Liberation. While Schmigadoon! continues its run at the Nederlander, Liberation had already closed its limited engagement before the ceremony, marking a bittersweet victory for Wohl. According to Playbill, the evening was one of the most memorable telecasts in recent years, blending prestige drama with a celebratory, high-belt musical atmosphere.
Death of a Salesman: The Night’s Biggest Sweep
While the top prizes were split, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman was the undisputed powerhouse of the production category. It secured six Tonys, the most of any show this season, cementing its status as the critical darling of the 2025-2026 cycle. The revival’s success spanned both creative and technical disciplines, proving that a classic text, when handled with precision, can still outshine contemporary works.
The production’s haul included wins for Best Revival of a Play, Best Direction of a Play (Joe Mantello), and a clean sweep of the play-specific technical categories: Best Scenic Design (Chloe Lamford), Best Lighting Design (Jack Knowles), and Best Sound Design (Mikaal Sulaiman). Laurie Metcalf also took home the trophy for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play.
Ragtime’s Leading Pair and the Olivier Connection
In the musical categories, Ragtime emerged as a significant force, particularly in acting. Co-stars Joshua Henry and Caissie Levy swept the leading roles, winning Best Actor and Best Actress in a Musical, respectively. The production, which Playbill notes began as part of the New York City Center’s 2024-2025 season, also secured the trophy for Best Revival of a Musical and Best Sound Design of a Musical (Kai Harada).
A similar trend of international validation appeared in the play acting categories. John Lithgow, winning Best Actor in a Play for Giant, and Lesley Manville, winning Best Actress in a Play for Oedipus, both entered the night with momentum from London. Both performers had previously been honored with Olivier Awards for their respective roles in the plays’ West End productions, effectively completing a transatlantic sweep of the industry’s highest honors.
For more on this story, see Beaches: A New Musical Closes Early on Broadway Over Low Sales, Tony Snub.
Production Win Breakdown: 2026 Tony Totals
The distribution of awards shows a tight race among the top musicals and revivals. While Death of a Salesman led the pack, several productions tied for second place, reflecting a season of balanced excellence across different genres. As reported by Broadway.
| Production | Total Wins |
|---|---|
| Death of a Salesman | 6 |
| Ragtime | 4 |
| The Lost Boys | 4 |
| Schmigadoon! | 4 |
| Cats: The Jellicle Ball | 3 |
| Fallen Angels | 1 |
| Giant | 1 |
| Liberation | 1 |
| Oedipus | 1 |
| Becky Shaw | 1 |
The Spectacle: P!nk’s High-Flying Host Duties
The telecast’s energy was driven by host P!nk, who opened the CBS broadcast by descending from the air dressed as Peter Pan. The performance set a tone of maximalism, featuring songs from Les Misérables and Wicked. The highlight for many was a rewritten version of “Lady Marmalade”, with lyrics crafted by Benj Pasek, Justin Paul, and Mark Sonnenblick, performed by P!nk and a massive ensemble of the season’s Broadway talent.
The evening also served as a milestone celebration for Broadway’s long-runners. Tributes included the 15th anniversary of The Book of Mormon and the 30th anniversary of Chicago, the latter featuring vocals from P!nk and Alex Newell. Adding to the nostalgia, Rachel Zegler performed a rendition of What I Did for Love
to mark the 50th anniversary of A Chorus Line.
The broadcast was split into two segments, with “The Tony Awards: Act One” hosted by Laura Benanti and Tituss Burgess and streamed on Pluto before the main CBS event.
Technical Triumphs and Featured Standouts
Beyond the leading roles, The Lost Boys and Cats: The Jellicle Ball dominated the supporting and technical fields. The Lost Boys proved to be a visual powerhouse, winning Best Scenic Design of a Musical (Dane Laffrey) and Best Lighting Design of a Musical (Jen Schriever and Michael Arden). The production also swept the featured musical acting categories, with Ali Louis Bourzgui and Shoshana Bean both taking home trophies.
Cats: The Jellicle Ball focused its success on movement and aesthetics. According to the full winners list from The Guardian, the production won for Best Direction of a Musical (Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch), Best Choreography (Arturo Lyons and Omari Wiles), and Best Costume Design of a Musical (Qween Jean).
The night closed with a poignant In Memoriam segment, featuring Leslie Odom Jr. performing “Without You” from Rent, paying tribute to the artists lost over the past year. With the 79th awards wrapped, the industry now looks toward the 2026-2027 season, though the dominance of revivals like Ragtime and Death of a Salesman suggests a continuing appetite for reimagined classics over entirely new IPs.