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Highlights from the 2024 Tony Awards

The 2024 Tony Awards had a notable change of scenery: for the first time ever, the ceremony was held at Lincoln Center in New York City. Even with the new backdrop, the award show didn’t lose any of its signature glitz, glam, and all that jazz as it celebrated powerhouse performers and master storytellers. Viewers also had a familiar face leading them through the 77th ceremony with Oscar winner Ariana DeBose hosting the main telecast for the third consecutive year.

The cast of Stereophonic performs at the 77th Annual Tony Awards. Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions.
The cast of Stereophonicperforms at the 77th Annual Tony Awards. Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions.

Julianne Hough and Utkarsh Ambudkar hosted The Tony Awards: Act One on Pluto TV, where the design, creative, and special awards were given out, including the Lifetime Achievement Awards for Tony winners George C. Wolfe and Jack O’Brien. The CBS telecast revealed the rest of the award winners and offered musical performances from the wide range of the Tony Award-nominated musicals as well as Stereophonic, the night’s Best Play winner, and Best Score nominee.

See the full list of winners here.

In a night packed with Broadway pizazz, here are the highlights from the 77th Tony Awards:

It was already a banner year for history-making women when the nominations were revealed April 30, and to quote Suffs, they “kept marching on” during the ceremony. Suffs book writer, composer, lyricist, and star Shaina Taub was the first woman in history to win Best Book and Best Score in the same night. Dede Ayite, who garnered three nominations this year, was the first Black woman to win an award for Best Costume Design for her work on Best Play nominee Jaja’s African Hair Braiding.

Kara Young at the 77th Annual Tony Awards. Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 16: Kara Young accepts the Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play award for “Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch” onstage during The 77th Annual Tony Awards at David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center on June 16, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions)

Third time’s a charm! Kara Young made history with her nomination this year, being the first Black actor to be nominated three consecutive years in a row. When her name was announced as the winner of Best Featured Actress in a Play for her performance as Lutiebelle in the Tony-nominated revival of Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through The Cotton Patch, it was just icing on the cake. During her acceptance speech, she thanked her family and ancestors, her artistic collaborators Leslie Odom, Jr., and Kenny Leon, and Purlie’s playwright and original stars Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee. Read more about Young’s milestone in her interview with Broadway Direct here.

The ceremony was studded with stars from beginning to end, especially when it came to performance introductions. Suffs’ performance was introduced by former U.S. Secretary of State and producer Hillary Clinton; The Outsiders, by Oscar winner and producer Angelina Jolie; and The Who’s TOMMY, by composer, lyricist, co-book writer, and The Who’s frontman Pete Townshend, who also kicked off “Pinball Wizard” by playing the famous melody on his guitar.

Alicia Keys at the 77th Annual Tony Awards. Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions.
Alicia Keys and the cast of Hell’s Kitchen at the 77th Annual Tony Awards. Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions.

Producer and composer-lyricist Alicia Keys also took to the stage with the cast of her musical Hell’s Kitchen in a performer capacity. The musical, which was one of the two most-nominated shows this season with 13 nominations, offered a medley for their showcase performance. Keys played the keys and sang “Empire State of Mind (Part II)” with Maleah Joi Moon, who won the Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical later in the night. Keys then quickly joined Grammy-winning Jay-Z for his verse of their 2009 hit, “Empire State of Mind,” on the steps of the David H. Koch Theatre.

Kecia Lewis experienced a full-circle moment when she was announced as the winner of Best Featured Actress of a Musical for her performance in Hell’s Kitchen, as she made her Broadway debut 40 years ago, almost to the day. In her acceptance speech, she shared how she wanted to give up many times throughout her career, and that winning a Tony Award was the moment she dreamt of for most of those 40 years. At the end, she passionately proclaimed “I say to everyone that can hear my voice, ‘Don’t give up!’”

Ariana DeBose at the 77th Annual Tony Awards. Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions.
Ariana DeBose at the 77th Annual Tony Awards. Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions.

On January 30, the community lost a theatrical luminary when Tony winner Chita Rivera passed away. The Tony Awards paid tribute with vignettes of her performances, including Rose in Bye Bye Birdie, Velma Kelly in Chicago, Aurora in Kiss of the Spiderwoman, and Anita in West Side Story, performed by DeBose, reprising her Oscar-winning role from the 2021 film adaptation.

Idina Menzel and Cynthia Erivo at the 77th Annual Tony Awards. Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions.
Idina Menzel and Cynthia Erivo at the 77th Annual Tony Awards. Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions.

Tony winners Idina Menzel and Cyntia Erivo jointly presented the final, and biggest prize, of the night: Best Musical, which went to The Outsiders. They shared a special moment of “Green Girl” camaraderie, as Menzel originated the role of Elphaba on Broadway, and Erivo will star in the role for the film adaptation of Wicked.


For more Tony Awards coverage, head here.