Highlights from the 2025 Tony Awards

Curtain up; light the lights! The 2025 Tony Awards was one for the books.

Wicked star and 2016 Tony winner Cynthia Erivo took the stage as the night’s host for the first time, but with her performance prowess and comedic capabilities, we’re hoping it won’t be her last.

Returning to New York City’s iconic Radio City Music Hall, the 78th annual Tony Awards celebrated this season’s talented theatremakers with unforgettable performances, moving acceptance speeches, and its signature razzle-dazzle. Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ Pulitzer Prize-winning Purpose took home Best Play, and Maybe Happy Ending won Best Musical.

See the full list of winners here, and dive into the highlights from Broadway’s biggest night below.

All You Need

Yes, we are still holding space for the opening number! Not only did we kick off with cameos from Oprah, this season’s breakout star HwaBoon, and Sunset Blvd.’s Andrew Lloyd Webber cutout, but by the end, we received impromptu performances from Tony winners Kristin Chenoweth and Aaron Tveit, and American Idol star Adam Lambert! On top of that, Erivo’s vocals, backed by Broadway Inspirational Voices, blew the roof off—because sometimes all you need is a song.

Two Tonys Are Better Than One 

Three 2024 Tony winners added another statue to their collection this year: Jacobs-Jenkins’ Purpose won Best Play (Appropriate won Best Revival of a Play in 2024), Justin Peck’s Buena Vista Social Club choreography (co-created with Patricia Delgado) won Best Choreography (as did his Illinoise in 2024), and Kara Young won for Best Featured Actress in a Play for Purpose, the same category she won last year for Purlie Victorious.

2025 Tony Awards

Watch Now: Hamilton’s 10 Year Anniversary Performance at the Tony Awards

The members of the original cast…

Watch Now

HamilTEN

Raise a glass to a decade of Hamilton! To celebrate its 10th anniversary, the original Broadway cast of Hamilton reunited for a special performance and filled the audience with gleeful nostalgia. Tony winners Lin-Manuel Miranda, Leslie Odom, Jr., Daveed Diggs and more sang a medley of fan favorites, including “My Shot,” “The Schuyler Sisters,” “Wait For It,” “Yorktown,” just to name a few. Oscar winner Ariana DeBose even did the thing, reprising her role as “The Bullet.”

Who Runs The World?

If you love leading ladies singing to the rafters, this was your year. Several of the musical performances showcased Best Leading Actress in a Musical nominees with powerhouse vocals and ace acting. 

History-making, six-time Tony winner Audra McDonald performed her soul-stirring rendition of “Rose’s Turn” from Gypsy, Death Becomes Her Tony nominee Megan Hilty thrilled the audience with “For The Gaze,” and eventual winner of the category Nicole Scherzinger belted out Sunset Blvd.’s “As If We Never Said Goodbye.” 

Erivo, in addition to her opening number, dueted with Tony nominee Sara Bareilles on Annie’s “Tomorrow” for a touching In Memoriam section. She then returned to the stage for a true 11 o’clock number to wrap up the show, singing Dreamgirls’ “And I’m Telling You” with lyrics tailored towards the ceremony for her grande finale. 

History Has Its Eyes on You

Kara Young has become quite familiar with making history. As of last night, her latest accomplishment is becoming the first Black performer to win two consecutive Tony Awards. Darren Criss became the first Asian-American actor to win Best Lead Actor in a Musical. Cole Escola became the first non-binary person to win Best Lead Actor in a Play. But actors weren’t the only ones making history: Jacobs-Jenkins made history as the first Black playwright to win consecutive Tonys.

Jennifer Simard’s Sign

Death Becomes Her Tony nominee Jennifer Simard is known for her comedy chops, so seeing her hamming it up during the announcement of her Best Leading Actress in a Musical category was no surprise. She referenced her own line that has gone viral on TikTok by holding up a sign that read, “That was rude.” (IYKYK.)

Keanu Reeves Says “Yes, And”

During his Just in Time performance, Jonathan Groff got up close and personal with the audience. Conjuring up visuals of Neil Patrick Harris during his Hedwig and the Angry Inch performance at the 2014 Tony Awards, Groff stood atop a chair to sing, straddling none other than Keanu Reeves. The actor, who is set to make his Broadway debut in Waiting for Godot this fall, played along and rocked out. 

Cynthia Erivo’s Wildest Dreams

During her hosting duties, Erivo stopped by the seat of her 2015 The Color Purple revival castmate Tony nominee Danielle Brooks to jointly wish for another revival of the musical. Luckily, Oprah was sitting directly in front of Brooks for the discussion. To sweeten the revival idea, Erivo proffered Oprah a small gift bag. Inside, Oprah discovered bags of candy and a toy car, with Erivo exclaiming, “You get a car!” just like Oprah’s 2004 “Wildest Dreams” segment.

Special Speeches

Paul Tazewell, who made history as the first Black man to win Best Costume Design for his work on Wicked at the Oscars earlier this year, took home Best Costume Design of a Musical for Death Becomes Her. In his speech, he reflected on his childhood as a “Black, queer, little boy from Akron, Ohio,” who would have no idea what a special year 2025 would be for his future self.

Francis Jue’s speech for Best Featured Actor in a Play included a sweet story about the support he has received from Asian actors over the years. Sporting a tux gifted from Alvin Ing, who wore it to Pacific Overtures’ opening night in 1986, Ing told Jue to wear it when he won his first Tony. Jue did exactly that, and encouraged “those being targeted in these authoritarian times” to dream big.

During her acceptance speech of the Isabelle Stevenson Award, Tony winner Celia Keenan-Bolger gave a poignant shout-out to the late Gavin Creel, her “co-conspirator and champion in this work.” She urged the audience to donate to the Gavin Creel Fellowship for emerging actors.

Hue Park is Still Single and Ready to Mingle

The running joke of the night was the relationship status of Hue Park, co-writer of Maybe Happy Ending. During his win for Best Book and Best Score, Park clarified that he and his collaborator Will Aronson are not a couple, and that he is single. When Maybe Happy Ending won for Best Musical at the end of the night, he was confirmed as single. At the time of this filing, Park is indeed still single.

For all Tony Awards coverage, head here.