79th Tony Awards (2026) Nominations Roundup
The 2026 Tony Awards nominations have officially arrived, and this year’s slate feels like Broadway doing what Broadway does best: mixing big swings, star power, nostalgia, reinvention, and a few deliciously unexpected curveballs. Announced by Uzo Aduba and Darren Criss, the nominations recognize productions from the 2025 to 2026 Broadway season, with the 79th Annual Tony Awards set for Sunday, June 7, 2026, at Radio City Music Hall. P!NK will host the ceremony, which will air live on CBS and stream on Paramount+.
79th Tony Awards: a big year for new musicals
At the center of this year’s conversation are two major musical frontrunners: The Lost Boys and Schmigadoon! Both productions landed at the top of the nomination conversation with 12 nominations each, turning Best Musical into one of the most interesting races of the year. On paper, they could not feel more different. The Lost Boys brings cult-film, vampire-kissed spectacle to the Broadway stage, while Schmigadoon! leans into a meta, musical-theatre-loving world built on affection, parody, and old-school Broadway DNA. Together, they suggest a season in which voters were not just rewarding polish but also personality.
The Best Musical category is a fascinating snapshot of where Broadway is right now. The nominees are The Lost Boys, Schmigadoon!, Titanique, and Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York). It is a compact category, but not a quiet one. Titanique has the kind of campy, pop-culture-fueled chaos that audiences love to champion, while Two Strangers represents the smaller, sweeter, original-musical lane. The Lost Boys and Schmigadoon! may have the biggest nomination totals, but this is not a race without texture. It is a battle between spectacle, satire, parody, heart, and scrappy originality.
The Best Book of a Musical category mirrors the Best Musical lineup exactly, recognizing David Hornsby and Chris Hoch for The Lost Boys, Cinco Paul for Schmigadoon!, Marla Mindelle, Constantine Rousouli, and Tye Blue for Titaníque, and Jim Barne and Kit Buchan for Two Strangers. That overlap matters. It shows that voters were not simply dazzled by branding or design. They recognized structure, tone, and storytelling as essential to these shows’ success.
Best Original Score, however, is where the season gets especially interesting. Alongside musical nominees The Lost Boys, Schmigadoon!, and Two Strangers, the Tonys also recognized music written for plays, including Caroline Shaw’s work for Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman and Steve Bargonetti’s music for August Wilson’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone. That category tells a much larger story about the season: music was not limited to musicals. It was embedded across the theatrical landscape, shaping atmosphere, memory, tension, and emotional architecture in plays as well.
On the revival side, Best Revival of a Musical is one of the year’s most electric categories. Cats: The Jellicle Ball, Ragtime, and Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show all made the cut, and each represents a different kind of revival strategy. Ragtime returns with scale, sweep, and historical resonance. Rocky Horror thrives on theatrical rebellion and audience affection. But Cats: The Jellicle Ball may be the most conversation-starting of the three because it suggests what revival culture can be when it does not simply preserve a classic, but fully reimagines it for a new theatrical language.
Plays, performances, and star power
The play categories are just as stacked. Best Play includes The Balusters, Giant, Liberation, and Little Bear Ridge Road, a lineup that balances established voices with new urgency. David Lindsay-Abaire, Mark Rosenblatt, Bess Wohl, and Samuel D. Hunter represent a range of theatrical approaches, from intimate character work to politically and emotionally loaded storytelling. The Best Revival of a Play nominees are Becky Shaw, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, Every Brilliant Thing, Fallen Angels, and Oedipus, giving voters a category packed with both canonical weight and contemporary reinterpretation.
The acting races are where the Tonys become especially starry. In Leading Actor in a Play, the nominees are Will Harrison for Punch, Nathan Lane for Death of a Salesman, John Lithgow for Giant, Daniel Radcliffe for Every Brilliant Thing, and Mark Strong for Oedipus. That is a heavyweight category in every sense. Lane, Lithgow, Radcliffe, and Strong bring major name recognition, but Harrison’s inclusion makes the race feel less like a celebrity coronation and more like a true performance category.
Leading Actress in a Play is equally formidable, with Rose Byrne and Kelli O’Hara both nominated for Fallen Angels, Carrie Coon recognized for Bug, Susannah Flood nominated for Liberation, and Lesley Manville recognized for Oedipus. The Byrne and O’Hara double nomination for the same production gives Fallen Angels serious acting-category heat, while Coon and Manville bring the kind of intensity that often cuts through a crowded awards field.
In Leading Actor in a Musical, the race includes Nicholas Christopher for Chess, Luke Evans for Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show, Joshua Henry for Ragtime, Sam Tutty for Two Strangers, and Brandon Uranowitz for Ragtime. This is one of the year’s most compelling categories because it pits powerhouse vocals and classic musical-theatre gravitas against more contemporary, character-driven turns. Henry and Uranowitz, both nominated for Ragtime, also underscore the production’s ensemble strength.
Leading Actress in a Musical is just as rich: Sara Chase for Schmigadoon!, Stephanie Hsu for Rocky Horror, Caissie Levy for Ragtime, Marla Mindelle for Titaníque, and Christiani Pitts for Two Strangers. It is a category that captures the season’s range beautifully, from parody and camp to sincerity and vocal grandeur. Mindelle’s nomination for Titaníque feels especially satisfying because it acknowledges how hard comic musical performance actually is. Making chaos look effortless is a skill, and Tony voters clearly noticed.
The featured performance categories are packed with names theatre fans will be talking about. On the musical side, André De Shields earned a featured actor nomination for Cats: The Jellicle Ball, while Ali Louis Bourzgui, Bryce Pinkham, Ben Levi Ross, and Layton Williams round out the category. Featured Actress in a Musical includes Shoshana Bean for The Lost Boys, Hannah Cruz for Chess, Rachel Dratch for Rocky Horror, Ana Gasteyer for Schmigadoon!, and Nichelle Lewis for Ragtime. That lineup alone could power a must-watch Tony’s performance segment.
What this year’s nominations say about Broadway
Design categories also tell us where the season’s visual imagination lived. Cats: The Jellicle Ball, The Lost Boys, Schmigadoon!, Two Strangers, and Rocky Horror all appear across major musical design categories, while plays like Dog Day Afternoon, Oedipus, Bug, Fallen Angels, and Death of a Salesman show up strongly in scenic, costume, and lighting races. That spread matters because this season was not just about performances. It was about worlds being built with real specificity.
Overall, the 2026 Tony nominations feel like a season of contrasts. Broadway is rewarding original work, but also giving major attention to revivals. It honors stars but does not ignore ensemble-driven storytelling. It embraces camp and spectacle while still making room for serious plays and emotionally grounded performances. The most exciting part is that no single narrative completely owns the season. The Lost Boys and Schmigadoon! may be leading the nomination count, but Ragtime, Cats: The Jellicle Ball, Titaníque, Death of a Salesman, Giant, and Fallen Angels all feel central to the story.
That is what makes this year’s Tonys fun. It is not just a coronation. It is a genuine race across categories, styles, and theatrical identities. Whether voters lean toward the bold new musical, the beloved revival, the star-driven play, or the production that turned reinvention into an art form, the 2026 Tony Awards are shaping up to be a celebration of a Broadway season that refused to sit politely in one lane.
Complete List of Tony Nominations by Category
Best New Musical
The Lost Boys
Schmigadoon!
Titaníque
Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Best New Play
The Balusters
Giant
Liberation
Little Bear Ridge Road
Best Revival of a Play
Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman
Becky Shaw
Every Brilliant Thing
Fallen Angels
Oedipus
Best Revival of a Musical
Cats: The Jellicle Ball
Ragtime
Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Nicholas Christopher, Chess
Luke Evans, Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show
Joshua Henry, Ragtime
Sam Tutty, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Brandon Uranowitz, Ragtime
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Sara Chase, Schmigadoon!
Stephanie Hsu, Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show
Caissie Levy, Ragtime
Marla Mindelle, Titaníque
Christiani Pitts, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
Will Harrison, Punch
Nathan Lane, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman
John Lithgow, Giant
Daniel Radcliffe, Every Brilliant Thing
Mark Strong, Oedipus
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Rose Byrne, Fallen Angels
Carrie Coon, Bug
Susannah Flood, Liberation
Lesley Manville, Oedipus
Kelli O’Hara, Fallen Angels
Best Book of a Musical
The Lost Boys, David Hornsby and Chris Hoch
Schmigadoon!, Cinco Paul
Titaníque, Marla Mindelle, Constantine Rousouli, and Tye Blue
Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York), Jim Barne and Kit Buchan
Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, Music: Caroline Shaw
August Wilson’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, Music: Steve Bargonetti
The Lost Boys, Music & Lyrics: The Rescues
Schmigadoon!, Music & Lyrics: Cinco Paul
Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York), Music & Lyrics: Jim Barne and Kit Buchan
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Christopher Abbott, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman
Danny Burstein, Marjorie Prime
Brandon J. Dirden, Waiting for Godot
Alden Ehrenreich, Becky Shaw
Ruben Santiago-Hudson, August Wilson’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Richard Thomas, The Balusters
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Betsy Aidem, Liberation
Marylouise Burke, The Balusters
Aya Cash, Giant
Laurie Metcalf, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman
June Squibb, Marjorie Prime
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
Ali Louis Bourzgui, The Lost Boys
André De Shields, Cats: The Jellicle Ball
Bryce Pinkham, Chess
Ben Levi Ross, Ragtime
Layton Williams, Titaníque
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
Shoshana Bean, The Lost Boys
Hannah Cruz, Chess
Rachel Dratch, Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show
Ana Gasteyer, Schmigadoon!
Nichelle Lewis, Ragtime
Best Scenic Design of a Play
Hildegard Bechtler, Oedipus
Takeshi Kata, Bug
Chloe Lamford, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman
David Korins, Dog Day Afternoon
David Rockwell, Fallen Angels
Best Scenic Design of a Musical
dots, Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show
Soutra Gilmour, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Rachel Hauck, Cats: The Jellicle Ball
Dane LaƯrey, The Lost Boys
Scott Pask, Schmigadoon!
Best Costume Design of a Play
Brenda Abbandandolo, Dog Day Afternoon
Qween Jean, Liberation
JeƯ Mahshie, Fallen Angels
Emilio Sosa, The Balusters
Paul Tazewell, August Wilson’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Best Costume Design of a Musical
Linda Cho, Ragtime
Linda Cho, Schmigadoon!
Qween Jean, Cats: The Jellicle Ball
Ryan Park, The Lost Boys
David I. Reynoso, Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show
Best Lighting Design of a Play
Isabella Byrd, Dog Day Afternoon
Natasha Chivers, Oedipus
Stacey Derosier, August Wilson’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Heather Gilbert, Bug
Heather Gilbert, The Fear of 13
Jack Knowles, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman
Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Kevin Adams, Chess
Jane Cox, Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show
Donald Holder, Schmigadoon!
Adam Honoré, Cats: The Jellicle Ball
Adam Honoré and Donald Holder (Lighting Design) and 59 Studio (Projection Design), Ragtime
Jen Schriever and Michael Arden, The Lost Boys
Best Sound Design of a Play
Justin Ellington, August Wilson’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Tom Gibbons, Oedipus
Lee Kinney, The Fear of 13
Josh Schmidt, Bug
Mikaal Sulaiman, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman
Best Sound Design of a Musical
Kai Harada, Cats: The Jellicle Ball
Kai Harada, Ragtime
Adam Fisher, The Lost Boys
Brian Ronan, Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show
Walter Trarbach, Schmigadoon!
Best Direction of a Play
Nicholas Hytner, Giant
Robert Icke, Oedipus
Kenny Leon, The Balusters
Joe Mantello, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman
Whitney White, Liberation
Best Direction of a Musical
Michael Arden, The Lost Boys
Lear deBessonet, Ragtime
Christopher Gattelli, Schmigadoon!
Tim Jackson, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch, Cats: The Jellicle Ball
Best Choreography
Christopher Gattelli, Schmigadoon!
Ellenore Scott, Ragtime
Ani Taj, Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show
Omari Wiles and Arturo Lyons, Cats: The Jellicle Ball
Lauren Yalango-Grant and Christopher Cree Grant, The Lost Boys
Best Orchestrations
Doug Besterman and Mike Morris, Schmigadoon!
Ethan Popp, Kyler England, Adrianne “AG” Gonzalez, and Gabriel Mann, The Lost Boys
Lux Pyramid, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Brian Usifer, Chess
Andrew Lloyd Webber, David Wilson, Trevor Holder, and Doug Schadt, Cats: The Jellicle Ball
The 79th Tony Awards take place at Radio City Music Hall on Sunday, June 7th, airing on CBS and streaming on Paramount+! Are you excited for this year’s ceremony? Which nominees are you hoping to win? Share your thoughts on social media and tag @bsb.insider to continue the conversation!
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