Tony Awards

Tony Award
James Monroe Iglehart holding his Tony Award
Awarded for	Excellence in Broadway theatre
Country	United States
Presented by	American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League
Website	Tony Awards

The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in Midtown Manhattan.

The awards were founded by theatre producer and director Brock Pemberton and are named after Antoinette "Tony" Perry, an actress, producer and theatre director who was co-founder and secretary of the American Theatre Wing. The trophy consists of a spinnable medallion, with faces portraying an adaptation of the comedy and tragedy masks, mounted on a black base with a pewter swivel.

The Tony Awards are the New York theatre industry's equivalent to the Emmy Awards for television, the Grammy Awards for music, and the Academy Awards (Oscars) for film, and a person who has won all four is said to have won the EGOT. The Tony Awards are the U.S. equivalent of the United Kingdom's Laurence Olivier Awards and France's Molière Awards.

History

The award was founded in 1947 by a committee of the American Theatre Wing (ATW) headed by theatre producer and director Brock Pemberton and are named after Antoinette "Tony" Perry, an actress, producer and theatre director who was co-founder and secretary of the American Theatre Wing, who died in 1946. As her official biography at the Tony Awards website states,

Pemberton memorialized her as “an individualist who met life head on, dramatized life, and gave of a generous nature.” He proposed an award in her honor for distinguished stage acting and technical achievement. At the initial event in 1947, as he handed out an award, he called it a Tony. The name stuck.

Actress Vera Allen observed,

Tony might have been small in stature, but, oh, the strength she had. And the strength she gave others. People must wonder who Antoinette Perry was. We should tell them. Here we have the only award named in honor of a real person who made real contributions. Naming the awards after Tony was justified by her Herculean tasks during the war years, but she was so much more!

Nevertheless, the awards were sometimes referred to as the "Perry Awards" in their early years.

The 1st Tony Awards was held on April 6, 1947, at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York City. ATW co-founder Louise Heims Beck was responsible for over seeing the organization of the first awards. The first prizes were "a scroll, cigarette lighter and articles of jewelry such as 14-carat gold compacts and bracelets for the women, and money clips for the men." It was not until the third awards ceremony in 1949 that the first Tony medallion was given to award winners.

Since 1967, the award ceremony has been broadcast on U.S. national television and includes songs from the nominated musicals, and occasionally has included video clips of, or presentations about, nominated plays. The American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League jointly present and administer the awards. Audience size for the telecast is generally well below that of the Academy Awards shows, but the program reaches an affluent audience, which is prized by advertisers. According to a June 2003 article in The New York Times:

"What the Tony broadcast does have," say CBS officials, "is an all-important demographic: rich and smart." Jack Sussman, CBS's senior vice president in charge of specials, said the Tony show sold almost all its advertising slots shortly after CBS announced it would present the three hours. "It draws upscale premium viewers who are attractive to upscale premium advertisers."

Tony Award Medallion

The Tony Award medallion was designed by art director Herman Rosse. The face of the medallion portrays an adaptation of the comedy and tragedy masks. Originally, the reverse side had a relief profile of Antoinette Perry; this later was changed to contain the winner's name, award category, production and year. The medallion has been mounted on a black base since 1967. The award is a mix of mostly brass and a little bronze, with a nickel plating on the outside; a black acrylic glass base, and the nickel-plated pewter swivel.

A larger base was introduced and first presented in the 2010 award ceremony. That base is slightly taller – 5 inches (13 cm), up from 3.25 inches (8.3 cm) – and heavier – 3+1/2 pounds (3.2 kg), up from 1+1/2 pounds (230 g). This change was implemented to make the award "feel more substantial" and easier to handle at the moment the award is presented to the winners, according to Howard Sherman, the executive director of the American Theatre Wing:

We know the physical scale of the Oscars, Emmys and Grammys. While we’re not attempting to keep up with the Joneses, we felt this is a significant award, and it could feel and look a bit more significant. ... By adding height, now someone can grip the Tony, raise it over their head in triumph and not worry about keeping their grip. Believe me, you can tell the difference.

For the specific Tony Awards presented to a Broadway production, awards are given to the author and up to two of the producers free of charge. All other members of the above-the-title producing team are eligible to purchase the physical award. Sums collected are designed to help defray the cost of the Tony Awards ceremony itself. An award cost $400 as of at least 2000, $750 as of at least 2009, and by 2013, had been $2,500 "for several years," according to Tony Award Productions.

Award categories

The awards, currently 26 categories, are given for theatrical excellence in Broadway productions and performances. One award is also given for regional theatre. Several discretionary non-competitive awards are given as well, including a Special Tony Award, Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, the Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre, and the Isabelle Stevenson Award. The Tony Awards and Carnegie Mellon University also present the Excellence in Theatre Education Award annually to a K-12 theatre educator in the U.S.

Starting with 11 awards in 1947, the names and number of categories have changed over the years. Some examples: the category Best Book of a Musical was originally called "Best Author (Musical)." The category of Best Costume Design was one of the original awards. For two years, in 1960 and 1961, this category was split into Best Costume Designer (Dramatic) and Best Costume Designer (Musical). It then went to a single category, but in 2005 it was divided again. For the category of Best Director of a Play, a single category was for directors of plays and musicals prior to 1960.

A recently established non-competitive award, The Isabelle Stevenson Award, was given for the first time at the awards ceremony in 2009. The award is for an individual who has made a "substantial contribution of volunteered time and effort on behalf of one or more humanitarian, social service or charitable organizations."

The category of Best Special Theatrical Event was retired as of the 2009–2010 season. The categories of Best Sound Design of a Play and Best Sound Design of a Musical were retired as of the 2014–2015 season. On April 24, 2017, the Tony Awards administration committee announced that the Sound Design Award would be reintroduced for the 2017–2018 season and that they would be decided by a subset of voters based on their expertise.

Performance categories

• Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play
• Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
• Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play
• Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play
• Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical
• Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
• Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical
• Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical

Show and technical categories

• Best Musical
• Best Revival of a Musical
• Best Direction of a Musical
• Best Book of a Musical
• Best Original Score
• Best Orchestrations
• Best Choreography
• Best Scenic Design in a Musical
• Best Costume Design in a Musical
• Best Lighting Design in a Musical
• Best Sound Design of a Musical
• Best Play
• Best Revival of a Play
• Best Direction of a Play
• Best Scenic Design in a Play
• Best Costume Design in a Play
• Best Lighting Design in a Play
• Best Sound Design of a Play

Special awards

• Regional Theatre Tony Award
• Special Tony Award
• Lifetime Achievement Award
• Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre
• Isabelle Stevenson Award

Retired awards

• Best Author
• Best Conductor and Musical Director
• Best Costume Design (split into two categories: Best Costume Design in a Musical and Best Costume Design in a Play)
• Best Lighting Design (split into two categories: Best Lighting Design in a Musical and Best Lighting Design in a Play)
• Best Newcomer
• Best Revival (split into two categories: Best Revival of a Musical and Best Revival of a Play)
• Best Scenic Design (split into two categories: Best Scenic Design in a Musical and Best Scenic Design in a Play)
• Best Stage Technician
• Best Special Theatrical Event
• Best Director (split into two categories: Best Direction of a Musical and Best Direction of a Play)

Rules and voting

The rules for the Tony Awards are set forth in the official document "Rules and Regulations of The American Theatre Wing's Tony Awards," which applies for that season only.

Rules for a new play or musical

For the purposes of the award, a new play or musical is one that has not previously been produced on Broadway and is not "determined… to be a 'classic' or in the historical or popular repertoire," as determined by the Administration Committee (per Section (2g) of the Rules and Regulations). The rule about "classic" productions was instituted by the Tony Award Administration Committee in 2002, and stated (in summary) "A play or musical that is determined ... to be a 'classic' or in the historical or popular repertoire shall not be eligible for an award in the Best Play or Best Musical Category but may be eligible in that appropriate Best Revival category."

Shows transferred from Off-Broadway or the West End are eligible as "new," as are productions based closely on films. This rule has been the subject of some controversy, as some new Broadway shows, such as Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Violet, were ruled ineligible for the "new" category due to having been mounted previously off-Broadway.

Committees and voters

The Tony Awards Administration Committee has twenty-four members: ten designated by the American Theatre Wing, ten by The Broadway League, and one each by the Dramatists Guild, Actors' Equity Association, United Scenic Artists and the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers. This committee, among other duties, determines eligibility for nominations in all awards categories.

The Tony Awards Nominating Committee makes the nominations for the various categories. This rotating group of theatre professionals is selected by the Tony Awards Administration Committee. Nominators serve three-year terms and are asked to see every new Broadway production.

The number of eligible Tony Award voters changes slightly from year to year. For example, the number was decreased in 2009 when the first-night critics were excluded as voters. The rule was subsequently modified, and members of the New York Drama Critics' Circle were invited to be Tony voters beginning in the 2010–2011 season.

The eligible Tony voters include the board of directors and designated members of the advisory committee of the American Theatre Wing, members of the governing boards of Actors' Equity Association, the Dramatists Guild, the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers, United Scenic Artists, and the Association of Theatrical Press Agents and Managers, members of the Theatrical Council of the Casting Society of America and voting members of The Broadway League (in 2000, what was then The League of American Theaters and Producers changed membership eligibility and Tony voting status from a lifetime honor to all above-the-title producers, to ones who had been active in the previous 10 years. This action disenfranchised scores of Tony voters, including Gail Berman, Harve Brosten, Dick Button, Tony Lo Bianco, and Raymond Serra).

Eligibility date (Season)

The season for Tony Award eligibility is defined in the Rules and Regulations. To be eligible for Tony Award consideration, a production must have officially opened on Broadway by the eligibility date that the Management Committee establishes each year. For example, the cut-off date for eligibility the 2013–2014 season was April 24, 2014.

Broadway theatre

A "Broadway theatre" is defined as having 500 or more seats, among other requirements. While the rules define a Broadway theatre in terms of its size, not its geographical location, the list of Broadway theatres is determined solely by the Tony Awards Administration Committee. The list consisted solely of 41 theaters: 39 theatres that the Broadway community generally knows to be the Broadway theatres, located in the vicinity of Times Square in New York City; as well as a small number of others including Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont Theater.

Award milestones

"Hamilton" orchestrator Alex Lacamoire accepting a 2016 Tony Award in the Creative Arts Awards portion of the ceremony

Some notable records and facts about the Tony Awards include the following:

Productions

• Nominations: The most Tony nominations ever received by a single production was the musical Hamilton (2016) with 16 nominations in 13 categories, narrowly passing the previous holders of this record, The Producers (2001; 15 nominations in 12 categories) and Billy Elliot (2009; 15 nominations in 13 categories). The most Tony nominations for a non-musical play was Slave Play (2020; 12 nominations in 10 categories).
• Wins: The most Tony Awards ever received by a single production was the musical The Producers (2001) with 12 awards, including Best Musical.
• Non-musical wins: The most Tonys ever received by a non-musical play was The Coast of Utopia (2007) with 7 awards, including Best Play.
• Musicals that won all "big six" awards for original musicals: South Pacific (1950 awards), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (1979 awards), Hairspray (2003 awards) and The Band's Visit (2018 awards); each won the Best Musical, Best Score, Best Book, Best Performance by a Leading Actor, Best Performance by a Leading Actress, and Best Direction awards.
  • Plays that won all "big four" awards for original plays: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1963 awards) and The Real Thing (1984 awards); both won the Best Play, Best Performance by a Leading Actor, Best Performance by a Leading Actress, and Best Direction awards.
• Acting Awards: South Pacific (1950 awards), has won all four of the acting awards in a single year.
• Design Awards: Shows that swept the Design Awards (original 3 of Best Scenic Design, Best Costume Design, Best Lighting Design – joined by Best Sound Design starting in 2008): Follies (1972), The Phantom of the Opera (1986), The Lion King (1998), The Producers (2001), The Light in the Piazza (2005), The Coast of Utopia (2007), the 2008 revival of South Pacific (first to sweep the expanded four awards for Creative Arts), Peter and the Starcatcher (first straight play to sweep the expanded four awards for Creative Arts) (2012), Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (2018), A Christmas Carol and Moulin Rouge! (both 2020).
• Revivals: Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller in 2012 became the first show (play or musical) to win as Best Production in four different years, Best Play at the 1949 awards, Best Revival at the 1984 awards (before the Best Revival award was split into two categories for Play and Musical in 1994), and Best Revival of a Play at the 1999 and 2012 awards. La Cage aux Folles made history as the first musical to win as Best Production in three different years, Best Musical at the 1984 awards and Best Revival of a Musical at both the 2005 awards and the 2010 awards. The King and I has also garnered three Tony Awards, one for each time it has been produced on Broadway, first as Best Musical and then twice as Best Revival of a Musical. Company has also won three Tony Awards, first as Best Musical in 1971, followed by Best Revival of a Musical in 2007 and 2022.

Individuals

Stephen Sondheim

• Wins: Harold Prince has received 21 Tony Awards, more than anyone else, including eight for Best Direction of a Musical, eight for Best Musical, two for Best Producer of a Musical, and three special Tony Awards. Tommy Tune has received ten Tony Awards including three for direction, four for choreography, two for performing, and one special Tony Award. Stephen Sondheim has won more music Tony Awards than any other individual, with eight awards (six for Best Original Score, one for Best Composer, and one for Best Lyricist). Bob Fosse has won the most Tonys for choreography, also eight. Oliver Smith has won a record eight scenic design Tony Awards. Jules Fisher has won the most lighting design awards, with nine. Audra McDonald has the most performance Tony Awards with six. Terrence McNally and Tom Stoppard are the most awarded writers with four Tonys each; McNally has won Best Play twice and Best Book of a Musical twice, while Stoppard has won Best Play four times.
• Nominations: Julie Harris and Chita Rivera have been nominated more often than any other performer, ten apiece.
• Writing and performing: Tony winners as both an author and as a performer. Harvey Fierstein won Best Play and Best Lead Actor in a Play for Torch Song Trilogy (1983), Best Book of a Musical for La Cage aux Folles, and Best Lead Actor in a Musical for Hairspray. Tracy Letts, the author of 2008 Best Play August: Osage County, won Best Lead Actor in a Play for Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (2013).
• Youngest and oldest winners of Best Score or Best Book: Lin-Manuel Miranda is the youngest person to win the award; he was 28 when he won for In The Heights. If T. S. Eliot had been alive when he won for Cats, he would have been 94. Eliot is one of two people to receive the award posthumously, the other being Jonathan Larson, who won for Rent. He would have been 36.
• Youngest and oldest actors to win: Frank Langella is the oldest actor to win a Tony, for his performance in The Father (won at age 78), and Lois Smith holds the record for oldest actress for her performance in The Inheritance (won at age 90). The youngest actor to win a Tony Award, at age 11, was Frankie Michaels, in 1966, for his featured performance in Mame, a record which still stands today. Twenty-five years later, at 11 and a half years old, Daisy Eagan took home a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance in The Secret Garden, cementing her place in Tony history as the youngest woman to win the award.
• Youngest and oldest winners for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical: Liza Minelli is the youngest actress to win the award, for her performance in Flora the Red Menace (won at age 19). Bette Midler is the oldest actress to win the award, for her performance in Hello, Dolly! (won at age 71).

Criticism

While the theatre-going public may consider the Tony Awards to be the Oscars of live theatre, critics have suggested that the Tony Awards are primarily a promotional vehicle for a small number of large production companies and theatre owners in New York City.

In a 2014 Playbill article, Robert Simonson wrote that "Who gets to perform on the Tony Awards broadcast, what they get to perform, and for how long, have long been politically charged questions in the Broadway theatre community..." The producers "accept the situation ... because just as much as actually winning a Tony, a performance that lands well with the viewing public can translate into big box-office sales." Producer Robyn Goodman noted that, if the presentation at the ceremony shows well and the show wins a Tony, "you're going to spike at the box office."

References

ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

• Bloom, Ken. Broadway: An Encyclopedia. Routledge, 2003. ISBN 978-0415937047
• Morrow, Lee Alan. The Tony Award Book: Four Decades of Great American Theater. Abbeville Press, 1987. ISBN 978-0792448747
• Pacheco, Patrick (ed.). American Theatre Wing, An Oral History: 100 Years, 100 Voices, 100 Million Miracles. Michael Friedman Group, 2018. ISBN 1513261460

External links

All links retrieved May 12, 2023.

• Tony Awards Official Website
• The Tony Awards (CBS official broadcast website)
• American Theatre Wing (official website)
• The Broadway League (official website)

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