Theater News

Kimberly Akimbo and Leopoldstadt Win Big at This Year’s Tony Awards

Alex Newell and J. Harrison Ghee made Tony history with wins for their performances in Shucked and Some Like It Hot, respectively.

Editorial Staff

| Broadway |

June 11, 2023

Kimberly Akimbo was the big winner at this year’s Tony Awards, which took the top prize for Best Musical, as well as Tonys for Best Book and Best Score. In the title role, Victoria Clark won her second Tony Award for Best Lead Actress, and Bonnie Milligan won her first in the Featured Actress category. Leopoldstadt took home the Tony for Best Play, and earned a Best Featured Actor Tony for Brandon Uranowitz.

Broadway history was also made as Alex Newell (Shucked) and J. Harrison Ghee (Some Like It Hot) became the first two openly nonbinary actors to win Tony Awards, in the categories of Featured Actor and Lead Actor in a Musical, respectively. (Those two categories were chosen by the performers, as the Tonys do not currently have nongendered acting categories.)

The 76th Annual Tony Awards aired live from the United Palace in Washington Heights tonight. Julianne Hough and Skylar Astin hosted The Tony Awards: Act One, a live pre-show that streamed for free on Pluto TV, 6:30pm-8pm ET. The event included the presentation of the first round of Tony Awards. Ariana DeBose hosted the second half of the ceremony, which aired at 8pm ET on CBS and Paramount+.

Check out the night’s coverage across the site and our social media platforms.

The full list of winners and nominees is below. Winners are bolded with an asterisk. Hyperlinked shows are still running at the time of publication. For tickets, click on the title of a show.

Best Play
Ain’t No Mo
Between Riverside and Crazy
Cost of Living
Fat Ham
* Leopoldstadt

Best Musical
& Juliet
* Kimberly Akimbo
New York, New York
Shucked
Some Like It Hot

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a PlayYahya Abdul-Mateen II, Suzan-Lori Parks’ Topdog/UnderdogCorey Hawkins, Suzan-Lori Parks’ Topdog/Underdog* Sean Hayes, Good Night, OscarStephen McKinley Henderson, Between Riverside and CrazyWendell Pierce, Arthur Miller’s Death of a SalesmanBest Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a PlayJessica Chastain, A Doll’s House* Jodie Comer, Prima FacieJessica Hecht, Summer, 1976Audra McDonald, Ohio State Murders

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a MusicalChristian Borle, Some Like It Hot* J. Harrison Ghee, Some Like It HotJosh Groban, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet StreetBrian d’Arcy James, Into the WoodsBen Platt, ParadeColton Ryan, New York, New York

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a MusicalAnnaleigh Ashford, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet StreetSara Bareilles, Into the Woods* Victoria Clark, Kimberly AkimboLorna Courtney, & JulietMicaela Diamond, Parade

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Jordan E. Cooper, Ain’t No Mo’Samuel L. Jackson, August Wilson’s The Piano LessonArian Moayed, A Doll’s House* Brandon Uranowitz, LeopoldstadtDavid Zayas, Cost of Living

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Nikki Crawford, Fat HamCrystal Lucas-Perry, Ain’t No Mo’* Miriam Silverman, The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s WindowKaty Sullivan, Cost of LivingKara Young, Cost of Living

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical Kevin Cahoon, ShuckedJustin Cooley, Kimberly AkimboKevin Del Aguila, Some Like It HotJordan Donica, Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot* Alex Newell, Shucked

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical Julia Lester, Into the WoodsRuthie Ann Miles, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street* Bonnie Milligan, Kimberly AkimboNaTasha Yvette Williams, Some Like It HotBetsy Wolfe, & Juliet

Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
Tom Kitt (music & lyrics) and Cameron Crowe (lyrics), Almost Famous
* Jeanine Tesori (music) and David Lindsay-Abaire (lyrics), Kimberly Akimbo
Helen Park and Max Vernon, KPOP
Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally, Shucked
Marc Shaiman (music & lyrics) and Scott Wittman (lyrics), Some Like It Hot

Best Book of a Musical
David West Read, & Juliet
* David Lindsay-Abaire, Kimberly Akimbo
David Thompson and Sharon Washington, New York, New York
Robert Horn, ShuckedMatthew López & Amber Ruffin, Some Like It Hot

Best Scenic Design of a Play Miriam Buether, Prima Facie* Tim Hatley & Andrzej Goulding, Life of PiRachel Hauck, Good Night, OscarRichard Hudson, LeopoldstadtDane Laffrey & Lucy Mackinnon, A Christmas Carol

Best Scenic Design of a Musical* Beowulf Boritt, New York, New YorkMimi Lien, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet StreetMichael Yeargan & 59 Productions, Lerner & Loewe’s CamelotScott Pask, ShuckedScott Pask, Some Like It Hot

Best Costume Design of a Play Tim Hatley, Nick Barnes & Finn Caldwell, Life of PiDominique Fawn Hill, Fat Ham* Brigitte Reiffenstuel, LeopoldstadtEmilio Sosa, Ain’t No Mo’Emilio Sosa, Good Night, Oscar

Best Costume Design of a Musical* Gregg Barnes, Some Like It HotSusan Hilferty, ParadeJennifer Moeller, Lerner & Loewe’s CamelotClint Ramos & Sophia Choi, KPOPPaloma Young, & JulietDonna Zakowska, New York, New York

Best Lighting Design of a Play Neil Austin, LeopoldstadtNatasha Chivers, Prima FacieJon Clark, A Doll’s HouseBradley King, Fat Ham* Tim Lutkin, Life of PiJen Schriever, Arthur Miller’s Death of a SalesmanBen Stanton, A Christmas Carol

Best Lighting Design of a Musical Ken Billington, New York, New YorkLap Chi Chu, Lerner & Loewe’s CamelotHeather Gilbert, ParadeHoward Hudson, & JulietNatasha Katz, Some Like It Hot* Natasha Katz, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Best Sound Design of a Play Jonathan Deans & Taylor Williams, Ain’t No Mo’* Carolyn Downing, Life of PiJoshua D. Reid, A Christmas CarolBen & Max Ringham, A Doll’s HouseBen & Max Ringham, Prima Facie

Best Sound Design of a Musical Kai Harada, New York, New YorkJohn Shivers, ShuckedScott Lehrer & Alex Neumann, Into the WoodsGareth Owen, & Juliet* Nevin Steinberg, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Best Direction of a Play Saheem Ali, Fat HamJo Bonney, Cost of LivingJamie Lloyd, A Doll’s House* Patrick Marber, LeopoldstadtStevie Walker-Webb, Ain’t No Mo’Max Webster, Life of Pi

Best Direction of a Musical* Michael Arden, ParadeLear deBessonet, Into the WoodsCasey Nicholaw, Some Like It HotJack O’Brien, ShuckedJessica Stone, Kimberly Akimbo

Best Choreography Steven Hoggett, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
* Casey Nicholaw, Some Like It HotSusan Stroman, New York, New YorkJennifer Weber, & JulietJennifer Weber, KPOP

Best OrchestrationsBill Sherman and Dominic Fallacaro, & JulietJohn Clancy, Kimberly AkimboJason Howland, Shucked* Charlie Rosen & Bryan Carter, Some Like It HotDaryl Waters & Sam Davis, New York, New York

Best Revival of a PlayAugust Wilson’s The Piano LessonA Doll’s HouseThe Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window* Suzan-Lori Parks’s Topdog/Underdog

Best Revival of a Musical Into the WoodsLerner & Loewe’s Camelot* ParadeSweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Total wins per show

Kimberly Akimbo – 5

Leopoldstadt – 4

Some Like It Hot – 4

Life of Pi – 3

Sweeney Todd – 2

Parade – 2

Good Night, Oscar – 1

New York, New York – 1

Prima Facie – 1