Tony Award Predictions 2025
The Tony Awards are here again! It’s our one night to channel the ancients, like the Festival of Dionysus, when playwrights competed in dramatic contests for the top prize and public adoration. I love awards season because it speaks directly to our innate need to discern, to honor greatness, and to be glamorous. And this season has had a heavy dose of glamour, all thanks to Nicole Scherzinger starring in Sunset Boulevard.
I grew up watching the Tony Awards every year, it was my bridge to the theatrical mecca of New York theatre. I would watch Patti LuPone’s performance of “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” from the 2008 ceremony over and over again. Now, my friends and I have made it an annual tradition to go to the Stonewall Inn for a viewing party. During commercial breaks, performers sing show tunes, and we all drunkenly revel along.
In the 2020s, people are looking inward while also seeking something bigger than themselves. There’s a desire for high emotion and surprise. I think the best shows this season embraced that. Productions like Purpose, Sunset Boulevard, Dead Outlaw, Oh, Mary!, and Maybe Happy Ending put emotion and vitality at the forefront of their pieces, breaking away from the tired clichés and political tropes of the 2010s (John Proctor is the Villain is especially guilty here). These shows finally present a theatre that feels like the 2020s: existential with an eye on the human spirit. I hope the American Theatre Wing and the Broadway League will recognize their great achievements on June 8th.
Below are my predictions in bold.
Best Musical
Buena Vista Social Club
Dead Outlaw
Death Becomes Her
Maybe Happy Ending
Operation Mincemeat
Best Play
English
The Hills of California
John Proctor Is the Villain
Oh, Mary!
Purpose
Best Revival of a Musical
Floyd Collins
Gypsy
Pirates! The Penzance Musical
Sunset Boulevard
Best Revival of a Play
Eureka Day
Thornton Wilder's Our Town
Romeo + Juliet
Yellow Face
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play
George Clooney – Good Night, and Good Luck as Edward R. Murrow
Cole Escola – Oh, Mary! as Mary Todd Lincoln
Jon Michael Hill – Purpose as Nazareth "Naz" Jasper
Daniel Dae Kim – Yellow Face as DHH
Harry Lennix – Purpose as Solomon "Sonny" Jasper
Louis McCartney – Stranger Things: The First Shadow as Henry Creel
Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
Laura Donnelly – The Hills of California as Veronica / Joan
Mia Farrow – The Roommate as Sharon
LaTanya Richardson Jackson – Purpose as Claudine Jasper
Sadie Sink – John Proctor Is the Villain as Shelby Holcomb
Sarah Snook – The Picture of Dorian Gray as Dorian Gray, et al.
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical
Darren Criss – Maybe Happy Ending as Oliver
Andrew Durand – Dead Outlaw as Elmer McCurdy
Tom Francis – Sunset Boulevard as Joe Gillis
Jonathan Groff – Just in Time as Bobby Darin
James Monroe Iglehart – A Wonderful World as Louis Armstrong
Jeremy Jordan – Floyd Collins as Floyd Collins
Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
Megan Hilty – Death Becomes Her as Madeline Ashton
Audra McDonald – Gypsy as Rose
Jasmine Amy Rogers – Boop! The Musical as Betty Boop
Nicole Scherzinger – Sunset Boulevard as Norma Desmond
Jennifer Simard – Death Becomes Her as Helen Sharp
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play
Glenn Davis – Purpose as Solomon "Junior" Jasper
Gabriel Ebert – John Proctor Is the Villain as Mr. Carter Smith
Francis Jue – Yellow Face as HYH, et al.
Bob Odenkirk – Glengarry Glen Ross as Shelly Levene
Conrad Ricamora – Oh, Mary! as Mary's Husband
Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play
Tala Ashe – English as Elham
Jessica Hecht – Eureka Day as Suzanne
Marjan Neshat – English as Marjan
Fina Strazza – John Proctor Is the Villain as Beth Powell
Kara Young – Purpose as Aziza Houston
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical
Brooks Ashmanskas – Smash as Nigel Davies
Jeb Brown – Dead Outlaw as Bandleader / Walter Jarrett
Danny Burstein – Gypsy as Herbie
Jak Malone – Operation Mincemeat as Hester Leggatt and Others
Taylor Trensch – Floyd Collins as Skeets Miller
Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical
Natalie Venetia Belcon – Buena Vista Social Club as Omara Portuondo (adult)
Julia Knitel – Dead Outlaw as Helen McCurdy / Maggie Johnson / Millicent Esper
Gracie Lawrence – Just in Time as Connie Francis
Justina Machado – Real Women Have Curves as Carmen Garcia
Joy Woods – Gypsy as Louise
Best Direction of a Play
Knud Adams – English
Sam Mendes – The Hills of California
Sam Pinkleton – Oh, Mary!
Danya Taymor – John Proctor Is the Villain
Kip Williams – The Picture of Dorian Gray
Best Direction of a Musical
Saheem Ali – Buena Vista Social Club
Michael Arden – Maybe Happy Ending
David Cromer – Dead Outlaw
Christopher Gattelli – Death Becomes Her
Jamie Lloyd – Sunset Boulevard
Best Book of a Musical
Will Aronson and Hue Park – Maybe Happy Ending
David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson and Zoë Roberts – Operation Mincemeat
Itamar Moses – Dead Outlaw
Marco Pennette – Death Becomes Her
Marco Ramirez – Buena Vista Social Club
Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
Dead Outlaw – Erik Della Penna and David Yazbek (music and lyrics)
Death Becomes Her – Noel Carey and Julia Mattison (music and lyrics)
Maybe Happy Ending – Will Aronson (music and lyrics) and Hue Park (lyrics)
Operation Mincemeat – David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson and Zoë Roberts (music and lyrics)
Real Women Have Curves – Joy Huerta and Benjamin Velez (music and lyrics)
Best Scenic Design of a Play
David Bergman and Marg Horwell – The Picture of Dorian Gray
Miriam Buether and 59 Productions – Stranger Things: The First Shadow
Marsha Ginsberg – English
Rob Howell – The Hills of California
Scott Pask – Good Night, and Good Luck
Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Rachel Hauck – Swept Away
Dane Laffrey and George Reeve – Maybe Happy Ending
Arnulfo Maldonado – Buena Vista Social Club
Derek McLane – Death Becomes Her
Derek McLane – Just in Time
Best Costume Design of a Play
Brenda Abbandandolo – Good Night, and Good Luck
Marg Horwell – The Picture of Dorian Gray
Rob Howell – The Hills of California
Holly Pierson – Oh, Mary!
Brigitte Reiffenstuel – Stranger Things: The First Shadow
Best Costume Design of a Musical
Dede Ayite – Buena Vista Social Club
Gregg Barnes – Boop! The Musical
Clint Ramos – Maybe Happy Ending
Paul Tazewell – Death Becomes Her
Catherine Zuber – Just in Time
Best Lighting Design of a Play
David Bengali and Heather Gilbert – Good Night, and Good Luck
Natasha Chivers – The Hills of California
Jon Clark – Stranger Things: The First Shadow
Natasha Katz and Hannah Wasileski – John Proctor Is the Villain
Nick Schlieper – The Picture of Dorian Gray
Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Jack Knowles – Sunset Boulevard
Tyler Micoleau – Buena Vista Social Club
Ben Stanton – Maybe Happy Ending
Ruey Horng Sun and Scott Zielinski – Floyd Collins
Justin Townsend – Death Becomes Her
Best Sound Design of a Play
Paul Arditti – Stranger Things: The First Shadow
Palmer Hefferan – John Proctor Is the Villain
Daniel Kluger – Good Night, and Good Luck
Nick Powell – The Hills of California
Clemence Williams – The Picture of Dorian Gray
Best Sound Design of a Musical
Jonathan Deans – Buena Vista Social Club
Adam Fisher – Sunset Boulevard
Peter Hylenski – Just in Time
Peter Hylenski – Maybe Happy Ending
Dan Moses Schreier – Floyd Collins
Best Choreography
Joshua Bergasse – Smash
Camille A. Brown – Gypsy
Patricia Delgado and Justin Peck – Buena Vista Social Club
Christopher Gattelli – Death Becomes Her
Jerry Mitchell – Boop! The Musical
Best Orchestrations
Will Aronson – Maybe Happy Ending
Bruce Coughlin – Floyd Collins
David Cullen and Andrew Lloyd Webber – Sunset Boulevard
Marco Paguia – Buena Vista Social Club
Andrew Resnick and Michael Thurber – Just in Time
The 78th annual Tony Awards will be hosted at Radio City Music Hall on June 8th.