2026 Tony Awards by the numbers

Of all the winners (and also-rans) in the 26 competitive categories at the 2026 Tony Awards, 26 results stand out in terms of historical context. So, what were this year’s most interesting facts, records, and milestones?

1. The productions that received multiple Tony nominations but went home empty-handed were: The Balusters, Bug, Chess, Dog Day Afternoon, Every Brilliant Thing, The Fear of 13, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, Marjorie Prime, The Rocky Horror Show, Titaníque, and Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York).
2. The individuals who had multiple nominations this year but went home empty-handed were: book writer-songwriter Jim Barne (Two Strangers) book writer-songwriter Kit Buchan (Two Strangers), costume designer Linda Cho (Ragtime and Schmigadoon!), director-choreographer Christopher Gattelli (Schmigadoon!), lighting designer Heather Gilbert (Bug and The Fear of 13), lighting designer Donald Holder (Ragtime and Schmigadoon!), lighting designer Adam Honoré (Cats: The Jellicle Ball and Ragtime), and actress-book writer Marla Mindelle (Titaníque).
3. Noteworthy names who won Tonys for producing at least one Broadway show this year are: two-time Tony-nominated director Lear deBessonet (Ragtime), nine-time Tony nominated director Scott Ellis (Liberation), 24-time Emmy-winning producer Lorne Michaels (Schmigadoon!), EGOT’er Scott Rudin (Death of a Salesman), two-time Tony-nominated actor Stark Sands (Liberation), and Tony-winning director Bartlett Sher (Ragtime).
4. Scott Ellis won his first Tony after 16 nominations for directing or producing.
5. The one individual who won multiple Tonys this year is book writer-songwriter-producer Cinco Paul (Schmigadoon!). He also became the fourth sole creator in history to win book and score in the same year his show took Best Musical following Rupert Holmes for The Mystery of Edwin Drood in 1986, Jonathan Larson for Rent in 1996, and Lin-Manuel Miranda for Hamilton in 2016.
6. With his win for Death of a Salesman, lighting designer Jack Knowles remains undefeated at the Tony Awards. Following up his win for Sunset Boulevard last year, he also became the first lighting designer to win consecutively since Natasha Katz for MJ in 2022 and Sweeney Todd in 2023.
7. With her win for Best Costume Design of a Musical for Cats: The Jellicle Ball, Qween Jean became the first openly trans person to win a Tony.
8. Mikaal Sulaiman (Death of a Salesman) is the first Black winner of Best Sound Design of a Play since the category was established in 2008.
9. Schmigadoon! is the fifth musical with a score that isn’t 100% original to win Best Score following Gigi in 1974, Cats in 1983, The Who’s Tommy (in a tie with Kiss of the Spider Woman) in 1993, and Newsies in 2012.
10. After having previously won for directing and producing Parade in 2023 and Maybe Happy Ending last year, Michael Arden wins another Tony, this time as lighting designer (with Jen Schriever) for The Lost Boys.
11. Following his win for Maybe Happy Ending last year, Dane Laffrey (The Lost Boys) is the first scenic designer to win consecutively since Rob Howell for The Ferryman in 2019 and A Christmas Carol in 2020.
12. For the second year in a row, a team managed to win Best Choreography. Last year, it was Patricia Delgado and Justin Peck for Buena Vista Social Club. This year, it’s Arturo Lyons and Omari Wiles for Cats: The Jellicle Ball.
13. John Lithgow has now won three Tonys in three separate categories. Best Featured Actor in a Play for The Changing Room in 1973, Best Actor in a Musical for Sweet Smell of Success in 2002, and Best Actor in a Play this year for Giant. Meanwhile, at age 80, he has become the oldest male actor to win a competitive Tony, besting a record previously held by Frank Langella, who was 78 when he won for The Father in 2016.
14. Laurie Metfcalf is the second actress to win a Tony for playing Linda Logan in Death of a Salesman, after Elizabeth Franz in 1999.
15. Zhalion Levingston and Bill Rauch (Cats: The Jellicle Ball) are the first duo to win Best Direction of a Musical since Casey Nicholaw and Trey Parker for The Book of Mormon in 2011. Levingston in particular is also the first Black winner for directing a musical since George C. Wolfe for Bring in ‘da Noise, Bring in ‘da Funk in 1996.
16. Joe Mantello is the fourth director to win a Tony for helming Death of a Salesman following Elia Kazan in 1949, Robert Falls in 1999, and Mike Nichols in 2012.
17. Bess Wohl (Liberation) is now the fourth female playwright in history to win the Tony for Best Play. Liberation is also the first closed show to win Best Play since The Lehman Trilogy in 2022.
18. Lesley Manville (Oedipus) and Laurie Metcalf (Death of a Salesman) winning in their respective categories is significant because they were previously up against each other for Best Supporting Actress at the 2017 Oscars. Manville was up for Phantom Thread, while Metcalf was up for Lady Bird; both lost to Allison Janney for I, Tonya.
19. Ragtime winning Best Musical Revival over the directing winner, Cats: The Jellicle Ball, is significant because the last time a scenario like this played out was back in 2006. John Doyle won Best Direction of a Musical for Sweeney Todd, but that production lost Best Musical Revival to The Pajama Game.
20. Ragtime’s Best Musical Revival win marks the first time the musical itself won a Best Production prize from the Tonys. The original production lost Best Musical in 1998 to The Lion King while the first revival lost to La Cage aux Folles in 2010.
21. This is the fourth remounting of Death of a Salesman to win a Tony for Best Revival after having previously triumphed in 1984, 1999, and 2012.
22. Caissie Levy (Ragtime) and Soshana Bean (The Lost Boys) winning in their respective categories represents a sliding-doors moment of sorts. Levy was originally set to do the latter show; when she dropped out, Bean took over.
23. Meanwhile, Levy is the first actress to win a Tony for playing Mother in Ragtime. Marin Mazzie was nominated for originating the role, but lost to Natasha Richardson in Cabaret. Christiane Noll was nominated for taking on the role in the first revival, but lost to Catherine Zeta-Jones in A Little Night Music.
24. Joshua Henry is the first actor to win a Tony for playing Coalhouse Walker Jr. in Ragtime. Brian Stokes Mitchell was nominated for originating the role, but lost to Alan Cumming in Cabaret. Quentin Earl Darrington, who played Coalhouse in the first revival, wasn’t even nominated.
25. Ragtime is not only the first musical revival to win both lead acting prizes since Cabaret (for Natasha Richardson and Alan Cumming) in 1998, but it won four Tonys overall. The original production also won four for Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Audra McDonald), Best Book (Terrence McNally), Best Score (Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty), and Best Orchestrations (William David Brohn).
26. Schmigadoon! is the first Tony winner for Best Musical to be adapted from a television series. Not only that, but one of its producers, Apple TV, has now achieved EGOT status.