Copyright © 2026 VPM, all rights reserved.
PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.
VPM News Morning Edition
NEXT UP: 9:00 AM

Thanks to our sponsors – Become a Sponsor

See who’s nominated for the 2026 Tony Awards


Updated May 05, 2026 at 11:17 AM ET

It’s been a season of celebrities and revivals on Broadway — as big-entertainment theater continues to get more expensive to put up, producers are looking for the sure thing,which often means basing a show on another work.

That’s true about the two new musicals that are tied for 12 nominations each: a special-effects-crammed The Lost Boys, based on the 1987 comedy horror movie, and the candy-colored satire Schmigadoon!, which originated as a TV series streaming on Apple TV+.

Rounding out the new musicals are Titanique, which is kinda-sorta based on the movie Titanic — and one completely original (and delightful) show: Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York).

The musical revival Ragtime follows with 11 nominations, and the revival of the Arthur Miller play Death of a Salesman gets nine. Twenty-four shows have at least one nomination.

June Squibb, who received a nod for the revival of the sci-fi drama Marjorie Prime, is now the oldest Tony-nominated actor at 96; Danny Burstein, also nominated for Marjorie Prime, is now the most-nominated male actor with nine.

The play Liberation by Bess Wohl is having an especially good week. On Monday, it won the Pulitzer, and today it was nominated for a Tony for Best New Play.

The full list is below.

The nominations were announced live by actors Uzo Aduba and Darren Criss this morning on CBS Mornings and the Tony Awards YouTube live stream.

The award show itself — the 79th Annual Tony Awards — will air live on the CBS Television Network from Radio City Music Hall in New York City on Sunday, June 7, and stream on Paramount+ premium tier. They will be hosted by musician P!nk, who has songs in two current Broadway shows, Moulin Rouge: The Musical and & Juliet.

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

Copyright 2026 NPR

Tags

Jennifer Vanasco is an editor on the NPR Culture Desk, where she also reports on theater, visual arts, cultural institutions, the intersection of tech/culture and the economics of the arts.

She previously worked at Member station WNYC in New York, where for almost nine years, she wore many hats — Arts & Culture Desk editor, evening news editor, fill-in host and newscaster, regular contributor to the arts show "All of It" and award-winning arts reporter. She teaches audio journalism in Columbia University's journalism graduate program and is on the faculty of the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center National Critics Institute.

Before audio journalism, she was editor in chief of MTV's 365Gay.com, which at the time was the country's largest LGBTQ+ news site; created and wrote the Minority Reports column for Columbia Journalism Review; and for over a decade was a syndicated newspaper columnist on gay issues.

She has received many awards for her work, including the New York Radio Festivals Silver Award, the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association Excellence in Radio Award, the National Headline Award, the Peter Lisagor Award, plus awards from the Associated Press, the New York State Broadcasters Association, the Webbys and others. She graduated from Wellesley College.

Related Stories