The Tony Award nominations 2025 are in—and this year’s list offers both predictable powerhouses and surprising upstarts. From Broadway staples like Audra McDonald to newcomers like Sadie Sink and breakout musicals like Maybe Happy Ending, the 2025 Tony nominations highlight a Broadway season rich with reinvention, intimacy, and experimentation.
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Below is a complete breakdown of the Tony nominees 2025 by major categories—along with key trends and analysis that spotlight what this year’s awards mean for the future of theater.
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🏆 Best Musical: New Stories With Emotional Depth
The race for Best Musical is stacked with emotionally resonant and internationally inspired titles:
- Maybe Happy Ending
- Buena Vista Social Club
- Hell’s Kitchen
- Illinoise
- The Outsiders
Maybe Happy Ending Broadway has emerged as a frontrunner. Adapted from a Korean musical, this retro sci-fi romance about two helper robots explores love, memory, and obsolescence in a way that has captivated critics and audiences alike.
🎭 Best Play: Intimacy and Impact
This year’s Best Play nominations lean heavily into stories that tackle identity, power, and history:
- Jaja’s African Hair Braiding
- Mary Jane
- Mother Play
- Prayer for the French Republic
- Stereophonic
Stereophonic leads the play nominations with a total of 13, offering a raw look at a 1970s rock band in creative and emotional crisis.
🌟 Acting Nominations: Familiar Faces, New Triumphs
Some of the most buzzed-about Tony nominations 2025 are found in the performance categories, especially with TV-to-Broadway crossovers:
Best Performance by an Actress in a Play
- Sarah Snook, The Picture of Dorian Gray – Her virtuosic solo performance playing 26 characters has stunned critics.
- Jessica Lange, Mother Play
- Rachel McAdams, Mary Jane
- Audra McDonald, Ohio State Murders – A perennial Tony favorite.
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Sadie Sink, John Proctor Is the Villain – The Stranger Things star proves her stage credentials with a layered, moving performance.
These inclusions show the Tony committee’s embrace of both stage veterans and rising crossover talent.
🎶 Best Revival of a Musical: Familiar Tunes, New Tones
The Tony Award nominations 2025 also shine in the revival category. Two names dominate the buzz:
- Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club
- Merrily We Roll Along
- Spamalot
- The Who’s Tommy
Merrily We Roll Along has earned critical redemption after its rocky 1981 debut, powered by performances from Jonathan Groff and Daniel Radcliffe.
🔥 Other Major Nods Worth Noting
Nicole Scherzinger (nominated for Sunset Boulevard) is a pop star turned Broadway powerhouse.
George Clooney scored a surprise nomination for Good Night, and Good Luck, showing Broadway’s openness to Hollywood stars who truly commit to the stage.
Audra McDonald, once again, proves why she’s synonymous with excellence in American theater.
🔍 Key Trends in the 2025 Tony Nominations
Hollywood Invades Broadway—but Delivers: From Stranger Things to Succession, TV stars like Sadie Sink and Sarah Snook have translated screen success into Tony-worthy turns.
Diversity in Storytelling: Shows like Jaja’s African Hair Braiding and Prayer for the French Republic underscore Broadway’s growing cultural and narrative diversity.
Global Influence: The success of Maybe Happy Ending highlights Broadway’s increasing openness to non-Western voices.
📅 What’s Next for the 2025 Tony Awards?
The Tony Awards 2025 ceremony airs live on June 8, 2025, from Radio City Music Hall. Hosted by Cynthia Erivo, the show will broadcast on CBS and stream on Paramount+, promising a night that blends tradition, transformation, and theatrical brilliance.
Final Word
With a mix of bold newcomers and legendary names, the 2025 Tony noms remind us why Broadway still matters: it evolves, surprises, and continues to reflect the complexities of our world through art. Whether you're rooting for Maybe Happy Ending, Sadie Sink, Audra McDonald, or Sarah Snook, one thing’s certain—this year’s Tony Awards will be one for the books.
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