Tony Awards 2026: ‘Death of a Salesman’ Wins Big, Three Musicals Tie
Broadway super-fan P!NK was a fabulous host of the 79th annual Tony Awards. While there weren’t many big surprises in terms of winners, there were many memorable moments. From P!NK’s aerial entrance as Peter Pan (in a TDF Costume Collection special!) to starry tributes to The Book of Mormon and Chicago (starring Alex Newell and P!NK—get her a Broadway show stat) to passionate speeches about trans and immigrant rights and the power of theatre, it was an exhilarating evening that came in on time.
On the play side, Death of a Salesman was the big winner, snagging six Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Play, Best Director of a Play for Joe Mantello and Best Featured Actress in a Play for Laurie Metcalf. Bess Wohl’s Liberation, which recently won the Pulitzer Prize, was named Best Play. John Lithgow took home the prize for Best Actor in a Play for his turn as Roald Dahl in Giant while Lesley Manville, who closed a show in London yesterday, won for her searing performance in Oedipus.
In a notoriously weak season for musicals (only six new ones and five revivals, not all of which were nominated), the awards were almost evenly split among the winners. Schmigadoon!, Ragtime and The Lost Boys all snagged four, CATS: The Jellicle Ball earned three. Clearly, the voters wanted to spread the love around.
That said, Schmigadoon! won the key awards: Best Musical, Book and Score, while The Lost Boys won for sets and lighting plus featured performances by Ali Louis Bourzgui (who gave a passionate speech about immigrants) and Shoshana Bean. Ragtime won Best Revival of a Musical along with leading performances by Caissie Levy and Joshua Henry. CATS: The Jellicle Ball, a complete reinvention of a classic musical, was recognized for Best Direction of a Musical for collaborators Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch, who gave a fabulous “tag-team” speech, and Best Choreography for Omari Wiles and Arturo Lyons, and a historic win for costume designer Qween Jean, the first Black transwoman to win in the category.
Despite some political commentary—P!NK talked about the erosion of free speech (on CBS no less) though that segued into a comic bit—the evening leaned into uplift, and not just the gravity-defying opening number (written by Benj Pasek, Justin Paul and Mark Sonnenblick). And why not? We could all use some uplift right now.
Below are the complete list of winners.
Best Musical
WINNER Schmigadoon!
The Lost Boys
Titaníque
Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Best Play
WINNER Liberation
The Balusters
Giant
Little Bear Ridge Road
Best Revival of a Musical
WINNER Ragtime
CATS: The Jellicle Ball
The Rocky Horror Show
Best Revival of a Play
WINNER Death of a Salesman
Becky Shaw
Every Brilliant Thing
Fallen Angels
Oedipus
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
WINNER Caissie Levy for Ragtime
Sara Chase for Schmigadoon!
Stephanie Hsu for The Rocky Horror Show
Marla Mindelle for Titanique
Christiani Pitts for Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
WINNER Joshua Henry for Ragtime
Nicholas Christopher for Chess
Luke Evans for The Rocky Horror Show
Sam Tutty for Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Brandon Uranowitz for Ragtime
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
WINNER Lesley Manville in Oedipus
Rose Byrne in Fallen Angels
Carrie Coon in Bug
Susannah Flood in Liberation
Kelli O’Hara in Fallen Angels
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
WINNER John Lithgow for Giant
Will Harrison for Punch
Nathan Lane for Death of a Salesman
Daniel Radcliffe for Every Brilliant Thing
Mark Strong for Oedipus
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
WINNER Shoshana Bean for The Lost Boys
Hannah Cruz for Chess
Rachel Dratch for The Rocky Horror Show
Ana Gasteyer for Schmigadoon!
Nichelle Lewis for Ragtime
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
WINNER Ali Louis Bourzgui for The Lost Boys
André De Shields for CATS: The Jellicle Ball
Bryce Pinkham for Chess
Ben Levi Ross for Ragtime
Layton Williams for Titaníque
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
WINNER Laurie Metcalf for Death of a Salesman
Betsy Aidem for Liberation
Marylouise Burke for The Balusters
Aya Cash for Giant
June Squibb for Marjorie Prime
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
WINNER Alden Ehrenreich for Becky Shaw
Christopher Abbott for Death of a Salesman
Danny Burstein for Marjorie Prime
Brandon J. Dirden for Waiting for Godot
Ruben Santiago-Hudson for Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Richard Thomas for The Balusters
Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
WINNER Cinco Paul for Schmigadoon!
Caroline Shaw for Death of a Salesman
Steve Bargonetti by Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
The Rescues for The Lost Boys
Jim Barne and Kit Buchan for Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Best Book of a Musical
WINNER Cinco Paul for Schmigadoon!
David Hornsby and Chris Hoch for The Lost Boys
Marla Mindelle, Constantine Rousouli and Tye Blue for Titaníque
Jim Barne and Kit Buchan for Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Best Direction of a Musical
WINNER Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch for CATS: The Jellicle Ball
Michael Arden for The Lost Boys
Lear deBessonet for Ragtime
Christopher Gattelli for Schmigadoon!
Tim Jackson for Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Best Direction of a Play
WINNER Joe Mantello for Death of a Salesman
Nicholas Hytner for Giant
Robert Icke for Oedipus
Kenny Leon for The Balusters
Whitney White for Liberation
Best Scenic Design of a Play
WINNER Chloe Lamford for Death of a Salesman
Hildegard Bechtler for Oedipus
Takeshi Kata for Bug
David Korins for Dog Day Afternoon
David Rockwell for Fallen Angels
Best Scenic Design of a Musical
WINNER Dane Laffrey for The Lost Boys
dots for The Rocky Horror Show
Soutra Gilmour for Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Rachel Hauck for CATS: The Jellicle Ball
Scott Pask for Schmigadoon!
Best Costume Design of a Play
WINNER Jeff Mahshie for Fallen Angels
Brenda Abbandandolo for Dog Day Afternoon
Qween Jean for Liberation
Emilio Sosa for The Balusters
Paul Tazewell for Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Best Costume Design of a Musical
WINNER Qween Jean for CATS: The Jellicle Ball
Linda Cho for Ragtime
Linda Cho for Schmigadoon!
Ryan Park for The Lost Boys
David I. Reynoso for The Rocky Horror Show
Best Sound Design of a Play
WINNER Mikaal Sulaiman for Death of a Salesman
Justin Ellington for Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Tom Gibbons for Oedipus
Lee Kinney for The Fear of 13
Josh Schmidt for Bug
Best Sound Design of a Musical
WINNER Kai Harada for Ragtime
Kai Harada for CATS: The Jellicle Ball
Adam Fisher for The Lost Boys
Brian Ronan for The Rocky Horror Show
Walter Trarbach for Schmigadoon!
Best Lighting Design of a Play
WINNER Jack Knowles for Death of a Salesman
Isabella Byrd for Dog Day Afternoon
Natasha Chivers for Oedipus
Stacey Derosier for Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Heather Gilbert for Bug
Heather Gilbert for The Fear of 13
Best Lighting Design of a Musical
WINNER Jen Schriever and Michael Arden for The Lost Boys
Kevin Adams for Chess
Jane Cox for The Rocky Horror Show
Donald Holder for Schmigadoon!
Adam Honoré for CATS: The Jellicle Ball
Adam Honoré and Donald Holder (Lighting Design) and 59 Studio (Projection Design) for Ragtime
Best Choreography
WINNER Omari Wiles and Arturo Lyons for CATS: The Jellicle Ball
Christopher Gattelli for Schmigadoon!
Ellenore Scott for Ragtime
Ani Taj for The Rocky Horror Show
Lauren Yalango-Grant and Christopher Cree Grant for The Lost Boys
Best Orchestrations
WINNER Doug Besterman and Mike Morris for Schmigadoon!
Ethan Popp, Adrianne “AG” Gonzalez, Gabriel Mann and Kyler England for The Lost Boys
Lux Pyramid for Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Brian Usifer for Chess
Andrew Lloyd Webber, David Wilson, Trevor Holder and Doug Schadt for CATS: The Jellicle Ball
Number of Tony Awards by Show
Death of a Salesman – 6
The Lost Boys – 4
Ragtime – 4
Schimigadoon! – 4
CATS: The Jellicle Ball – 3
Becky Shaw – 1
Fallen Angels – 1
Giant| – 1
Liberation – 1
Oedipus – 1