Broadway’s biggest night is here. The 79th Annual Tony Awards take place tonight, June 7, 2026, at Radio City Music Hall, with Grammy-winning superstar Pink making her debut as host of the main ceremony. Whether you’re a lifelong theatre obsessive or someone who just wants to know what everyone is talking about on social media tomorrow morning, here’s everything you need to know.
What Are the Tony Awards?
The Tony Awards, formally known as the Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, are Broadway’s equivalent of the Oscars. Named after Antoinette “Tony” Perry, a director, producer, and co-founder of the American Theatre Wing who died in 1946, the awards have been presented annually since 1947 to recognise excellence in live Broadway theatre. They cover everything from Best Musical and Best Play to Best Choreography, Best Costume Design, Best Lighting Design, and more than two dozen other categories. Winning a Tony is the highest professional honour in American theatre.
When and Where Is It?
The ceremony begins at 8 PM ET on CBS, with a pre-show called The Tony Awards: Act One streaming for free on Pluto TV from 6:35 PM ET, hosted by Tony winner Laura Benanti and Broadway favourite Tituss Burgess. The main ceremony is also available to stream on Paramount+ with a Premium subscription.
Who’s Hosting?
Pink is hosting the main ceremony tonight, bringing her particular brand of fearless, high-energy performance to Broadway’s biggest night. It’s her first time hosting the Tonys, and given her known love of musical theatre and her experience commanding enormous stages, expectations are high.
What’s Nominated?
The Lost Boys and Schmigadoon! lead the field with 12 nominations each, including Best Musical. TitanÃque and Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) round out the Best Musical category. For Best Play, the nominees are The Balusters by David Lindsay-Abaire, Giant by Mark Rosenblatt, Liberation by Bess Wohl, and Little Bear Ridge Road by Samuel D. Hunter. Lincoln Center Theater’s Ragtime is right behind with 11 nominations, and Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman is the most nominated play of the season with nine total nods.
What Are Tonight’s Special Performances?
All of this year’s Best Musical and Best Revival of a Musical nominees will perform, and the evening will also feature major anniversary tributes. The Book of Mormon’s entire original Broadway cast reunites for its celebration, including Tony winner Nikki M. James and Tony nominees Andrew Rannells and Josh Gad. The 30th anniversary of the long-running revival of Chicago will be marked with a performance featuring Queen Latifah, Pink, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Alex Newell, and Adrienne Warren. A Chorus Line’s 50th anniversary and Rent’s 30th anniversary will also be honoured.
Who Won Last Year?
‘Maybe Happy Ending’ took home the most wins at the 2025 Tony Awards with six, including Best Musical and Best Actor in a Musical for Darren Criss. Best Play went to Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ ‘Purpose’. Nicole Scherzinger won Best Actress in a Musical for Sunset Boulevard, Cole Escola won Best Actor in a Play for ‘Oh, Mary!’, and Sarah Snook won Best Actress in a Play for ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’.
Why Do the Tony Awards Matter?
Winning a Tony Award transforms a show’s commercial fortunes. A Best Musical win drives ticket sales, extends runs, and sets up touring productions. For performers, a Tony win or even a nomination can redefine a career, opening doors to film, television, and the kind of lasting recognition that the theatre world values above almost anything else. The 2025 telecast drew 5.1 million viewers for CBS, up from 3.53 million in 2024, an increase of approximately 44 percent, and the largest audience for the Tonys since 2019. Broadway is having a moment, and tonight is the centrepiece of it.
Pull up CBS, make some noise for Pink, and enjoy the show.