The 79th annual Tony Awards took place on Sunday, 7 June 2026 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with ‘Schmigadoon!’ named best musical and costume designer Qween Jean making history as the first openly transgender Tony winner in any category.
As reported by NPR, the ceremony was broadcast live and hosted by P!nk, who opened the show descending from the ceiling dressed as Peter Pan before joining Neil Patrick Harris and a group of Broadway performers for a rendition of Lady Marmalade.
The evening produced four clear frontrunners and one moment that dominated social media before the night was over.
Tony Awards 2026: Schmigadoon! and the best musical win
Schmigadoon! collected four awards on the night: best musical, best book, best original score and best orchestrations.
The show is a satire of classic Hollywood musicals produced by Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels, who accepted the top award with a line that summed up the whole show.
“Sometimes singing, dancing, a lot of jokes, and a happy ending is really all you need,” Michaels said.
The night’s most dominant production was actually a revival. Death of a Salesman left Radio City Music Hall with six Tony Awards, including best revival of a play.
Ragtime won best revival of a musical. Bess Wohl’s Liberation took best play, and the acting awards were split across four different productions and performers.
Tony Awards 2026: acting winners and Qween Jean’s historic night
Joshua Henry won best leading actor in a musical for Ragtime, while John Lithgow took best leading actor in a play for Giant.
Lesley Manville won best leading actress in a play for Oedipus. The acting categories reflected the breadth of the season.
The most-discussed moment of the night came when Qween Jean won best costume design for a musical for her work on Cats: The Jellicle Ball.
Jean became the first openly transgender woman to win a Tony in any category. Accepting the award, she said:
“Trans people, we have to take up space. We have to shift the paradigm.”
In a longer statement, Jean addressed what she described as a broader societal moment, saying the world was “deeply, deeply combating so many ailments” and that real, permanent change only comes from society choosing to come together.
What comes next after the Tony Awards 2026
With the 2026 Broadway season officially closed, the conversation now shifts to touring.
Schmigadoon! is widely expected to announce a US touring production off the back of its Tony win. The Ragtime revival is also generating interest for a possible transfer.
For Jean, the win starts a new chapter in an industry still working through questions of inclusion and representation at every level of production.
