2026 Tony Awards: Analyzing This Year's Nominations and Reactions

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The 79th Annual Tony Awards will be held on June 7, 2026.

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Still thinking about the Tony nominations? Us too! Check out some takeaways from today's big announcement and recap the full list and the nominees' reactions!

A total of 129 nominations went out in 26 categories.

21 nominations went to productions that have already closed.

45 nominations went to productions that opened before Spring 2026.

Schmigadoon! and The Lost Boys were the most nominated shows of the year, with 12 nominations each. They are closely followed by Ragtime (11), Arthur Miller 's Death of a Salesman (9), Cats: The Jellicle Ball (9), Richard O'Brien's The Rocky Horror Show (9).

Of the 41 acting nominees...

-7 are making their Broadway debuts: Luke Evans , Sam Tutty , Will Harrison , Lesley Manville , Aya Cash , Alden Ehrenreich , and Layton Williams .

-7 are previous Tony nominees (who have yet to win): Mark Strong (A View From the Bridge), Joshua Henry (Carousel, The Scottboro Boys, Violet), Carrie Coon (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf ?), Betsy Aidem (Prayer for the French Republic), Richard Thomas (The Little Foxes), Shoshana Bean (Hell's Kitchen, Mr. Saturday Night), Bryce Pinkham (A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder).

-9 are previous Tony winners: Danny Burstein (Moulin Rouge!), Brandon Uranowitz (Leopoldstadt), Daniel Radcliffe (Merrily We Roll Along), John Lithgow (The Changing Room, Sweet Swell of Success), Nathan Lane (Angels in America, The Producers, A Funny Thing Happened...), Kelli O'Hara (The King and I), Laurie Metcalf (A Doll's House: Part 2, Three Tall Women), Ruben Santiago-Hudson (Seven Guitars), André De Shields (Hadestown).

-3 have aleady won Olivier Awards for these performances: John Lithgow , Layton Williams , and Lesley Manville

-1 was here last year: Danny Burstein (Gypsy).

-3 have played Elphaba in Wicked : Shoshana Bean , Caissie Levy , and Ana Gasteyer .

-2 were cast members on Saturday Night Live: Rachel Dratch and Ana Gasteyer .

June Squibb made Tony history this morning by becoming the oldest actor to receive a nomination, at the age of 96. She breaks a record previously set by Lois Smith , who, at 89, won a Tony Award for her performance in The Inheritance in 2020.

At 26 years old, Nichelle Lewis and Ali Louis Bourzgui are the youngest nominees of the season. Not far behind are Sam Tutty (28) Ben Levi Ross (28), and Will Harrion (29).

Danny Burtsein has become the most nominated male actor in Tony history, having earned a total of nine nominations throughout his stage career. He was previously tied with actor Jason Robards with eight nominations. Last year, his Gypsy co-star Audra McDonald became the most Tony-nominated performer all-around with 11 nominations.

Kelli O'Hara also earned her nineth nomination, but this is her first nomination in this category.

In the Best Leading Actress in a Musical category, all five women are first time nominees.

Nicholas Christopher is the first Bermudan to be nominated for a Tony Award in an acting category.

Cats: The Jellicle Ball appropriately earned nine lives nominations.

Sadly, several shows were completely shutout, earning no nominations. They include 3 musicals: Beaches, Mamma Mia!, The Queen of Versailles; and 5 plays: Call Me Izzy, Jeff Ross : Take a Banana For the Ride, Proof, All Out: Comedy About Ambition, Art.

Of the 16 Best Production nominees (Best Musical, Best Play, Best Revival of a Musical, and Best Revival of a Play):

-3 have already closed: Oedipus, Liberation, and Little Bear Ridge Road

-5 opened before Spring 2026: Ragtime, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York), Oedipus, Liberation, and Little Bear Ridge Road

-2 are Roundabout Theatre Company productions: The Rocky Horror Show and Fallen Angels

5 nominees are named David: Korins, Rockwell, Wilson, Lindsay-Abaire, and Hornsby

4 have Christopher in their name: Abbot, Gattelli, Cree Grant, and Nicholas Chistopher

Many creatives earned multiple nominations, including: Michael Arden , Marla Mindelle , Constantine Rousouli , Linda Cho , Qween Jean, Heather Gilbert , Adam Honoré, Donald Holder , Kai Harada , and Christopher Gattelli .

Of all of the 2026 Tony nominees, who has the most nominations ever? That honor goes Scott Pask , who was just nominated for the 13th time. Paul Tazewell closely follows with 11 nominations.

Read the full list of 2026 Tony Award nominees here!

Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)

The nominees for the 2026 Chita Rivera Awards recently met the press. BroadwayWorld was there and you can learn more about the event and check out photos here!

Awards season has arrived! While many stellar productions are poised to earn multiple nominations this season, it will take quite a few to stand up to the current record holders. Do any of this season's shows stand a chance at making history? Below, check out which Broadway shows hold the records for the most-Tony nominated productions of all time.

Do today's Tony nominations have you wondering about why certain categories have four nominees and others have six? It has a lot to do with the number of people and productions eligible in each category.

The 70th Annual Drama Desk Awards is set to be the largest gathering in the organization's seven-decade history — with the most Drama Desk winners and nominees, past and present, ever assembled for the ceremony.

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_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Breaking-Down-the-2026-Tony-Awards-Nominations-20260505)._