79th Annual Tony Awards: Top Moments, Performances, and Wins

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The 79th Annual Tony Awards will be available to stream on Paramount+ beginning Monday, June 8.

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Once again, Broadway's biggest night has come and gone! With the 79th Annual Tony Awards now behind us, we have compiled a list of some of the most memorable moments from the evening, including standout wins, performances, and more. Check out the full list of winners here , and find out highlights from the broadcast below. The musical performances are available to watch here .

Qween Jean Becomes First Openly Trans Person to Win a Tony Award

In one of the first awards of the Act One preshow, Qween Jean accepted a Tony for her flashy, reimagined costumes for the ballroom-inspired revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber 's Cats. Also nominated for Best Costume Design for a Play for her work in Liberation, she made history as the first Black openly transgender woman to be nominated in either category and, with her win, is now the first out trans person to win an award in Tonys history— period. After wishing viewers a happy Pride, she reminded the audience: "We are here for the legacy of queer people, trans people... We have to take up space." Learn more here .

Kai Harada Doesn't Hear His Sound Design Win

Sometimes, you are your own worst critic. Other times, you are your own competition at prestigious award shows, as was the case for sound designer Kai Harada this season. Having been nominated for both Ragtime and Cats: The Jellicle Ball in the category of Best Sound Design of a Musical, the longtime sound wiz had to double-check for which title he actually received the award after not hearing the initial announcement. It was a moment of hilarious irony which, he admitted, is "not a great quality for a sound designer."

Bernadette Peters presents James Lapine 's Lifetime Achievement Award

For his decades of influential work in the American theater, Broadway legend Bernadette Peters introduced a Lifetime Achievement Award to playwright James Lapine . The librettist was a frequent collaborator with William Finn and Stephen Sondheim , writing two musicals with the latter that featured Peters in major roles: Sunday in the Park with George and Into the Woods. In her introduction, Peters shared her early impressions of the playwright, before a montage highlighted his career, which earned him this well-deserved honor.

Ballroom Wins the Day on Broadway

Omari Wiles and Arturo Lyons brought the world of ballroom to Broadway with their choreography in the much-lauded revival of Cats: The Jellicle Ball. Tonight, the duo took home a Tony Award for their work in the show, which marked their first ever-Broadway production, and therefore their first nomination and win. "Thank you, ballroom. Because if it wasn't for you, we would not be here," they said in the acceptance speech.

P!nk kicked off the show with a performance packed with Broadway references from musicals like Peter Pan to The Phantom of the Opera to Les Misérables, showing off her powerful vocals with the fan-favorite Elphaba battle cry.

Like Broadway itself, the flashy opening number featured a blend of musical genres and styles, all serving as a tribute to leading ladies everywhere. The song itself is a reimagined version of Lady Marmalade, with new lyrics by Benj Pasek , Justin Paul and Mark Sonnenblick . P!nk, of course, is no stranger to the song, having sung it on the soundtrack for the Moulin Rouge! film in 2001.

With an appearance by frequent Tony host, Neil Patrick Harris , the show-stopper featured choreography by Sarah O’Gleby, including cameos by everybody from Shaina Taub (in full Ragtime garb) to Megan Thee Stallion 's Harold Zidler, who treated viewers to a very cheeky reference to Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York). P!nk also teased a Broadway transfer of Paddington coming to Broadway next season.

Oh, two Marys!

We're seeing double! In a fun moment, Oh, Mary! creator and former star Cole Escola took the stage alongside current star Maya Rudolph to announce the winner for Best Actor in a Play. The duo matched each other's madcap energy as Rudolph gave her assessment as to what makes these actors great: "Tonight's nominees know the power of words and the courage it takes to say them... in exchange for money."

Shoshana Bean Wins First Tony

After two previous Tony nominations, Broadway leading lady Shoshana Bean is officially a Tony winner. The performer was honored with the award in the category of Best Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical for her portrayal of Lucy Emerson in The Lost Boys. She was previously nominated for Hell's Kitchen and Mr. Saturday Night, both in the same category. In her acceptance speech, she dedicated the award to single mothers, including her own, saying: "You are the wild heroes. This is for the incredible army of women that surround and uplift me. This is for every woman who ever felt like she was too much or not enough."

Bess Wohl Becomes Fourth Woman to Win Best Play

Playwright Bess Wohl was honored for her work on Liberation with the 2026 Tony Award for Best Play. Wohl is only the fourth woman in Tony history to receive the award, with previous winners that include Yasmina Reza and Wendy Wasserstein . Wohl honored the latter in her speech along with "women everywhere who have the courage to use their voice." The play was also awarded the 2026 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

Ali Louis Bourzgui Dedicates Tony to Marginalized Groups

Rather than a typical awards speech, Ali Louis Bourzgui took a slightly unconventional approach when accepting his Tony for The Lost Boys. Instead of thanking the usual roster of family and friends, Bourzgui used his time to shed light on marginalized communities, the power of storytelling, and the importance of empathy in a cruel world. "People like to say that theater is a form of escape, but I found more than ever that in this season and time that the theater is one of the last places people can come to worship the power of true collective human presence," said the actor.

Chicago 30th Anniversary Broadway Tribute

In honor of 30 years on Broadway, a starry group of Broadway powerhouses came together for a medley performance of songs from the show. Queen Latifah , who earned an Academy Award nomination for her role as Matron Mama Morton in the film adaptation, performed alongside host P!NK, who took on the role of Velva Kelly. Also appearing were Jesse Tyler Ferguson , Alex Newell , Adrienne Warren , Cedric the Entertainer , Julianne Hough , Whitney Leavitt , and Dylan Mulvaney .

Darren Criss , Maya Rudolph , and More Do the Time Warp

Audience participation was encouraged during the special performance of The Rocky Horror Show at the 2026 Tony Awards. In addition to the cast members of the Tony-nominated revival, several other Broadway stars took the stage to do the fan-favorite Time Warp, including current Oh, Mary! star Maya Rudolph , Tony winner Darren Criss , Bowen Yang , and more.

The Book of Mormon Anniversary Performance

In celebration of its 15th anniversary, the original company of The Book of Mormon, including Tony Award nominees Josh Gad , Andrew Rannells and Rory O’Malley and Tony Award winner Nikki M. James , took the stage for a performance of "Man Up." Gad hammed it up with his co-stars ahead of their specially programmed performances this next week in their continued celebration of the musical's anniversary.

Rachel Zegler Performs 'What I Did for Love' From A Chorus Line

Rachel Zegler brought down the house with a performance of "What I Did for Love" from A Chorus Line, which recently celebrated its 30th anniversary. Zegler will return to Broadway next Spring in the title role in Jamie Lloyd 's revival of Evita. This will mark her Broadway musical debut.

Back-to-Back Performance Wins for Ragtime

Caissie Levy and Joshua Henry won the 2026 Tony Awards for Best Actress and Best Actor in a Musical for their respective roles in the acclaimed winner of Ragtime, which also took home the award for Best Revival. This marks both of their first Tonys, which was also Levy's first nomination. Henry was previously nominated for The Scottsboro Boys, Violet, and Carousel. In his speech, Henry shouted out the "Black-don't-crack legacy" of original Ragtime stars Audra McDonald and Brian Stokes Mitchell .

Photo: Michele Crowe/CBS

Buena Vista Social Club

The 79th Annual Tony Awards are currently underway and BroadwayWorld can now share the full lyrics to the opening number, sung by host P!nk and numerous other performers. Take a look at the full lyrics below!

In the Tony Awards press room, choreographers Omari Wiles and Arturo Lyons teased they want to do a revival of the musical 'Fame' next.

The trailblazing artist took home the Tony Award for Best Costume Design of a Musical.Qween Jean, who won the 2026 Tony Award for Best Costume Design of a Musical for her work on Cats: The Jellicle Ball, has become the first openly trans person to win in her category.

Julianne Hough caught up with BroadwayWorld on the Tony Awards red carpet at Radio City Music Hall.

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_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/2026-Tony-Awards-Recap-Highlights-Performances-and-Must-See-Moments-20260608)._