Tony Awards 2026 Nominees Share Reactions

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Leading the pack with 12 nominations is Schmigadoon! and The Lost Boys.

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Tonys time is here at last! The nominations for the 79th Annual Tony Awards were announced this morning by Uzo Aduba and darren Criss. Follow us throughout the day, as we'll bring you Tony nominee reactions, exclusive reports, surprises, behind the scenes coverage and oh, so much more!

This year's nominees are checking in with BroadwayWorld to tell us all about how they got the news. Check back for live updates.

I’m beyond honored to have The Balusters included among this year’s Tony nominees—especially in a season with so many bold, beautiful new plays. The nomination is really a testament to the remarkable artists who brought the play to life—our astonishing director, Kenny Leon, our extraordinary ensemble of actors, our brilliant designers, and the tireless crew, along with everyone at MTC. I’m so grateful to get to make theater and be part of a community that continues to sustain and inspire me in so many ways.

I am overwhelmed with gratitude for this honor. To be working in the theatre, let alone on Broadway, has been my dream since I transformed my grandparents' garage into a stage as a kid. More important than the personal honor is the deep sense of pride I have for my fellow collaborators who poured their souls into the monumental undertaking that is The Lost Boys . They are all my heroes and I am so grateful for the selflessness, rigor, and passion they brought to work every day. Congrats to all the nominees and all the countless artists and technicians who make every show possible and who continue to delight and inspire audiences 8 times a week on Broadway." - Michael Arden, nominated for Best Direction of a Musical and Best Scenic Design of a Musical.

I think I’m still a little in shock, and I’m also super sleep-deprived because I hate the last 18 hours—I have not been able to sleep or concentrate.And I’m gonna celebrate by getting my roots done later, so that’s thrilling as well. I think it’s just starting to sink in, and I think once it does, if I start crying, I won’t stop until next week because this is… I just can’t even start to process this. This is crazy. You know, awards are weird. I would have loved to have seen some of my fellow actors also nominated, and everybody has different feelings about things, but as a whole, yes—I think we are all very proud of the production that we put up, and we are just going to go hard and campaign and root for it and hope people come see it.”

My wife and I were watching the announcements. We were very excited. I feel amazing. I'm so happy for our show and everybody who got nominated - anyone involved in the show shares in this. This is actually my birthday. This is the best birthday present ever. We're going out to dinner and then we're going to see a Broadway show called Schmigadoon. It's got a lot of nominations, so I hear it's pretty good. I'm so happy for Sarah [Chase]. She is so fantastic in this show. So funny. She sings her face off. I'm just so thrilled for her. [On the possibility of seeing the unproduced third season of the Apple TV+ series staged in some form:] I am always hopeful. I never give up on anything, so I'm hoping, with all the fans, that somehow at some point we get that out there, get it to out there. So we'll see.

T he Lost Boys was as much of a thrill ride to make as it is onstage. I am incredibly honored to be nominated amongst the best designers working on Broadway and as part of a creative team that was recognized across the board for this biggest of swings.

For Best Revival of a Musical: I am humbled to be part of a show that centers the Ballroom community. I am eternally grateful to Andrew Lloyd Webber and his team for entrusting us with this revival and to PAC NYC for launching it. The Jellicle Ball is the culmination of five years of work from so many brilliant artists and theater makers, all of us sharing a determination to bring its radically queer joy to Broadway audiences.

For Best Direction of a Musical: Directing is always an act of radical collaboration, but crafting the joy-bomb of The Jellicle Ball has the fingerprints of literally hundreds of caring artists, artisans, and producers. It’s been a special privilege to co-create with Zhailon Levingston and our associate directors Cooper Howell and N’yomi Stewart.

I am deeply grateful and sincerely humbled this morning to see our production of Ragtime recognized and celebrated in such a beautiful manner by the Broadway community. This is my first season as a Lead Producer, and I could not be more proud to be partnered alongside Tom Kirdahy, Kevin Ryan, Bob Greenblatt, and Lincoln Center Theater as we amplify this timely revival of a beloved American classic. The story of Ragtime resonates now more than ever, and we are all blessed to be involved with reviving this prescient, sweeping, deeply human story.

To see our glorious company be recognized in such a magnanimous way this morning across the board truly means the world, and there are not enough words to express just how much this moment means to me. As the son of Caribbean immigrants who came to this country in search of a better life for their children, I honor them this morning and thank them for their sacrifice on my behalf. This is honestly a core memory that I will cherish for the rest of my life. Huge congratulations to our entire Ragtime family on all of this morning’s nominations across categories and also to all of my friends and colleagues on other productions. Cheers to another wonderful season!

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.

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.

The 41st Annual Lucille Lortel Awards – the  only New York theatre award to exclusively honor Outstanding Achievement Off-Broadway – were presented at the annual ceremony at NYU Skirball. See photos from the red carpet here!

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_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/2026-Tony-Awards--The-Nominees-React-20260505)._