Tony Awards

Tonight is Broadway’s biggest night—the Tony Awards! Often hailed as the finest awards show on television, the Tonys are famous for first-class entertainment and live performances from all the nominated shows. The first Tony Awards ceremony took place on April 6, 1947 in the ballroom of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City. The winners that evening included Arthur Miller, Helen Hayes, and Ingrid Bergman.

The Tonys are formally known as the Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre. Antoinette Perry was an actress, director, producer, and co-founder of the American Theatre Wing, which is the organization that presents the awards. During the first ceremony, one of the presenters referred to the award as a “Toni,” which was Antoinette’s nickname!

Over 5,000 guests will attend tonight’s ceremony at Radio City Music Hall, and over 8 million people will tune in to watch the festivities. Check out this year’s nominations on the official website, and invite some friends over for an in-person or virtual watch party!