2025 Tony Awards: Musical ‘Maybe Happy Ending’ Leads Wins with 6; Cole Escola, Nicole Scherzinger Take Top Acting Prizes

Maybe Happy Ending, an earnest tale about two robots in love, was the big winner at the 78th Tony Awards tonight, taking home six, including Best Musical, Best Direction of a Musical for Michael Arden and Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical for Darren Criss.

Buena Vista Social Club, a jubilant story about Cuban musicians, was next with four wins in the musical categories, including the Best Featured Actress in a musical award for Natalie Venetia Belcon.

The celebrated revival of Sunset Blvd. earned two top wins, Best Revival of a Musical and Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical going to Nicole Scherzinger, in one of the most hotly contested years in the category. She bested six-time Tony winner Audra McDonald, who still retains the records for most wins and nominations by an individual performer in Tony Awards history. It also marked 30 years since Glenn Close won the same award for the original production of the musical.

“You all have made me feel like I belong, and I have come home at last,” said Scherzinger in an emotional speech. “So, if there’s anyone out there who feels like they don’t belong or your time hasn’t come, don’t give up. Just keep on giving, because the world needs your love and your light now more than ever.” 

Purpose, about a fictional prominent Black political family, won two top awards and with it some Tony history. Its win for Best Play made Brendan Jacobs-Jenkins only the third playwright to win Tonys in consecutive years (he the Tony for Best Revival of a Play in 2024 for Appropriate) and with her award for Best Featured Actress in a play, Kara Young became the first Black performer to win a Tony two years in a row.

Sarah Snook Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Play for The Picture of Dorian Gray, a one-woman tour where she played 26 different roles and Cole Escola was named Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Play for Oh, Mary!, playing alcoholic first lady and aspiring cabaret singer Mary Todd Lincoln, which they also wrote. Oh, Mary! was also the winner for Best Direction of a Play for Sam Pinkleton.

Paul Tazwell won Best Costume Design of a Musical for Death Becomes Her after winning the Oscar earlier this year for his work in Wicked. “The Black, queer, little boy, in Akron, Ohio, had no idea that in 2025, he would have the year that he had,” said Tazewell in his acceptance speech.

Accepting his Lifetime Achievement honor, Tony winner Harvey Fierstein tearfully said, “There is nothing quite like bathing in the applause of a curtain call, but when I bow, I bow to the audience…with gratitude, knowing that without them I might as well be lip-syncing showtunes in my bedroom mirror. And so I dedicate this award to the people in the dark.”

The Tonys also recognized the 10th anniversary of Hamilton, with its creator Lin Manuel-Miranda and original cast members Phillipa Soo, Leslie Odom Jr. and Renée Elise Goldsberry performing a medley of the show’s greatest hits. Show host Cynthia Erivo commented, “It changed not just Broadway, but how Americans view their own history. Or so I’m told.” 

Here is the complete list of winners of the 78th Tony Awards.

Best Musical

Buena Vista Social Club
Dead Outlaw
Death Becomes Her
Maybe Happy Ending – WINNER
Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical

Best Play

English
The Hills of California
John Proctor is the Villain
Oh, Mary!
Purpose – WINNER

Best Revival of a Musical

Floyd Collins
Gypsy
Pirates! The Penzance Musical
Sunset Blvd. – WINNER

Best Revival of a Play

Eureka Day – WINNER
Romeo + Juliet
Thornton Wilder’s Our Town
Yellow Face

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical

Megan Hilty, Death Becomes Her
Audra McDonald, Gypsy
Jasmine Amy Rogers, Boop! The Musical
Nicole Scherzinger, Sunset Blvd. – WINNER
Jennifer Simard, Death Becomes Her

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical

Darren Criss, Maybe Happy Ending – WINNER
Andrew Durand, Dead Outlaw
Tom Francis, Sunset Blvd.
Jonathan Groff, Just in Time
James Monroe Iglehart, A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical
Jeremy Jordan, Floyd Collins

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play

Laura Donnelly, The Hills of California
Mia Farrow, The Roommate
LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Purpose
Sadie Sink, John Proctor is the Villain
Sarah Snook, The Picture of Dorian Gray – WINNER

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play

George Clooney, Good Night, and Good Luck
Cole Escola, Oh, Mary! – WINNER
Jon Michael Hill, Purpose
Daniel Dae Kim, Yellow Face
Harry Lennix, Purpose
Louis McCartney, Stranger Things: The First Shadow

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical

Brooks Ashmanskas, Smash
Jeb Brown, Dead Outlaw
Danny Burstein, Gypsy
Jak Malone, Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical – WINNER
Taylor Trensch, Floyd Collins

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical

Natalie Venetia Belcon, Buena Vista Social Club – WINNER
Julia Knitel, Dead Outlaw
Gracie Lawrence, Just in Time
Justina Machado, Real Women Have Curves: The Musical
Joy Woods, Gypsy

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play

Glenn Davis, Purpose
Gabriel Ebert, John Proctor is the Villain
Francis Jue, Yellow Face – WINNER
Bob Odenkirk, Glengarry Glen Ross
Conrad Ricamora, Oh, Mary!

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play

Tala Ashe, English
Jessica Hecht, Eureka Day
Marjan Neshat, English
Fina Strazza, John Proctor is the Villain
Kara Young, Purpose – WINNER

Best Book of a Musical

Buena Vista Social Club, Marco Ramirez
Dead Outlaw, Itamar Moses
Death Becomes Her, Marco Pennette
Maybe Happy Ending, Will Aronson and Hue Park
Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical, David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson and Zoë Roberts

Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre

Dead Outlaw, Music & Lyrics: David Yazbek and Erik Della Penna
Death Becomes Her, Music & Lyrics: Julia Mattison and Noel Carey
Maybe Happy Ending, Music: Will Aronson; Lyrics: Will Aronson and Hue Park
Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical, Music & Lyrics: David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson and Zoë Roberts
Real Women Have Curves: The Musical, Music & Lyrics: Joy Huerta and Benjamin Velez

Best Scenic Design of a Play

Marsha Ginsberg, English
Rob Howell, The Hills of California
Marg Horwell and David Bergman, The Picture of Dorian Gray
Miriam Buether and 59, Stranger Things: The First Shadow – WINNER
Scott Pask, Good Night, and Good Luck

Best Scenic Design of a Musical

Rachel Hauck, Swept Away
Dane Laffrey and George Reeve, Maybe Happy Ending – WINNER
Arnulfo Maldonado, Buena Vista Social Club
Derek McLane, Death Becomes Her
Derek McLane, Just in Time

Best Costume Design of a Play

Brenda Abbandandolo, Good Night, and Good Luck
Marg Horwell, The Picture of Dorian Gray – WINNER
Rob Howell, The Hills of California
Holly Pierson, Oh, Mary!
Brigitte Reiffenstuel, Stranger Things: The First Shadow

Best Costume Design of a Musical

Dede Ayite, Buena Vista Social Club
Gregg Barnes, Boop! The Musical
Clint Ramos, Maybe Happy Ending
Paul Tazewell, Death Becomes Her – WINNER
Catherine Zuber, Just in Time

Best Lighting Design of a Play

Natasha Chivers, The Hills of California
Jon Clark, Stranger Things: The First Shadow – WINNER
Heather Gilbert and David Bengali, Good Night, and Good Luck
Natasha Katz and Hannah Wasileski, John Proctor is the Villain
Nick Schlieper, The Picture of Dorian Gray

Best Lighting Design of a Musical

Jack Knowles, Sunset Blvd. – WINNER
Tyler Micoleau, Buena Vista Social Club
Scott Zielinski and Ruey Horng Sun, Floyd Collins
Ben Stanton, Maybe Happy Ending
Justin Townsend, Death Becomes Her

Best Sound Design of a Play

Paul Arditti, Stranger Things: The First Shadow
Palmer Hefferan, John Proctor is the Villain
Daniel Kluger, Good Night, and Good Luck
Nick Powell, The Hills of California
Clemence Williams, The Picture of Dorian Gray – WINNER

Best Sound Design of a Musical

Jonathan Deans, Buena Vista Social Club – WINNER
Adam Fisher, Sunset Blvd.
Peter Hylenski, Just in Time
Peter Hylenski, Maybe Happy Ending
Dan Moses Schreier, Floyd Collins

Best Direction of a Play

Knud Adams, English
Sam Mendes, The Hills of California
Sam Pinkleton, Oh, Mary! – WINNER
Danya Taymor, John Proctor is the Villain
Kip Williams, The Picture of Dorian Gray

Best Direction of a Musical

Saheem Ali, Buena Vista Social Club
Michael Arden, Maybe Happy Ending – WINNER
David Cromer, Dead Outlaw
Christopher Gattelli, Death Becomes Her
Jamie Lloyd, Sunset Blvd.

Best Choreography

Joshua Bergasse, Smash
Camille A. Brown, Gypsy
Christopher Gattelli, Death Becomes Her
Jerry Mitchell, Boop! The Musical
Patricia Delgado and Justin Peck, Buena Vista Social Club – WINNER

Best Orchestrations

Andrew Resnick and Michael Thurber, Just in Time
Will Aronson, Maybe Happy Ending
Bruce Coughlin, Floyd Collins
Marco Paguia, Buena Vista Social Club – WINNER
David Cullen and Andrew Lloyd Webber, Sunset Blvd.