AceShowbiz - The anticipation for the 2026 Tony Awards has officially begun with the announcement of this year’s nominees. On Tuesday, former nominee Uzo Aduba and previous Tony winner Darren Criss revealed the full list of contenders honoring the best of Broadway’s latest season. This year, 30 productions are eligible for nominations, a decrease from last year’s 42, reflecting a more selective field as reported by Deadline.

The 2026 Tony Awards will air live from New York City’s iconic Radio City Music Hall on Sunday, June 7, at 8 p.m. ET on CBS and will also stream on Paramount+. Hosting duties for the evening will be handled by the renowned singer Pink, who is set to bring her dynamic presence to the ceremony.

Last year’s Tony Awards celebrated productions including Maybe Happy Ending and Purpose, which won Best Musical and Best Play respectively. Other notable winners from 2025 were Darren Criss for Maybe Happy Ending, Sarah Snook for The Picture of Dorian Gray, Nicole Scherzinger for Sunset Boulevard, and Cole Escola for Oh, Mary.

Among the leading contenders this year in the Best Musical category are The Lost Boys, Schmigadoon!, Titanique, and Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York). For Best Play, the nominees include The Balusters, Giant, Liberation, and Little Bear Ridge Road.

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical features a strong lineup with Nicholas Christopher in Chess, Luke Evans in The Rocky Horror Show, Joshua Henry and Brandon Uranowitz both in Ragtime, and Sam Tutty in Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York). Meanwhile, the leading actresses in musicals include Sara Chase for Schmigadoon!, Stephanie Hsu for The Rocky Horror Show, Caissie Levy for Ragtime, Marla Mindelle for Titanique, and Christiani Pitts for Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York).

On the play side, the Best Leading Actor nominees are Will Harrison for Punch, Nathan Lane for Death of a Salesman, John Lithgow for Giant, Daniel Radcliffe for Every Brilliant Thing, and Mark Strong for Oedipus. The Best Leading Actress category includes Rose Byrne and Kelli O’Hara for Fallen Angels, Carrie Coon for Bug, Susannah Flood for Liberation, and Lesley Manville for Oedipus.

The awards for Best Revival of a Play include Death of a Salesman, Becky Shaw, Every Brilliant Thing, Fallen Angels, and Oedipus. Revivals of musicals nominated are Cats: The Jellicle Ball, Ragtime, and The Rocky Horror Show.

In the category of Best Book of a Musical, the contenders are The Lost Boys, Schmigadoon!, Titanique, and Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York). The Best Original Score nominations include Death of a Salesman, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, The Lost Boys, Schmigadoon!, and Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York).

Featured roles in musicals showcase talents such as Ali Louis Bourzgui in The Lost Boys, André De Shields in Cats: The Jellicle Ball, Bryce Pinkham in Chess, Ben Levi Ross in Ragtime, and Layton Williams in Titanique. For featured actresses, nominees include Shoshana Bean in The Lost Boys, Hannah Cruz in Chess, Rachel Dratch in The Rocky Horror Show, Ana Gasteyer in Schmigadoon!, and Nichelle Lewis in Ragtime.

Featured actors in plays receiving nominations are Christopher Abbott for Death of a Salesman, Danny Burstein for Marjorie Prime, Brandon J. Dirden for Waiting for Gadot, Alden Ehrenreich for Becky Shaw, Ruben Santiago-Hudson for Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, and Richard Thomas for The Balusters. Featured actresses include Betsy Aidem for Liberation, Marylouise Burke for The Balusters, Aya Cash for Giant, Laurie Metcalf for Death of a Salesman, and June Squibb for Marjorie Prime.

Directorial honors for plays are contested by Giant, Oedipus, The Balusters, Death of a Salesman, and Liberation. Best Direction of a Musical features The Lost Boys, Ragtime, Schmigadoon!, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York), and Cats: The Jellicle Ball.

Choreography nominations include Schmigadoon!, Ragtime, The Rocky Horror Show, Cats: The Jellicle Ball, and The Lost Boys. The strong presence of The Lost Boys, Schmigadoon!, and Ragtime across multiple categories highlights their impact on this season’s Tony Awards.

The 2026 Tony Awards nominations celebrate a diverse range of productions and performances, showcasing the vibrant talent currently shaping Broadway. Theater enthusiasts and industry insiders alike eagerly await the June ceremony to see which productions and performers will take home the coveted Tony trophies.