Broadway’s Best: Meet the 2023 Tony Award Nominees

Celebrating the creativity and innovation of the theatre community

As we eagerly await the 2023 Tony Awards, I am struck with a sense of wonder and amazement at the rich history and legacy behind this prestigious event.

In hindsight, the Tony Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, also known as the Antoinette Perry Award, was established by the American Theatre Wing way back in 1947 to recognize the outstanding achievements of Broadway theatre.

The Tony Award today stands as an unyielding beacon of excellence in the world of theatre. It inspired countless actors and creatives to pursue their wildest dreams.

Nowadays, it’s hard to fathom the Broadway community without the Tony Award as it is an intrinsic part of the industry, with winners being universally acknowledged as the cream of the crop in their respective categories.

However, the Tony Awards are more than just a rundown of victors and runners-up. They embody a narrative of unwavering ardor, devotion, and an unrelenting pursuit of artistic distinction. An attestation to the enduring power and beauty of theatre and to the exceptional individuals who bring these tales to life day in and day out.

Tony award 2023: meet the nominees

The nominations for the 2023 Tony Awards are now out, and they are as exciting as ever.

The Best Play category includes “Ain’t No Mo’,” “Between Riverside and Crazy,” “Cost of Living,” “Fat Ham,” and “Leopoldstadt.” Each play explores unique themes, from race and identity to love and loss.

The Best Musical category is equally impressive, featuring “& Juliet,” “Kimberly Akimbo,” “New York, New York,” “Shucked,” and “Some Like It Hot.” Each musical is a testament to the creativity and innovation of the Broadway theatre community.

The Tony Awards also recognize the best revival of a play and musical, showcasing the enduring power of classic works. The nominees for Best Revival of a Play include “August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson,” “A Doll’s House,” “The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window,” and “Suzan-Lori Parks’ Topdog/Underdog.” Meanwhile, the Best Revival of a Musical category includes “Into the Woods,” “Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot,” “Parade,” and “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.”

In addition to recognizing plays and musicals, the Tony Awards honor the creative teams behind these productions. Categories like Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score, and Best Scenic Design celebrate the writers, composers, and designers who bring these productions to life.

Of course, the Tony Awards would not be complete without recognizing the incredible talent of the actors who perform on Broadway. This year’s nominees for Best Performance by an Actor or Actress in a Leading Role include Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Corey Hawkins, Sean Hayes, Jessica Chastain, Jodie Comer, Audra McDonald, Christian Borle, Josh Groban, Brian d’Arcy James, Ben Platt, Annaleigh Ashford, Sara Bareilles, Victoria Clark, Lorna Courtney, and Micaela Diamond.

The Tony Awards have a rich history and a lasting legacy in the theatre community. They recognize the best of Broadway and inspire future generations of theatre artists.

I look forward to the 2023 Tony Awards, I am sure it will continue to showcase the best of what Broadway has to offer.

Tony Award 2023: list of nominees

Below, you can find the full list of nominations as provided by the Tony Award site:

Best Play

• Ain’t No Mo’
• Between Riverside and Crazy
• Cost of Living
• Fat Ham
• Leopoldstadt

Best Musical

• & Juliet
• Kimberly Akimbo
• New York, New York
• Shucked
• Some Like It Hot

Best Revival of a Play

• August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson
• A Doll’s House
• The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window
• Suzan-Lori Parks’ Topdog/Underdog

Best Revival of a Musical

• Into the Woods
• Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot
• Parade
• Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Best Book of a Musical

• & Juliet (David We st Read)
• Kimberly Akimbo (David Lindsay-Abaire)
• New York, New York (David Thompson & Sharon Washington)
• Shucked (Robert Horn)
• Some Like It Hot (Matthew López & Amber Ruffin)

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

• Almost Famous
• Kimberly Akimbo
• KPOP
• Shucked
• Some Like It Hot

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

• Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Suzan-Lori Parks’ Topdog/Underdog)
• Corey Hawkins (Suzan-Lori Parks’ Topdog/Underdog)
• Sean Hayes (Good Night, Oscar)
• Stephen McKinley Henderson (Between Riverside and Crazy)
• Wendell Pierce (Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman)

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

• Jessica Chastain (A Doll’s House)
• Jodie Comer (Prima Facie)
• Jessica Hecht (Summer, 1976)
• Audra McDonald (Ohio State Murders)

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

• Christian Borle (Some Like It Hot)
• J. Harrison Ghee (Some Like It Hot)
• Josh Groban, Sweeney Todd (The Demon Barber of Fleet Street)
• Brian d’Arcy James (Into the Woods)
• Ben Platt (Parade)
• Colton Ryan (New York, New York)

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

• Annaleigh Ashford (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street)
• Sara Bareilles (Into the Woods)
• Victoria Clark (Kimberly Akimbo)
• Lorna Courtney (& Juliet)
• Micaela Diamond (Parade)

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

• Jordan E. Cooper (Ain’t No Mo’)
• Samuel L. Jackson (August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson)
• Arian Moayed (A Doll’s House)
• Brandon Uranowitz (Leopoldstadt)
• David Zayas (Cost of Living)

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

• Nikki Crawford (Fat Ham)
• Crystal Lucas-Perry (Ain’t No Mo’)
• Miriam Silverman (The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window)
• Katy Sullivan (Cost of Living)
• Kara Young (Cost of Living)

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

• Kevin Cahoon (Shucked)
• Justin Cooley (Kimberly Akimbo)
• Kevin Del Aguila (Some Like It Hot)
• Jordan Donica (Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot)
• Alex Newell (Shucked)

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

• Julia Lester (Into the Woods)
• Ruthie Ann Miles (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street)
• Bonnie Milligan (Kimberly Akimbo)
• NaTasha Yvette Williams (Some Like It Hot)
• Betsy Wolfe (& Juliet)

Best Scenic Design of a Play

• Miriam Buether (Prima Facie)
• Tim Hatley & Andrzej Goulding (Life of Pi)
• Rachel Hauck (Good Night, Oscar)
• Richard Hudson (Leopoldstadt)
• Dane Laffrey & Lucy Mackinnon (A Christmas Carol)

Best Scenic Design of a Musical

• Beowulf Boritt (New York, New York)
• Mimi Lien (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street)
• Michael Yeargan & 59 Productions (Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot)
• Scott Pask (Shucked)
• Scott Pask (Some Like It Hot)

Best Costume Design of a Play

• Tim Hatley, Nick Barnes & Finn Caldwell (Life of Pi)
• Dominique Fawn Hill (Fat Ham)
• Brigitte Reiffenstuel (Leopoldstadt)
• Emilio Sosa (Ain’t No Mo’)
• Emilio Sosa (Good Night, Oscar)

Best Costume Design of a Musical

• Gregg Barnes (Some Like It Hot)
• Susan Hilferty (Parade)
• Jennifer Moeller (Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot)
• Clint Ramos & Sophia Choi (KPOP)
• Paloma Young (& Juliet)
• Donna Zakowska (New York, New York)

Best Lighting Design of a Play

• Neil Austin (Leopoldstadt)
• Natasha Chivers (Prima Facie)
• Jon Clark (A Doll’s House Bradley King, Fat Ham)
• Tim Lutkin (Life of Pi)
• Jen Schriever (Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman)
• Ben Stanton (A Christmas Carol)

Best Lighting Design of a Musical

• Ken Billington (New York, New York)
• Lap Chi Chu (Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot)
• Heather Gilbert (Parade)
• Howard Hudson (& Juliet)
• Natasha Katz (Some Like It Hot)
• Natasha Katz (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street)

Best Sound Design of a Play

• Jonathan Deans & Taylor Williams (Ain’t No Mo’)
• Carolyn Downing (Life of Pi)
• Joshua D. Reid (A Christmas Carol)
• Ben & Max Ringham (A Doll’s House)
• Ben & Max Ringham (Prima Facie)

Best Sound Design of a Musical

• Kai Harada (New York, New York)
• John Shivers (Shucked)
• Scott Lehrer & Alex Neumann (Into the Woods)
• Gareth Owen (& Juliet)
• Nevin Steinberg (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street)

Best Direction of a Play

• Saheem Ali (Fat Ham)
• Jo Bonney (Cost of Living)
• Jamie Lloyd (A Doll’s House)
• Patrick Marber (Leopoldstadt)
• Stevie Walker-Webb (Ain’t No Mo’ Max Webster, Life of Pi)

Best Direction of a Musical

• Michael Arden (Parade)
• Lear deBessonet (Into the Woods)
• Casey Nicholaw (Some Like It Hot)
• Jack O’Brien (Shucked)
• Jessica Stone (Kimberly Akimbo)

Best Choreography

• Steven Hoggett (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street)
• Casey Nicholaw (Some Like It Hot)
• Susan Stroman (New York, New York)
• Jennifer Weber (& Juliet)
• Jennifer Weber (KPOP)

Best Orchestrations

• Bill Sherman and Dominic Fallacaro (& Juliet)
• John Clancy (Kimberly Akimbo)
• Jason Howland (Shucked)
• Charlie Rosen & Bryan Carter (Some Like It Hot)
• Daryl Waters & Sam Davis (New York, New York)

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