The annual Tony Awards, Broadway’s most prestigious ceremony honoring excellence in U.S. theatrical performance over the preceding year, wrapped its 2025 iteration Sunday night with historic wins for veteran actors and a dominant showing from a classic American drama revival.
Eighty-year-old John Lithgow closed out a decades-long Broadway career by taking home the award for Best Leading Actor in a Play for his turn as iconic children’s author Roald Dahl in *Giant*, making him the oldest male actor ever to claim a Tony. Lithgow’s first Tony win came 53 years earlier, for his 1972 performance in the Broadway production *Changing Rooms*, a gap he referenced in his acceptance speech. “Two Tony bookends with 53 years between them,” Lithgow told the crowd. “In those years, I have worked with hundreds of just fantastic theatre artists. I’ve had dozens and dozens of ecstatic moments on the stage, but I have to tell you right now, this moment has got to be one of the best.”
British stage and screen star Lesley Manville earned her first ever Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Play, recognizing her portrayal of Jocasta in the revival of Greek tragedy *Oedipus*. Manville, who made her Broadway debut with this production, spoke about her shock at the win. “I’m a bit overwhelmed, it was my first time on Broadway so this is such a big deal,” she said. She also paid tribute to her fellow nominees—Rose Byrne, Carrie Coon, Susannah Flood and Kelli O’Hara—before jokingly calling out for more opportunities for female performers: “Would someone like to write a play for five women? We are quite bankable.” Notably, both Lithgow and Manville’s winning productions ran at UK venues before transferring to Broadway, mirroring their success at the previous year’s Olivier Awards.
Arthur Miller’s *Death of a Salesman* emerged as the night’s biggest overall winner, taking home six Tony Awards including the coveted prize for Best Revival of a Play. Laurie Metcalf, the Bafta and Oscar-nominated performer known for her work on *Roseanne* and *Lady Bird*, added a Tony to her collection for Best Supporting Actress in a Play for her role in the production. In her acceptance speech, Metcalf looked back to her early training, paying homage to the group of peers she met as a theatre student in college, naming the ensemble that included Gary Sinise and John Malkovich. “When I was in college, I met six fellow students in the theatre department. We worked really hard to amuse each other, and I still consider them family – and I still draw on lessons that I learned from them,” she said.
The production’s win also marked the first Tony Award for controversial producer Scott Rudin, who stepped back from all Broadway projects in 2021 following public allegations of widespread bullying and abusive behavior toward his employees. At the time, Rudin acknowledged his “history of troubling interactions with colleagues” and issued an apology for the pain his conduct caused. Rudin did not attend Sunday’s ceremony, and the Best Play Revival trophy was accepted on the production’s behalf by cast member Nathan Lane, who centered his remarks on the legacy of playwright Arthur Miller rather than the producer.
Other major winners from the night included *Ragtime*, the period drama following three families chasing the American Dream at the turn of the 20th century, which took home two Tonys including Best Revival of a Musical. *Schmigadoon!*, a stage adaptation of the canceled Apple TV+ comedy series that pays homage to Broadway’s golden age, also earned two awards, including the night’s top honor for Best Musical. Producer Christine Schwarzman joked in her speech that the show’s Broadway transfer only happened because of the streamer’s decision to end the series. “I think I should start by thanking Apple TV for cancelling the third season of *Schmigadoon!*, the TV show, because without them dropping it, we couldn’t have picked it up and ran with it,” she said.
The punk-rock musical adaptation of the 1987 cult vampire film *The Lost Boys* also matched *Ragtime* and *Schmigadoon!* with two wins, while the reimagined *Cats: The Jellicle Ball* took home three awards. *Liberation*, the sweeping feminist epic that recently won the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, claimed the Tony for Best Play.
Pop singer Pink, self-described “Broadway’s biggest fan,” hosted the 2025 ceremony, opening the night with a reworked rendition of *Lady Marmalade* that winked at many of the night’s nominees before paying tribute to Broadway’s workforce. “I wanted to be here to pay tribute to the hardest-working people in showbiz,” she told the audience.