The 78th Annual Tony Awards, held on June 8, 2025, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, celebrated the best of Broadway’s 2024-2025 season. Hosted by Tony winner and Wicked star Cynthia Erivo, the ceremony honored outstanding performances, musicals, and plays, with a few surprises that had theater and movie fans buzzing. From Maybe Happy Ending dominating the night to breakout wins for stars like Sarah Snook and Cole Escola, here’s everything you need to know about the 2025 Tony Award winners, including a full list and key highlights.
Why Movie Fans Should Care About the 2025 Tony Awards
Broadway and Hollywood often overlap, with many stage productions inspiring films or featuring movie stars. This year, familiar names like Sarah Snook (Succession), Nicole Scherzinger (Pussycat Dolls), and Sadie Sink (Stranger Things) were in the spotlight, alongside productions like Stranger Things: The First Shadow and Death Becomes Her, which tie directly to popular screen franchises. Whether you’re a fan of these stars or curious about Broadway shows that might hit the big screen, the Tony Awards offer a glimpse into what’s next in entertainment.
2025 Tony Awards: The Big Winners
Maybe Happy Ending, a romantic musical about two retired robots, led the night with six awards, including Best Musical. Purpose, a Pulitzer Prize-winning family drama, took home Best Play, while Sunset Boulevard and Eureka Day won Best Musical Revival and Best Play Revival, respectively. Below is the complete list of winners across major categories, ensuring you have all the accurate details.
Major Tony Award Winners 2025
- Best Musical: Maybe Happy Ending
- Best Play: Purpose
- Best Musical Revival: Sunset Boulevard
- Best Play Revival: Eureka Day
- Best Leading Actor in a Musical: Darren Criss, Maybe Happy Ending
- Best Leading Actress in a Musical: Nicole Scherzinger, Sunset Boulevard
- Best Leading Actor in a Play: Cole Escola, Oh, Mary!
- Best Leading Actress in a Play: Sarah Snook, The Picture of Dorian Gray
- Best Featured Actor in a Musical: Jak Malone, Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical
- Best Featured Actress in a Musical: Natalie Venetia Belcon, Buena Vista Social Club
- Best Featured Actor in a Play: Francis Jue, Yellow Face
- Best Featured Actress in a Play: Kara Young, Purpose
- Best Direction of a Musical: Michael Arden, Maybe Happy Ending
- Best Direction of a Play: Sam Pinkleton, Oh, Mary!
- Best Book of a Musical: Will Aronson and Hue Park, Maybe Happy Ending
- Best Original Score: Will Aronson (music and lyrics) and Hue Park (lyrics), Maybe Happy Ending
- Best Costume Design of a Musical: Paul Tazewell, Death Becomes Her
- Best Scenic Design of a Musical: Dane Laffrey and George Reeve, Maybe Happy Ending
- Best Orchestrations: Marco Paguia, Buena Vista Social Club
- Best Choreography: Patricia Delgado and Justin Peck, Buena Vista Social Club
Special and Non-Competitive Awards
- Lifetime Achievement Award: Harvey Fierstein
- Isabelle Stevenson Award: Celia Keenan-Bolger, for advocacy work through the arts
- Regional Theatre Tony Award: The Muny (Municipal Theatre Association of St. Louis)
- Excellence in Theatre Education Award: Gary Edwin Robinson
- Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre: Great Performances, Michael Price, New 42, and The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
- Special Tony Awards: Musicians of Buena Vista Social Club and the illusions/technical effects team of Stranger Things: The First Shadow
Key Highlights from the 2025 Tony Awards
- Maybe Happy Ending’s Sweep: The musical’s six wins, including Best Musical, Best Leading Actor for Darren Criss, and Best Score, made it the night’s biggest success. Its unique story about robots in love resonated with audiences and critics alike, signaling potential for a future film adaptation.
- Sarah Snook’s Broadway Debut Triumph: Known for Succession, Snook won Best Leading Actress in a Play for her one-woman performance in The Picture of Dorian Gray, where she played 26 roles. This win marks her as a versatile talent to watch in both theater and film.
- Nicole Scherzinger’s First Tony: The Pussycat Dolls star and Broadway debutante won Best Leading Actress in a Musical for Sunset Boulevard, beating out legend Audra McDonald. Her emotional acceptance speech highlighted her journey in an industry that often overlooked her talent.
- Cole Escola’s Historic Win: Escola became the first non-binary winner of Best Leading Actor in a Play for Oh, Mary!, a comedic reimagining of Mary Todd Lincoln. Their win, over nominees like George Clooney, was a milestone for queer representation.
- Sadie Sink’s Nomination: While Stranger Things fans hoped for a win, Sadie Sink didn’t take home Best Leading Actress in a Play for John Proctor is the Villain. However, Stranger Things: The First Shadow won three awards, including technical categories, boosting its profile for potential screen adaptations.
- Kara Young’s Historic Back-to-Back Wins: Kara Young became the first Black performer to win consecutive Tonys, earning Best Featured Actress in a Play for Purpose after her 2024 win for Purlie Victorious.
- Hollywood Crossovers: Stars like George Clooney (Good Night, and Good Luck), Mia Farrow (The Roommate), and Bob Odenkirk (Glengarry Glen Ross) were nominated but didn’t win, showing Broadway’s pull for A-listers.
Why These Wins Matter for Movie Fans
Several winning productions have cinematic ties:
- Sunset Boulevard: A revival of the classic musical based on the 1950 film, its success could spark renewed interest in a modern adaptation.
- Stranger Things: The First Shadow: This play expands the Stranger Things universe, and its three Tony wins highlight its potential for a film or series expansion.
- Death Becomes Her: Based on the 1992 film, its costume design win by Paul Tazewell (also an Oscar winner for Wicked) suggests Broadway’s campy take could influence a future remake.
Performers like Sarah Snook and Nicole Scherzinger, already known in film and TV, may leverage their Tony wins for bigger screen roles, while Maybe Happy Ending’s unique premise makes it a prime candidate for a movie adaptation.
What’s Next for Broadway and Film
The 2025 Tony Awards showcased a vibrant Broadway season, with record-breaking box office grosses of $1.89 billion. As Hollywood continues to mine Broadway for inspiration (Wicked, Hamilton), keep an eye on Maybe Happy Ending and Purpose for potential screen adaptations. Stars like Snook, Scherzinger, and Escola are also likely to attract more film projects, bridging the gap between stage and screen.
