Tony Awards 2025: Maybe Happy Ending and Nicole Scherzinger Win Big
The 2025 Tony Awards have come to a close, with romantic robot musical Maybe Happy Ending triumphing with six wins, including best musical. The show’s star, Darren Criss, also took home the award for leading actor in a musical. According to The Guardian, Criss spoke about being proud to be part of a "notably diverse and exquisite" Broadway season.
The ceremony, which was hosted by Tony winner Cynthia Erivo, saw several historic wins. Cole Escola became the first non-binary winner of the leading actor in a play award for their performance as an alcoholic Mary Todd Lincoln in unconventional period comedy Oh, Mary!. Escola also wrote the show, which beat out George Clooney’s Broadway adaptation of Good Night, and Good Luck. Despite breaking box office records and receiving five Tony nominations, Good Night, and Good Luck ultimately left empty-handed.
Nicole Scherzinger won best leading actress in a musical for her role in Sunset Boulevard, beating out record-breaking six-time winner and Gypsy star Audra McDonald. Scherzinger, who also won the Olivier for her performance, was overcome with emotion as she accepted her award, saying "It’s happened, Andrew!" to Andrew Lloyd Webber onstage.
Sunset Boulevard also won awards for best revival of a musical and lighting design. Lloyd Webber told the audience that it’s "just fantastic for me to see the old shows rethought and reworked." The show’s success was a highlight of the evening, which saw several nods to the past, including a reunion for the original cast of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s blockbuster musical Hamilton performing a special "mix tape" to celebrate the show’s 10th anniversary.
Kara Young made history as the first Black actor to win two consecutive awards, taking home the Tony for featured actress in a play for her role in Purpose. Young called theatre "a sacred space that we have to honour and treasure" in divided times. The show’s win marked a highlight for the playwright, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, who had previously seen his revival of Appropriate pick up three Tonys.
The ceremony also saw several nods to the past, including a performance of Tomorrow from Annie during an in memoriam segment paying tribute to late stage stars including Maggie Smith, James Earl Jones, Quincy Jones, and Gavin Creel. Erivo kicked off the evening with a rousing musical performance with help from Broadway Inspirational Voices and a brief cameo from Oprah Winfrey. In her opening speech, Erivo noted that "Broadway is officially back," on the back of a record-breaking season with box office that hit US$1.89bn.
Despite the success of the evening, several shows came away empty-handed, including Gypsy, John Proctor is the Villain, English, Just in Time, Smash, Dead Outlaw, and The Hills of California. The 2025 Tony Awards saw a range of winners, from historic victories to emotional speeches. As The Guardian reports, the ceremony was a celebration of the best of Broadway, with Maybe Happy Ending and Nicole Scherzinger taking home top honours.
The full list of winners from the 2025 Tony Awards can be found on The Guardian’s website. For more information on the ceremony, including photos and videos, visit www.theguardian.com/stage/2025/jun/08/tony-awards-2025-full-list-of-winners.
