Sarah Paulson, Angelina Jolie and Broadway Veteran Kecia Lewis Win Top Honors at 77th Annual Tony Awards

“I have stood on a lot of stages, but this is very special,” Clinton said. “I know a little bit about how hard it is to make change.”​​

In the first musical presentation, Alicia Keys appeared at a piano as the cast of her semi-autobiographical musical, Hell’s Kitchen, presented a medley of songs. She sang her and Jay-Z’s 2009 smash “Empire State of Mind,” joining the rapper on interior steps to wild applause.​​

Later, newcomer Maleah Joi Moon won best leading actress for Hell’s Kitchen, brushing aside a challenge from veteran Kelli O’Hara. The 21-year-old, who plays a role loosely based on Keys’ life, dedicated her award to her parents.​​

Danya Taymor — whose aunt is Julie Taymor, the first woman to win a Tony Award for directing a musical — became the sixth woman to win the same award for The Outsiders.​​

Then Shaina Taub, only the second woman in Broadway history to write, compose and star in a Broadway musical, won for best score, the ninth woman to do so. The Suffs creator had already won for best book earlier in the night.​​

“If you are inspired by the story of Suffs, please make sure you and everyone you know have registered to vote and vote, vote, vote!” she said. Taub said the win was for all the loud girls out there: “Go for it.”​​

Jeremy Strong took home the first big award of the night. The Succession star landed his first Tony for his work in the revival of Henrik Ibsen’s 1882 political play An Enemy of the People. The award for best lead actor in a play will sit next to his Emmy, Screen Actors Guild Award and Golden Globe.​​

Kara Young, the first Black performer to be nominated for a Tony three years in a row, won this time as best featured actress in a play for Purlie Victorious, the story of a Black preacher’s plan to reclaim his inheritance and win back his church from a plantation owner.​​

“Thank you to my ancestors,” she said, giving thanks to a list that included playwright Ossie Davis and costar Ruby Dee, who originated her role.​

​Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe cemented his stage career pivot by winning featured actor in a musical, his first trophy in five Broadway shows. He won for the revival of Merrily We Roll Along, the Stephen Sondheim–George Furth musical that goes backward in time.​​

“This is one of the best experiences of my life,” Radcliffe said. “I will never have it as good again.” He also thanked his parents for playing Sondheim in the car growing up.​​

Merrily was also named best musical revival and earned Jonathan Groff his first Tony, for leading actor in a musical. Groff — previously nominated for Spring Awakening and Hamilton — thanked costars Lindsay Mendez and Radcliffe, both emotional in the audience.​​

Groff, who said he used to watch the Tonys as a kid in Pennsylvania, also thanked his parents and brother for letting him act out scenes from I Love Lucy as a child.

“Thank you for always allowing my freak flag to fly without ever making me feel weird about it,” he said.​​​​​​​​​​

Brian Stokes Mitchell, 66, performing during a tribute to the late Chita Rivera.

Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions

Three-time Tony-honored Chita Rivera, who passed away in January, got a special tribute from Audra McDonald, 53, Brian Stokes Mitchell, 66, and Bebe Neuwirth, 65. Images of her work in Chicago, Kiss of the Spider Woman and West Side Story were projected while dancers performed her hit numbers. Host Ariana DeBose, who won an Oscar in Rivera’s West Side Story role of Anita, joined in.​​

DeBose, a three-time host, also co-choreographed the opening original number, “This Party’s for You.” The song cheered those who sacrifice for their art and took a gentle swipe at other entertainment types: “You’ll learn that film and TV can make you rich and make you famous. But theater will make you better.”​​

The performances also included an intense, creepy version of “Willkommen” from the Cabaret revival led by Eddie Redmayne, Pete Townshend, 79, playing guitar for The Who’s Tommy and a messy rumble from The Outsiders that included falling water, buckets of dirt, various carpets and an onstage truck.​​

The telecast teased upcoming shows, inviting Nicole Scherzinger — slated to star in a Sunset Boulevard revival — to sing the “In Memoriam” section. Nick Jonas and Adrienne Warren — announced today as stars of 2025’s The Last Five Years — presented.​​

Scherzinger sang “What I Did for Love” as the names appeared, including playwright Christopher Durang and actors Alan Arkin, Glenda Jackson, Louis Gossett Jr. and Treat Williams.​