“Schmigadoon!” won best musical and “Arthur Miller’s ‘Death of a Salesman’” emerged as the most decorated production at the 2026 Tony Awards, a Pink-hosted ceremony that mixed Broadway’s biggest prizes with pop-star polish, revival showcases and comic turns.
The awards, held Sunday at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall and broadcast on CBS and Paramount+, honored a season in which screen-to-stage adaptations, major revivals and new plays all shared the spotlight. “Liberation” won best play, while “Ragtime” took best revival of a musical and “Death of a Salesman” won best revival of a play on its way to six total Tonys.
A night led by revivals and a TV-to-stage musical
“Schmigadoon!,” adapted from the Apple TV series, entered the night tied for the most nominations with 12 and finished with best musical, along with wins for Cinco Paul’s book and original score, according to the winners list published by CBS News. The BBC described the show as a comedic celebration of theater’s golden age.
The play categories were led by “Death of a Salesman,” which won six awards overall. Its prizes included best revival of a play, best direction of a play for Joe Mantello, best featured actress in a play for Laurie Metcalf, scenic design, lighting design and sound design.
“Liberation,” described by the BBC as a feminist epic that recently won the Pulitzer Prize for drama, won best play. John Lithgow won leading actor in a play for “Giant,” and Lesley Manville won leading actress in a play for “Oedipus.” In musicals, Joshua Henry and Caissie Levy won the leading actor and actress prizes for “Ragtime.”
Pink’s first time as host
Pink hosted the Tonys for the first time, opening the show with a version of “Lady Marmalade” that revised the lyrics to nod to several nominees. The BBC reported that she called herself “Broadway’s biggest fan” and said she wanted to honor “the hardest-working people in showbiz.”
Early critical reaction singled out Pink’s hosting for its sincerity and punk energy, while musical numbers from “Cats,” “Ragtime” and the 30th anniversary celebration of “Chicago” were among the performances that stood out. The show also featured performances from each nominee for best musical and best revival of a musical.
The presenter list added more crossover appeal, with CBS News naming Adrien Brody, Bowen Yang, Billy Crystal and Ariana DeBose among those appearing during the broadcast.
Other standout wins
“Cats: The Jellicle Ball” won three Tonys, including best direction of a musical for Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch, best choreography for Omari Wiles and Arturo Lyons, and best costume design of a musical for Qween Jean. “The Lost Boys,” a punk-rock adaptation of the 1987 vampire film, won two awards, including featured acting prizes for Shoshana Bean and Ali Louis Bourzgui.
The ceremony also produced a milestone for Lithgow. At 80, the BBC reported, he became the oldest male actor to win a Tony, more than five decades after his first win in 1972. In his acceptance speech, Lithgow described the awards as “two Tony bookends with 53 years between them.”
Comic moments also helped shape the night’s conversation. A New York Times recap highlighted Maya Rudolph and Cole Escola among the performers who found humor in the broadcast, while Pink’s turn as host gave the ceremony a performer-led center of gravity.
By the end of the night, the 2026 Tonys had spread attention across a best musical winner born from television, a Pulitzer-winning new play, a dominant Arthur Miller revival and a slate of musical revivals that supplied many of the ceremony’s liveliest performances.
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