The Tony Awards are returning to live broadcasts in a big way. For the first time in the ceremony’s history, CBS will broadcast live coast to coast as well as stream the ceremony live through Paramount+. This is the Tony’s first live broadcast since 2019, as the committee chose to forgo the ceremony in 2020 and host a virtual one in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. No host has been currently announced.
The Broadway awards will return to their staple home of Radio City Music Hall in New York City this year. The Tony Awards have been presented in the historic building nearly every year since 1997, with few exceptions due to building renovations and scheduling conflicts in which the celebration moved to Beacon Theater. The Tony Awards are presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing to celebrate artistry across the industry, including Best Performances, Best Direction, Best Scenic Design, and others.
The 75th Annual Tony Awards will broadcast in a rather unusual way. Along with airing simultaneously on both coasts, the four-hour ceremony will air its first hour on Paramount+, with exclusive content. The actual presentation of the awards will begin 8pm ET/5pm PT on the streaming platform and CBS, who has aired the awards on its network since 1978. The return to live broadcast will likely signal the return of performances, but this is unconfirmed.
RELATED:Pamela Anderson Will Make Her Broadway Debut as Roxie Hart in ‘Chicago’ in AprilEligible Broadways show must open before April 28, in order to compete for the 2021-2022 season. Nominations are set be announced on May 3. This cut-off date could prove to be restrictive, as Broadway is still recovering from its two-year shutdown, with many shows only recently returning to their theaters. Currently, eligible original musicals on Broadway consist only ofDiana,Girl from the North Country, andSix. Eligible original plays includeChicken & Biscuits,Dana H.,Is This a Room,The Lehman Trilogy,Pass Over, andThoughts of a Colored Man. While several shows have returned to their theaters, likeDear Evan HansenandHadestown,it is unclear if the committee will allow these shows to compete as they had begun their runs during previous seasons and are not technically revivals.
The official live broadcast on CBS will commence at 8pm ET/5pm PT with Paramount+’s exclusive content begin an hour earlier at 7pm ET/4pm PT. Broadway crews and fans alike eagerly await for the ceremony’s return as the industry strives to return to normalcy. You can stick with Collider for more updates as the awards releases more details.
