The 79th Tony Award Predictions – May 2026

Ragtime (c) Matthew Murphy

The 79th Tony Awards will be handed out on Sunday, June 7. I will post my final predictions the Friday before the awards. But here are my thoughts of who are the front-runners of the major categories as of two weeks before the ceremony. 

Enjoy! 

The 79th Tony Award Nominations

Predictions 

 

PLAYS 

Liberation (c) Little Fang

Play 

The Balusters by David Lindsay-Abaire 
Giant by Mark Rosenblatt 
Liberation by Bess Wohl 
Little Bear Ridge Road by Samuel D. Hunter 

Play (Revival) 

Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman 
Becky Shaw by Gina Gionfriddo 
Every Brilliant Thing by Duncan Macmillan, Jonny Donahoe 
Fallen Angels 
Oedipus adapted by Robert Icke 

Oedipus (c) Julieta Cervantes

Actress (Play) 

Rose Byrne, Fallen Angels 
Carrie Coon, Bug 
Susannah Flood, Liberation 
Lesley Manville, Oedipus 
Kelli O'Hara, Fallen Angels 

Actor (Play) 

Will Harrison, Punch 
Nathan Lane, Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman 
John Lithgow, Giant 
Daniel Radcliffe, Every Brilliant Thing 
Mark Strong, Oedipus 

Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman (c) Emilo Madrid

Featured Actress (Play) 

Betsy Aidem, Liberation 
Marylouise Burke, The Balusters 
Aya Cash, Giant 
Laurie Metcalf, Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman 
June Squibb, Marjorie Prime 

Featured Actor (Play) 

Christopher Abbott, Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman 
Danny Burstein, Marjorie Prime 
Brandon J. Dirden, Waiting for Godot 
Alden Ehrenreich, Becky Shaw 
Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone 
Richard Thomas, The Balusters 

Director (Play) 

Nicholas Hytner, Giant 
Robert Icke, Oedipus 
Kenny Leon, The Balusters 
Joe Mantello, Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman 
Whitney White, Liberation 

MUSICALS 

Musical 

The Lost Boys 
Schmigadoon! 
Titaníque 
Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) 

Cats: The Jellicle Ball (c) Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade

Musical Revival 

Cats: The Jellicle Ball 
Ragtime 
The Rocky Horror Show 

The Lost Boys (c) Matthew Murphy

Book of a Musical  

The Lost Boys by David Hornsby and Chris Hoch 
Schmigadoon by Cinco Paul 
Titanique by Tye Blue, Marla Mindelle and Constantine Rousouli 
Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) by Jim Barne and Kit Buchan 

Score

Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman by Caroline Shaw 
Joe Turner's Come and Gone by Steve Bargonetti 
The Lost Boys by The Rescues 
Schmigadoon by Cinco Paul 
Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) by Jim Barnes and Kit Buchan 

Actress (Musical) 

Sara Chase, Schmigadoon! 
Stephanie Hsu, The Rocky Horror Show 
Caissie Levy, Ragtime 
Marla Mindelle, Titaníque 
Christiani Pitts, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) 

Actor (Musical) 

Nicholas Christopher, Chess 
Luke Evans, The Rocky Horror Show 
Joshua Henry, Ragtime 
Sam Tutty, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) 
Brandon Uranowitz, Ragtime 

Schmigadoon! (c) Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman

Featured Actress (Musical) 

Shoshana Bean, The Lost Boys 
Hannah Cruz, Chess 
Rachel Dratch, The Rocky Horror Show 
Ana Gasteyer, Schmigadoon! 
Nichelle Lewis, Ragtime 

Featured Actor (Musical) 

Ali Louis Bourzgui, The Lost Boys 
Andre DeShields, Cats: The Jellicle Ball 
Bryce Pinkham, Chess 
Ben Levi Ross, Ragtime 
Layton Williams, Titaníque 

Director (Musical) 

Michael Arden, The Lost Boys 
Lear deBessonet, Ragtime 
Christopher Gattelli, Schmigadoon! 
Tim Jackson, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) 
Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch, Cats: The Jellicle Ball 

Choreography 

Christopher Gattelli, Schmigadoon! 
Ellenore Scott, Titanique 
Ani Taj, The Rocky Horror Show 
Omari Wiles and Arturo Lyons, Cats: The Jellicle Ball 
Lauren Yalango-Grant and Christopher Cree Grant, The Lost Boys

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