Tony Award for Best Play facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tony Award forBest Play |
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| Presented by | American Theatre Wing The Broadway League |
| Location | New York City |
| Currently held by | Purpose by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins (2025) |
The Tony Award for Best Play is a special prize given each year to the best new play shown on Broadway. Broadway is a famous theater district in New York City. This award is part of the Tony Awards, which celebrate amazing achievements in live theater. The award goes to both the writer (author) and the people who produce the play. Plays that have been on Broadway before are not eligible for this award; they can compete for the "Best Revival of a Play" award instead.
Contents
Award Winners: Celebrating Great Plays
This section lists some of the amazing plays that have won the Tony Award for Best Play over the years.
Key to the list:
- A dagger (†) means the play also won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, which is another very important award for plays.
- An asterisk (*) means the play was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
indicates the winner.
1940s Winners
| Year | Play Title | Author | Producers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 (2nd) |
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| Mister Roberts | Thomas Heggen and Joshua Logan | Leland Hayward | |
| 1949 (3rd) |
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| Death of a Salesman † | Arthur Miller | Kermit Bloomgarden and Walter Fried |
1950s Winners
| Year | Play Title | Author | Producers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 (4th) |
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| The Cocktail Party | T. S. Eliot | Gilbert Miller | |
| 1951 (5th) |
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| The Rose Tattoo | Tennessee Williams | Cheryl Crawford | |
| 1952 (6th) |
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| The Fourposter | Jan de Hartog | ||
| 1953 (7th) |
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| The Crucible | Arthur Miller | Kermit Bloomgarden | |
| 1954 (8th) |
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| The Teahouse of the August Moon † | John Patrick | Maurice Evans and George Schaefer | |
| 1955 (9th) |
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| The Desperate Hours | Joseph Hayes | Howard Erskine and Joseph Hayes | |
| 1956 (10th) |
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| The Diary of Anne Frank † | Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett | Kermit Bloomgarden | |
| Bus Stop | William Inge | Robert Whitehead and Roger L. Stevens | |
| Cat on a Hot Tin Roof † | Tennessee Williams | The Playwrights' Company | |
| The Chalk Garden | Enid Bagnold | Irene Mayer Selznick | |
| Tiger at the Gates | Jean Giraudoux, adapted by Christopher Fry | Robert L. Joseph, The Playwrights' Company and Henry M. Margolis | |
| 1957 (11th) |
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| Long Day's Journey into Night † | Eugene O'Neill | Leigh Connell, Theodore Mann and José Quintero | |
| The Potting Shed | Graham Greene | Carmen Capalbo and Stanley Chase | |
| Separate Tables | Terence Rattigan | The Producers Theatre and Hecht-Lancaster | |
| The Waltz of the Toreadors | Jean Anouilh, translated by Lucienne Hill | The Producers Theatre and Robert Whitehead | |
| 1958 (12th) |
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| Sunrise at Campobello | Dore Schary | Lawrence Langner, Theresa Helburn, Armina Marshall and Dore Schary | |
| The Dark at the Top of the Stairs | William Inge | Saint Subber and Elia Kazan | |
| Look Back in Anger | John Osborne | David Merrick | |
| Look Homeward, Angel † | Ketti Frings | Kermit Bloomgarden and Theatre 200 Inc. | |
| Romanoff and Juliet | Peter Ustinov | David Merrick | |
| The Rope Dancers | Morton Wishengrad | The Playwrights' Company and Gilbert Miller | |
| Time Remembered | Jean Anouilh, English version by Patricia Moyes | The Playwrights' Company in association with Milton Sperling | |
| Two for the Seesaw | William Gibson | Fred Coe | |
| 1959 (13th) |
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| J.B. † | Archibald MacLeish | Alfred de Liagre Jr. | |
| The Disenchanted | Harvey Breit and Budd Schulberg | William Darrid and Eleanor Saidenberg | |
| Epitaph for George Dillon | John Osborne and Anthony Creighton | David Merrick and Joshua Logan | |
| A Touch of the Poet | Eugene O'Neill | The Producers Theatre, Robert Whitehead and Roger L. Stevens | |
| The Visit | Friedrich Dürrenmatt, adapted by Maurice Valency | The Producers Theatre |
Recent Winners (2020s)
| Year | Play Title | Author | Producers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 (74th) |
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| The Inheritance | Matthew Lopez | Tom Kirdahy, Sonia Friedman Productions, Hunter Arnold, Elizabeth Dewberry and Ali Ahmet Kocabiyik, 1001 Nights Productions, Robert Greenblatt, Mark Lee, Peter May, Scott Rudin, Richard Winkler, Bruce Cohen, Mara Isaacs, Greg Berlanti and Robbie Rogers, Brad Blume, Burnt Umber Productions, Shane Ewen, Greenleaf Productions, Marguerite Hoffman, Oliver Roth, Joseph Baker / Drew Hodges, Stephanie P. McClelland, Broadway Strategic Return Fund, Caiola Productions, Mary J. Davis, Kayla Greenspan, Fakston Productions, FBK Productions, Sally Cade Holmes, Benjamin Lowy, MWM Live, Lee and Alec Seymour, Lorenzo Thione, Sing Out, Louise! Productions, AB Company / Julie Boardman, Adam Zell & Co. / ZKM Media, Jamie deRoy / Catherine Adler, DeSantis-Baugh Productions / Adam Hyndman, Gary DiMauro / Meredith Lynsey Schade, John Goldwyn / Silva Theatrical Group, Deborah Green / Christina Mattsson, Cliff Hopkins / George Scarles, Invisible Wall Productions / Lauren Stein, Sharon Karmazin / Broadway Factor NYC, Brian Spector / Madeleine Foster Bersin, Undivided Productions / Hysell Dohr Group, Ushkowitzlatimer Productions / Tyler Mount and The Young Vic | |
| Grand Horizons | Bess Wohl | Second Stage Theater, Carole Rothman, Williamstown Theatre Festival and Mandy Greenfield | |
| Sea Wall/A Life | Simon Stephens and Nick Payne | Nine Stories, Ambassador Theatre Group, Seaview Productions, Benjamin Lowy Productions, LFG Theatrical, Audible, Gavin Kalin Productions, Glass Half Full Productions, Jacob Langfelder, Brian Moreland, Roth-Manella Productions, Salman Vienn Al-Rashid Friends, SLSM Theatricals, Teresa Tsai, Dunetz Restieri Productions, Morwin Schmookler, Jane and Mark Wilf, The Public Theater, Oskar Eustis, Patrick Willingham and Mandy Hackett | |
| Slave Play | Jeremy O. Harris | Seaview Productions, Troy Carter, Level Forward, Nine Stories, Sing Out, Louise! Productions, Shooting Star Productions, Roth-Manella Productions, Carlin Katler Productions, Cohen Hopkins Productions, Thomas Laub, Blair Russell, WEB Productions, Salman Al-Rashid, Jeremy O. Harris, Mark Shacket and New York Theatre Workshop | |
| The Sound Inside | Adam Rapp | Jeffrey Richards, Lincoln Center Theater, Rebecca Gold, Evamere Entertainment, Eric Falkenstein, Salman Vienn Al-Rashid, Spencer Ross, FilmNation Entertainment / Faliro House, Iris Smith, Jane Bergère, Caiola Productions, Mark S. Golub and David S. Golub, Ken Greiner, Gemini Theatrical Investors, Scott H. Mauro, Jayne Baron Sherman, CZEKAJ Productions, Wendy Morgan-Hunter, Kristin Foster, Brian Moreland, Sonia Mudbhatkal, Jacob Soroken Porter, Williamstown Theatre Festival and Mandy Greenfield | |
| 2022 (75th) |
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| The Lehman Trilogy | Stefano Massini | National Theatre, Neal Street Productions, Barry Diller, David Geffen, Kash Bennett, Lisa Burger, Caro Newling, Ambassador Theatre Group, Stephanie P. McClelland, Annapurna Theatre, Delman Whitney, Craig Balsam / Heni Koenigsberg / John Yonover, Fiery Angel / Seth A. Goldstein, Starry Night Entertainment, Gavin Kalin Productions, Paul and Selina Burdell / Bill Damaschke, 42nd.club / Phil and Claire Kenny, CatWenJam Productions, Amanda Dubois, Glass Half Full Productions, Dede Harris / Linda B. Rubin, Kallish Weinstein Creative, Kors Le Pere Theatricals LLC, James L. Nederlander, No Guarantees, Mark Pigott KBE, KStJ, Playing Field, Catherine Schreiber / Adam Zell, Tulchin Bartner Productions, Richard Winkler / Alan Shorr / Dawn Smalberg, The Shubert Organization, Independent Presenters Network, John Gore Organization, Sue Wagner, John Johnson and Jillian Robbins | |
| Clyde's | Lynn Nottage | Second Stage Theater, Carole Rothman and Khady Kamara | |
| Hangmen | Martin McDonagh | Robert Fox, Jean Doumanian, Elizabeth Ireland McCann, Craig Balsam, Atlantic Theater Company, Jon B. Platt, Len Blavatnik, Richard Fishman, John Gore Organization, Stephanie P. McClelland, David Mirvish, The Shubert Organization, Jamie deRoy / Sandy Robertson, Patrick Myles / Alexander 'Sandy' Marshall, M. Kilburg Reedy / Excelsior Entertainment, Playful Productions and Royal Court Theatre | |
| The Minutes* | Tracy Letts | Jeffrey Richards, Rebecca Gold, Carl Moellenberg, Spencer Ross, Louise Gund, Elizabeth Armstrong, Blakeman Entertainment, HornosBerger, Across the River Productions, Stewart F. Lane / Bonnie Comley / Leah Lane, Jayne Baron Sherman, Kathleen K. Johnson, Emily Dobbs, Robert Flicker, Jacob Soroken Porter, The Shubert Organization and Steppenwolf Theatre Company | |
| Skeleton Crew | Dominique Morisseau | Manhattan Theatre Club, Lynne Meadow and Barry Grove | |
| 2023 (76th) |
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| Leopoldstadt | Tom Stoppard | Sonia Friedman Productions, Roy Furman, Lorne Michaels, Stephanie P. McClelland, Gavin Kalin, Delman Sloan, Eilene Davidson, Brad Edgerton, Patrick Gracey, Hunter Arnold, Burnt Umber Productions, Cue to Cue Productions, The Factor Gavin Partnership, Harris Rubin Productions, Robert Nederlander Jr., No Guarantees, Sandy Robertson, Iris Smith, Jamie deRoy / Catherine Adler, Dodge Hall Productions / Waverly Productions, Richardo Hornos / Robert Tichio, Heni Koenigsberg / Wendy Federman, Thomas S. Perakos / Stephanie Kramer, Brian Spector / Judith Seinfeld and Richard Winkler / Alan Shorr | |
| Ain't No Mo' | Jordan E. Cooper | Lee Daniels, BET: Black Entertainment Television, Len Blavatnik, Ronald Burkle, Aryeh Bourkoff, 59th & Prairie Entertainment, RuPaul Charles, I'll Have Another Productions, Jeremy O. Harris, Lena Waithe, Tucker Tooley Entertainment, C. J. Uzomah, Ann Cox, Gina Purlia, Bob Yari, Marvin Peart, Colleen Camp, Marvet Britto, Jeremy Green, Sue Wagner, John Johnson, Jillian Robbins, The Public Theater, Oskar Eustis, Patrick Willingham and Mandy Hackett | |
| Between Riverside and Crazy † | Stephen Adly Guirgis | Second Stage Theater, Carole Rothman, Khady Kamara and Atlantic Theater Company | |
| Cost of Living † | Martyna Majok | Manhattan Theatre Club, Lynne Meadow, Barry Grove and Williamstown Theatre Festival | |
| Fat Ham † | James Ijames | No Guarantees, Public Theater Productions, Rashad V. Chambers, National Black Theatre, Tim Levy, Bards on Broadway, Bob Boyett, Ghostbuster Productions, James Ijames, Cynthia Stroum, Audible, Adam Cohen, Blake Devillier, Firemused Productions / JamRock Productions, The Forstalls, Iconic Vizion / Corey Brunish, John Gore Organization, Midnight Theatricals, David Miner, Robin Gorman Newman / PickleStar Theatricals, Marc Platt, Play on Shakespeare, The Wilma Theater, Colman Domingo, Cynthia Erivo, Andy Jones, Dylan Pager, Roundabout Theatre Company, Oskar Eustis, Patrick Willingham, Mandy Hackett, Sade Lythcott and Jonathan McCrory | |
| 2024 (77th) |
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| Stereophonic | David Adjmi | Sue Wagner, John Johnson, Seaview, Sonia Friedman Productions, Linden Productions, Ashley Melone, Nick Mills, Jillian Robbins, Stella La Rue, Alex Levy & David Aron, Dori Berinstein, James Bolosh, Burnt Umber Productions, The Cohn Sisters, Cathy Dantchik, Alexander R. Donnelly, Emerald Drive, Federman Koenigsberg, Dann Fink, Ruth Hendel, Larry Hirschhorn, Jenen Rubin, John Gore Organization, Willette & Manny Klausner, LAMF Protozoa, Katrina McCann, Stephanie P. McClelland, No Guarantees, Marissa Palley & Daniel Aron, Anna Schafer, Soto Namoff Productions, Sean Walsh, Bruce & Peggy Wanta, Hillary Wyatt, deRoy Howard, Winkler & Smalberg, 42nd.club, Craig Balsam, Concord Theatricals, Creative Partners Productions, Jonathan Demar, Douglas Denoff, DJD Productions, Echo Lake Entertainment, Faliro House, FilmNation Entertainment, Roy Gabay, GFour Productions, Candy Kosow Gold, Wes Grantom, Rachel Bendit & Mark Bernstein, Playwrights Horizons, Adam Greenfield, Leslie Marcus and Carol Fishman | |
| Jaja's African Hair Braiding | Jocelyn Bioh | Manhattan Theatre Club, Lynne Meadow, Chris Jennings, Madison Wells Live, LaChanze and Taraji P. Henson | |
| Mary Jane | Amy Herzog | Manhattan Theatre Club, Lynne Meadow and Chris Jennings | |
| Mother Play | Paula Vogel | Second Stage Theater, Carole Rothman, Lisa Lawer Post, Salman and Vienn Al-Rashid, Courtney Lederer and Mark Thierfelder, Jerry and Roz Meyer, Alix L.L. Ritchie and Jayne Baron Sherman | |
| Prayer for the French Republic | Joshua Harmon | Manhattan Theatre Club, Lynne Meadow and Chris Jennings | |
| 2025 (78th) |
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| Purpose † | Branden Jacobs-Jenkins | David Stone, Debra Martin Chase, Marc Platt, LaChanze, Rashad V. Chambers, Aaron Glick, Universal Theatrical Group, Eastern Standard Time, Trate Productions, Nancy Nagel Gibbs, James L. Nederlander, John Gore, ATG Entertainment, The Shubert Organization and Steppenwolf Theatre Company | |
| English † | Sanaz Toossi | Roundabout Theatre Company, Todd Haimes, Scott Ellis, Sydney Beers, Christopher Nave, Steven Showalter and Atlantic Theater Company | |
| The Hills of California | Jez Butterworth | Sonia Friedman Productions, No Guarantees Productions, Neal Street Productions, Brian Spector, Sand & Snow Entertainment, Stephanie P. McClelland, Barry Diller, Reade St. Productions, Van Dean, Andrew Paradis / We R Broadway Artists Alliance, Patty Baker, Wendy Bingham Cox, Bob Boyett, Butcher Brothers, Caitlin Clements, Kallish Weinstein Creative, Michael Scott, Steven Toll & Randy Jones Toll, City Cowboy Productions / Jamie deRoy, JKVL Productions / Padgett Ross Productions, Koenigsberg Riley / Tulchin Bartner Productions, Todd B. Rubin / Carlos Medina, Silly Bears Productions / Omara Productions, Michael Wolk / Cali e Amici, Manhattan Theatre Club, Lynne Meadow and Chris Jennings | |
| John Proctor Is the Villain | Kimberly Belflower | Sue Wagner, John Johnson, John Mara Jr., Runyonland, Eric Falkenstein, Jillian Robbins, Jen Hoguet, Rialto Productions, Corets Gough Kench Cohen, The Shubert Organization, James L. Nederlander, John Gore Organization, Patty Baker, Cue to Cue Productions, Echo Lake Entertainment, Harris Rubin Productions, Klausner & Zell, Jennifer Kroman, Mickey Liddell & Pete Shilaimon, Mahnster Productions, Nathan Winoto, The Cohn Sisters & Stifelman-Burkhardt, Astro Lab Productions, Creative Partners Productions, Sarah Daniels & Christopher Barrett, Frimmer & Benmosche, Joan Rechnitz, Melissa Chamberlain & Michael McCartney, Pam Hurst-Della Pietra & Stephen Della Pietra, McCaffrey & Demar, Alan & Peggy Mendelson, Newport & Smerigan, Jamie deRoy, Jaime Gleicher, Wes Grantom, Meena Harris & Jessica Foung, Los Angeles Media Fund, Corey Steinfast, SunnySpot & Valentine, Turchin Clements, Jane Bergère & Douglas Denoff, Amy Wen & Meister Leonard, 7th Inning Stretch & Stella La Rue, Indie Slingshot and Annaleise Loxton | |
| Oh, Mary! * | Cole Escola | Kevin McCollum & Lucas McMahon, Mike Lavoie & Carlee Briglia, Bob Boyett, The Council, Jean Doumanian Productions, Nicole Eisenberg, Jay Marcus & George Strus, Irony Point, Richard Batchelder / Bradley Reynolds, Tyler Mount / Tommy Doyle, Nelson & Tao, Palomares & Rosenberg and ShowTown Productions |
Playwrights with Multiple Wins
Some playwrights have won the Tony Award for Best Play more than once!
- Tom Stoppard has won this award five times, which is more than any other writer.
- Seven other writers have won the award twice: Edward Albee, Tony Kushner, Arthur Miller, Terrence McNally, Yasmina Reza, Peter Shaffer, and Neil Simon.
Playwrights with Many Nominations
Being nominated for a Tony Award is a huge honor! Here are the playwrights who have received the most nominations for Best Play:
- Neil Simon has been nominated 10 times, more than anyone else.
- August Wilson is second with 9 nominations.
- Tom Stoppard has 8 nominations.
- Edward Albee has 6 nominations.
- Arthur Miller and Martin McDonagh each have 5 nominations.
- Writers with 4 nominations include Michael Frayn, Athol Fugard, John Osborne, David Rabe, Peter Shaffer, and Tennessee Williams.
- Many other talented writers have received 2 or 3 nominations, showing their consistent impact on Broadway.
Special Achievements
- In 1994, Tony Kushner made history by winning two Tony Awards in a row for his two-part play, Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes.
- Terrence McNally also achieved this amazing feat in the following two years with his plays Love! Valour! Compassion! and Master Class.
See also
In Spanish: Anexo:Premio Tony a la mejor obra para niños
- Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play
- Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play
- Pulitzer Prize for Drama
- List of Tony Award-nominated productions
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Tony Award for Best Play Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.