‘Hamilton’ Leads Tony Awards With Record 16 Nominations

The ceremony honoring Broadway’s finest will be held June 12

hamilton musical
Photo by Theo Wargo/WireImage

Lin-Manuel Miranda‘s hit Broadway musical “Hamilton” leads the race for the 70th annual Tony Awards with a record 16 nominations, including Best Musical.

George C. Wolfe’s updated reinvention of the 1920s musical “Shuffle Along” earned 10 nominations, while the musical revival “She Loves Me” followed with eight.

Miranda alone picked up multiple nominations, for his lead role as founding father Alexander Hamilton as well as for his score and book for the hip-hop retelling of American history.


In the top category, “Hamilton” will compete against four challengers: Steven Martin and Edie Brickell’s “Bright Star,” Andrew Lloyd Webber‘s “School of Rock – The Musical,” “Shuffle Along” and Sara Bareilles’ “Waitress.”

The previous record for most nominations was 15, shared by Mel Brooks‘ 2001 hit “The Producers” — which remains the winningest show in Tony history, with 12 prizes — and 2009’s “Billy Elliot, The Musical.”

The top non-musical nominee was the starry revival of “Long Day’s Journey Into Night,” which earned seven nominations, including for its two leads, Gabriel Byrne and Jessica Lange.

The new dramas “Eclipsed” and “The Humans” both earned six nominations, including for Best Play.

The Tony Awards, presented by the Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing, will be broadcast live on CBS on June 12 from the Beacon Theatre beginning at 8 p.m. ET.

Nikki M. James and Andrew Rannells, original stars of the 2011 Tony-winning musical “The Book of Mormon,” announced this year’s nominations.

The complete list of nominees follows:

Best Play

Eclipsed
The Father
The Humans
King Charles III

Best Musical

Bright Star
Hamilton
School of Rock
Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed
Waitress

Best Revival of a Play

The Crucible
A View From the Bridge
Blackbird
Long Day’s Journey Into Night
Noises Off

Best Revival of a Musical

The Color Purple
Fiddler on the Roof
She Loves Me
Spring Awakening
Dames at Sea

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play

Gabriel Byrne, Long Day’s Journey Into Night
Jeff Daniels, Blackbird
Mark Strong, A View From the Bridge
Frank Langella, The Father
Tim Pigott-Smith, King Charles III

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play

Jessica Lange, Long Day’s Journey Into Night
Michelle Williams, Blackbird
Laurie Metcalf, Misery
Sophia Akenedo, The Crucible
Lupita Nyong’o, Eclipsed

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical

Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton
Leslie Odom Jr., Hamilton
Alex Brightman, School of Rock – The Musical
Danny Burstein, Fiddler on the Roof
Zachary Levi, She Loves Me

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical

Phillipa Soo, Hamilton
Cynthia Erivo, The Color Purple
Jessie Mueller, Waitress
Laura Benanti, She Loves Me
Carmen Cusack, Bright Star

Best Book of a Musical

Bright Star, Steve Martin
Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda
School of Rock–The Musical, Julian Fellowes
Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed, George C. Wolfe

Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre

Bright Star, Music: Steve Martin and Edie Brickell; Lyrics: Edie Brickell
Hamilton, Music & Lyrics: Lin-Manuel Miranda
School of Rock–The Musical, Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber; Lyrics: Glenn Slater
Waitress, Music & Lyrics: Sara Bareilles

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play

Reed Birney, The Humans
Bill Camp, Arthur Miller’s The Crucible
David Furr, Noises Off
Richard Goulding, King Charles III
Michael Shannon, Long Day’s Journey Into Night

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play

Pascale Armand, Eclipsed
Megan Hilty, Noises Off
Jayne Houdyshell, The Humans
Andrea Martin, Noises Off
Saycon Sengbloh, Eclipsed

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical

Daveed Diggs, Hamilton
Brandon Victor Dixon, Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed
Christopher Fitzgerald, Waitress
Jonathan Groff, Hamilton
Christopher Jackson, Hamilton

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical

Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple
Renée Elise Goldsberry, Hamilton
Jane Krakowski, She Loves Me
Jennifer Simard, Disaster!
Adrienne Warren, Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed

Best Scenic Design of a Play

Beowulf Boritt, Thérèse Raquin
Christopher Oram, Hughie
Jan Versweyveld, Arthur Miller’s A View from the Bridge
David Zinn, The Humans

Best Scenic Design of a Musical

Es Devlin & Finn Ross, American Psycho
David Korins, Hamilton
Santo Loquasto, Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed
David Rockwell, She Loves Me

Best Costume Design of a Play

Jane Greenwood, Long Day’s Journey Into Night
Michael Krass, Noises Off
Clint Ramos, Eclipsed
Tom Scutt, King Charles III

Best Costume Design of a Musical

Gregg Barnes, Tuck Everlasting
Jeff Mahshie, She Loves Me
Ann Roth, Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed
Paul Tazewell, Hamilton

Best Lighting Design of a Play

Natasha Katz, Long Day’s Journey Into Night
Justin Townsend, The Humans
Jan Versweyveld, Arthur Miller’s The Crucible
Jan Versweyveld, Arthur Miller’s A View from the Bridge

Best Lighting Design of a Musical

Howell Binkley, Hamilton
Jules Fisher & Peggy Eisenhauer, Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed
Ben Stanton, Spring Awakening
Justin Townsend, American Psycho

Best Direction of a Play

Rupert Goold, King Charles III
Jonathan Kent, Long Day’s Journey Into Night
Joe Mantello, The Humans
Liesl Tommy, Eclipsed
Ivo Van Hove, Arthur Miller’s A View from the Bridge

Best Direction of a Musical

Michael Arden, Spring Awakening
John Doyle, The Color Purple
Scott Ellis, She Loves Me
Thomas Kail, Hamilton
George C. Wolfe, Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed

Best Choreography

Andy Blankenbuehler, Hamilton
Savion Glover, Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed
Hofesh Shechter, Fiddler on the Roof
Randy Skinner, Dames at Sea
Sergio Trujillo, On Your Feet! The Story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan

Best Orchestrations

August Eriksmoen, Bright Star
Larry Hochman, She Loves Me
Alex Lacamoire, Hamilton
Daryl Waters, Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed

The Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre will be presented to both lyricist Sheldon Harnick and director Marshall W. Mason.

The 2016 Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre will be presented to attorney Seth Gelblum, vocal coach Joan Lader and costumer Sally Ann Parsons.

The Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award will be presented to Tony Award-winning actor Brian Stokes Mitchell.  This year, the Special Tony Award will be presented to both Miles Wilkin and the National Endowment for the Arts.

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