1979 Tony Awards
Winners and nominees from the Tony Awards.
1979 Tony Awards
Note: Award winners appear on a red background.
| Category | Nominee | Show |
|---|---|---|
| Best Book of a Musical | Jerome Kass | Ballroom |
| Best Book of a Musical | Hugh Wheeler | Sweeney Todd |
| Best Book of a Musical | Peter Masterson, Larry L. King | The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas |
| Best Book of a Musical | Neil Simon | They're Playing Our Song |
| Best Choreography | Michael Bennett | Ballroom |
| Best Choreography | Bob Avian | Ballroom |
| Best Choreography | Henry LeTang, Billy Wilson | Eubie! |
| Best Choreography | Tommy Tune | The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas |
| Best Choreography | Dan Siretta | Whoopee! |
| Best Costume Design | Theoni V. Aldredge | Ballroom |
| Best Costume Design | Franne Lee | Sweeney Todd |
| Best Costume Design | Ann Roth | The Crucifer of Blood |
| Best Costume Design | Julie Weiss | The Elephant Man |
| Best Direction of a Musical | Michael Bennett | Ballroom |
| Best Direction of a Musical | Harold Prince | Sweeney Todd |
| Best Direction of a Musical | Robert Moore | They're Playing Our Song |
| Best Direction of a Musical | Peter Masterson | Tommy Tune |
| Best Direction of a Play | Alan Ayckbourn, Peter Hall | Bedroom Farce |
| Best Direction of a Play | Paul Giovanni | The Crucifer of Blood |
| Best Direction of a Play | Jack Hofsiss | The Elephant Man |
| Best Direction of a Play | Michael Lindsay-Hogg | Whose Life Is It Anyway |
| Best Lighting Design | Tharon Musser | Ballroom |
| Best Lighting Design | Ken Billington | Sweeney Todd |
| Best Lighting Design | Roger Morgan | The Crucifer of Blood |
| Best Lighting Design | Beverly Emmons | The Elephant Man |
| Best Musical | Charles Woodward, Martin Richards | Sweeney Todd |
| Best Musical | Michael Bennett, Bob Avian, Bernard Gersten, Susan MacNair, Bob Avian | Ballroom |
| Best Musical | Richard Barr, Robert Fryer, Mary Lea Johnson | Sweeney Todd |
| Best Musical | Universal Pictures | The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas |
| Best Musical | Emanuel Azenberg | They're Playing Our Song |
| Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre | Burton Lane, Alan Jay Lerner | Carmelina |
| Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre | Eubie Blake, F. E. Miller | Eubie! |
| Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre | Noble Sissle, Andy Razaf, Johnny Brandon, Jim Europe | Eubie! |
| Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre | Stephen Sondheim | Sweeney Todd |
| Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre | Jerry Herman | The Grand Tour |
| Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical | Gregory Hines | Eubie! |
| Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical | Richard Cox | Platinum |
| Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical | Henderson Forsythe | The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas |
| Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical | Ron Holgate | The Grand Tour |
| Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play | Michael Gough | Bedroom Farce |
| Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play | Joseph Maher | Spokesong |
| Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play | Bob Balaban | The Inspector General |
| Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play | Edward James Olmos | Zoot Suit |
| Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical | Vincent Gardenia | Ballroom |
| Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical | Len Cariou | Sweeney Todd |
| Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical | Joel Grey | The Grand Tour |
| Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical | Robert Klein | They're Playing Our Song |
| Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play | Alec McCowen | St. Mark's Gospel |
| Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play | Philip Anglim | The Elephant Man |
| Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play | Jack Lemmon | Tribute |
| Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play | Tom Conti | Who's Life Is It Anyway? |
| Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical | Millicent Martin | King of Hearts |
| Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical | Maxine Sullivan | My Old Friends |
| Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical | Carlin Glynn | The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas |
| Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical | Joan Ellis | The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas |
| Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play | Joan Hickson | Bedroom Farce |
| Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play | Susan Littler | Bedroom Farce |
| Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play | Laurie Kennedy | Man and Superman |
| Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play | Mary-Joan Negro | Wings |
| Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical | Dorothy Loudon | Ballroom |
| Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical | Alexis Smith | Platinum |
| Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical | Angela Lansbury | Sweeney Todd |
| Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play | Jane Alexander | First Monday in October |
| Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play | Frances Sternhagen | On Golden Pond |
| Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play | Carole Shelley | The Elephant Man |
| Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play | ConstanceCummings | Wings |
| Best Play | Robert Whitehead, Roger L. Stevens, George W. George | Bedroom Farce |
| Best Play | Alan Ayckbourn, Frank Milton | Bedroom Farce |
| Best Play | Richmond Crinkley, Elizabeth Ireland McCann, Nelle Nugent, Bernard Pomerance | The Elephant Man |
| Best Play | Emanuel Azenberg, Ray Cooney, James Nederlander | Whose Life Is It Anyway |
| Best Play | Brian Clark | Whose Life Is It Anyway? |
| Best Play | Arthur Kopit, The Kennedy Center | Wings |
| Best Scenic Design | Karl Eigsti | Knockout |
| Best Scenic Design | Eugene Lee | Sweeney Todd |
| Best Scenic Design | John Wulp | The Crucifer of Blood |
| Best Scenic Design | David Jenkins | The Elephant Man |
| Lawrence Langner Memorial Award for Distinguished Lifetime Achievement in the American Theatre | Richard Rodgers | |
| Regional Theater Tony Award | American Conservatory Theater | |
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