Recap Tony Awards Eligibility Decisions of the 2025/26 Season

The Tony Awards Administration Committee has been meeting all year to discuss the eligibility of the 2025/26 Broadway productions all leading up to Tuesday's big announcement... the Tony nominations.

Need a recap before the nominations announcement? Below, we've rounded up all rulings from all four meetings. Apart from these specific decisions, all other eligibility rulings were consistent with opening night billing. Plus, recap the full season of shows.

What is opening night billing?

Performers who are billed ABOVE the title in a show's opening night playbill are considered to be Leading Actors, and those BELOW the title are considered to be Featured Actors. In order to change that determination, productions are able to make the request to the Tony Awards Administration Committee that actors be considered in other categories. This is generally done when there are leads who just aren't billed above the show's title, or when a star is billed above the title, but is really in a featured part.

The Balusters:

Anika Noni Rose will be considered eligible in the Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play category for their role in The Balusters.

Beaches:

Jessica Vosk will be considered eligible in the Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical category for their role in Beaches, A New Musical.

Kelli Barrett will be considered eligible in the Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical category for their role in Beaches, A New Musical.

James Noone (Scenic Design) and David Bengali (Video Design) will be considered jointly eligible in the Best Scenic Design of a Musical category for their work on Beaches, A New Musical.

Becky Shaw:

Becky Shaw will be considered eligible in the Best Revival of a Play category. Gina Gionfriddo will be considered eligible as author.

Bug:

Bug will be considered eligible in the Best Revival of a Play category. Tracy Letts will be considered eligible as author.  

Carrie Coon will be considered eligible in the Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play category for their role in Bug.

Namir Smallwood will be considered eligible in the Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play category for their role in Bug.

Cats: The Jellicle Ball:

Andrew Lloyd Webber, David Wilson, Trevor Holder, and Doug Schadt will be considered eligible in the Best Orchestrations category for their work on Cats: The Jellicle Ball.

Chess:

Danny Strong (New Book) will be considered eligible in the Best Book of a Musical category for their work on Chess.

David Rockwell (Scenic Designer) and Peter Nigrini (Video Designer) will be considered jointly eligible in the Best Scenic Design of a Musical category for their work on Chess.

Brian Usifer will be considered eligible in the Best Orchestrations category for their work on Chess.

Death of a Salesman:

Laurie Metcalf will be considered eligible in the Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play category for their role in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman. 

Christopher Abbott will be considered eligible in the Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play category for their role in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman.

Dog Day Afternoon:

Ebon Moss-Bachrach will be considered eligible in the Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play category for their role in Dog Day Afternoon.

Every Brilliant Thing:

Every Brilliant Thing will be considered eligible in the Best Revival of a Play category. Duncan MacMillan and Jonny Donahoe will be considered eligible as authors.

Liberation:

Susannah Flood will be considered eligible in the Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play category for their role in Liberation. 

The Lost Boys:

LJ Benet will be considered eligible in the Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical category for their role in The Lost Boys. 

Mamma Mia!:

Christine Sherrill will be considered eligible in the Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical category for their role in Mamma Mia!.

Andrew Bruce and Bobby Aitken will be considered eligible in the Best Sound Design of a Musical category for their work on  Mamma Mia!. 

Marjorie Prime:

Marjorie Prime will be considered eligible in the Best Revival of a Play category. Jordan Harrison will be considered eligible as author.  

Oedipus:

Oedipus will be considered eligible in the Best Revival of a Play category. Robert Icke will be considered eligible as author.

Proof:

Don Cheadle will be considered eligible in the Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play category for their role in Proof.

Punch:

Will Harrison will be considered eligible in the Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play category for their role in Punch. 

Leanne Pinder (Movement Director) will be considered eligible in the Best Choreography category for their work on Punch.

Ragtime:

Caissie Levy, Brandon Uranowitz, and Joshua Henry will be considered eligible in the Best Performance by an Actress/Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical category for their respective roles in Ragtime.

Adam Honoré & Donald Holder (Lighting Design) and 59 Studio (Projection Design) will be considered jointly eligible in the Best Lighting Design of a Musical category for their work on Ragtime.

The Rocky Horror Show:

Luke Evans will be considered eligible in the Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical category for their role in Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show.

Andrew Durand will be considered eligible in the Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical category for their role in Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show.

Stephanie Hsu will be considered eligible in the Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical category for their role in Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show.

Schmigadoon!

Cinco Paul will be considered eligible in the Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre category for their work on Schmigadoon!.

Alex Brightman will be considered eligible in the Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical category for their role in Schmigadoon!.

Sara Chase will be considered eligible in the Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical category for their role in Schmigadoon!.

Titanique:

Marla Mindelle will be considered eligible in the Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical category for their role in Titaníque.

Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York):

Christiani Pitts will be considered eligible in the Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical category for their role in Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York).

Sam Tutty will be considered eligible in the Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical category for their role in Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York).