Death of a Salesman makes history at 2026 Tony Awards
The ceremony, hosted by Pink, celebrated a Broadway season that generated nearly $1.91 billion in ticket sales, with Bess Wohl’s Liberation taking the top play prize.
The 2026 Tony Awards ceremony, hosted by Pink, concluded with a historic sweep for Joe Mantello’s stark revival of Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman. The production secured six awards, including best revival of a play, establishing a new record for the most wins by a play revival in the awards’ history. The previous high for a revival was set by productions in 1984, 1999, and 2012. Star Nathan Lane accepted the award on behalf of the cast, describing the drama as a work that continues to teach audiences about their humanity.
Leading acting honours were shared by two veteran performers who also broke historical barriers. John Lithgow won best leading actor in a play for his portrayal of Roald Dahl in Giant. At 80 years old, Lithgow became the oldest man to win a competitive acting Tony, adding to his previous Olivier award for the role. He accepted the award alongside Lesley Manville, who took home best leading actress in a play for her performance in Oedipus. Manville, who previously won an Olivier for the part, described the Broadway win as a significant milestone in her career.
In the play category, Bess Wohl’s Liberation won the award for best play. The intergenerational feminism epic, which recently won the Pulitzer prize for drama, marked a notable shift in the awards’ demographics. Wohl is only the fourth woman to win the honour, and the first since 2009. Laurie Metcalf also secured a victory, winning best featured actress in a play for her role in Death of a Salesman, bringing her total Tony count to three.
The musical categories saw strong performances from Ragtime and Schmigadoon!. Ragtime won four awards, including best revival of a musical, while Joshua Henry and Caissie Levy won best leading actor and actress in a musical respectively. Henry secured his first Tony after four previous nominations. Schmigadoon!, the stage adaptation of the cancelled Apple TV series, won best musical along with three other awards, with producer Lorne Michaels noting that the show offered necessary escapism.
The ceremony opened with a theatrical flourish from host Pink, who entered as Peter Pan before performing Lady Marmalade with guests including Lea Michele and Megan Thee Stallone. The awards followed a Broadway season that broke records with nearly $1.91 billion in ticket sales. Other notable winners included The Lost Boys and Cats: The Jellicle Ball, while nominated shows such as The Rocky Horror Show and Chess left without trophies.