25 Tony Awards Moments That Made Us Gasp, Cheer and Do the Worm
To celebrate Broadway.com’s 25th anniversary, we’ve gathered the Tony Awards moments from the past quarter century that stuck with us long after the credits rolled. From surprise victories and unforgettable speeches to moments that made us laugh, cry or question the play-off music, these highlights deliver the drama and the diva energy. It’s what makes the Tonys feel like prom, the Super Bowl and group therapy all at once. Think underdog wins that left the crowd buzzing, thank-yous that turned into personal manifestos and life lessons, literal mic drops and musical numbers that delivered comedy, chaos or both. This is why we watch.
2000
Jennifer Ehle won Best Actress in a Play for The Real Thing, beating her own mother, Rosemary Harris, who was nominated for Waiting in the Wings. It was the Tonys’ first-ever parent-child faceoff. Meanwhile, Heather Headley nabbed Best Actress in a Musical for Aida and told Disney, “I’ll work for you for the rest of my life.”
2001
The Producers broke the record with 12 Tony Awards. Nathan Lane won Best Actor and brought Matthew Broderick on stage during his speech, saying, “I can only accept this on behalf of the two of us… We are very much a team, and believe me, without him, I’m nothing.” Show creator Mel Brooks addressed his fellow nominees with a wink: “Any other year, you guys would have won—I assure you of that. But this is a phenomenon, so forgive us for that.”
2002
Elaine Stritch won for Elaine Stritch at Liberty, quipping, “The good news is I've got a sensational acceptance speech. The bad news is I’ve had it for 45 years.” Sutton Foster won her first Tony for Thoroughly Modern Millie, thanking her high school drama teacher Mr. Bodick, who was in the audience, and her brother Hunter Foster, who starred in Urinetown, a competing nominee that season.
2003
Hairspray took home eight awards, including Best Actress in a Musical for Marissa Jaret Winokur. She said, “If a 4-foot-11 chubby New York girl can be a leading lady in a Broadway show and win a Tony, then anything can happen.” The songwriting team, Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, then a longtime couple, shared a kiss on stage that made headlines.
2004
Avenue Q pulled off a shocking win, taking Best Musical over the heavily favored Wicked. Still, it was Wicked that delivered one of the night’s most unforgettable moments, with Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth performing “Defying Gravity.” Menzel won Best Actress, tearfully and gracefully thanking Chenoweth and shouting out her family for “taking me to Dreamgirls and Annie and everything!”
2005
The 59th Tony Awards honored multiple shows—Spamalot, Doubt, La Cage aux Folles and Glengarry Glen Ross—with first-time wins for Victoria Clark (The Light in the Piazza) and Norbert Leo Butz (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels). A standout was Sweet Charity nominee Christina Applegate’s hilarious entrance, sending up the foot injury she sustained during the pre-Broadway engagement in Chicago. She went on to perform "If My Friends Could See Me Now" flawlessly.
2006
It was a British invasion at the 2006 Tonys, with Alan Bennett’s The History Boys taking six awards, including Best Play, Best Actor and Best Featured Actress. But the home team held its own. Jersey Boys, the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, brought down the house with four wins, including Best Musical, Best Actor and Best Featured Actor. Bada bing!
2007
Spring Awakening won eight Tony Awards in 2007, including Best Musical. At the ceremony, the cast performed a medley that opened with Lea Michele singing “Mama Who Bore Me,” featuring Bill T. Jones’ Tony-winning choreography. The medley segued into John Gallagher Jr., Jonathan Groff, Skylar Astin and others performing “The Bitch of Living,” culminating in a totally censored version of “Totally F**ked.”
2008
Patti LuPone won Best Actress in a Musical for Gypsy and famously yelled at the orchestra trying to play her off, “Shut up! It’s been 29 years!” referencing her last Tony for Evita. In the Heights took home four Tonys, including Best Musical and Best Original Score. Lin-Manuel Miranda rapped his thanks, including this nugget: “Look, Mr. Sondheim, I made a hat. It’s a Latin hat at that,” nodding to Sunday in the Park with George.
2009
Poison rocker Bret Michaels was hit by a descending set piece during the Rock of Ages performance, breaking his nose and splitting his lip. Once it was determined Michaels was not in serious condition, Tony host Neil Patrick Harris wisecracked, “He gave headbanging a whole new meaning.”
2010
Lea Michele, who rose to fame on Glee, walked down the aisle singing “Don’t Rain on My Parade” from Funny Girl at the 64th Annual Tony Awards, despite not having been on Broadway since leaving Spring Awakening in 2008. It was probably the most public audition for Fanny Brice ever. She later played the role on Broadway in 2022.
2011
Mark Rylance won Best Actor in a Play for Jerusalem and swapped a speech for a poem, leaving the crowd both amused and bemused. Meanwhile, The Book of Mormon cleaned up with nine Tonys, including Best Musical. Co-creator Trey Parker joked, “We did this because we all secretly wanted to have a big, happy Mormon family, and now we do.”
2012
In a year dominated by serious shows like Once, Porgy and Bess and Death of a Salesman, it was Newsies that wowed the crowd with a standout performance. The cast delivered a high-energy medley of “Once and For All” and “Seize The Day.” Their athleticism and precision showcased why Christopher Gattelli won Best Choreography, with newsboys leaping, spinning and handstanding on “papes.”
2013
Neil Patrick Harris kicked off the 2013 Tonys with “Bigger!,” a high-energy number by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Tom Kitt. It started quietly with Harris at the mic as if in Once, then exploded with tiny talents from Matilda and Annie, cheerleaders from Bring It On, divas from Kinky Boots, Mike Tyson, Pippin magic and Newsies dancing up the aisles. It was legendary. The song won an Emmy for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics.
2014
Audra McDonald made history by becoming the first actor to win six competitive Tony Awards and the only performer to win in all four acting categories: lead and featured roles in both plays and musicals. Her sixth win came for Best Actress in a Play for Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill. In her speech, she said, “I want to thank all the shoulders of the strong and brave and courageous women that I am standing on,” naming Lena Horne, Maya Angelou, Diahann Carroll, Ruby Dee and Billie Holiday.
2015
Kelli O’Hara finally won her first Tony in 2015 for The King and I after five previous nominations. Her parents, her co-star Ken Watanabe and practically everyone was moved to tears. She told the crowd, “I didn’t need this trophy, but now that I have it, I’ve got a few things to say.” Then she capped off her heartfelt, hilarious speech by shouting, “I’m gonna do the worm!” before dancing off stage in shuffle off to Buffalo-style in her heels and gold dress.
2016
Hamilton won 11 Tonys in 2016. Due to the tragic Pulse nightclub shooting the night before, the cast decided at the last minute not to use their prop muskets during their performances of “History Has Its Eyes on You” and “Yorktown.” Lin-Manuel Miranda read a sonnet titled “Love is love is love,” honoring the victims.
2017
Ben Platt won Best Actor in a Musical for Dear Evan Hansen and used his moment to speak directly to young viewers: “Don’t waste time trying to be like anybody but yourself.” Bette Midler, on the other hand, went full diva in the best way, claiming Best Actress for Hello, Dolly! and delivering a four-minute speech that steamrolled the play-off music. “To the Tony voters, many of whom I’ve dated,” she said. “Thank you.” The year also brought Midler's castmate Gavin Creel a Tony Award, which he dedicated to his alma mater, the University of Michigan.
2018
Lindsay Mendez’s win for Carousel was one of the night’s defining moments. “I was told to change my name from Mendez to Matthews or I wouldn't work,” she said. “But I want to say how proud I am to be a part of a community that celebrates diversity.” The Band’s Visit won 10 awards, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child earned six, and Nathan Lane picked up his third Tony. Even so, Mendez made one of the strongest impressions. That’s our Fly Girl!
2019
While Hadestown cleaned up with eight wins and a memorable performance of “Wait for Me,” the moment that made history belonged to Ali Stroker, who became the first wheelchair user to win a Tony for her performance in Oklahoma! During her emotional speech, she said, “This award is for every kid who is watching tonight who has a disability, a limitation, a challenge, who has been waiting to see themselves represented in this arena. You are.”
2020
The COVID-19 pandemic abruptly halted the 2019-2020 season, closing theaters on March 12. The shutdown meant many spring shows never opened, and the Tony Awards were postponed. Still, a few standout productions had already premiered, including Jagged Little Pill, Moulin Rouge! and Slave Play. Theaters stayed dark, but the community rallied by sharing performances online, raising funds for artists and showing Broadway’s resilience.
2021
The long-delayed Tony Awards finally aired as part of a TV special called Broadway’s Back! on September 26. Moulin Rouge! won 10 awards, including Best Musical. In an unusual twist, Aaron Tveit ran unopposed for Best Actor in a Musical, making him the only nominee who didn’t have to fake a surprised face. He still needed to earn a majority of votes. He did.
2022
The night belonged to Joaquina Kalukango, whose tear-streaked “Let It Burn” from Paradise Square earned a mid-song standing ovation and a Tony. Michael R. Jackson, who wrote Best Musical winner A Strange Loop, delivered a fiery speech. Then Mr. Saturday Night's Billy Crystal broke into jazzy scat-singing in Yiddish, pulling in Samuel L. Jackson and Lin-Manuel Miranda. Oy, that was fun.
2023
Alex Newell won Best Featured Actor in a Musical for Shucked and J. Harrison Ghee won Best Leading Actor in a Musical for Some Like It Hot, making history as the first openly nonbinary Tony winners. “Thank you for seeing me, Broadway,” Newell said. “I should not be up here as a queer, non-binary, fat, Black little baby from Massachusetts.” Ghee dedicated their win “for every trans, nonbinary, gender nonconforming human who was told you couldn’t be seen.”
2024
Last year’s Tony Awards gave us many memorable moments, but none quite like Jonathan Groff’s heartfelt acceptance speech for Merrily We Roll Along. He thanked his family with quirky charm: “Thank you for letting me dress up like Mary Poppins when I was three. Thank you for letting me act out scenes from I Love Lucy on my 10th birthday. Thank you for always allowing my freak flag to fly without ever making me feel weird about it...I walk through life with an open heart because you let me know that I could.”