Tony Nominations 2024: Alicia Keys’ Musical ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ and ‘Stereophonic’ Lead With 13 Nods Apiece (2024)

“Hell’s Kitchen,” a musical inspired by Alicia Keys’ teenage years in New York City, and “Stereophonic,” the story of a rock group in danger of splintering, dominated the 2024 Tony Awards nominations. The two shows, one focused on a pre-celebrity pop titan coming into her talent and the other examining a darker, druggier side of the music industry, picked up a leading 13 nods. They were followed closely by “The Outsiders,” a musical adaptation of S.E. Hinton’s coming-of-age novel and the Francis Ford Coppola film of the same name, which earned 12 nominations. “Hell’s Kitchen” and “The Outsiders” will duke it out for best musical, while “Stereophonic” was nominated for best play.

Among the contenders for best play revival, “Appropriate,” a scabrous portrait of a dysfunctional family that uses a fading plantation as a backdrop, picked up eight nominations. “Merrily We Roll Along,” which revived one of Stephen Sondheim’s most notorious flops to ecstatic reviews and big box office returns, earned seven nominations, as did “Water for Elephants,” a musical re-imagining of the best-selling romantic novel and film. “Merrily” will compete in the best musical revival category, while “Water for Elephants’ is up for best musical.

Several major Hollywood stars were included among the year’s nominees. Daniel Radcliffe earned his first Tony nomination for his supporting turn in “Merrily We Roll Along,” while Eddie Redmayne, who already has an Oscar and a Tony on his mantelpiece, was recognized for his performance as the malevolent emcee in “Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club.” The “Cabaret” revival was a sensation in London’s West End and has commanded sky-high ticket prices here, but American critics were more mixed. Still, the show earned an impressive nine nominations, including a nod for best musical revival and for Redmayne’s co-star Gayle Rankin.

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Rachel McAdams, who broke hearts as a mother dealing with her child’s health crisis, was nominated as best actress in a play in “Mary Jane,” which marks her Broadway debut. Sarah Paulson and Jessica Lange, two film and television stars who are seen frequently on stage, were also nominated in lead actress in a play for their work in “Appropriate” and “Mother Play,” respectively. “Succession” star Jeremy Strong and Liev Schreiber of “Ray Donovan” fame received leading actor in a play nods for two revivals, “Enemy of the People” and “Doubt.” And Schreiber’s co-star Amy Ryan, who was a last-minute replacement for an ailing Tyne Daly, taking the stage after a few days of rehearsal, was nominated for her courageous work as a crusading nun in “Doubt.” In a different take on clerical life, Leslie Odom Jr., a previous best actor in a musical winner for “Hamilton,” is up for leading actor in a play for his role as a scheming preacher in “Purlie Victorious.”

In addition to “Hell’s Kitchen,” “Water for Elephants” and “The Outsiders,” the best musical race includes “Suffs,” a historical epic about the women’s suffrage movement, and “Illinoise,” a dance review set to Sufjan Stevens’ music. “Merrily We Roll Along” and “Cabaret” are up for best musical revival, as are “Gutenberg! The Musical!” and “The Who’s Tommy.”

In the best play race, “Stereophonic,” which was written by David Adjmi, will face off against Amy Herzog’s “Mary Jane,” Paula Vogel’s “Mother Play,” Jocelyn Bioh’s “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding” and Joshua Harmon’s “Prayer for the French Republic.” With its 13 nods, “Stereophonic” now holds the record for the most-nominated play in history, just ahead of “Slave Play,” which had 12 nominations.

Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ “Appropriate,” widely considered the show, was nominated for play revival along with Ossie Davis’ “Purlie Victorious” and Henrik Ibsen’s “Enemy of the People,” which Herzog adapted in a new translation.

It’s been a frenetic period on Broadway as shows rushed to open before April 25, the eligibility cut off for nominations. That led to the premieres of roughly a dozen shows over the course of two weeks, with the likes of “Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club,” “Patriots,” “Uncle Vanya,” “Hell’s Kitchen,” “Suffs” and “Illinoise” all debuting in quick succession. But winning a major Tony Award can mark the difference between an extended engagement and a truncated run — just ask previous victors, such as last season’s “Kimberly Akimbo” or 2022’s “A Strange Loop,” both of which were able to stick around for months after winning the top prize for new musicals.

Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Renée Elise Goldsberry, previous Tony winners, announced the nominations on Tuesday morning. TheTonyAwards, now in their 77th year, will be hosted by Ariana DeBose, and will be held in the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City on June 16. The broadcast will air on CBS and will stream on Paramount+ — both companies share a parent company in Paramount Global. It will be DeBose’s third time hosting the awards.

Best Play

Jaja’s African Hair Braiding

Mary Jane

Mother Play

Prayer for the French Republic

Stereophonic

Best Musical

Hell’s Kitchen

Illinoise

The Outsiders

Suffs

Water for Elephants

Best Revival of a Play

Appropriate

An Enemy of the People

Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch

Best Revival of a Musical

Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club

Gutenberg! The Musical!

Merrily We Roll Along

The Who’s Tommy

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

William Jackson Harper, Uncle Vanya

Leslie Odom, Jr., Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch

Liev Schreiber, Doubt: A Parable

Jeremy Strong, An Enemy of the People

Michael Stuhlbarg, Patriots

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

Betsy Aidem, Prayer for the French Republic

Jessica Lange, Mother Play

Rachel McAdams, Mary Jane

Sarah Paulson, Appropriate

Amy Ryan, Doubt: A Parable

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

Brody Grant, The Outsiders

Jonathan Groff, Merrily We Roll Along

Dorian Harewood, The Notebook

Brian d’Arcy James, Days of Wine and Roses

Eddie Redmayne, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club

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

Eden Espinosa, Lempicka

Maleah Joi Moon, Hell’s Kitchen

Kelli O’Hara, Days of Wine and Roses

Maryann Plunkett, The Notebook

Gayle Rankin, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club

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

Will Brill, Stereophonic

Eli Gelb, Stereophonic

Jim Parsons, Mother Play

Tom Pecinka, Stereophonic

Corey Stoll, Appropriate

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

Quincy Tyler Bernstine, Doubt: A Parable

Juliana Canfield, Stereophonic

Celia Keenan-Bolger, Mother Play

Sarah Pidgeon, Stereophonic

Kara Young, Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch

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

Roger Bart, Back To The Future: The Musical

Joshua Boone, The Outsiders

Brandon Victor Dixon, Hell’s Kitchen

Sky Lakota-Lynch, The Outsiders

Daniel Radcliffe, Merrily We Roll Along

Steven Skybell, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club

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

Shoshana Bean, Hell’s Kitchen

Amber Iman, Lempicka

Nikki M. James, Suffs

Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer, Monty Python’s Spamalot

Kecia Lewis, Hell’s Kitchen

Lindsay Mendez, Merrily We Roll Along

Bebe Neuwirth, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club

Best Book of a Musical

Hell’s Kitchen
Kristoffer Diaz

The Notebook
Bekah Brunstetter

The Outsiders
Adam Rapp and Justin Levine

Suffs
Shaina Taub

Water for Elephants
Rick Elice

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

Days of Wine and Roses
Music & Lyrics: Adam Guettel

Here Lies Love
Music: David Byrne and Fatboy Slim
Lyrics: David Byrne

The Outsiders
Music & Lyrics: Jamestown Revival (Jonathan Clay and Zach Chance) and Justin Levine

Stereophonic
Music & Lyrics: Will Butler

Suffs
Music & Lyrics: Shaina Taub

Best Scenic Design of a Play

dots, Appropriate

dots, An Enemy of the People

Derek McLane, Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch

David Zinn, Jaja’s African Hair Braiding

David Zinn, Stereophonic

Best Scenic Design of a Musical

AMP featuring Tatiana Kahvegian, The Outsiders

Robert Brill and Peter Nigrini, Hell’s Kitchen

Takeshi Kata, Water for Elephants

David Korins, Here Lies Love

Riccardo Hernández and Peter Nigrini, Lempicka

Tim Hatley and Finn Ross, Back To The Future: The Musical

Tom Scutt, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club

Best Costume Design of a Play

Dede Ayite, Appropriate

Dede Ayite, Jaja’s African Hair Braiding

Enver Chakartash, Stereophonic

Emilio Sosa, Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch

David Zinn, An Enemy of the People

Best Costume Design of a Musical

Dede Ayite, Hell’s Kitchen

Linda Cho, The Great Gatsby

David Israel Reynoso, Water for Elephants

Tom Scutt, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club

Paul Tazewell, Suffs

Best Lighting Design of a Play

Isabella Byrd, An Enemy of the People

Amith Chandrashaker, Prayer for the French Republic

Jiyoun Chang, Stereophonic

Jane Cox, Appropriate

Natasha Katz, Grey House

Best Lighting Design of a Musical

Brandon Stirling Baker, Illinoise

Isabella Byrd, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club

Natasha Katz, Hell’s Kitchen

Bradley King and David Bengali, Water for Elephants

Brian MacDevitt and Hana S. Kim, The Outsiders

Best Sound Design of a Play

Justin Ellington and Stefania Bulbarella, Jaja’s African Hair Braiding

Leah Gelpe, Mary Jane

Tom Gibbons, Grey House

Bray Poor and Will Pickens, Appropriate

Ryan Rumery, Stereophonic

Best Sound Design of a Musical

M.L. Dogg and Cody Spencer, Here Lies Love

Kai Harada, Merrily We Roll Along

Nick Lidster for Autograph, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club

Gareth Owen, Hell’s Kitchen

Cody Spencer, The Outsiders

Best Direction of a Play

Daniel Aukin, Stereophonic

Anne Kauffman, Mary Jane

Kenny Leon, Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch

Lila Neugebauer, Appropriate

Whitney White, Jaja’s African Hair Braiding

Best Direction of a Musical

Maria Friedman, Merrily We Roll Along

Michael Greif, Hell’s Kitchen

Leigh Silverman, Suffs

Jessica Stone, Water for Elephants

Danya Taymor, The Outsiders

Best Choreography

Annie-B Parson, Here Lies Love

Camille A. Brown, Hell’s Kitchen

Rick Kuperman and Jeff Kuperman, The Outsiders

Justin Peck, Illinoise

Jesse Robb and Shana Carroll, Water for Elephants

Best Orchestrations

Timo Andres, Illinoise

Will Butler and Justin Craig, Stereophonic

Justin Levine, Matt Hinkley and Jamestown Revival (Jonathan Clay and Zach Chance), The Outsiders

Tom Kitt and Adam Blackstone, Hell’s Kitchen

Jonathan Tunick, Merrily We Roll Along

Tony Nominations 2024: Alicia Keys’ Musical ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ and ‘Stereophonic’ Lead With 13 Nods Apiece (2024)

FAQs

What musicals have 13 Tony nominations? ›

Put your lighters in the air for Alicia Keys – her triumphant musical Hell's Kitchen leads the pack with 13 nominations including Best Musical, Best Orchestrations (care of ASCAP's Adam Blackstone) and Best Book of a Musical.

What non musical has won the most ever Tony Awards? ›

Non-musical wins: The most Tonys ever received by a non-musical play was The Coast of Utopia (2007) with 7 awards, including Best Play.

What musical has won the most Tonys? ›

The Producers is the most-winning production, triumphing in 12 categories including Best Musical.

Which Broadway musical holds the record of winning 12 Tony Awards? ›

The PBS telecast was officially titled "The First Ten Awards: Tonys 2001." The Producers, which won for Best Musical, broke the all-time record for Tony wins with 12.

How many Tony nominations did Wicked receive? ›

The original show was nominated for ten Tony Awards in 2004, winning three, including the Best Actress in a Musical for Idina Menzel.

What musical won 11 Tonys? ›

Hamilton, the groundbreaking rap musical about Founding Father Alexander Hamilton that has been dominating headlnes and talk shows for most of the season, also dominated the 70th Annual Antoinette Perry Awards, winning 11 awards including Best Musical.

How many Tony Awards was Les Miserables nominated for? ›

The show was nominated for 12 Tony Awards, of which it won eight, including Best Musical and Best Original Score. Subsequently, numerous tours and international and regional productions have been staged, as well as concert and broadcast productions. Several recordings have also been made.

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