Tony Awards Committee Sets Eligibility Rulings For 2023 Contenders

The Tony Awards Administration Committee has announced its first round of eligibility rulings for this Broadway season to determine some of the potential nominees and their respective categories.

One ruling that has drawn the attention of many is how instead of being divided into leading and featured roles, both The Collaboration co-stars Paul Bettany and Jeremy Pope will be eligible for the Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play Award. A surprising decision was made in favor of Sharon D. Clarke, who portrayed Linda Loman in Miranda Cromwell's revival of Death of a Salesman opposite Wendell Pierce's Willy Loman. Instead of becoming a Leading Actress, Clarke will be an eligible Featured Actress.

The committee further decided that Tony voters will only be permitted to vote in categories in which they have not seen up to one performance of each production, up to one creative element nominated for an award, and up to one performance by each performer nominated for an award for the 2022-2023 season. In the past, in order to vote in certain categories, voters had to see all of the nominated components. The fall 2022 season was distinguished by several high-profile early closings, including Gabriel Byrne's Walking with Ghosts, Ain't No Mo', and KPOP, which may not have been open long enough to accommodate all voters.

The 76th Annual Tony Awards will air live from United Palace Theatre, in New York City, on Sunday, June 11, on CBS and available to stream live and on-demand on Paramount+. The Tony Awards eligibility cut-off date for the 2022-2023 season is Thursday, April 27, 2023, and nominations will be announced on Tuesday, May 2, 2023.

According to Tony Awards Administration Committee, these are the eligibility determinations that were announced on February 1, 2023 (additional rulings are expected later in the season):

• Gavin Creel, Joshua Henry, and Phillipa Soo will be considered eligible in the Best Performance by an Actor/Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical category for their respective performances in Into the Woods.

• Amir Arison will be considered eligible in the Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play category for his performance in The Kite Runner.

• Crystal Lucas-Perry will be considered eligible in the Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical category for her performance in 1776.

• Sharon D. Clarke will be considered eligible for the Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play category for her performance in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman.

• Samuel L. Jackson and Danielle Brooks will be considered eligible in the Best Performance by an Actor/Actress in a Featured Role in a Play category for their respective performances in August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson.

• Casey Likes will be considered eligible for the Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical category for his performance in Almost Famous.

• Victoria Clark will be considered eligible in the Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical category for her performance in Kimberly Akimbo.

• A Christmas Carol will be considered eligible in the Best Play category. Jefferson Mays, Susan Lyons, and Michael Arden will be considered eligible as authors for the adaptation.

• Jefferson Mays will be considered eligible in the Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play category for his performance in A Christmas Carol.

• Dane Laffrey and Lucy Mackinnon will be considered jointly eligible in the Best Scenic Design of a Play category for their work on A Christmas Carol.

• Lorna Courtney will be considered eligible in the Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical category for her performance in & Juliet.

• Soutra Gilmour and Andrzej Goulding will be considered jointly eligible in the Best Scenic Design of a Musical category for their work on & Juliet.

• Luna will be considered eligible for the Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical category for her performance in KPOP.

• Gabriel Hainer Evansohn and Peter Nigrini will be considered jointly eligible in the Best Scenic Design of a Musical category for their work on KPOP.

• Will Swenson will be considered eligible in the Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical category for his performance in A Beautiful Noise, The Neil Diamond Musical.

• Ohio State Murders will be considered eligible in the Best Revival of a Play category. Adrienne Kennedy will be considered eligible as the author.

• Beowulf Boritt and Jeff Sugg will be considered jointly eligible in the Best Scenic Design of a Play category for their work on Ohio State Murders.

• Christian Borle, J. Harrison Ghee, and Adrianna Hicks will be considered eligible in the Best Performance by an Actor/Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical categories for their respective performances in Some Like it Hot.

• Paul Bettany and Jeremy Pope will be considered eligible in the Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play category for their respective performances in The Collaboration.

• Ben Stanton and Duncan McLean will be considered jointly eligible in the Best Lighting Design of a Play category for their work on The Collaboration.