The cast of ‘The Music Man.’ (Photo: Julieta Cervantes)
The Tony Awards announced on Friday that the eligibility cut-off for nominations has shifted, moving back to include all productions that open by May 4. This year marks the 75th annual Tony Awards, and nominations will now be announced on May 9 at 9 a.m. from a YouTube livestream. (The “Meet the Nominees” even has also been pushed to May 12.)
Previously, productions had to open by April 28 in order to be eligible as part of the 2021-22 Broadway season. Nominations were then going to be announced on May 3. The shift in dates gives Tony Award voters more time to see eligible productions and lets six that have yet to open move their opening night dates by a week if desired. Due to COVID-19, many performances have been canceled with actors testing positive, so the new deadline gives voters more of a chance to see performances.
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“Due to the challenges that Broadway has faced in recent weeks, and in an effort to allow nominators to see Tony eligible shows, we have decided to extend the deadline for eligibility requirements,” said Broadway League president Charlotte St. Martin and American Theatre Wing president and chief executive Heather Hitchens in a joint statement.
The Skin of Our Teeth, A Strange Loop, Macbeth, and POTUS are some of the shows that have yet to open but have also been impacted by COVID; at this time, none of the shows have opted to change their opening night dates.
The date for the actual Tony Awards has not changed; the award ceremony will be on June 12 at 8 p.m., airing on CBS and Paramount+ at 8 p.m. There will also be an hour of exclusive content available on Paramount+ as of 7 p.m. The ceremony will be available for on-demand viewing on the streaming service. This year’s Tony Awards will be held at Radio City Music Hall.
