Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender. As other formal (and informal) polls suggest, competitions are fluid and subject to change based on buzz and events. Predictions are updated every Thursday.
Visit the prediction pages for the respective ceremonies via the links below:
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UPDATED: May 1, 2023
2023 Tony Predictions:
Best Actress in a Play
Richard Termine
Weekly Commentary: If you’ll looking for the biggest star names at this year’s Tony ceremony, you’re likely to find them in the running for a trophy for lead acting in a play.
Lead actress will almost surely boast a lineup that includes Jessica Chastain for her riveting turn in “A Doll’s House” and Jodie Comer for her expertly modulated, Olivier-winning performance in “Prima Facie.” Tony fave Audra McDonald will also likely get a nod for her dramatic role at the center of “Ohio State Murders,” as will Emmy winner Rachel Brosnahan for her multifaceted turn in “The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window.”
Because there are fewer than nine performers eligible for the category, the nominees list will likely be limited to four names (per Tony regulations). If it stretches to five in the event of a tie, Laura Linney’s meticulous performance in “Summer, 1976” is waiting in the wings.
Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Tony Awards predictions in all categories.
The Tony Awards eligibility cutoff date for the 2022–23 season is April 27, 2023, for all Broadway productions which meet all other eligibility requirements. The 2023 Tony Awards nominations will be announced on May 2, 2023.
The 76th Annual Tony Awards are scheduled for June 11, 2023, at the United Palace in New York City. It will air on CBS and Paramount+ and be produced by Ricky Kirshner and Glenn Weiss, with the latter also serving as the director.
And the Predicted Nominees Are:
- Laura Linney — “Summer, 1976” (Samuel J. Friedman Theatre)
- Jessica Hecht — “Summer, 1976” (Samuel J. Friedman Theatre)
All Eligible Shows and Performances (Unranked)
Tony Awards Predictions Categories
BEST MUSICAL | BEST PLAY | MUSICAL REVIVAL | PLAY REVIVAL | ACTOR (MUSICAL) | ACTOR (PLAY) | ACTRESS (MUSICAL) | ACTRESS (PLAY) | FEATURED ACTOR (MUSICAL) | FEATURED ACTOR (PLAY) | FEATURED ACTRESS (MUSICAL) | FEATURED ACTRESS (PLAY) | DIRECTOR (MUSICAL) | DIRECTOR (PLAY) | ORIGINAL SCORE | MUSICAL BOOK | CHOREOGRAPHY
About the Tony Awards
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, better known as the Tony Awards, is given out annually by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League, recognizing excellence in live Broadway theatre. The ceremony, held annually in New York City, was founded by theatre producer and director Brock Pemberton and is named after Antoinette “Tony” Perry, an actress, producer and theatre director who was co-founder of the American Theatre Wing.