See what everyone will be talking about (the good, the bad and the awkward) about the 79th annual Tony Awards
From the moment Pink kicked off the Tony Awards hanging high above the stage dressed as Peter Pan, we knew we were in for a fun night, and she made sure to deliver. After addressing right off the bat that some people might be skeptical to see a pop star hosting Broadway's biggest night — then showing them all why she was chosen, from a high-octane opening number to countless outfit changes to even stepping into Velma Kelly's LaDucas — she set the tone.
There were plenty of highs (and not just the aerial kind!), a few surprises and a couple side eye-inducing moments throughout the evening, which featured nostalgic cast reunions, memorable live performances and a few well-placed bleeps. Read on for the good, bad and the awkward of the 2026 Tonys.
01 of 15
Best Inversion of Expectations: Pink
Pink literally inverted — with one of her famous aerial tricks to start off her opening number — but as promised, she did a silly take on her signature skill (which ended with Neil Patrick Harris clutched between her thighs), before pivoting to a riotous, fun "Leading Lady Marmalade" take penned by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (Dear Evan Hansen, The Greatest Showman) and Mark Sonnenblick (KPop Demon Hunters).
02 of 15
Oops, Here's a Sentence We Would Not Have Understood Five Years Ago
"Pink, Lea Michele from Glee and that lady from dancing in the hospital are singing together at the Tony Awards!"
03 of 15
Worst Upcoming Sophie's Choice
Is it possible both Paddington and Evita will be West End-to-Broadway transplants next year, as Harris hinted in the opening number? Two legendary divas on the Great White Way at the same time?! Don't make us choose!
04 of 15
Worst Start (if We're Strictly Talking About Timeliness)
The opening number was such a knockout that, as PEOPLE's Dave Quinn reported from inside Radio City Music Hall, "If the show didn’t keep going, Radio City would have never sat down after that opening number. A standing ovation that could have gone on forever."
05 of 15
Best Longevity (Tie): June Squibb and John Lithgow
At 96, June Squibb had one of the best dresses of the night and landed a perfectly timed punchine in the opening number. Meanwhile, John Lithgow took home his third Tony Award tonight — 53 years after his first. Can we get their vitamin regimen?
06 of 15
Best Big Goofy Grin of a Musical: 'Schmigadoon'
If you didn't listen too closely to the lyrics (did they just say "does unspeakable things to pigs"?) you'd swear you had time-traveled to Broadway's Golden Age thanks to the smooth harmonies and spectacularly in-sync choreography, which is one of the things that makes the show so loveable.
07 of 15
Oops, We Guess We'll Have to Buy Tickets Again: Two Marys
Credit: Theo Wargo/Getty
Maya Rudolph and Cole Escola were just two of the stars to play Mary Todd Lincoln in last year's Tony-winning comedy take the mic tonight (Tituss Burgess hosted the pre-show). And their banter made us realize, ugh, fine, we'll go see the show for a third (fourth) (fifth) time.
08 of 15
Worst Night to Be Delusional About Your Shower Singing Talents
Dang, the cast of Ragtime sounds good. We'll take tomorrow morning off.
09 of 15
Worst Night to Be Watching This on the Couch with Ice Cream in Hand
Have I ever had as much energy as the anyone in the cast of Cats: The Jellicle Ball?
10 of 15
Oops, Did I Just Hallucinate That?
Legendarily icy Vogue editor Anna Wintour and '80s composer extraordinaire Andrew Lloyd Webber teaming up to play along with the Cats: The Jellicle Ball? It's freaking meow-t!
11 of 15
Worst Moment to Watch with Your Grandma
Judging from some of the ads, the Tonys were expecting a more, shall we say, mature audience this evening. So we're guessing the folks at home either weren't quite prepared (or weren't in on the joke) when Megan Thee Stallion delivered her "two strangers carrying some cake" quip and accompanying twerk.
12 of 15
Most Historically Accurate
I caught the last 20 minutes of Titanic before the Tonys began, so I can tell you definitively: This musical is a documentary, and Celine Dion is the lady who dropped it into the ocean at the end. (And though sound issues appeared to plague the performance, we can assure you that you don't want to wait "84 years" to see it live.)
13 of 15
Best Stunt Casting: The 'Chicago' Intro
Sure, it was great to see Queen Latifah and Alex Newell reprising their roles as Mama Morton, and yes, Pink made a very convincing Velma Kelly in her performance of "All That Jazz" in the segment dedicated to 30 years of the Chicago revival on Broadway. But we're really fixating on how much we want to actually see Julianne Hough, Dylan Mulvaney, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Adrienne Warren and Chicago alum Whitney Leavitt (posing with Cedric the Entertainer) take the stage as the Six Merry Murderesses of the Cook County Jail for real.
14 of 15
Best Worst Fact
Look at all these people excited about Liberation's win for Best Play! And all these people in disbelief it's the first win by an American woman in the category since 1989!
15 of 15
Best Speech of the Night
In a night with a lot of memorable speeches (turns out theater people are very good at expressing themselves live), Joshua Henry was a standout. He won for his role as Coalhouse Walker in the Ragtime revival, and specifically called out original cast members Brian Stokes Mitchell and Audra McDonald for their "Black don't crack legacy of artistic brilliance, showing us that we can shine in the fullness of who we are." That plus heartfelt thanks to his wife and three sons put his speech over the top and earned our top honors.
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