Cynthia Erivo Hosts An Incredibly Gay Night At The Tony Awards

It should come as no surprise to anyone that the Tony Awards are an incredibly gay awards night, however for the 2025 awards they really managed to up their game.

Between Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Groff, Harvey Fierstein and plenty more it was truly a night to remember as old and new faces came together to celebrate the best on broadway.

Cynthia Erivo delivers as host of the Tony Awards

Cynthia Erivo took to the stage for the 78th annual Tony Awards today delivering a flawless and fabulous ceremony that has everyone talking.

Naturally every time Erivo took to the stage to sing she delivered a stunning performance, including her duet of Tomorrow with Sara Bareilles during the In Memorium segment of the evening.

However it wasn’t just the Wicked star who was serving it up on the night, the evening featured a host of incredible show stopping numbers, including one by Megan Hilty.

Hilty took to the stage to sing the hilarious camp hit For The Gaze from Death Becomes Her in an absolute knock out peformance that brought the house down.

Cynthia Erivo also caught plenty of attention when she walked into the audience mid song to rope in random celebrities to sing with her including Kristen Chenoworth and a very excited Adam Lambert.

Cynthia Erivo just went into the Tonys audience and got a bunch of celebs to sing with her omg. Adam Lambert ate this up pic.twitter.com/EfyiuL0bRC

— Spencer Althouse (@SpencerAlthouse) June 9, 2025

However arguably one of the most powerful performances of the evening came from Broadway legend Audra Macdonald who belted out a show stopping rendition of Rose’s Turn from Gypsy as she proved why she is now the most nominated performer in the history of the awards.

and THIS is why Audra McDonald has more wins and nominations than any other performer in Tonys history. truly incredible pic.twitter.com/LRhnyu5PCl

— Spencer Althouse (@SpencerAlthouse) June 9, 2025

In other entertaining performances during the night Jonathan Groff took the chance to give Keanu Reeves some up close and personal attention as he straddled the chair over the actors face during his song.

Jonathan Groff climbing over Keanu Reeves in the audience and then straddling him while performing at the Tonys omg lol pic.twitter.com/Yg5BcEtLgc

— Spencer Althouse (@SpencerAlthouse) June 9, 2025

Meanwhile Cole Escola who made history as the first non-binary person to be nominated for Lead Actor in a Play at the Tony Awards, they also went on to win the award for their role in Oh! Mary!

Other notable wins on the evening included Glee star Darren Criss who now has an Emmy, a Golden Globe, a Critics Choice Award, a SAG award and a Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role In A Musical in Maybe Happy Ending, bringing himself one step closer to EGOT status. 

Former Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger took home the award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role In A Musical for her role in Sunset Blvd

While Australian Sarah Snook scored the Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play for her incredible performance in The Picture of Dorian Gray. 

However there was not a dry in the audience when the openly gay veteran performer Harvey Fierstein took to the stage to accept his Lifetime Achievement Award as he reflected on a long career, through difficult and trying times, he spoke through tears as he accepted the prestigious honour which he dedicated to the audiences who have supported him.

Harvey Fierstein – through tears – just gave an all-timer kind of acceptance speech while accepting his Lifetime Tony Award

“There is nothing quite like bathing in the applause of a curtain call, but when I bow, I bow to the audience…with gratitude, knowing that without them I… pic.twitter.com/5ukGXStyKe

— Spencer Althouse (@SpencerAlthouse) June 8, 2025

But of course Cynthia Erivo had the final say as she closed the evening with her own take on And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going as she changed the lyrics to “I am tell you I AM going” among other changes which included “this night was so gay, it so so so so so gay, Oh Mary, that’s broadway” the perfect way to round out the evening.

Cynthia Erivo just got a standing ovation by closing the Tonys with her version of “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going.” she changed the lyrics to be about tonight’s ceremony

“And I am telling you I ~am~ going. This was the best time I’ll ever know!” pic.twitter.com/KNuxxoiu1v

— Spencer Althouse (@SpencerAlthouse) June 9, 2025

See below for the complete list of all the winners of the 2025 Tony Awards below.

Best Musical

• Maybe Happy Ending

Best Play

• Purpose

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

• Nicole Scherzinger, Sunset Blvd.

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

• Darren Criss, Maybe Happy Ending

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

• Sarah Snook, The Picture of Dorian Gray

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

• Cole Escola, Oh, Mary!

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

• Francis Jue, Yellow Face

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

• Jak Malone, Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical

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

• Kara Young, Purpose

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

• Natalie Venetia Belcon, Buena Vista Social Club

Best Revival of a Musical

• Sunset Blvd.

Best Revival of a Play

• Eureka Day

Best Direction of a Play

• Sam Pinkleton, Oh, Mary!

Best Direction of a Musical

• Michael Arden, Maybe Happy Ending

Best Choreography

• Patricia Delgado and Justin Peck, Buena Vista Social Club

Best Book of a Musical

• Will Aronson and Hue Park, Maybe Happy Ending

Best Original Score

• Will Aronson and Hue Park, Maybe Happy Ending

Best Scenic Design in a Play

• Miriam Buether and 59, Stranger Things: The First Shadow

Best Scenic Design in a Musical

• Dane Laffrey and George Reeve, Maybe Happy Ending

Best Costume Design in a Play

• Marg Horwell, The Picture of Dorian Gray

Best Costume Design in a Musical

• Paul Tazewell, Death Becomes Her

Best Lighting Design in a Play

• Jon Clark, Stranger Things: The First Shadow

Best Lighting Design in a Musical

• Jack Knowles, Sunset Blvd.

Best Sound Design of a Musical

• Jonathan Deans, Buena Vista Social Club

Best Sound Design of a Play

• Paul Arditti, Stranger Things: The First Shadow

Best Orchestrations

• Margo Paguia, Buena Vista Social Club