The Tony Award was established in 1947 by the American Theatre Wing, a New York City-based organization whose mission is to support excellence and education in theatre. It was named after Antoinette Perry, nicknamed Tony, an actress, director, producer and co-founder of the Wing who had passed away a year before the award was created.
The inaugural Tony Awards ceremony took place on April 6, 1947 at the Waldorf Astoria News York hotel in Manhattan. There was no statuette yet. The winners received jewelry, cigarette lighters and money clips as prizes. The Tony Award medallion was designed by theatrical designer and art director Herman Rosse. The first medallion was given to winners in 1949. It has been mounted on a base since 1967.
At first, there were 11 categories of awards. The names and number of categories have changed over the years and now (as of 2016) there are 24 categories, plus a number of special awards such as the Special Tony Award and the Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre. The categories are split into two main groups, performance categories and show & technical categories. In most cases, there are separate categories for plays and for musicals.
The Tony Award recognizes achievement in Broadway theatre. Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway productions are covered by the Obie Awards and the Drama Desk Awards are presented to recognize excellence in all kinds of New York theatre productions.
Tony Award nominees are chosen by the Tony Awards Nominating Committee, a rotating group of theatre professionals who are expected to see every new Broadway production. The Committee members typically serve a three-year term. The winners are chosen by over 800 eligible voters who are members of various theatre organizations and unions.
The Tony Awards ceremony is held every year in June and broadcast live on CBS. Since 1997, it has been held at Radio City Music Hall almost every year with the exception of the years 1999 (the Gershwin Theatre) and 2011, 2013 and 2016 (the Beacon Theatre). Past hosts include James Corden, Alan Cumming, Kristin Chenoweth, Hugh Jackman, Neil Patrick Harris, Sean Hayes, Whoopi Goldberg, and other renowned theatre actors.
Photo: tonyawards.com
