Tony Awards. Officially the Antoinette Perry Awards, they were established by the
American Theatre Wing in 1947, a year after the death of
Perry, and have been offered ever since for “distinguished achievement” in the theatre. There are numerous categories, some of which have changed over the years, and only Broadway productions are considered. Special awards are also given regularly. Apart from the
Pulitzer Prize and the
New York Drama Critics Circle Award for best plays, these are the most respected of all theatrical honors. More so than the other honors, the Tonys carry the most clout at the box office. The televised ceremony itself is often seen as a national advertisement for Broadway, and sometimes nominations are determined with the broadcast in mind. Shows that have closed and cannot benefit from the free advertising, for example, are frequently overlooked, while less‐accomplished offerings that are still running are favored. Like all of the major awards, the Tonys have been surrounded by controversy on many occasions. Much of the grumbling is more a matter of money than aesthetics since so much business rides on the Tonys. The awards have even changed the structure of the theatre season, producers all trying to get their productions opening in the late spring right before the nominations are determined. All of the American works that won the Tony for best play and best musical have their own entry. All the winners in these two categories, American or not, are herein listed. 1948:
Mister Roberts; 1949:
Death of a Salesman,
Kiss Me, Kate; 1950:
The Cocktail Party,
South Pacific; 1951:
The Rose Tattoo,
Guys and Dolls; 1952:
The Fourposter,
The King and I; 1953:
The Crucible,
Wonderful Town; 1954:
The Teahouse of the August Moon,
Kismet; 1955:
The Desperate Hours,
The Pajama Game; 1956:
The Diary of Anne Frank,
Damn Yankees; 1957:
Long Day's Journey into Night,
My Fair Lady; 1958:
Sunrise at Campobello,
The Music Man; 1959:
J. B.,
Redhead; 1960:
The Miracle Worker,
Fiorello! and
The Sound of Music (tie); 1961:
Becket,
Bye Bye Birdie; 1962:
A Man for All Seasons,
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying; 1963:
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?,
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum; 1964:
Luther,
Hello, Dolly!; 1965:
The Subject Was Roses,
Fiddler on the Roof; 1966:
Marat/Sade,
Man of La Mancha; 1967:
The Homecoming,
Cabaret; 1968:
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead,
Hallelujah,
Baby!; 1969:
The Great White Hope, 1776; 1970:
Borstal Boy,
Applause; 1971:
Sleuth Company; 1972:
Sticks and Bones,
Two Gentlemen of Verona; 1973:
That Championship Season,
A Little Night Music; 1974:
The River Niger,
Raisin; 1975:
Equus,
The Wiz; 1976:
Travesties,
A Chorus Line; 1977:
The Shadow Box,
Annie; 1978:
Da, Ain't Misbehavin'; 1979:
The Elephant Man,
Sweeney Todd; 1980:
Children of a Lesser God,
Evita; 1981:
Amadeus,
42nd Street; 1982:
The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby,
Nine; 1983:
Torch Song Trilogy,
Cats; 1984:
The Real Thing,
La Cage aux Folles; 1985:
Biloxi Blues,
Big River; 1986:
I'm Not Rappaport,
The Mystery of Edwin Drood; 1987:
Fences,
Les Misérables; 1988:
M. Butterfly,
The Phantom of the Opera; 1989:
The Heidi Chronicles,
Jerome Robbins' Broadway; 1990:
The Grapes of Wrath,
City of Angels; 1991:
Lost in Yonkers,
The Will Rogers Follies; 1992:
Dancing at Lughnasa,
Crazy for You; 1993:
Angels in America (Pt. 1),
Kiss of the Spider Woman; 1994:
Angels in America (Pt. 2),
Passion; 1995:
Love! Valour! Compassion!,
Sunset Boulevard; 1996:
Master Class,
Rent; 1997:
The Last Night of Ballyhoo,
Titanic; 1998:
Art,
The Lion King; 1999:
Side Man,
Fosse; 2000:
Copenhagen,
Contact; 2001:
Proof,
The Producers; 2002:
The Goat,
Thoroughly Modern Millie; 2003:
Take Me Out,
Hairspray.
