How did this legendary ceremony honoring Broadway's biggest and brightest stars come to be? The Hollywood Reporter is taking a look back at the history of the Tony Awards.
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00:00How did this legendary ceremony honoring Broadway's biggest and brightest stars come to be?
00:05Let's take a look back at the history of the Tony Awards.
00:08This photo was taken at one of the first ceremonies in 1950,
00:11just a few years after the American Theatre Wing established the Tony Awards
00:15to celebrate excellence in theatre in 1947.
00:18Performers at the first ceremony included Mickey Rooney and Ethel Waters.
00:23The awards were named after Antoinette Tony Perry,
00:25an actress, director and producer, as well as the dynamic wartime leader of the American Theatre Wing,
00:31who had recently passed.
00:32The Broadway community quickly embraced the Tony Awards,
00:35and the gala dinner became one of the highlights of the New York theatre season.
00:39But the ceremony wasn't broadcast on national television until the 21st Annual Awards in 1967,
00:46which was also the first time the event was co-presented with the Broadway League.
00:49Guests that year included Carol Burnett, Warren Beatty, Barbara Harris, who won a Tony that night,
00:54Harry Belafonte, and Kirk Douglas, among many others.
00:58In 1978, CBS began carrying the ceremony,
01:01and the network has broadcast the Tonys every year since.
01:04Today, the Tony Awards remain the pinnacle of acknowledgement for Broadway theatre,
01:08and winning one has become a crucial component in obtaining the highly coveted EGOT,
01:13a.k.a. when a performer has won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and a Tony.
01:18The list of only 21 performers in history who can call themselves competitive EGOT winners
01:22includes Viola Davis, Rita Moreno, Jennifer Hudson, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Elton John, and Audrey Hepburn.
01:30For much more on the 2025 Tony Awards, stick with The Hollywood Reporter.