NewsAudra McDonald Makes Broadway History With Sixth Tony Win Audra McDonald, who won the 2014 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play (her sixth), made Broadway history June 8. She has broken the record for winning the most acting performance Tony Awards and is the first performer to win in all performance categories.
By
Michael Gioia
June 08, 2014
Audra McDonald
Photo by Evgenia Eliseeva
In 2012 McDonald joined five-time Tony Award-winning leading ladies Angela Lansbury and Julie Harris, who previously shared the record for the most competitive acting performance Tonys. (Harris is a recipient of a sixth, non-competitive Tony for Lifetime Achievement.)
McDonald, who plays the role of Billie Holiday in Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill, won her first Tony Award — Featured Actress in a Musical — in 1994 for Carousel, in which she played the role of Carrie Pipperidge. In 1996 she took home the Featured Actress in a Play Tony Award for her performance as Sharon in Master Class. She also received Featured Actress Tonys for Ragtime, in which she played Sarah, and A Raisin in the Sun, for the role of Ruth Younger. The 2012 Tony Award for The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess was her first Best Leading Actress Tony Award.
With the 2014 win, she now has Tony Awards in all acting categories.
"You deserve so much more than you were given on this planet," a teary-eyed McDonald said in her acceptance speech about Billie Holiday. "This is for you, Billie."
On making Broadway history, McDonald said in the press room, "I'm just overwhelmed. I don't know what else to say. I'm grateful and don't believe it."
McDonald also thanked her late father, her mother, her husband Will Swenson, her step-children and her daughter, Zoe Madeline Donovan.
PHOTO SPECIAL: Celebrating Two Decades of Audra McDonald Lighting Up the Tony Award Red Carpet
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Photo Special: See Audra McDonald's Stunning Tony Awards Evolution!
Photo Special: See Audra McDonald's Stunning Tony Awards Evolution!
Playbill photographer Joseph Marzullo offers a twenty-year retrospective of Audra McDonald's Tony wins, red carpet looks and other related events that he has captured through the years.
37 PHOTOS
Audra McDonald, 1994 Tony Win for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for Carousel.
Joseph Marzullo/WENN
Audra McDonald at the 48th Annual Tony Awards in 1994.
Joseph Marzullo/WENN
Nell Carter and Audra McDonald at the 48th Annual Tony Awards in 1994.
Joseph Marzullo/WENN
Audra McDonald, 1996 Tony Win for Best Featured Actress in a Play for Master Class.
Joseph Marzullo/WENN
Audra McDonald at the 50th Annual Tony Awards in 1996.
Joseph Marzullo/WENN
Audra McDonald, 1998 Tony Win for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for Ragtime.
Joseph Marzullo/WENN
Audra McDonald and Gregory Hines at the 52nd Annual Tony Awards in 1998.
Joseph Marzullo/WENN
Audra McDonald at the Tony Ball in 1998.
Joseph Marzullo/WENN
Audra McDonald, clad in Oscar de la Renta, and Alan Cumming at the 53rd Annual Tony Awards in 1999.
Joseph Marzullo/WENN
Audra McDonald, 2000 Tony Nomination for Best Actress in a Musical for Marie Christine.
Joseph Marzullo/WENN
Audra McDonald at the Tony Nominees reception in 2000.
Joseph Marzullo/WENN
Heather Headley, Eartha Kitt and Audra McDonald at the Tony Nominees reception in 2000.
Joseph Marzullo/WENN
Audra McDonald wearing Badgley Mischka at the Tony Ball in 2000.
Joseph Marzullo/WENN
Audra McDonald holding a picture of her daughter Zoe at the 55th Annual Tony Awards in 2001.
Joseph Marzullo/WENN
Audra McDonald at the 55th Annual Tony Awards in 2001.
Joseph Marzullo/WENN
Audra McDonald and Nathan Lane at the Tony Ball in 2001.
Joseph Marzullo/WENN
Sanaa Lathan, Phylicia Rashad and Audra McDonald at the Tony Nominees reception in 2004.
Joseph Marzullo/WENN
Audra McDonald, 2004 Tony Win for Best Featured Actress in a Play for A Raisin in the Sun.
Joseph Marzullo/WENN
Brian Stokes Mitchell and Audra McDonald at the 58th Annual Tony Awards in 2004.
Joseph Marzullo/WENN
Audra McDonald at the 58th Annual Tony Awards in 2004.
Joseph Marzullo/WENN
Audra McDonald at the 60th Annual Tony Awards in 2006.
Joseph Marzullo/WENN
Audra McDonald, 2007 Tony Nomination for Best Actress in a Musical for 110 in the Shade.
Joseph Marzullo/WENN
Audra McDonald and John Cullum at the Tony Nominees reception in 2007.
Joseph Marzullo/WENN
Audra McDonald at the 61st Annual Tony Awards in 2007.
Joseph Marzullo/WENN
Audra McDonald at the 61st Annual Tony Awards in 2007.
Joseph Marzullo/WENN
Audra McDonald, Will Swenson, Zoe Donovan and Bridger Swenson at the 63rd Annual Tony Awards in 2009.
Joseph Marzullo/WENN
Audra McDonald wearing Sophie Theallet at the Tony Nominees reception in 2012.
Joseph Marzullo/WENN
Will Swenson and Audra McDonald at the 66th Annual Tony Awards in 2012.
Joseph Marzullo/WENN
Audra McDonald wearing Emilio Sosa at the 66th Annual Tony Awards in 2012.
Joseph Marzullo/WENN
Audra McDonald, 2012 Tony Win for Best Actress in a Musical for The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess.
Joseph Marzullo/WENN
James Corden, Audra McDonald, Nina Arianda and Steve Kazee at the 66th Annual Tony Awards in 2012.
Joseph Marzullo/WENN
Audra McDonald, clad in David Meister, and her daughter Zoe Donovan at the 67th Annual Tony Awards in 2013.
Joseph Marzullo/WENN
Audra McDonald, 2014 Tony Nomination for Best Actress in a Play for Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill.
Joseph Marzullo/WENN
Audra McDonald and Will Swenson at the 68th Annual Tony Awards in 2014
Joseph Marzullo/WENN
Audra McDonald, 2014 Tony Win for Best Actress in a Play for Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill.
Joseph Marzullo/WENN
Audra McDonald wearing Escada at the 68th Annual Tony Awards in 2014
Joseph Marzullo/WENN
Audra McDonald at the 68th Annual Tony Awards in 2014
