This season's nominees will be announced at 8:30 AM on May 10 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel. Broadway regulars Alan Cumming, Lynn Redgrave, Kate Burton and Brian Stokes Mitchell will announce the nominees in 25 categories.
Spamalot, the Mike Nichols-directed musical based on the film of the same name, is poised to be one of the top nomination-getters, having already garnered top honors at the Outer Critics Circle Awards. Spamalot won four Outer Critics Circle Awards, including Outstanding Broadway Musical, and has also been nominated for 12 Drama Desk Awards. John Patrick Shanley's Doubt and Martin McDonagh's The Pillowman — both critically hailed new plays — should also fare well.
The Antoinette Perry ("Tony") Awards celebrate the best of the Broadway theatre season and are presented yearly by the League of American Theatres and Producers and the American Theatre Wing. Legitimate theatrical productions opening in any of the Broadway theatres are eligible for nominations in 25 categories, which include Best Play, Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score, Best Choreography, Best Scenic Design of a Play, Best Scenic Design of a Musical, Best Costume Design of a Play, Best Costume Design of a Musical, Best Lighting Design of a Play, Best Lighting Design of a Musical, Best Director of a Play, Best Director of a Musical, Best Leading Actor in a Play, Best Leading Actress in a Play, Best Featured Actor in a Play, Best Featured Actress in a Play, Best Leading Actress in a Musical, Best Leading Actor in a Musical, Best Featured Actress in a Musical, Best Featured Actor in a Musical, Best Orchestrations, Best Revival of a Play, Best Revival of a Musical and the relatively new category, Best Special Theatrical Event.
The Tony Awards Nominating Committee, who select the nominees for each category, is a rotating group of up to 30 theatre professionals selected by the Tony Awards Administration Committee. Those on the Nominating Committee are asked to attend every Broadway production of the season, and then meet to vote on nominations. This year's committee includes Victoria Bailey, Ira Bernstein, Susan Birkenhead, Stephen Bogardus, Edward Burbridge, Ben Cameron, Schuyler G. Chapin, Kirsten Childs, Jacqueline Davis, Merle Debuskey, Edgar Dobie, Mercedes Ellington, Nancy Ford, Julie Hughes, David Henry Hwang, Geoffrey Johnson, David Lindsay-Abaire, Jon Nakagawa, Enid Nemy, Peter Neufeld, Bill Schelble, Marc Shaiman, William Tynan and Jac Venza.
The Antoinette Perry "Tony" Award is bestowed annually for distinguished achievement. The 2005 Tony Awards will once again be held at Radio City Music Hall and will be broadcast by CBS from 8 to 11 PM. Sunday, June 5 is the date. Tony Award winner Hugh Jackman will return as host. The complete list of Tony nominations will be available on Playbill.com early on May 10.
Visit www.tonyawards.com for more information.
