The 2016 Tony Awards nominations are in, and boy is it going to be a big night for Hamilton! With 16 nominations total, they have broken the record for most nominations in one year. Being this year’s “The Book of Mormon”, they are the odds on favorite to win a ton of awards, however there is a bunch of great contenders that are going to give them a run for their money.
Several of the shows that are nominated have been reviewed by Manhattan Digest, which we could not be happier for. So many great shows from Eclipsed, The Father, and Bright Star (which our quote was featured in their promotional ad that ran on TV!) are up for some of the biggest awards of the night, and ones that we loved when we saw them. Big Hollywood celebrities like Danielle Brooks, Frank Langella, Jessica Lange and Michelle Williams are all nominated for individual Tony’s, as they gave stellar performances in each of the shows they are in. The entire list of nominees is below. For more information on The Tony’s, check out their official site.
Best Play
- Eclipsed
- The Father
- The Humans
- King Charles III
Best Musical
- Bright Star
- Hamilton
- School of Rock—The Musical
- Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed
- Waitress
Best Revival of a Play
- Arthur Miller’s The Crucible
- Arthur Miller’s A View from the Bridge
- Blackbird
- Long Day’s Journey Into Night
- Noises Off
Best Revival of a Musical
- The Color Purple
- Fiddler on the Roof
- She Loves Me
- Spring Awakening
Best Book of a Musical
- Bright Star
- Hamilton
- School of Rock—The Musical
- Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed
Best Original Score
- Bright Star
- Hamilton
- School of Rock—The Musical
- Waitress
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
- Gabriel Byrne, Long Day’s Journey Into Night
- Jeff Daniels, Blackbird
- Frank Langella, The Father
- Tim Pigott-Smith, King Charles III
- Mark Strong, Arthur Miller’s A View from the Bridge

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
- Jessica Lange, Long Day’s Journey Into Night
- Laurie Metcalf, Misery
- Lupita Nyong’o, Eclipsed
- Sophie Okonedo, Arthur Miller’s The Crucible
- Michelle Williams, Blackbird
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
- Alex Brightman, School of Rock—The Musical
- Danny Burstein, Fiddler on the Roof
- Zachary Levi, She Loves Me
- Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton
- Leslie Odom, Jr., Hamilton
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
- Laura Benanti, She Loves Me
- Carmen Cusack, Bright Star
- Cynthia Erivo, The Color Purple
- Jessie Mueller, Waitress
- Phillipa Soo, Hamilton
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
- Reed Birney, The Humans
- Bill Camp, Arthur Miller’s The Crucible
- David Furr, Noises Off
- Richard Goulding, King Charles III
- Michael Shannon, Long Day’s Journey Into Night
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
- Pascale Armand, Eclipsed
- Megan Hilty, Noises Off
- Jayne Houdyshell, The Humans
- Andrea Martin, Noises Off
- Saycon Sengbloh, Eclipsed
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
- Daveed Diggs, Hamilton
- Brandon Victor Dixon, Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed
- Christopher Fitzgerald, Waitress
- Jonathan Groff, Hamilton
- Christopher Jackson, Hamilton

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
- Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple
- Renée Elise Goldsberry, Hamilton
- Jane Krakowski, She Loves Me
- Jennifer Simard, Disaster!
- Adrienne Warren, Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed
Best Scenic Design of a Play
- Beowulf Boritt, Thérèse Raquin
- Christopher Oram, Hughie
- Jan Versweyveld, Arthur Miller’s A View from the Bridge
- David Zinn, The Humans
Best Costume Design of a Musical
- Gregg Barnes, Tuck Everlasting
- Jeff Mahshie, She Loves Me
- Ann Roth, Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed
- Paul Tazewell, Hamilton
Best Lighting Design of a Play
- Natasha Katz, Long Day’s Journey Into Night
- Justin Townsend, The Humans
- Jan Versweyveld, Arthur Miller’s The Crucible
- Jan Versweyveld, Arthur Miller’s A View from the Bridge
Best Lighting Design of a Musical
- Howell Binkley, Hamilton
- Jules Fisher & Peggy Eisenhauer, Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed
- Ben Stanton, Spring Awakening
- Justin Townsend, American Psycho
Best Direction of a Play
- Rupert Goold, King Charles III
- Jonathan Kent, Long Day’s Journey Into Night
- Joe Mantello, The Humans
- Liesl Tommy, Eclipsed
- Ivo Van Hove, Arthur Miller’s A View from the Bridge
Best Direction of a Musical
- Michael Arden, Spring Awakening
- John Doyle, The Color Purple
- Scott Ellis, She Loves Me
- Thomas Kail, Hamilton
- George C. Wolfe, Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed
Best Choreography
- Andy Blankenbuehler, Hamilton
- Savion Glover, Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed
- Hofesh Shechter, Fiddler on the Roof
- Randy Skinner, Dames at Sea
- Sergio Trujillo, On Your Feet! The Story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan
Best Orchestrations
- August Eriksmoen, Bright Star
- Larry Hochman, She Loves Me
- Alex Lacamoire, Hamilton
- Daryl Waters, Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed