Tony Awards 2025: Nicole Scherzinger, Darren Criss win acting plums for musicals
Nicole Scherzinger and Darren Criss during the Tony Awards. Images: Charles Sykes/Invision/AP
It was an unforgettable moment for Filipino-Americans Nicole Scherzinger and Darren Criss, who brought home the Best Actress and Best Actor in a Musical awards at the 2025 Tony Awards.
Scherzinger and Criss won the Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical and Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical awards, respectively, for their performances in “Sunset Boulevard” and “Maybe Happy Ending.”
Filipino-Americans Conrad Ricamora and Clint Ramos were also recognized at the awards ceremony, earning nominations for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play (“Oh Mary”) and Best Costume Design of a Musical (“Maybe Happy Ending”).
Meanwhile, Lea Salonga was also part of the 78th edition of the Tony Awards as a presenter.
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In an emotional speech, Scherzinger said being recognized with theater greats has been an honor while thanking her loved ones and beloved colleagues.
“Thank you for making this Hawaiian-Ukranian-Filipino girl’s dream come true. So proud to represent,” she said. “Growing up, I always felt like I didn’t belong, but you all made me feel like I belonged, and I have come home. At last. So if there’s anyone who feels like they don’t belong or their time hasn’t come, don’t give up. Just keep on giving and giving because the world needs your love and your light now more than ever. This is a testament that love always wins.”
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Criss, on the other hand, dedicated his Tony to his wife Mia who “took a massive swing” on allowing him to be part of “Maybe Happy Ending.”
“The real hero for this remarkable journey is my wife Mia, who took a massive swing on allowing me to do this,” he said. “To allow this crazy upheaval in our life, to make this logistically possible, and to bear the brunt of raising two tiny friends under three, so that I could raise a singing robot at the Belasco Theater eight times a week.”
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Held at the Radio City Music Hall on Sunday, June 8 (June 9 in the Philippines), the Tony Awards honor the best of the theater industry in the past year.
Here is the full list of winners:
Best Play: “Purpose”
Best Musical: “Maybe Happy Ending”
Best Book of a Musical: “Maybe Happy Ending,” Will Aronson and Hue Park
Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theater: “Maybe Happy Ending,” Will Aronson and Hue Park
Best Revival of a Play: “Eureka Day,” Jonathan Spector
Best Revival of a Musical: “Sunset Boulevard”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play: Cole Escola, “Oh, Mary!”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play: Sarah Snook, “The Picture of Dorian Gray”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical: Darren Criss, “Maybe Happy Ending”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical: Nicole Scherzinger, “Sunset Boulevard”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play: Francis Jue, “Yellow Face”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play: Kara Young, “Purpose”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical: Jak Malone, “Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical: Natalie Venetia Belcon, “Buena Vista Social Club”
Best Scenic Design of a Play: Miriam Buether and 59, “Stranger Things: The First Shadow”
Best Scenic Design of a Musical: Dane Laffrey and George Reeve, “Maybe Happy Ending”
Best Costume Design of a Play: Marg Horwell, “The Picture of Dorian Gray”
Best Costume Design of a Musical: Paul Tazewell, “Death Becomes Her”
Best Lighting Design of a Play: Jon Clark, “Stranger Things: The First Shadow”
Best Lighting Design of a Musical: Jack Knowles, “Sunset Boulevard”
Best Sound Design of a Play: Paul Arditti, “Stranger Things: The First Shadow”
Best Sound Design of a Musical: Jonathan Deans, “Buena Vista Social Club”
Best Direction of a Play: Sam Pinkleton, “Oh, Mary!”
Best Direction of a Musical: Michael Arden, “Maybe Happy Ending”
Best Choreography: Patricia Delgado and Justin Peck, “Buena Vista Social Club”
Best Orchestrations: Marco Paguia, “Buena Vista Social Club”
Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theater: Harvey Fierstein
Special Tony Award:
Musicians of “Buena Vista Social Club” and “The Illusions”
Technical Effects of “Stranger Things: The First Shadow”
Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award: Celia Keenan-Bolger
Regional Theatre Tony Award: “The Muny”
Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theater:
Great Performances
Michael Price
New 42
The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
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