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Tony Awards 2025: Audra McDonald Called Biggest Snub, Death Becomes Her Deprived of Any Wins and More
This year’s Tony Awards delivered high drama and unexpected outcomes, with surprise wins, shocking snubs, and an action-packed broadcast.
The 2025 Tony Awards dazzled with star power and standout performances, but it was the night’s upsets and omissions that left the theater world abuzz. Chief among them: Audra McDonald’s highly anticipated win never materialized, and fan-favorite Death Becomes Her barely registered on the winners list.
All eyes were on Audra McDonald as she vied for her record-setting seventh Tony Award for her searing turn as Mama Rose in Gypsy. Critics hailed her performance as one of the season’s finest, and the production was widely seen as a top contender in multiple categories. Yet as the night wore on, Gypsy failed to secure a single win, with Sunset Boulevard sweeping key categories instead.
Another shock came with the underperformance of Death Becomes Her, the lavish musical adaptation that entered the night with 10 nominations and high expectations. While the show scored a win for costume design, it was otherwise completely shut out in major categories — a result that left its devoted fan base disappointed and puzzled. In contrast, fellow new musicals Maybe Happy Ending and Buena Vista Social Club enjoyed multiple wins.
While the night’s biggest snubs dominated conversation, there were also plenty of moments that caught audiences off guard in the best way. Nicole Scherzinger, whose Best Actress chances had seemed uncertain after late-season controversy, clinched a major comeback win for Sunset Boulevard, besting frontrunner McDonald.
Darren Criss added to the night’s unexpected outcomes by taking home Best Actor in a Musical for Maybe Happy Ending, prevailing over the heavily favored Jonathan Groff. The ceremony itself kept the energy high, with key awards and show-stopping performances packed into the opening hour, including a lively Best Play win for Purpose.
Meanwhile, beloved critical darling Dead Outlaw ended the evening without a single trophy, and Eureka Day staged an upset in the Best Revival of a Play category, beating Yellow Face. Even the commercial breaks joined in the surprises, as a live backstage ad featuring Criss caught viewers’ attention and added a playful, meta flourish to the telecast.
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