Flying vampires, a camp “Titanic” spoof, and a new “Death of Salesman” headline the 2026 Tony Awards as 24 Broadway shows chase wins across 26 categories. Grammy Award-winner Pink hosts, promising a vast opening number and live TV on CBS with streaming for Par
On a Sunday night when Broadway’s brightest hopefuls are counting how many doors might stay open, Pink steps into the Tonys spotlight with a promise: a big, honking opening number and a stage that won’t sit still.
Twenty-four Broadway shows will hope to nab at least one win Sunday across 26 Tony categories—wins that can mean the difference between keeping the doors open and pulling down the curtain.
Pink. a Grammy Award-winner. is hosting the show. which will be broadcast live on CBS and stream for Paramount+ subscribers in the U.S. from 8-11 p.m. Eastern / 5-8 p.m. Pacific. And she isn’t coming alone, at least not in the ways that matter. Her mother. who took her to shows growing up in Philadelphia and helped plant a love of musicals. is expected to be in the audience. So are Pink’s two children.
Pink’s daughter, Willow—15 years old and described as an aspiring theater actor—urged her to host the Tonys. Pink said the biggest reason was simple: Willow wanted a seat at the show because she loves it so much.
“I was like, ‘I can probably get you a seat anyway,’” Pink said.
She has tapped Amber Ruffin, a writer and performer for “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” for help with jokes. Pink’s opening number. she said. is written by Benj Pasek. Justin Paul and Mark Sonnenblick and is expected to end with some 170 people on stage. She also promises costume changes and wire work, something she’s familiar with from her acrobatic concerts.
The performances are packed with familiar titles and fresh twists. starting with the seven nominees for best new musical and best musical revival: “The Lost Boys. ” “Schmigadoon!. ” “Titanique. ” “Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York). ” “Cats: The Jellicle Ball. ” “Ragtime” and “The Rocky Horror Show.”.
There will also be a spotlight on “The Book of Mormon,” with original lead cast members Josh Gad, Andrew Rannells, Rory O’Malley and Nikki M. James performing during a segment celebrating the show’s 15th anniversary.
Leslie Odom, Jr. will sing “Without You” from “Rent” during the In Memoriam section, honoring that show’s 30th anniversary.
Chicago, now at 30, gets its own moment too, with a performance slot featuring Pink as well as Queen Latifah, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Alex Newell, Adrienne Warren, Julianne Hough, Whitney Leavitt and Dylan Mulvaney.
“A Chorus Line,” which last year marked its 50th anniversary, will receive a special tribute by Rachel Zegler.
Then come the races, where the Tonys’ mix of nostalgia and reinvention turns into a week-to-week test of what audiences will rally around.
The competition for best new musical includes four very different shows: “Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York). ” an opposites-attract rom-com; “The Lost Boys. ” a stage adaptation of a 1987 teen movie vampire thriller; “Schmigadoon!. ” which gently mocks golden-age Broadway shows; and “Titanique. ” a camp musical comedy that reimagines the 1997 movie “Titanic.”.
In the best play category, the two top nominees are “Giant,” exploring accusations of antisemitism against children’s author Roald Dahl, and “Liberation,” about a consciousness-raising women’s group in the 1970s that explores inequality, gender roles and racism.
Revival categories bring their own friction between past and present. “Death of a Salesman,” led by Nathan Lane, is competing for best play revival with a modern-set “Oedipus,” led by Marc Strong, and “Every Brilliant Thing,” starring Daniel Radcliffe.
For best musical revival, the nominees are a new “Cats” reimagined as a “Pose”-like competition show, the sweeping American history show “Ragtime,” and a rollicking, frisky “The Rocky Horror Show.”
Bill Rauch. who secured his first Tony nomination for co-directing the reimagined “Cats: The Jellicle Ball. ” was a nominator for three seasons until this one. He said he’s impressed by the range now on Broadway. saying he thinks there’s so much variety and so many artistic risks people take. He added that leaving his three years as a nominator left him impressed by the landscape—and he feels the same way this year.
The night also includes milestones that could land in history books. June Squibb became the oldest Tony-nominated actor in history at 96. and could become the oldest Tony winner if her name is called. surpassing Lois Smith. who was 90 when she won in 2021. And Lane is hoping for his fourth Tony for “Death of a Salesman. ” which would make him tied as the most-awarded male performer in Tony history. alongside Boyd Gaines and Frank Langella.
For now, all of it hangs on Sunday’s results—on whether the vampires draw, whether the rom-com wins over voters, whether a century-old drama can still sting, and whether Pink’s show-stopping opening number matches the moment Broadway has been waiting to see.
2026 Tony Awards Pink Broadway CBS Paramount+ Luke Evans Josh Rivera Titanic spoof vampires Death of a Salesman Cats: The Jellicle Ball Ragtime The Rocky Horror Show
So they’re really doing vampires at the Tonys now… wonder if CBS is gonna blur that.
Wait Pink is hosting but her mom is there too? That’s cool I guess. Also 170 people on stage sounds fake, like how do they even get everyone out of the wings in time.
Amber Ruffin wrote jokes?? I thought the Tonys only let actors do stuff lol. And the “wires” thing is gonna be dangerous right? Like one kid on the stage and suddenly it’s a circus.
The article says live on CBS 8-11 but then streaming on Paramount+… so do you need cable AND streaming or just one? Also why are they saying “doors might stay open” like Broadway businesses are closing because of the awards… seems dramatic, but ok.