When you see the lists of Tony Award nominees or watch the awards ceremony, have you ever wondered just who gets to decide who wins? A Tony Award is the highest honor one can receive in American Theater, and the selection process is not taken lightly. There are actually many people involved in choosing the nominees and deciding the winners.

Choosing the Nominees
Nominees for the Tony Awards are chosen by a special Nominating Committee. The committee is comprised of theater professionals who each serve a three-year term. These terms are rotating and overlapping, so each year there are some new members, while older members leave. All committee members are asked to see all the new Broadway plays and musicals. The committee members vote to determine the nominees, which are announced each year in early May.

When making their selections, the committee must adhere to the rules and regulations set by the Tony Administration Committee. These rules are subject to change from year to year. Only productions playing in designated Broadway Theaters are eligible. A production must have opened on or before the cutoff date designated in the rules for that year to be eligible.

Picking the Winners
The list of nominees is voted upon to choose the winners of the Tony Awards. There are approximately 725 theater professionals who vote each year. The eligible voters include board members from the Actors’ Equity Association, the Dramatists Guild, the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society and The Associations of Theatrical Press Agents and Managers and United Scenic Artists, as well as designated members of The Broadway League and the American Theater Wing, the Theatrical Council of the Casting Society of America and the Tony Awards Nominating Committee. The nominating and voting processes are overseen by the accounting firm of Lutz and Carr. The names of all winners are kept secret until they are announced at the Tony Award ceremony.

Those who nominate and vote on the Tony Awards take their responsibility seriously, honoring their peers by recognizing their distinguished achievements in theater.