Who Are The Tony Awards Named After?

Just who are the Tony Awards named after? Unlike Oscar, which is a nickname for the Motion Picture Academy's famous statuette, the Tony is named for a real person. The highest honor in American theater is named for Antoinette Perry, an American actress, director and producer.

Who Was Antoinette Perry?
Born in Denver, Colorado in 1888, Antoinette Perry became fascinated with the theater at a very young age. She began acting in her uncle's touring company as a young teen, and made her New York debut at the age of 18.

While her acting career was just getting established, she left the theater to marry and raise a family. The theater beckoned once again, however, and in 1920 she began what would become a lifelong partnership with producer Brock Pemberton, investing in his show, Miss LuLu Bett. After the death of her husband, in 1922, Perry returned to the stage as an actress, eventually going on to become a director, as well.

An Accomplished Woman
Antoinette Perry blazed a trail for women in the theater. In the 1920s, when Perry began her career as a producer and director, those roles were typically held by men. Using her wealth and connections to her advantage, she was able to get her foot in the door as a director. She gained quite a bit of respect for her directing, and her producing partnership with Pemberton turned out several hits.

Ms. Perry's other great accomplishment was the foundation of The American Theater Wing, a New-York-based theater organization that promotes excellence and education in theater. Perry was known for giving a great deal of money to support young actors and actresses, and to support various theatrical efforts, in spite of losing much of her wealth during the stock market crash. She continued to spend much of her own money to further theatrical ventures, in spite of personal financial troubles.

Theater's Highest Honor
After Antoinette Perry's death in 1946 at the age of 58, it was suggested by Pemberton and others in the theater community that her memory should be honored with a series of awards for the best Broadway plays and musicals. In 1947, The American Theater Wing's Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theater was born. During the first award ceremony that year, the awards were handed out by Pemberton himself. While presenting one of the awards, he referred to it as a Tony, a nickname that has endured ever since.