Celebrating triumph: Nicole Scherzinger and Cole Escola take top honours at the 2025 Tony Awards
Nicole Scherzinger took home the prize for Best Leading Actress in a Musical.
Image: Instagram.
In a night filled with emotional moments and stunning performances, the Tony Awards shone brightly once again, marking a triumphant return for Broadway.
Among the night's highlights was the win of Nicole Scherzinger, who took home the prestigious award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for her captivating portrayal in "Sunset Boulevard".
This victory was especially sweet as it came at the expense of six-time winner Audra McDonald, a Broadway star renowned for her commanding performances, particularly in "Gypsy".
Tears flowed as Scherzinger shared a heartfelt moment with composer Andrew Lloyd Webber onstage after her win.
"It's happened, Andrew!" she said.
Scherzinger added: "I always felt like I didn't belong, but you all have made me feel like I belong, and I have come home at last ... So if there is anyone who feels like they don't belong or your time hasn't come, don't give up. Just keep on giving and giving because the world needs your love and light more than ever."
The accolades didn't stop there; "Sunset Boulevard" also nabbed awards for Best Revival of a Musical and Best Lighting Design.
Webber noted, "It's just fantastic for me to see the old shows rethought and reworked."
The evening was also historic for Cole Escola, who emerged as the first non-binary winner of the Leading Actor in a Play award for their remarkable performance as an alcoholic Mary Todd Lincoln in the comedy "Oh, Mary!", a production Escola also wrote.
Video Player is loading.
Play Video
Play
Unmute
Current Time
0:00
/
Duration
-:-
Loaded :
0%
Stream Type LIVE
Seek to live, currently behind live
LIVE
Remaining Time
-
0:00
This is a modal window.
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque
Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps
Reset
restore all settings to the default values Done
Close Modal Dialog
End of dialog window.
Advertisement
Next
Stay
Close ✕
Cole Escola.
Image: Instagram.
Escola beat George Clooney, whose adaptation of "Good Night, and Good Luck" went home empty-handed.
Director Sam Pinkleton of "Oh, Mary!" joined the celebration, winning best direction of a play, triumphing over Sam Mendes.
The ceremony, hosted by Tony-winning actress Cynthia Erivo, opened with a vibrant musical performance that featured the Broadway Inspirational Voices and a special appearance by Oprah Winfrey.
In her opening speech, Erivo celebrated the resilience of theatre, sharing, "Broadway is officially back", following a record-breaking season that yielded an astounding US$1.89 billion at the box office.
The evening also included a stirring in memoriam tribute, where Erivo and singer-songwriter and musician Sara Bareilles delivered a moving rendition of "Tomorrow" from "Annie", honouring the memories of legendary stage stars such as Quincy Jones, Gavin Creel, Maggie Smith and James Earl Jones.
The Tony Award 2025 took place in New York City on Sunday, June 8, with Broadway's biggest and best stars turning out for the prestigious event.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The South African
4 hours ago
- The South African
Superstar announces his move to Kaizer Chiefs?
How many Southern African footballers do you know with almost 2 million Instagram followers? This guy might be heading to Kaizer Chiefs. Feisal Salum is a legit superstar in Tanzania. The Azam FC playmaker knows his way to goal and has been linked with Chiefs for tw years running. 27-year-old Feisal Salum reposted a teammate's story to his own account, where he appears to be lying in a bed wearing a tracksuit top with Chiefs' colours. Make your own mind up about what this means. The player has 1.7 million followers on Instagram, so this is unlikely to quieten the rumours. Salum chipped in with an impressive 19 goals for Azam FC during the 2023-2024 campaign. That followed a glittering spell with Young Africans, where the talented playmaker collected consecutive trebles. A proven winner, Salum has 41 caps and four goals for his nation. The Zanzibar-born star hasn't replicated last season's form for Azam FC this time around. His last goal for the club came back in December 2024, and his side sits third in the Tanzanian Premier League, a massive 16 points adrift of leaders Young Africans. Chiefs complete deal for Monyane Tanzania and Azam FC star Feisal Salum Image via @AzamFC on X Will Chiefs get a deal done for the talented Feisal Salum? Let us know by leaving a comment below or sending a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Also, subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The Citizen
7 hours ago
- The Citizen
K.O on the country's issues and owning the ‘goat' tag
K.O. spoke to The Citizen just days before the release of his fifth studio album as a solo artist, Phara City. K.O spoke to The Citizen about his upcoming fifth studio album. Picture: mrcashtime/Instagram Compared to his contemporaries, rapper KO is a modest fella. He doesn't fully own up to the Greatest Of All Time (Goat) tag that's always bestowed on him by his fans. 'This is something that people are actually pushing me towards and actually owning up to,' the soft-spoken rapper tells The Citizen. ALSO READ: K.O finally gets his Metro FM award in his home province K.O owning the G.O.A.T tag 2025 marks K.O.'s 19th anniversary in the industry. He stared out as a member of the rap trio Teargas, which, in its own right, had an impact on the country and was part of watershed moments in South African hip hop through collaborations with other artists. He ticks the longevity box; his music has had an impact outside of the hip-hop community through songs such as Sete and Caracara, and his calibre as a rapper is of a high standard. 'If we're narrowing the conversation down to things like that, definitely, I start owning up to who I am in the space.' He says he was more concerned with making good music than comparing himself to others. 'All these things [his accolades], I was more focused on just doing great things rather than looking at the score board to say, hey, am I in the top five, where am I now?' Real name Ntokozo Mdluli, KO spoke to The Citizen just days before the release of his fifth studio album as a solo artist, Phara City. ALSO READ: REVIEW: Riky Rick's last album 'Boss Zonke Forever' epitomises his passion for young people Phara City The term 'phara' or sometimes spelt as 'para' can be defined as a homeless person who lives off their hustle on the streets. Some definitions describe a phara as a person who has a home but overcomes life's harsh environment through his hustle on the street. 'Yes, it says Phara City and some people might think I'm talking about Joburg, but I'm actually talking about the country as a whole,' shares K.O. K.O says South Africa has become an environment where a phara would only survive. 'Unfortunately, it [South Africa] has become almost like a Sodom and Gomorrah in real time because we see all kinds of things,' shares K.O. South Africa is one of the most unequal nations in the world, with a high unemployment rate and a country that fails to protect its most vulnerable. 'The country has been tarnished on the world stage, in terms of how people perceive who we are as a country, our politics. 'Even internally, as citizens, there are so many things we're critiquing- the lack of leadership, corruption, illegal immigrants,' says K.O., sharing the thought behind the album concept. The 13-track album will be released on Friday. Some of the standout songs from the project include Cross Night and No Chorus. On the latter, K.O. shows off his bravado as a rapper, basically giving the middle finger to his competitors. Through the album, K.O. says he is holding a mirror up to the country's face for reflection. However, despite his criticism, K.O. also shows the celebratory side of South Africa. 'We still celebrate, we still party, we still fall in love, we still hustle and continue with life even outside of these challenges that we are subjected to. I talk about that side of things.' ALSO READ: 'Their win is South Africa's win': Deputy Minister Peace Mabe celebrates TxC's BET award K.O's collaborative nature K.O. has something that very few artists have: a collaborative spirit. Even at the height of the AKA and Cassper Nyovest beef, K.O. still managed to work with both artists. 'I've never been one who's confrontational, I've always just stood my ground,' says K.O. He also demonstrated that he isn't an ageist, being open to working with younger artists like Blxckie and Maglera Doe Boy. This is both a business move and something natural to him. He provides an example of how brands like Adidas can collaborate with other fashion brands, such as Gucci. 'As an artist, you need to go and do things with other artists, because you get to introduce yourself to their following and vice-versa,' he says. Some of K.O.'s memorable work has been a collaborative effort. From his most recent hit Sete with Young Stunna and Blxckie to 2014's Skhanda Love with Nandi Mngoma and Caracara with Kid X. On his 2017 album SR2, he collaborated with House music producer Black Coffee on SA Rising. 'I think it's beautiful when we see people who've shaped society together because we get to send the right vibrations to the rest of the people.' ALSO READ: Amapiano vocalist Thatohatsi loses voice due to 'unexpected' illness K.O's music taste His openness to working with others also reflects his musical taste. When asked what he's been listening to recently, he mentions genres like Afrobeat and R&B. 'I have a very wide and broad sense of musical taste because you'll find me one minute listening to Afrobeat, listening to Blxckie, listening to Summer Walker, R&B and go back and pull out some stuff from yesteryears,' he says. 'I've been listening to a lot of Frank Ocean this year and obviously some of the Kendrick stuff he's done…but I like a lot of R&B, like Leon Thomas.' He says he doesn't only listen for pleasure but also for inspiration. 'On this album [Phara City] I went as far back as listening to the very first Mase album because there was a certain bag that I was trying to get into, stylistically.' The Mase album is Harlem World, released in 1997. He says he captured this '90s hip-hop and R&B fusion on Phara City through his collaboration with Blaq Diamond on the song Phara Love. NOW READ: 'I'm not gonna lie, this is rocking me': Prince Kaybee opens up about health battle
IOL News
9 hours ago
- IOL News
Real Housewives of Dubai star Chanel Ayan shares her safari adventure in South Africa
Chanel Ayan from 'The Real Housewives of Dubai' serves fashion while on a safari vacation in the Kruger National Park in Mpumalanga. Image: Instagram Who else can transform a safari vacation into a fashion showcase? None other than Chanel Ayan, star of "Real Housewives of Dubai". The model and housewife recently took to Instagram to share stunning pictures from her safari adventure in the Kruger National Park. During her stay at the luxurious Tingana Collections Leopard Sands, which overlooks the Sabie River, Ayan expressed her joy in a post and said: 'Living the dream on safari - Big Five sightings, golden sunsets, peaceful drives, and iconic African beauty all around. Truly unforgettable." Her best friend and co-star, Caroline Stanbury, commented, 'Home suits you.' Ayan is no stranger to Africa; she was born in Malaba, Kenya, a small town along the Kenya-Uganda border. Due to her father's struggles with alcoholism, she was primarily raised by her mother and attended school in both Kenya and Uganda. Growing up with five siblings, Ayan has strong family ties in South Africa, where she frequently visits and engages in charity work.
