“Schmigadoon!” wins best new musical as “Liberation” takes best new play at the 2026 Tony Awards

New York’s theater industry handed out major honors at the 79th Tony Awards on Sunday, with “Schmigadoon!” winning best new musical and “Liberation” taking the top prize for best new play. The PBS NewsHour reported that “Schmigadoon!” is an adaptation of an Apple TV series that parodies the big, brassy style of classic Broadway productions, and that it led the night’s awards for new work.

The ceremony also marked a series of firsts and record-setting wins tied to performers and writers. Actor John Lithgow won best lead actor in a play for “Giant,” and reporting described the win as making him the oldest man to capture a competitive acting Tony. Playwright Bess Wohl won best new play for “Liberation,” and additional coverage characterized Wohl as the fourth woman to win a best play Tony.

“Liberation,” described in news accounts as a consciousness-raising drama about a women’s group in 1970s Ohio, also connected to the prestige of recent literary recognition. PBS NewsHour and NBC News both reported that the play had already won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama earlier this year. In its portrayal, Wohl’s play gathers stories from second-wave feminists and centers on activism targeting misogyny, racism, and traditional gender roles, according to coverage summarized by NBC News.

Other top categories reflected continued strength for revivals and long-running American theatrical repertoire. PBS NewsHour reported that “Ragtime,” a musical about an America reshaped by immigration, racial violence, industrial wealth, and political unrest, won best musical revival. Separate coverage of the awards also reported that “Death of a Salesman,” a major production revival, accumulated six Tonys, described as one short of tying the record for most won by a play revival.

For creators, the “Schmigadoon!” win also carried workplace and career context. Reporting said the production’s TV origins trace to a series whose run ended after two seasons, and that the stage adaptation went on to win Tonys for both the score and book. PBS NewsHour also attributed comments to Lorne Michaels, describing his response after the awards, and cited the show’s broad comedic approach as part of what the producers credited as a winning formula.

The Tony Awards ceremony was hosted by Pink, according to NBC News and other coverage, and it continued a pattern of awarding both mainstream revivals and newer works with distinct points of view. As the new winners settle into post-ceremony attention cycles, productions will typically use the Tony results for marketing, casting momentum, and extended ticket sales, while the credited creators and companies prepare for continued industry events in the summer theater season.

Key names honored across categories included Lithgow for “Giant,” Wohl for “Liberation,” and productions recognized for both new work and revival categories, as outlined in the awards reporting. The outcomes also reflect the continuing prominence of major media-linked and streaming-to-stage pathways, with “Schmigadoon!” presented as an Apple TV adaptation in both PBS NewsHour and other straight-news accounts.