The 78th annual Tony Awards nominations have been announced.
Audra McDonald is once again making Tony Awards history, earning a nomination for Best Leading Actress in a Musical — and possibly extending her record-setting lead.
Meanwhile, “Stranger Things” makes a Broadway splash, with Sadie Sink and the stage adaptation both earning nods, according to The Washington Post.
Audra McDonald eyes her seventh Tony
Audra McDonald, now playing the part of Rose Hovick in the Broadway revival of “Gypsy,” has become the most Tony-nominated performer in Broadway history, according to Playbill.
Her 11th nomination lifts her out of what had been a tie with Julie Harris and Chita Rivera — known as a part of the “10-nominations pack,” per Playbill. If McDonald wins, it will mark her seventh Tony.
McDonald earned her first Tony nomination and win in 1994 for her role as Carrie Pipperidge in “Carousel.”
The accolades didn’t stop there. Following her first win, McDonald won for her performances in “Master Class” in 1996, “Ragtime” in 1998, “A Raisin in the Sun” in 2004, “Porgy and Bess” in 2012 and “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill” in 2014.
According to Playbill, “She is the only performer to win top honors in leading and featured categories for both musicals and plays.”
McDonald’s story winds briefly through Utah, due to her marriage to Provo native Will Swenson, best known for his role in “The Singles Ward.”
Swenson has his own family ties to the theater. He is the grandson of Ruth and Nathan Hale, founders of the Hale Center Theater, previously reported by the Deseret News.
McDonald has expressed a deep appreciation for Utah and its people.
“I have to say, when I came out (to Utah) and sang years before I knew and met Will, I felt quite welcomed and it was a very warm feeling from the audiences before that,” she told the Deseret News in 2018. “I always look forward it; it’s just become more so since I’m kind of related to Utah in a very special way now.”
Sadie Sink and ‘Stranger Things’ score Tony nods
“Stranger Things” fans have more than just a fifth season to anticipate. The story now extends far beyond Hawkins and onto the Broadway stage with “Stranger Things: The First Shadow,” a prequel which has earned five total Tony nominations in 2025 per the Nerdist.
The play was recognized for Best Leading Actor in a Play, Best Scenic Design, Best Costume Design, Best Lighting Design and Best Sound Design.
Louis McCartney received a nomination for Best Leading Actor for his role as Henry Creel, according to the article.
“Stranger Things: The First Shadow” isn’t the only piece of the franchise that was included in this season’s nominations.
While the stage prequel claimed five Tony nominations, one of the series’ fan favorites, Sadie Sink earned her own place for her role in “John Proctor Is the Villain.” Sink was nominated for Best Leading Actress.
The Tony Awards are on June 8, 2025 and will be hosted by “Wicked” star Cynthia Erivo, per NBC News.