List of Asian Tony Award winners and nominees explained

This is a list of Tony Award winners and nominees who are of Asian descent or native to an Asian country. As of the 75th Tony Awards, which were presented on June 12, 2022, there are 14 individual Asian Tony Award winners, including 13 competitive award winners. The first Asian to win a Tony Award was Willa Kim in 1981 when she won the Tony Award for Best Costume Design in a Musical for Sophisticated Ladies.

Show and technical

Best Musical

Best Musical
YearRecipientShowStatusMilestone / Notes
2011Yasuhiro KawanaCatch Me If You Can(Shared with Margo Lion, Hal Luftig, Stacey Mindich, Scott & Brian Zeilinger, The Rialto Group, The Araca Group, Michael Watt, Barbara & Buddy Freitag, Jay & Cindy Gutterman/Pittsburgh CLO, Elizabeth Williams, Johnny Roscoe Productions/Van Dean, Fakston Productions/Solshay Productions, Patty Baker/Richard Winkler, Nederlander Presentations, Inc., Warren Trepp, Remmel T. Dickinson, Paula Herold/Kate Lear, Stephanie P. McClelland, Jamie deRoy, Barry Feirstein, Rainerio J. Reyes, Rodney Rigby, Loraine Boyle, Amuse Inc., Joseph & Matthew Deitch/Cathy Chernoff, Joan Stein/Jon Murray, and The 5th Avenue Theatre.)
2013Kinky BootsFirst Asian to win for Best Musical. (Shared with Daryl Roth, Hal Luftig, James L. Nederlander, Terry Allen Kramer, Independent Presenters Network, CJ E&M, Jayne Baron Sherman, Just for Laughs Theatricals/Judith Ann Abrams, Jane Bergère, Allan S. Gordon & Adam S. Gordon, Ken Davenport, Hunter Arnold, Lucy & Phil Suarez, Bryan Bantry, Ron Fierstein & Dorsey Regal, Jim Kierstead/Gregory Rae, BB Group/Christina Papagjika, Michael DeSantis/Patrick Baugh, Brian Smith/Tom & Connie Walsh, Warren Trepp, and Jujamcyn Theaters.)[1]
2014Jhett TolentinoA Gentlemen’s Guide to Love and MurderSecond Asian to win for Best Musical.(Shared with Joey Parnes, S.D. Wagner, John Johnson, 50 Church Street Productions, Joan Raffe, Jay Alix & Una Jackman, Catherine & Fred Adler, Rhoda Herrick, Kathleen K. Johnson, Megan Savage, ShadowCatcher Entertainment, Ron Simons, True Love Productions, Jamie deRoy, Four Ladies & One Gent, John Arthur Pinckard, Greg Nobile, Stewart Lane & Bonnie Comley, Exeter Capital/Ted Snowdon, Ryan Hugh Mackey, Cricket-CTM Media/Mano-Horn Productions, Dennis Grimaldi/Margot Astrachan, Hello Entertainment/Jamie Bendell, Michael T. Cohen/Joe Sirola, Joseph & Carson Gleberman/William Megevick, Green State Productions, The Hartford Stage, and The Old Globe.)[2]
2017Raymond PoliquitDear Evan HansenThird Asian to win for Best Musical. [3]

Best Book of a Musical

Best Book of a Musical
YearRecipientShowStatusMilestone / Notes
2003David Henry HwangFlower Drum Song
2011Robert LopezThe Book of MormonFirst Asian to win for Best Book of a Musical.First Asian to win a third Tony Award.

Second Asian to win a second Tony Award.

(Shared with Trey Parker and Matt Stone.)

Best Original Score

Best Original Score
YearRecipientShowStatusMilestone / Notes
2004Robert LopezAvenue QFirst Asian to win for Best Original Score.(Shared with Jeff Marx.)
2011The Book of MormonFirst Asian to win a third Tony Award.Second Asian to win a second Tony Award.(Shared with Trey Parker and Matt Stone.)
2018Frozen(Shared with Kristen Anderson-Lopez.)

Best Scenic Design in a Musical

Best Scenic Design in a Musical
YearRecipientShowStatusMilestone / Notes
1970Ming Cho LeeBilly
2017Mimi LienNatasha, Pierre & The Great Comet Of 1812First Asian to win Best Scenic Design in a Musical.

Best Costume Design in a Musical

Best Costume Design in a Musical
YearRecipientShowStatusMilestone / Notes
1975Willa KimGoodtime Charley[4]
1978Dancin'
1981Sophisticated LadiesFirst Asian to win a Tony Award.First Asian to win for Best Costume Design in a Musical.
1986Song & Dance
1989Legs Diamond
1991The Will Rogers FolliesFirst Asian to win a second Tony Award.
2014Linda ChoA Gentlemen's Guide to Love and MurderSecond Asian to win for Best Costume Design in a Musical.
2017Anastasia

Best Sound Design of a Musical

Best Sound Design of a Musical
YearRecipientShowStatusMilestone / Notes
2012Kai HaradaFollies
2018The Band's VisitFirst Asian to win for Best Sound Design of a Musical.

Best Play

Best Play
YearRecipientShowStatusMilestone / Notes
1988David Henry HwangM. ButterflyFirst Asian to win for Best Play.(Shared with Stuart Ostrow and David Geffen.)
1998Golden Child(Shared with Benjamin Mordecai, Dori Berinstein, John Kao, Talia Shire, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, South coast Repertory, The Joseph Papp Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival, American Conservatory Theater.)
2013Jhett TolentinoVanya and Sonia and Masha and SpikeSecond Asian to win for Best Play.(Shared with Christopher Durang, Joey Parnes, Larry Hirschhorn, Joan Raffe, Martin Platt & David Elliott, Pat Flicker Addiss, Catherine Adler, John O'Boyle, Joshua Goodman, Jamie deRoy/Richard Winkler, Cricket Hooper Jiranek/Michael Palitz, Mark S. Golub & David S. Golub, Radio Mouse Entertainment, ShadowCatcher Entertainment, Mary Cossette/Barbara Manocherian, Megan Savage/Meredith Lynsey Schade, Hugh Hysell/Richard Jordan, Cheryl Wiesenfeld/Ron Simons, S.D. Wagner, John Johnson, McCarter Theatre Center, and Lincoln Center Theater.)
2015Hand to God(Shared with Robert Askins, Kevin McCollum, Broadway Global Ventures, CMC, Morris Berchard, Mariano V. Tolentino Jr., Stephanie Kramer, LAMS Productions, DeSimone/Winkler, Joan Raffe, Timothy Laczynski, Lily Fan, Ayal Miodovnik, Jam Theatricals, Ensemble Studio Theatre, and MCC Theater.)

Best Revival of a Play

Best Revival of a Play
YearRecipientShowStatusMilestone / Notes
2014Jhett TolentinoA Raisin in the SunFirst Asian to win for Best Revival of a Play.(Shared with Scott Rudin, Roger Berlind, Eli Bush, Jon B. Platt, Scott M. Delman, Roy Furman, Stephanie P. McClelland, Ruth Hendel, Sonia Friedman/Tulchin Bartner, The Araca Group, Heni Koenigsberg, Daryl Roth, Joan Raffe, Joey Parnes, S.D. Wagner, and John Johnson.)
2015This Is Our Youth(Shared with Scott Rudin, Eli Bush, Roger Berlind, William Berlind, Jon B. Platt, Roy Furman, The Shubert Organization, Ruth Hendel, Scott M. Delman, Stephanie P. McClelland, Sonia Friedman, Tulchin Bartner, The Araca Group, Heni Koenigsberg, Daryl Roth, Joan Raffe, Catherine & Fred Adler, Joey Parnes, Sue Wagner, John Johnson, and Steppenwolf Theatre Company.)

Best Lighting Design in a Play

Best Lighting Design in a Play
YearRecipientShowStatusMilestone / Notes
2022Jiyoun Changfor colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf
Yi ZhaoThe Skin of Our Teeth

Best Sound Design of a Play

Performance

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
YearRecipientShowRoleStatusMilestone / Notes
1991Lea SalongaMiss SaigonKimFirst Asian actress to win a Tony Award.First Asian to win for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical.[5]
June AngelaLady Mariko
2016Phillipa SooHamiltonEliza Hamilton
2017Eva NoblezadaMiss SaigonKim
2019HadestownEurydice

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical
YearRecipientShowRoleStatusMilestone / Notes
2015Ruthie Ann MilesThe King and ILady ThiangFirst Asian to win for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical.Second Asian actress to win a Tony Award.[6]
2018Ashley ParkMean GirlsGretchen Wienershttps://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/ashley-park-496921#Awards

Special awards

Isabelle Stevenson Award

See also

References

  1. Web site: NOMINATIONS (YASUHIRO KAWANA) . November 21, 2022 . The American Theatre Wing's Tony Awards.
  2. Web site: NOMINATIONS (JHETT TOLENTINO) . November 21, 2022 . The American Theatre Wing's Tony Awards.
  3. News: Ang . Walter . July 15, 2017 . This Pinoy doctor and Zumba instructor now has a Tony–for coproducing ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ . . November 21, 2022.
  4. Web site: NOMINATIONS (WILLA KIM) . November 21, 2022 . The American Theatre Wing's Tony Awards.
  5. Web site: NOMINATIONS (LEA SALONGA) . November 21, 2022 . The American Theatre Wing's Tony Awards.
  6. Web site: NOMINATIONS (RUTHIE ANN MILES) . November 21, 2022 . The American Theatre Wing's Tony Awards.

External links