After more than a year of going dark, Broadway is back and ready to celebrate its biggest stars at the 74th Annual Tony Awards on Sunday, September 26. The show will recognize outstanding performances from the 2019-20 season which was interrupted by the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic. Theaters were forced to close for 18 months, but New Yorkers and other lovers of Broadway can now rejoice with the return of live theater.  

"The Tony Awards Present: Broadway's Back!" begins streaming at 7 p.m. ET exclusively on Paramount+ and at 9 p.m. ET on local CBS stations.

Who’s Hosting?

Award-winning singer and actress Audra McDonald kicks off the festivities at 7 p.m. ET from Radio City Music Hall.

"I am so glad that we've found a way to gather safely to honor and recognize all the incredible work that was done in the 2019-20 season. While we look back, my greatest hope is that this event marks the beginning of a new era for Broadway — one with renewed commitment to inclusivity and belonging as well as appreciation for the sacred experience of live theater," McDonald said, according to CBS News.

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The, starting at 9 p.m. ET, actor and singer Leslie Odom Jr. will host the second half of the award show.

"Broadway is a part of my DNA and I'm so thrilled to see it open back up again," Odom said. "There are so many talented artists going back to work and doing what they love for audiences who have missed these tremendous performances."

Who’s Performing?

The night will come alive with special performances from the Tony nominees for Best Musical: Jagged Little Pill, Moulin Rouge! The Musical, and Tina: The Tina Turner Musical. 

John Legend and the cast of Ain't Too Proud, a musical about legendary R&B group The Temptations, are also slated to perform.

The Nominees

Blair Underwood is nominated in the Best Performance By An Actor In A Leading Role In A Play category for A Soldier’s Play. Playwright Jeremy O. Harris’ Slave Play is nominated for an award in the Best Play category, and the musical Tina-The Tina Turner Musical is competing in the Best Musical category.

A complete rundown of Tony Award nominees is listed here. 

How To Watch

• What:  The 74th Annual Tony Awards and "The Tony Awards Present: Broadway's Back!"


• Date: Sunday, September 26, 2021


• Time: 7 p.m. ET for the 74th Annual Tony Awards; 9 p.m. ET for “The Tony Awards Presents Broadway’s Back!”


• Watch: Online stream on Paramount+ beginning at 7 p.m. ET; on local CBS station at 9 p.m. ET