Cynthia Erivo will host the 2025 Tony Awards on Sunday, June 8, when the ceremony returns to Radio City Music Hall in New York City for the first time since 2022. The event will be broadcast live coast-to-coast on CBS and streamed on Paramount+ in the U.S.
“I am so proud and excited to take on this glorious honor,” Erivo said in a statement. “I am looking forward to ushering the theater community at large through a night that celebrates the wonderful performances we have witnessed throughout the year. I hope I can rise to the occasion.”
This marks Erivo’s first time hosting the Tonys. She won a Tony in 2016 for her lead role in “The Color Purple.” Ariana DeBose, also a Tony winner, hosted the ceremony for the past three years. This will be the fifth consecutive year that a woman of color has hosted the Tonys; Audra McDonald did so in 2021.
Erivo, 38, stars in the film “Wicked,” which has become the highest-grossing movie adapted from a Broadway musical. She is nominated for an Oscar for best actress for her role in “Wicked,” although she is not expected to win when the awards are presented on March 2. Rumors suggest that she and co-star Ariana Grande might perform at the Oscars. It’s Erivo’s third Oscar nomination, following dual nods for best actress and best original song five years ago for “Harriet.”
Along with her Tony win, Erivo has received a Grammy and a Daytime Emmy for projects related to “The Color Purple.”
“Cynthia is a remarkable talent, and with her deep roots in the theater community, we are honored to have her host this year’s Tony Awards on CBS,” Mackenzie Mitchell, vice president of specials at CBS, said in a statement.
Nominations for this year’s Tony Awards will be announced on Thursday, May 1.
The Tony Awards are produced in collaboration with Tony Award Productions, a partnership between the American Theatre Wing, The Broadway League, and White Cherry Entertainment. Ricky Kirshner and Glenn Weiss serve as executive producers and showrunners for White Cherry Entertainment, with Weiss also directing.
