Alex Newell and J Harrison Ghee have become the first openly non-binary actors to win a Tony Award.
Broadway’s glitziest night took place on Sunday (12 June) with the biggest names in theatre descending upon the United Palace in Manhattan’s Washington Heights neighbourhood.
Among this year’s winners is Newell who won Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical for their role in the 2022 musical Shucked.
Follow along with our live blog for all updates from the 2023 Tony Awards and see here for the full list of winners.
During their speech, Newell said that winning a Tony had been something they had wanted their entire life.
Newell, 30, thanked the crew, cast, and creative team behind Shucked and also their mother “for loving me unconditionally” and “teaching me what strength is”.
They went on to address their history-making victory, stating: “Thank you for seeing me, Broadway. I should not be up here as a queer nonbinary fat Black lil baby from Massachusetts.
“To anyone that thinks they can’t do it, I’m going to look you dead in your face [and say] that you can do anything you put your mind to.”
Only moments after Newell’s history-making win did Ghee also triumph in their category of Best Lead Actor in a Musical thanks to their portrayal of a gender-questioning musician in Some Like It Hot.
“For every trans, nonbinary, gender nonconforming human who was ever told you couldn’t be seen, this is for you,” Ghee, 33, said with tears in their eyes
Both Newell and Ghee agreed to be considered eligible under the Best Actor category since the Tonys, like the Oscars, still use gendered performance categories.
Another non-binary performer, Justin David Sullivan (who starred in & Juliet) chose not to be considered for the awards rather than compete in a gendered category.
Earlier in the ceremony, Parade director Michael Arden gave an impassioned speech after he won the award for best direction of a musical.
Arden’s speech, however, was briefly censored by broadcaster CBS after he hit back at a homophobic slur, which he said in full.
