While this year gave us #OscarsSoWhite, the Tony Awards gave us divine diversity and #BlackExcellence.
2016 noms marked a record 14 nominations for performers of color, including 16 noms for Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hip-hopera Hamilton. Most important, in the first time in the award show’s history, all four Tonys for roles in musicals were awarded to actors of African descent.
Best Actor in A Musical: Leslie Odom Jr., Hamilton
Best Actress in a Musical: Cynthia Erivo, The Color Purple
Best Featured Actress in a Musical: Renée Elise Goldsberry, Hamilton
Best Featured Actor in a Musical: Daveed Diggs, Hamilton
Oh, and did we mention that the First Couple introduced Hamilton that ended up winning Best Musical?
And The Colored Purple won Best Revival of a Musical.
While Eclipsed only won for best Best Costume Design, Lupita and company killed the red carpet and still showed that a play written, directed and acted by Black/African women was possible.
The Color Purple and OITNB’s Danielle Brooks may not have won in her category, but she was so happy to be there with the people she loved the most:
And of course legend and expecting mother Audra McDonald glowed.
And given that this was the Blackest Tony Awards ever, this Tweet perfectly sums the night up:
Just saying.
“Hamilton,” “The Color Purple” And “Eclipsed” Win At The Tony Awards was originally published on hellobeautiful.com
