As a bona fide Broadway fanatic, I see a lot of shows. And as a Black woman, I’ve gotten used to flipping through the Playbill, searching for the one Black performer I could tap into and see myself recognized on stage.
This past Broadway season, I didn’t have to search.
The 2026 Tony Award nominations were announced this morning, and if they prove anything, it’s this: Broadway is Blacker than ever. No longer tucked into the ensemble, we’re leading shows and shaping stories.
Take Ragtime, nominated for Best Revival of a Musical. Joshua Henry — fresh off his musical opening performance at the Met Gala on May 4 — delivers a haunting performance as Coalhouse Walker Jr., a Black man who witnesses unfathomable discrimination against his property and his love, Sarah, forcing him to take the law into his own hands to fight for justice. Henry and his equally formidable co-star, Nichelle Lewis, both received nominations: Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical and Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical categories, respectively, for tackling a story that reveals a painful part of American history that should never be forgotten.
That same recognition shows up in August Wilson’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone. The production, set in 1911, confronts the inhumanities Black men endure while also exploring how we build community in spite of it, further proof that Wilson’s voice remains as urgent as ever. Reuben Hudson-Santiago, who has championed Wilson’s work as an actor and director, gives a quiet, simmering performance as spiritual advisor Bynum, earning a Best Featured Actor nomination.
But Joe Turner’s lack of nominations for best play revival and for its other performers, like Joshua Boone, Cedric the Entertainer, and Taraji P. Henson — making her Broadway debut — proves that impact and recognition aren’t a given. And shockingly, no nomination for Debbie Allen, whose direction of Joe Turner’s Come and Gone anchored one of the season’s most powerful productions, all while she was juggling the reboot of A Different World. The question isn’t whether she’s deserving; it’s why Black women of a certain age who helm productions continue to be overlooked.
Luckily, Black queer joy and innovation are taking center stage. In Titanique, nominated for Best Musical, Layton Williams gives a diamond-worthy performance, which has earned him a nod in the Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical category. André De Shields, who’s currently holding one of the longest notes on Broadway, is also nominated in the category for his work in Cats: The Jellicle Ball. He continues to redefine longevity and excellence, this time in a production rooted in drag ball culture that honors the Black and Brown pioneers who shaped LGBTQ+ history.
What’s especially striking this season is that Black talent isn’t confined to “Black stories.” Nicholas Christopher’s commanding performance in Chess has earned him his first nomination in the musical Lead Actor category, while Christiani Pitts snagged a Leading Actress nomination for Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York). Roles like these expand the boundaries of where and how we exist on Broadway.
Behind the scenes, the impact is just as powerful as we shape stories through direction and design. Tony and Oscar winner Paul Tazewell is nominated for Best Costume Design of a Play for Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, while Qween Jean is double-nominated for costume design for Cats: The Jellicle Ball (Musical) and Liberation (play). Zhailon Levingston earns his first Tony nomination for co-directing Cats: The Jellicle Ball, and Whitney White is once again recognized, this time with a director nomination for Liberation.
Still, the omissions are impossible to ignore. The revival of Proof, reimagined through a Black lens and starring Don Cheadle, Ayo Edebiri, and Kara Young, received zero nominations. Broadway may be embracing our presence, but it’s still catching up to our perspective.
Sure, at the 79th Tony Awards, we’ll have a strong showing of Black and talent creatives celebrated, which means we’re no longer struggling to be seen on Broadway. But the fight for full recognition remains.
The 79th Tony Awards will air live on CBS on June 7.