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List of Asian Tony Award winners and nominees

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This is a list of Tony Award winners and nominees who are of Asian descent or native to an Asian country. As of the 75th Tony Awards, which were presented on June 12, 2022, there are 14 individual Asian Tony Award winners, including 13 competitive award winners. The first Asian to win a Tony Award was Willa Kim in 1981 when she won the Tony Award for Best Costume Design in a Musical for Sophisticated Ladies.

Show and technical

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Best Musical

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Best Musical
Year Recipient Show Status Milestone / Notes Ref(s)
2011 Yasuhiro Kawana Catch Me If You Can Nominated (Shared with Margo Lion, Hal Luftig, Stacey Mindich, Scott & Brian Zeilinger, The Rialto Group, The Araca Group, Michael Watt, Barbara & Buddy Freitag, Jay & Cindy Gutterman/Pittsburgh CLO, Elizabeth Williams, Johnny Roscoe Productions/Van Dean, Fakston Productions/Solshay Productions, Patty Baker/Richard Winkler, Nederlander Presentations, Inc., Warren Trepp, Remmel T. Dickinson, Paula Herold/Kate Lear, Stephanie P. McClelland, Jamie deRoy, Barry Feirstein, Rainerio J. Reyes, Rodney Rigby, Loraine Boyle, Amuse Inc., Joseph & Matthew Deitch/Cathy Chernoff, Joan Stein/Jon Murray, and The 5th Avenue Theatre.)
2013 Kinky Boots Won First Asian to win for Best Musical.

(Shared with Daryl Roth, Hal Luftig, James L. Nederlander, Terry Allen Kramer, Independent Presenters Network, CJ E&M, Jayne Baron Sherman, Just for Laughs Theatricals/Judith Ann Abrams, Jane Bergère, Allan S. Gordon & Adam S. Gordon, Ken Davenport, Hunter Arnold, Lucy & Phil Suarez, Bryan Bantry, Ron Fierstein & Dorsey Regal, Jim Kierstead/Gregory Rae, BB Group/Christina Papagjika, Michael DeSantis/Patrick Baugh, Brian Smith/Tom & Connie Walsh, Warren Trepp, and Jujamcyn Theaters.)

[1]
2014 Jhett Tolentino A Gentlemen’s Guide to Love and Murder Won Second Asian to win for Best Musical.

(Shared with Joey Parnes, S.D. Wagner, John Johnson, 50 Church Street Productions, Joan Raffe, Jay Alix & Una Jackman, Catherine & Fred Adler, Rhoda Herrick, Kathleen K. Johnson, Megan Savage, ShadowCatcher Entertainment, Ron Simons, True Love Productions, Jamie deRoy, Four Ladies & One Gent, John Arthur Pinckard, Greg Nobile, Stewart Lane & Bonnie Comley, Exeter Capital/Ted Snowdon, Ryan Hugh Mackey, Cricket-CTM Media/Mano-Horn Productions, Dennis Grimaldi/Margot Astrachan, Hello Entertainment/Jamie Bendell, Michael T. Cohen/Joe Sirola, Joseph & Carson Gleberman/William Megevick, Green State Productions, The Hartford Stage, and The Old Globe.)

[2]
2017 Raymond Poliquit Dear Evan Hansen Won Third Asian to win for Best Musical. [3]

Best Revival of a Musical

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Best Revival of a Musical
Year Recipient Show Status Milestone / Notes Ref(s)
2012 Yasuhiro Kawana Evita Nominated (Shared with Hal Luftig, Scott Sanders Productions, Roy Furman, Allan S. Gordon/Adam S. Gordon, James L. Nederlander, Terry Allen Kramer, Gutterman Fuld Chernoff/Pittsburgh CLO, Thousand Stars Productions, Adam Blanshay, Adam Zotovich, Robert Ahrens, Stephanie P. McClelland, Carole L. Haber, Richardo Hornos, Carol Fineman, Brian Smith, and Warren & Jâlé Trepp.)

Best Direction of a Musical

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Best Direction of a Musical
Year Recipient Show Status Milestone / Notes Ref(s)

Best Book of a Musical

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Best Book of a Musical
Year Recipient Show Status Milestone / Notes Ref(s)
2003 David Henry Hwang Flower Drum Song Nominated
2011 Robert Lopez The Book of Mormon Won First Asian to win for Best Book of a Musical.

First Asian to win a third Tony Award.

Second Asian to win a second Tony Award.

(Shared with Trey Parker and Matt Stone.)

Best Original Score

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Best Original Score
Year Recipient Show Status Milestone / Notes Ref(s)
2004 Robert Lopez Avenue Q Won First Asian to win for Best Original Score.

(Shared with Jeff Marx.)

2011 The Book of Mormon Won First Asian to win a third Tony Award.

Second Asian to win a second Tony Award. (Shared with Trey Parker and Matt Stone.)

2018 Frozen Nominated (Shared with Kristen Anderson-Lopez.)

Best Orchestrations

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Best Orchestrations
Year Recipient Show Status Milestone / Notes Ref(s)

Best Choreography

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Best Choreography
Year Recipient Show Status Milestone / Notes Ref(s)

Best Scenic Design in a Musical

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Best Scenic Design in a Musical
Year Recipient Show Status Milestone / Notes Ref(s)
1970 Ming Cho Lee Billy Nominated
2017 Mimi Lien Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet Of 1812 Won First Asian to win Best Scenic Design in a Musical.

Best Costume Design in a Musical

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Best Costume Design in a Musical
Year Recipient Show Status Milestone / Notes Ref(s)
1975 Willa Kim Goodtime Charley Nominated [4]
1978 Dancin' Nominated
1981 Sophisticated Ladies Won First Asian to win a Tony Award.

First Asian to win for Best Costume Design in a Musical.

1986 Song & Dance Nominated
1989 Legs Diamond Nominated
1991 The Will Rogers Follies Won First Asian to win a second Tony Award.
2014 Linda Cho A Gentlemen's Guide to Love and Murder Won Second Asian to win for Best Costume Design in a Musical.
2017 Anastasia Nominated

Best Lighting Design in a Musical

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Best Lighting Design in a Musical
Year Recipient Show Status Milestone / Notes Ref(s)

Best Sound Design of a Musical

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Best Sound Design of a Musical
Year Recipient Show Status Milestone / Notes Ref(s)
2012 Kai Harada Follies Nominated
2018 The Band's Visit Won First Asian to win for Best Sound Design of a Musical.

Best Play

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Best Play
Year Recipient Show Status Milestone / Notes Ref(s)
1988 David Henry Hwang M. Butterfly Won First Asian to win for Best Play.

(Shared with Stuart Ostrow and David Geffen.)

1998 Golden Child Nominated (Shared with Benjamin Mordecai, Dori Berinstein, John Kao, Talia Shire, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, South coast Repertory, The Joseph Papp Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival, American Conservatory Theater.)
2013 Jhett Tolentino Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike Won Second Asian to win for Best Play.

(Shared with Christopher Durang, Joey Parnes, Larry Hirschhorn, Joan Raffe, Martin Platt & David Elliott, Pat Flicker Addiss, Catherine Adler, John O'Boyle, Joshua Goodman, Jamie deRoy/Richard Winkler, Cricket Hooper Jiranek/Michael Palitz, Mark S. Golub & David S. Golub, Radio Mouse Entertainment, ShadowCatcher Entertainment, Mary Cossette/Barbara Manocherian, Megan Savage/Meredith Lynsey Schade, Hugh Hysell/Richard Jordan, Cheryl Wiesenfeld/Ron Simons, S.D. Wagner, John Johnson, McCarter Theatre Center, and Lincoln Center Theater.)

2015 Hand to God Nominated (Shared with Robert Askins, Kevin McCollum, Broadway Global Ventures, CMC, Morris Berchard, Mariano V. Tolentino Jr., Stephanie Kramer, LAMS Productions, DeSimone/Winkler, Joan Raffe, Timothy Laczynski, Lily Fan, Ayal Miodovnik, Jam Theatricals, Ensemble Studio Theatre, and MCC Theater.)

Best Revival of a Play

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Best Revival of a Play
Year Recipient Show Status Milestone / Notes Ref(s)
2014 Jhett Tolentino A Raisin in the Sun Won First Asian to win for Best Revival of a Play.

(Shared with Scott Rudin, Roger Berlind, Eli Bush, Jon B. Platt, Scott M. Delman, Roy Furman, Stephanie P. McClelland, Ruth Hendel, Sonia Friedman/Tulchin Bartner, The Araca Group, Heni Koenigsberg, Daryl Roth, Joan Raffe, Joey Parnes, S.D. Wagner, and John Johnson.)

2015 This Is Our Youth Nominated (Shared with Scott Rudin, Eli Bush, Roger Berlind, William Berlind, Jon B. Platt, Roy Furman, The Shubert Organization, Ruth Hendel, Scott M. Delman, Stephanie P. McClelland, Sonia Friedman, Tulchin Bartner, The Araca Group, Heni Koenigsberg, Daryl Roth, Joan Raffe, Catherine & Fred Adler, Joey Parnes, Sue Wagner, John Johnson, and Steppenwolf Theatre Company.)

Best Direction of a Play

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Best Direction of a Play
Year Recipient Show Status Milestone / Notes Ref(s)

Best Scenic Design in a Play

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Best Scenic Design in a Play
Year Recipient Show Status Milestone / Notes Ref(s)
1983 Ming Cho Lee K2 Won First Asian to win for Best Scenic Design in a Play.

Best Costume Design in a Play

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Best Costume Design in a Play
Year Recipient Show Status Milestone / Notes Ref(s)

Best Lighting Design in a Play

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Best Lighting Design in a Play
Year Recipient Show Status Milestone / Notes Ref(s)
2022 Jiyoun Chang for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf Nominated
Yi Zhao The Skin of Our Teeth Nominated

Best Sound Design of a Play

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Best Sound Design of a Play
Year Recipient Show Status Milestone / Notes Ref(s)

Performance

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Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play

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Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play
Year Recipient Show Role Status Milestone / Notes Ref(s)

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play

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Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
Year Recipient Show Role Status Milestone / Notes Ref(s)
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Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play
Year Recipient Show Role Status Milestone / Notes Ref(s)
1988 BD Wong M. Butterfly Song Liling Won First Asian to win for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play.
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Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play
Year Recipient Show Role Status Milestone / Notes Ref(s)

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical

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Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical
Year Recipient Show Role Status Milestone / Notes Ref(s)
1996 Lou Diamond Phillips The King and I King Mongkut of Siam Nominated [5]
2015 Ken Watanabe The King and I King Mongkut of Siam Nominated First Japanese actor to be nominated in this category. [6]

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical

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Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
Year Recipient Show Role Status Milestone / Notes Ref(s)
1991 Lea Salonga Miss Saigon Kim Won First Asian actress to win a Tony Award.

First Asian to win for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical.

[7]
June Angela Shōgun: The Musical Lady Mariko Nominated
2016 Phillipa Soo Hamilton Eliza Hamilton Nominated
2017 Eva Noblezada Miss Saigon Kim Nominated
2019 Hadestown Eurydice Nominated
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Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical
Year Recipient Show Role Status Milestone / Notes Ref(s)
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Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical
Year Recipient Show Role Status Milestone / Notes Ref(s)
2015 Ruthie Ann Miles The King and I Lady Thiang Won First Asian to win for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical.

Second Asian actress to win a Tony Award.

[8]
2018 Ashley Park Mean Girls Gretchen Wieners Nominated [1]

Special awards

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Special Tony Award / Lifetime Achievement Award

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Special Tony Award / Lifetime Achievement Award
Year Recipient Status Ref(s)
2013 Ming Cho Lee Honoree

Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre

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Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre
Year Recipient Status Ref(s)
2022 Asian American Performers Action Coalition Honoree

Isabelle Stevenson Award

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Isabelle Stevenson Award
Year Recipient Status Ref(s)
2017 Baayork Lee Honoree

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "NOMINATIONS (YASUHIRO KAWANA)". The American Theatre Wing's Tony Awards. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  2. ^ "NOMINATIONS (JHETT TOLENTINO)". The American Theatre Wing's Tony Awards. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  3. ^ Ang, Walter (July 15, 2017). "This Pinoy doctor and Zumba instructor now has a Tony–for coproducing 'Dear Evan Hansen'". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  4. ^ "NOMINATIONS (WILLA KIM)". The American Theatre Wing's Tony Awards. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  5. ^ "Lou Diamond Phillips Tony Awards Wins and Nominations". www.broadwayworld.com. Retrieved 2024-11-14.
  6. ^ "Ken Watanabe Tony Awards Wins and Nominations". www.broadwayworld.com. Retrieved 2024-11-14.
  7. ^ "NOMINATIONS (LEA SALONGA)". The American Theatre Wing's Tony Awards. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  8. ^ "NOMINATIONS (RUTHIE ANN MILES)". The American Theatre Wing's Tony Awards. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
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