Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender. As other formal (and informal) polls suggest, competitions are fluid and subject to change based on buzz and events. Predictions are updated every Thursday.
Visit the prediction pages for the respective ceremonies via the links below:
OSCARS | EMMYS | GRAMMYS | TONYS
UPDATED: May 1, 2023
2023 Tony Predictions:
Best Featured Actor in a Musical
Weekly Commentary: In the races for featured performance in a musical, some nominations are easy to call: They’ll go to the standout scene-stealers, the ones who bring down the house with a powerful number or win big laughs with every line.
For featured actor, bet on Kevin Del Aguila for his sweet turn as a besotted millionaire in “Some Like It Hot,” and on Alex Newell, who’s giving a performance that audiences come out of “Shucked” raving about. Justin Cooley’s unaffected, touching portrait of the title character’s friend in “Kimberly Akimbo” also seems likely to get a nod.
Beyond that, nominations in the category could go to any one of the strong male supporting players in “Parade” – potentially Alex Joseph Grayson – or maybe to Kevin Cahoon’s joke-a-minute turn in “Shucked,” or to Gavin Creel’s double-take on the Wolf and Cinderella’s Prince in “Into the Woods.”
Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Tony Awards predictions in all categories.
And the Predicted Nominees Are:
- Kevin Del Aguila — “Some Like It Hot” (Shubert Theatre)
- Alex Newell — “Shucked” (Nederlander Theatre)
- Justin Cooley — “Kimberly Akimbo” (Booth Theatre)
- Alex Joseph Grayson — “Parade” (Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre)
- Kevin Cahoon — “Shucked” (Nederlander Theatre)
Next in Line
- Gavin Creel — “Into the Woods” (St. James Theatre)
- Steven Boyer — “Kimberly Akimbo” (Booth Theatre)
- Joshua Henry — “Into the Woods” (St. James Theatre)
- Gaten Matarazzo — “Sweeney Todd” (Lunt-Fontanne Theatre)
All Eligible Shows and Performances (Unranked)
- Paulo Szot — “& Juliet” (Stephen Sondheim Theatre)
- Stark Stands — “& Juliet” (Stephen Sondheim Theatre)
- Drew Gehling — “Almost Famous” (Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre)
- Mark Jacoby — “A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical” (Broadhurst Theatre)
- Jordan Dobson — “Bad Cinderella” (Imperial Theatre)
- Kolton Krouse — “Bob Fosse’s Dancin’” (Music Box Theatre)
- Jordan Donica — “Camelot” (Vivian Beaumont Theater – Lincoln Center Theater)
- Dakin Matthews — “Camelot” (Vivian Beaumont Theater – Lincoln Center Theater)
- Taylor Trensch — “Camelot” (Vivian Beaumont Theater – Lincoln Center Theater)
- Steven Boyer — “Kimberly Akimbo” (Booth Theatre)
- Gavin Creel — “Into the Woods” (St. James Theatre)
- Joshua Henry — “Into the Woods” (St. James Theatre)
- Kennedy Kanagawa — “Into the Woods” (St. James Theatre)
- Clyde Alves — “New York, New York” (St. James Theatre)
- John Clay III — “New York, New York” (St. James Theatre)
- Justin Cooley — “Kimberly Akimbo” (Booth Theatre)
- Alex Joseph Grayson — “Parade” (Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre)
- Sean Allan Krill — “Parade” (Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre)
- Howard McGillin — “Parade” (Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre)
- Paul Alexander Nolan — “Parade” (Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre)
- John Behlmann — “Shucked” (Nederlander Theatre)
- Kevin Cahoon — “Shucked” (Nederlander Theatre)
- Andrew Durand — “Shucked” (Nederlander Theatre)
- Grey Henson — “Shucked” (Nederlander Theatre)
- Alex Newell — “Shucked” (Nederlander Theatre)
- Kevin Del Aguila — “Some Like It Hot” (Shubert Theatre)
- Jordan Fisher — “Sweeney Todd” (Lunt-Fontanne Theatre)
- Jamie Jackson — “Sweeney Todd” (Lunt-Fontanne Theatre)
- Gaten Matarazzo — “Sweeney Todd” (Lunt-Fontanne Theatre)
2023 Tony Predictions:
Best Featured Actress in a Musical
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Weekly Commentary: Among the actresses, Bonnie Milligan is sure to secure a spot for the unstoppable vocals and flawless comic timing she shows off in “Kimberly Akimbo.” Both NaTasha Yvette Williams, as the band leader in “Some Like It Hot,” and Betsy Wolfe, as Shakespeare’s wife Anne Hathaway in “& Juliet,” also are likely to score for smartly considered and appealing portrayals of their respective characters. Julia Lester, who earned praise for her fresh take on Little Red in “Into the Woods,” also looks like a contender.
Then there are a number of deserving candidates who could round out the category. One solid option: Alli Mauzey, who’s starting to gain recognition in “Kimberly Akimbo” for balancing her character’s comic unlikability with real sympathy.
Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Tony Awards predictions in all categories.
The Tony Awards eligibility cutoff date for the 2022–23 season is April 27, 2023, for all Broadway productions which meet all other eligibility requirements. The 2023 Tony Awards nominations will be announced on May 2, 2023.
The 76th Annual Tony Awards are scheduled for June 11, 2023, at the United Palace in New York City. It will air on CBS and Paramount+ and be produced by Ricky Kirshner and Glenn Weiss, with the latter also serving as the director.
And the Predicted Nominees Are:
- Phillipa Soo — “Camelot” (Vivian Beaumont Theater – Lincoln Center Theater)
- Ashley D. Kelly — “Shucked” (Nederlander Theatre)
- Ruthie Ann Miles — “Sweeney Todd” (Lunt-Fontanne Theatre)
- Robyn Hurder — “A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical” (Broadhurst Theatre)
All Eligible Shows and Performances (Unranked)
- Carolee Carmello — “1776” (American Airlines Theatre)
- Elizabeth A. Davis — “1776” (American Airlines Theatre)
- Eryn Lecroy — “1776” (American Airlines Theatre)
- Sara Porkalob — “1776” (American Airlines Theatre)
- Melanie La Barrie — “& Juliet” (Stephen Sondheim Theatre)
- Betsy Wolfe — “& Juliet” (Stephen Sondheim Theatre)
- Anika Larsen — “Almost Famous” (Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre)
- Solea Pfeiffer — “Almost Famous” (Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre)
- Robyn Hurder — “A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical” (Broadhurst Theatre)
- Carolee Carmello — “Bad Cinderella” (Imperial Theatre)
- Grace McLean — “Bad Cinderella” (Imperial Theatre)
- Marilee Talkington — “Camelot” (Vivian Beaumont Theater – Lincoln Center Theater)
- Phillipa Soo — “Camelot” (Vivian Beaumont Theater – Lincoln Center Theater)
- Julia Lester — “Into the Woods” (St. James Theatre)
- Phillipa Soo — “Into the Woods” (St. James Theatre)
- Alli Mauzey — “Kimberly Akimbo” (Booth Theatre)
- Bonnie Milligan — “Kimberly Akimbo” (Booth Theatre)
- Janet Dacal — “New York, New York” (St. James Theatre)
- Emily Skinner — “New York, New York” (St. James Theatre)
- Courtnee Carter — “Parade” (Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre)
- Ashley D. Kelly — “Shucked” (Nederlander Theatre)
- NaTasha Yvette Williams — “Some Like It Hot” (Shubert Theatre)
- Maria Bilbao — “Sweeney Todd” (Lunt-Fontanne Theatre)
- Ruthie Ann Miles — “Sweeney Todd” (Lunt-Fontanne Theatre)
Tony Awards Predictions Categories
BEST MUSICAL | BEST PLAY | MUSICAL REVIVAL | PLAY REVIVAL | ACTOR (MUSICAL) | ACTOR (PLAY) | ACTRESS (MUSICAL) | ACTRESS (PLAY) | FEATURED ACTOR (MUSICAL) | FEATURED ACTOR (PLAY) | FEATURED ACTRESS (MUSICAL) | FEATURED ACTRESS (PLAY) | DIRECTOR (MUSICAL) | DIRECTOR (PLAY) | ORIGINAL SCORE | MUSICAL BOOK | CHOREOGRAPHY
About the Tony Awards
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, better known as the Tony Awards, is given out annually by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League, recognizing excellence in live Broadway theatre. The ceremony, held annually in New York City, was founded by theatre producer and director Brock Pemberton and is named after Antoinette “Tony” Perry, an actress, producer and theatre director who was co-founder of the American Theatre Wing.
