Tony Nominating Committee - Conflicts?

[macbeth]

Posted: 4/12/25 at 5:09pm

https://www.tonyawards.com/about/administration/ I'm looking at all of these 2024–2025 Tony Awards Nominating Committee members, and while I guess it's normal for show business awards - aren't there like a million conflicts of interest this year?

Also, I remember the bruhaha from a few years ago about how many nominators and voters were actually showing up for all. Did that get any better? 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 4/12/25 at 5:52pm

Nominators must see everything and the rules are quite strict. Less so for voters, which is a group of about 850.

Everyone knows everyone in this biz, so you're not going to get away from conflicts of interest. However, there are rules in place for that:

A Nominator must recuse themselves from the Nominating Committee for any year during their three-year term in the event that any of the following situations apply to them:

- Active participation in a Tony Award eligible Broadway production;

- Inability to attend a performance of all Tony Award eligible productions in a season: Inability to view a performance of all Tony Award eligible Actors/Actresses and/or Elements in a season; or

- Employed by or a Board Member of an organization that has a financial interest in a Tony Award-eligible Production.

- A Nominator must recuse themselves from voting in any specific category or categories where there is a direct relation to an individual who is eligible.

There are 50 nominators but not everyone can follow through with their voluntary position. People go out of town for work, people get another gig, they're busy, etc. Meaning that the nominations will be decided upon by about 30 people.

Here are the rules & regulations: https://www.tonyawards.com/documents/21/2025_Tony_Rules_and_Regulations.pdf

Updated On: 4/12/25 at 05:52 PM

[ggersten]

Posted: 4/12/25 at 8:42pm

I realize that a show that closes quickly has minimal chances of being nominated or anything, so when do nominators attend?  Are there tickets for the first week of performance after opening? or are their tickets for "press night"? Seems like it is possible that nominators could easily miss an eligible show.  

[Wick3]

Posted: 4/12/25 at 9:37pm

Most likely on opening night or some time after the show has been frozen.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 4/12/25 at 10:35pm

Nominators are on the “First Night” press list — aka, the final few previews prior to opening night which critics are invited to. If they can’t attend then, the production will make room for them at any other post-opening performance.

Voters aren’t invited until post-opening, usually.

Any nominator I’ve ever spoken with takes that role quite seriously. It’s a powerful position to be in — much more so than the voters.