NYU Earns More than 60 Nominations for the 2025 Tony Awards

'Maybe Happy Ending,' a new musical starring Darren Criss and Helen J. Shen, earned 10 Tony Award nominations. (Photo by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman)

Will Aronson and Hue Park, the creators of Maybe Happy Ending, a musical about two robots who fall in love, are among the more than 40 NYU community members to receive 61 nominations for the 2025 Tony Awards.

The pair joined NYU alumni, faculty and a current student representing the College of Arts and Science, Gallatin, Law, Steinhardt, Stern, and Tisch to receive nominations when they were announced May 1.

Daniel Dae Kim made history as the first AAPI actor to be nominated for Leading Actor in a Play for Yellow Face. Aronson's and Park's hit earned 10 nominations, tying with Buena Vista Social Club and Death Becomes Her as the most honored. NYU alumni contributed to each of the five Best New Musicals nominees.

Tisch Collaborative Arts student Fina Strazza earned a Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play nomination for her role in John Proctor is the Villain. Playwrights Branden Jacobs-Jenkins and Sanaz Toossi won Best Play nods for Purpose and English, respectively.

In all, NYU earned nominations in 17 categories.

The 78th annual Tony Awards, presented by the Broadway League and American Theatre Wing, will be presented June 8 at a ceremony at Radio City Music Hall hosted by 2016 winner Cynthia Erivo.

A complete list of the nominees is available at the Tony Awards website.

Best New Musical
Buena Vista Social Club
Ioana Alfonso (TSOA '98), Constance Cincotta (GSAS '86), John Leguizamo (TSOA), Marc Platt (LAW '82), Marco Ramirez (TSOA '05), producers

Dead Outlaw
Craig Balsam (LAW '86), Sean Patrick Flahaven (TSOA '97), Dawn Smalberg (TSOA '89), producers

Death Becomes Her
Marc Platt (LAW '82), producer

Maybe Happy Ending
Hunter Arnold (Stern '13), Will Aronson (TSOA '07), Curt Cronin (Stern '13), Kayla Greenspan (Steinhardt '12), Hue Park (Steinhardt '12), producers

Operation Mincemeat
Adam Cohen (Steinhardt '94), Ken Davenport (TSOA '94), Sean Patrick Flahaven (TSOA '97), Larry Hirschhorn (Steinhardt '95), Megan Minutillo (Steinhardt '09), Tom Smedes (Gallatin '85) producers

Best New Play
English
Sanaz Toossi (TSOA '18) playwright

John Proctor is the Villain
Dana Jackson (TSOA '90) producer

Purpose
Branden Jacobs-Jenkins (GSAS, TSOA), playwright
Marc Platt (LAW '82), producer

Best Revival of a Musical
Gypsy
Ken Davenport (TSOA '94), Wendy Federman (Stern '79), Sean Patrick Flahaven (TSOA '97), Heni Koenigsberg (Steinhardt '74), Tom Kirdahy (WSUC '85, LAW 88), producers

Floyd Collins
Charles D. Urstadt (WSUC '83), producer

Sunset Boulevard
Craig Balsam (LAW '86), Caitlin Clements (TSOA '13), Wendy Federman (Stern '79), Christopher Ketner (Steinhardt '09), Heni Koenigsberg (Steinhardt '74), Alex Levy (LAW '14), producers

Best Revival of a Play
Thorton Wilder's Our Town
Craig Balsam (LAW '86), Rose Caiola (TSOA '91), Sean Patrick Flahaven (TSOA '97), Daryl Roth (Steinhardt '70), producers

Best Book of a Musical
Marco Ramirez (TSOA '05), Buena Vista Social Club
Itamar Moses (TSOA '03), Dead Outlaw
Marco Pennette (TSOA), Death Becomes Her
Will Aronson (TSOA '07) and Hue Park (Steinhardt '12), Maybe Happy Ending

Best Costume Design of a Play
Brenda Abbandandolo, (TSOA '10), Good Night, and Good Luck

Best Costume Design of a Musical
Gregg Barnes (TSOA '83), Boop! The Musical
Paul Tazewell (TSOA '89), Death Becomes Her
Clint Ramos (TSOA '97), Maybe Happy Ending

Best Direction of a Play
Sam Pinkleton (TSOA '09), Oh, Mary!

Best Lighting Design of a Play
David Bengali (TSOA '12), Good Night, and Good Luck

Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Justin Townsend (TSOA faculty), Death Becomes Her

Best Sound Design of a Musical
Dan Moses Schreier (Gallatin '79), Floyd Collins

Best Scenic Design of a Play
Marsha Ginsberg (TSOA '90), English

Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Arnulfo Maldonado (TSOA ''05), Buena Vista Social Club