Pink hosts Tony Awards kickoff with family, John Lithgow wins historic honor

Pink gave the Tony Awards a pop-star jolt at Radio City Music Hall, arriving with her husband Carey Hart, daughter Willow Hart, son Jameson Hart and her mother, Judith Moore, before opening the 79th annual ceremony with a crowded, high-energy parody of Lady Marmalade. Her first turn as host underscored how Broadway is leaning on mainstream celebrity to widen its reach, even as the night stayed rooted in the season’s stage competition.

Tony Award Productions had announced Pink as host in April, calling on one of the country’s biggest touring and recording names to front the Broadway celebration. The 79th Tony Awards aired live on CBS and streamed on Paramount+, with eligibility for the 2025-2026 Broadway season closing on April 26. Pink said at the time that she was surprised to be asked and joked that she needed to get herself “on Broadway” first, a line that fit the tone of a broadcast trying to balance show business spectacle with theater tradition.

That balance was visible in the opening minutes. Pink’s Lady Marmalade number brought together a large ensemble and Broadway cameos, turning the telecast into a full-throttle crowd pleaser before the first awards were handed out. The production signaled a familiar Tony strategy: borrow outside star power to pull in viewers who may not know the season’s shows, while using the platform to showcase the Broadway community itself.

The night’s first major acting prize went to John Lithgow, who won best leading actor in a play for Giant. The victory made him a three-time Tony winner and, at 80, the oldest male acting winner in Tony Awards history. It also marked the first time in 53 years that a performer won a Tony in his 80s, a reminder that the ceremony’s prestige still rests on milestone performances as much as celebrity hosting.

The broader field set up a crowded race. The Lost Boys and Schmigadoon! led the 2026 nominations with 12 apiece, while the telecast also folded in Broadway’s longer arc, including Chicago’s 30-year run and a special tribute to A Chorus Line. That combination of legacy, star wattage and competition defined the night: Pink’s family-friendly mainstream presence may have broadened the audience, but Lithgow’s record-setting win kept the spotlight firmly on the stage.