The inaugural Antonyo Awards took place virtually June 19. The ceremony, presented by Broadway Black, celebrated Black artists—performers, writers, designers, and more—on and Off-Broadway. Nominations were announced June 9, with winners determined by public vote.
The Public Theater's Off-Broadway production of For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/when the rainbow is enuf topped the list with five wins, including in Best Revival and in Best Featured Actor (for Okwui Okpokwasili).
Other big winners of the night included Broadway's Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, which earned Best Musical and saw Adrienne Warren win Best Actor in a Musical for her work in the title role (last week, Warren received the Drama Desk Award for the bio-musical, which, like all other productions in New York and beyond, shut its doors in March due to the coronavirus pandemic). Best Play went to Aziza Barnes' BLKS.
After receiving the Pulitzer Prize, a Drama Desk, and more earlier this year for A Strange Loop, Michael R. Jackson continued his winning streak by taking Best Book.
In addition to the competitive, gender-neutral categories, honorary accolades went to Loy A. Webb (the Lorraine Hansberry Award), Donja R. Love (the Langston Hughes Award), Dharon E. Jones (the Welcome Award), Chuck Cooper (the Lifetime Achievement Award), and the National Black Theatre (The Doors of the Theatre Are Open Award).
While still highlighting the need for justice in the wake of the killings of Black men and women and continued Black Lives Matter protests, the ceremony itself maintained a celebratory tone throughout, with musical performances ranging from Sasha Allen singing "Lift Every Voice and Sing" (often coined "The Black national anthem"), a self-referential opening number highlighting Black excellence, and a tribute to Lifetime Achievement recipient Cooper from Broadway Inspirational Voices' Michael McElroy.
Take a look at the complete winners list below.
Best Musical
Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
Best Play
BLKS by Aziza Barnes
Best Revival
For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/when the rainbow is enuf
Best Actor in a Musical on Broadway
Adrienne Warren, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
Best Actor in a Play on Broadway
Audra McDonald, Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune
Best Actor in a Musical Off-Broadway
LaChanze, The Secret Life of Bees
Best Actor in a Play Off-Broadway
Danielle Brooks, Much Ado About Nothing
Best Featured Actor in a Musical on Broadway
Celia Rose Gooding, Jagged Little Pill
Best Featured Actor in a Play on Broadway
Chalia La Tour, Slave Play
Best Featured Actor in a Musical Off-Broadway
Jasmine Cephas Jones, Cyrano
Best Featured Actor in a Play Off-Broadway
Okwui Okpokwasili, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/ when the rainbow is enuf
Best Solo Performance
Michael Benjamin Washington, Fires in the Mirror
Best Book
Michael R. Jackson, A Strange Loop
Best Original Score
The Secret of Life Bees
Best Director
Lileana Blain-Cruz, Anatomy of A Suicide
Best Choreography
Camille A. Brown, for For Colored Girls Who Have Committed Suicide/when the rainbow is enuf
Best Lighting Design
Allen Lee Hughes, A Soldiers Play
Best Scenic Design
Lawrence E. Moten III, Native Son
Best Sound
Rucyl Frison, Anatomy of a Suicide
Best Costumes
Toni-Leslie James, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/when the rainbow is enuf
Best Hair & Wig Design
Nikiya Mathis, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/when the rainbow is enuf
Best Orchestrations
Skinfolk: An American Show
Best Quarantine Content
Daniel J. Watts, The Jam IG Live
Joining Broadway Black Founder Drew Shade on the creative team for the awards were Catherine Caldwell, Darius Barnes, Kim Exum, Neville Braithwaite, Zhailon Levingston, Elijah Lewis, Allen Louis, Eric Lockley, Edward Maware, Emma Claye, Ianne Fields Stewart, and The Press Room.