By Jennifer Chen | Posted on February 20, 2025 2:00 PM
2025 Tony Awards Set for Sunday, June 8, 2025 at the David H. Koch Theater in NYC, With Cynthia Erivo as Host Amid Ratings Decline and Controversy
The 78th Annual Tony Awards are set to celebrate the best of Broadway, bringing together theater’s top stars, directors, and creatives. As the industry prepares for the big night, conversations around TV ratings, voting transparency, and controversies involving Cynthia Erivo and Wicked have been dominating discussions.
Location and Time
The 2025 Tony Awards will take place on Sunday, June 8, 2025, at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York City.
Last year, the 2024 Tony Awards were held at United Palace in Washington Heights, marking the first time the ceremony was hosted in Upper Manhattan. While the move was praised for bringing Broadway’s biggest night to a new venue, some attendees found the location and logistics challenging.
This year, the Tony Awards are returning to Lincoln Center, which has historically hosted the event multiple times. The David H. Koch Theater, home to the New York City Ballet, provides a more traditional Broadway setting compared to the more unconventional United Palace.
- Radio City Music Hall Midtown Manhattan, NYC 5,960 seats
- United Palace Washington Heights, NYC 3,327 seats
- David H. Koch Theater Lincoln Center, NYC 2,586 seats
What TV Channel?
The Tony Awards will air live on CBS and stream simultaneously on Paramount+, continuing their decades-long partnership. While streaming accessibility has improved, traditional TV ratings have continued to struggle.
Cynthia Erivo Replaces Ariana DeBose as Tony Awards Host
In a surprising last-minute change, Cynthia Erivo was announced as the new host of the 2025 Tony Awards, replacing Ariana DeBose, who was originally slated to return for her third consecutive year.
While CBS and the Tony Awards production team have not publicly disclosed the exact reason for the change, industry insiders speculate that DeBose's packed schedule leading up to the Oscars—where she is a frontrunner for Best Original Song—may have influenced her decision to step down.
Will This Help or Hurt the Ratings?
Cynthia Erivo, an acclaimed Broadway star and Tony winner, brings prestige to the hosting role, but her recent controversy surrounding the marketing of the Wicked movie has divided fans. Some believe that her outspokenness about DEI politics may overshadow the event, while others argue that her hosting gig could provide an opportunity for damage control and a fresh start for her in the public eye.
This shake-up adds another layer of uncertainty to the 2025 Tony Awards' TV ratings, which have been fluctuating over the years.
How Long Will the Show Be?
While officially scheduled for three hours, history suggests the Tony Awards may run over time, likely extending to 3 hours and 15 minutes due to live performances, long acceptance speeches, and unexpected moments.
Past 10 Years of TV Viewership and Ratings: Is the Decline Continuing?
TV viewership for the Tony Awards has declined significantly over the past decade, reflecting broader trends in awards show ratings. Below is a look at the past 10 years of Tony Awards TV ratings, showing the number of U.S. viewers (in millions):
- Year / Viewers (In millions)
- 2015 6.35 Million Viewers
- 2016 8.73 Million Viewers (Hamilton year, highest in decades)
- 2017 6.01 Million Viewers
- 2018 5.46 Million Viewers
- 2019 5.44 Million Viewers
- 2020 (Canceled due to COVID-19)
- 2021 2.75 Million Viewers (Lowest ever ratings)
- 2022 3.86 Million Viewers
- 2023 4.31 Million Viewers
- 2024 5.12 Million Viewers (Slight rebound due to strong Broadway season)
How Well Have the Last 5 Hosts Performed?
The last five Tony Awards hosts have received mixed reviews, with some boosting ratings while others struggled to draw interest:
- 2021: Leslie Odom Jr. & Audra McDonald – Confusing two-host format, 2.75M viewers (record low)
- 2022: Ariana DeBose – Well-received, but only 3.86M viewers
- 2023: Ariana DeBose (again) – Popular, but modest bump to 4.31M viewers
- 2024: Josh Groban & Annaleigh Ashford – Fun chemistry, best ratings in years at 5.12M viewers
- 2025: Cynthia Erivo (Replacing Ariana DeBose) – Ratings TBD
Cynthia Erivo’s Complaints About the Wicked Poster
A major controversy leading up to the 2025 Tony Awards has been Cynthia Erivo’s public criticism of the Wicked movie poster. Erivo, who stars as Elphaba, expressed frustration that the poster’s design misrepresented the artistic vision of the film and downplayed her portrayal. While some fans supported her, others criticized her remarks, arguing that the controversy unnecessarily damaged her credibility just months before the movie's release.
When Are the Oscars in 2025?
The 2025 Academy Awards will take place on Sunday, March 9, 2025, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Cynthia Erivo has the opportunity to achieve EGOT status at the upcoming 97th Academy Awards on March 2, 2025. She is nominated for Best Actress for her role as Elphaba in the film adaptation of "Wicked."
If she wins, Erivo will become the youngest person to achieve EGOT status at 38 years old, surpassing Robert Lopez, who completed his EGOT at 39.
In the event she does not win this year, Erivo could still pursue EGOT status in future award cycles. However, achieving it at a later date would mean she would not hold the record as the youngest EGOT winner.
It's important to note that while "Wicked" has received 10 nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actress, the competition is strong, with films like "Emilia Pérez" leading with 13 nominations.
How to Get Tony Awards Tickets: Is It Worth It for Non-Industry Fans?
Tickets to the Tony Awards are extremely limited and mostly reserved for nominees, Broadway professionals, and industry insiders. This year there are even less seats than in previous years. However, a small number of public tickets are available through Ticketmaster, with prices ranging from $500 to $2,000 per seat.
For non-industry fans, attending the Tonys is a prestigious experience, but factors like restricted seating, long runtime, and high prices make it a tough sell for casual theatergoers.
Who Votes for the Tony Awards? Are Journalists Still Excluded?
The Tony Awards voting system remains controversial, as journalists and critics are still excluded from the voting process. The Tony voters primarily include:
- Broadway producers
- Theater owners
- Actors, directors, and designers within the Broadway community
This system has led to accusations that commercial interests influence awards decisions, favoring financially successful productions over artistically ambitious ones.
When Were Journalists and Critics Kicked Out of the Voting Process?
Journalists and critics were removed from the Tony voting body in 2009, a move that was widely criticized. The decision was seen as an attempt by Broadway producers and theater owners to consolidate control over the awards, ensuring that the Tonys reflected the industry's business priorities rather than critical perspectives.
Final Thoughts: A Night of Celebration and Controversy
As the 2025 Tony Awards approach, excitement is building around the biggest nominees and performances of the year. However, ongoing debates about declining TV ratings, voting transparency, and Cynthia Erivo’s Wicked controversy continue to shape the conversation.
With Erivo now hosting instead of DeBose, the night is sure to generate buzz—whether it will boost ratings or stir up more controversy remains to be seen, now if only DeBose would just slap Erivo live on stage, TV ratings may actually turn out better than a rerun of Baywatch.
