NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. — Academy Award winner and Tony Award nominee Ariana DeBose is scheduled to host the 75th Annual Tony Awards on June 12 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.
DeBose received an Oscar award for her role as Anita in Steven Spielberg's "West Side Story." On the Broadway stage, she is best known for her performance as Disco Donna in "Summer: The Donna Summer Musical." This earned her a Tony Award nomination in 2018 for best featured actress in a musical.
She also appeared in the Tony-winning musical "Hamilton." In her television career, she appeared in the series "Schmigadoon!"
DeBose is expected to star in future films "Kraven the Hunter," "Argvlle" and "ISS."
“We are thrilled to have Ariana DeBose, who has captivated audiences with her inspirational roles on stage and in film and television, host this year’s Tony Awards,” Jack Sussman, executive vice president of specials, music, live events and alternative programming at CBS, said in a news release. “After the challenging last two years, there is no one better to bring the theater community together on this important night honoring the best of Broadway and share the joys of live performing once again than this extraordinarily talented artist.”
For DeBose, this is a dream come true.
“I’m coming home! I’m so honored to celebrate 75 years of excellence in theater, but more importantly every member of this community who poured themselves into making sure the lights of Broadway have the opportunity to shine brightly once again! This is a dream come true, and I’m excited to see you all on June 12,” DeBose wrote in a statement.
The full list of nominees for the award show will be announced on May 9 by Tony Award winner Adrienne Warren and Tony nominee Joshua Henry.
The Tonys honor professional actors and artists in their roles on Broadway. The show has been broadcast on CBS since 1978.
The 75th Tony Awards are scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. on Sunday, June 12. People can watch it on 10 Tampa Bay or their local CBS station. Fans can also stream live exclusive content on Paramount+.