Oscar-winning and Tony-nominated actress Ariana DeBose (West Side Story) has been announced as the host of the 75th annual Tony Awards, which take place June 12, 2022, at Radio City Music Hall in New York.
“I’m coming home,” DuBose said in a statement. “I’m so honored to celebrate 75 years of excellence in theatre, 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 12th.”
Before becoming the first openly queer Afro-Latine woman to win an acting Oscar, DeBose was a major player on Broadway. In 2018, she was nominated for her performance in Summer: The Donna Summer Musical. Her stage credits also include Les Misérables, Motown: The Musical, Bring It On, and Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton.
“After the last challenging 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,” said Jack Sussman, Executive Vice President of Specials, Music, Live Event and Alternative Programming for CBS.
Heather Hitchens, President and CEO of the American Theatre Wing, and Charlotte St. Martin, President of The Broadway League, made a joint statement and said that Ariana DeBose was “the perfect host to lead this celebration.”
The 75th Annual Tony Awards airs live Sunday, June 12 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS and streams live and on-demand on Paramount+.