CBS and the Tony Awards have announced the hosts for the 74th Annual Tony Awards/“The Tony Awards® Present: Broadway’s Back!,” a four-hour event across multiple platforms that will celebrate the return to live theatre and commemorate the Tony Awards® for the 2019–2020 Broadway season. The event takes place live from the Winter Garden Theatre in New York City on Sunday, September 26 on the CBS Television Network and will be available to stream live and on demand on the CBS app and Paramount+.

Tony and Grammy® Award-winning and two-time Academy Award-nominated singer and actor Leslie Odom, Jr. will host “The Tony Awards® Present Broadway’s Back!,” the live concert event celebrating the return of Broadway at 9:00pm ET/PT on CBS. The evening will begin with Tony, Grammy® and Emmy® Award-winning singer and actor Audra McDonald hosting the live presentation of the American Theatre Wing’s 74th Annual Tony Awards® at 7:00pm ET/ 4:00pm PT on Paramount+.

The Tony Awards are presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing.

HOW TO WATCH: Check out our All-Access Guide to the Tony Awards.

A Four-Hour, Multi-platform Event

Hosted by Leslie Odom, Jr., “The Tony Awards® Present: Broadway’s Back!” will bring the excitement of Broadway to viewers through a live concert event featuring superstar Broadway entertainers and Tony Award winners re-uniting on stage to perform beloved classics and celebrate the joy and magic of live theatre. The event will celebrate the re-opening of Broadway with special performances from the three Tony-nominated Best Musical contenders, followed by the live presentation of three Tony Awards: Best Play, Best Revival of a Play, and Best Musical. The event will air at 9:00pm ET/PT on CBS.

“Broadway is a part of my DNA and I’m so thrilled to see it open back up again,” said Odom. “There are so many talented artists going back to work and doing what they love for audiences who have missed these tremendous performances. I’m very happy to host ‘The Tony Awards Present: Broadway’s Back!’”

The evening will get underway earlier with the live presentation of the American Theatre Wing’s 74th Annual Tony Awards® beginning at 7:00pm ET/4:00pm PT, streaming exclusively on Paramount+. Hosted by Audra McDonald, the presentation will honor the outstanding shows, performances, and artistry of the 2019–2020 Broadway season, which was brought to a halt by the COVID-19 pandemic. McDonald is a current Tony-nominee for her performance in Terrence McNally’s play Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune.

“I’m elated that the Tony Awards are back! I am so glad that we’ve found a way to gather safely to honor and recognize all the incredible work that was done in the 2019–20 season,” said McDonald. “While we look back, my greatest hope is that this event marks the beginning of a new era for Broadway—one with renewed commitment to inclusivity and belonging as well as appreciation for the sacred experience of live theatre.”

“Leslie and Audra are two extraordinary talents, who have captivated audiences from the stage to the screen,” said Heather Hitchens, President and CEO of the American Theatre Wing and Charlotte St. Martin, President of The Broadway League, in a statement. “They are both beloved members of our Broadway community, and we know that fans will look to them for inspiration, comfort and pure joy, as we celebrate the 74th Annual Tony Awards and the return of Broadway.”

“The Tony Awards Present: Broadway’s Back!” will be produced in collaboration with Tony Award Productions, a joint venture of The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing, and White Cherry Entertainment, the team behind the annual Tony Awards® telecast. Ricky Kirshner and Glenn Weiss are executive producers for White Cherry Entertainment. Weiss will serve as director.

Tickets to the Tony Awards

A limited number of tickets to attend the 74th Annual Tony Awards on Sunday, September 26 at the Winter Garden Theatre will be available for purchase beginning at 3pm ET on Monday, September 13. For more information, please visit TonyAwards.com/tickets.

About the Hosts

Leslie Odom, Jr. is a multifaceted, award-winning vocalist, songwriter, author, and actor. With a career that spans all performance genres, he has received recognition with Tony and Grammy Awards as well as Emmy and, most recently, two Academy Award nominations, for his excellence and achievements in Broadway, television, film, and music. Odom, an alumnus of Carnegie Mellon University, most recently starred in the critically acclaimed Amazon film adaptation of One Night in Miami…, in which he performed the songs of legendary singer Sam Cooke. His portrayal of the soul icon and musical performance of the original song “Speak Now” was met with widespread praise and critical acclaim, earning him multiple award nominations. Currently, he can be heard voicing the character of Owen Tillerman in Season 2 of the Apple TV+ animated musical-comedy series “Central Park” and will next star in David Chase’s “Sopranos” prequel “Many Saints of Newark” that is set to be released in theatres on October 1st.

Audra McDonald is unparalleled in the breadth and versatility of her artistry as both a singer and an actor. The winner of a record-breaking six Tony Awards, two Grammy Awards and an Emmy, in 2015 she received a National Medal of Arts from President Barack Obama and was named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people. She won Tonys for her performances in Carousel, Master Class, Ragtime, A Raisin in the Sun, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess and Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill, which also served as the vehicle for her Olivier-nominated 2017 West End debut. On television, McDonald won an Emmy as the official host of PBS’s “Live From Lincoln Center;” she can currently be seen as Liz Lawrence in “The Good Fight” on Paramount+; and she stars in Spectrum’s pandemic-themed drama, “The Bite.” Her film credits include Disney’s live-action Beauty and the Beast and MGM’s 2021 Aretha Franklin biopic, Respect. A Juilliard-trained soprano, McDonald maintains a major career as a Grammy-winning recording and concert artist. Her latest solo album, Sing Happy, was recorded live with the New York Philharmonic for Decca Gold. A founding member of Black Theatre United, board member of Covenant House International, and prominent advocate for LGBTQAI+ rights, her favorite roles are those performed offstage, as an activist, wife to actor Will Swenson, and mother.

How to Watch

The Awards Presentation: Audra McDonald hosts the live presentation of the American Theatre Wing’s 74th Annual Tony Awards® at 7:00pm ET/6:00 p.m. CT/4:00pm PT on Paramount+.

“The Tony Awards® Present: Broadway’s Back!”: Leslie Odom, Jr. hosts the live concert event celebrating the return of Broadway at 9:00p.m. ET/8:00 p.m. CT/9:00 p.m. PT (delayed) on CBS.