Australia has marked a milestone moment on Broadway, with multiple wins at the 2025 Tony Awards underscoring the global impact of Australian theatre. Sarah Snook won Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play for her Broadway debut in The Picture of Dorian Gray, while designer Marg Horwell took home Best Costume Design of a Play for the same production.
Snook, best known internationally for her Emmy-winning role in Succession, was visibly moved as she accepted the award in front of an audience that included George Clooney, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Oprah Winfrey.
“This means so much for a little Australian girl to be here on Broadway,” she said during her acceptance speech. “It’s billed as a one-person show, but I don’t feel alone on any night that I do this show.”
She paid tribute to director and fellow Australian Kip Williams, who was also nominated, and acknowledged the ensemble of creatives and backstage crew that helped bring the technically complex production to life. Williams originally built the show at Sydney Theatre Company.
Snook’s win marks another step towards the coveted EGOT status, having now secured both an Emmy and a Tony. Her award-winning performance in The Picture of Dorian Gray sees her embody all 26 characters in the stage adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s novel. This feat has drawn critical acclaim across continents.
Tonys celebrate a triumph for Australian design
Marg Horwell’s win for Best Costume Design of a Play further cemented the production’s success and the influence of Australian theatrical design on the international stage. Horwell shared the award for Best Scenic Design of a Play with David Bergman, while Clemence Williams (sound design) and Nick Schlieper (lighting design) were also recognised with nominations.
This year’s Tony Awards saw The Picture of Dorian Gray nominated across six categories, an extraordinary achievement for a production originating from Sydney Theatre Company and brought to Broadway with the original creative team intact.
Broadway’s growing appreciation for Australian theatre
The Broadway run of The Picture of Dorian Gray follows sold-out seasons in Australia and the UK. Directed by Kip Williams and produced by the STC, the production showcases the innovation of Australian theatre-makers in both performance and design.
Williams’ directorial approach – fusing live camera work with stage performance – has been described as genre-defying and technologically groundbreaking. While he didn’t win the Tony for Best Direction of a Play, the nomination placed him alongside international heavyweights such as Sam Mendes and Danya Taymor.
Australia’s presence at the Tony Awards is not limited to actors. The comprehensive nominations for lighting, sound and scenic design highlight the broader contribution of Australian talent across disciplines. These wins and nominations reflect a growing international recognition of Australia’s strength in producing technically ambitious, emotionally resonant theatre.
As Snook noted in her speech, success on Broadway is rarely a solo endeavour: “There are so many people on stage making it work and so many people behind the stage making it work.”
For more information on the full list of winners, visit the official Tony Awards website.
