5 Carnegie Mellon Alumni Nominated for 13 Tony Awards

PITTSBURGH, May 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- More Carnegie Mellon University alumni than ever before are working onstage and behind the scenes on Broadway. Now, several of those CMU Tartans will be getting red carpet-ready for The 78th Annual Tony Awards® on Sunday, June 8th. 

Nominations for The 78th Annual Tony Awards were announced today on the Tony Awards official YouTube page. A selection of categories were revealed live on "CBS Mornings," and a complete list of nominees is available at TonyAwards.com.  

The 2025 Tony Award nominations include 5 Carnegie Mellon University alumni who are nominated for 13 awards. This year marks 16 consecutive years in which Carnegie Mellon alumni have earned Tony nominations.

2025 Carnegie Mellon University Tony Awards Nominees

• Megan Hilty, 2004 School of Drama alumna, "Death Becomes Her" (Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical)
• Natalie Venetia Belcon, 1991 School of Drama alumna, "Buena Vista Social Club" (Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical)
• Peter Hylenski, 1997 School of Drama alumnus, "Just in Time" and "Maybe Happy Ending" (Best Sound Design of a Musical)
• Jamie DeRoy, producer, 1967, "John Proctor is the Villain" (Best Play), "The Hills of California" (Best Play), "Buena Vista Social Club" (Best Musical), "Dead Outlaws" (Best Musical), "Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical" (Best Musical), "Gypsy" (Best Revival of a Musical), "Sunset Boulevard" (Best Revival of a Musical)
• Ankit Agrawal, producer, 2014 Heinz College of Information and Public Policy alumnus, "Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical" (Best Musical) and "Buena Vista Social Club" (Best Musical)

"The Carnegie Mellon community is excited to celebrate our talented alumni who continue to shape the future of theatre in front of and behind the spotlight," said CMU President Farnam Jahanian. "Their passion and artistry exemplify the excellence fostered at CMU's School of Drama, and we look forward to celebrating them at this year's Tony Awards."

Carnegie Mellon alumni have won 64 Tony Awards to date. CMU's School of Drama is the first degree-granting drama program in the United States and celebrated its 110th anniversary in 2024. 

Teachers in the Spotlight
During the June 8 ceremony, CMU and The Tony Awards will present the 2025 Excellence in Theatre Education Award. One of theatre's unsung heroes — a performing arts teacher from somewhere in the U.S. — will be celebrated with all of the evening's industry stars.

In partnership with the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League, CMU and the Tonys annually recognize an exemplary K-12 theatre teacher selected from a nationwide search. The Excellence in Theatre Education Award winner's work has demonstrated a monumental impact on the lives of students while embodying the highest standards of the profession.

Carnegie Mellon is the exclusive higher education partner of The Tony Awards. The annual Excellence in Theatre Education Award was co-created by the Tonys and CMU and has been presented since 2015.

The winner of the 2025 Excellence in Theatre Education Award will be announced later this spring, ahead of the 78th Annual Tony Awards.

Cynthia Erivo Hosts The 78th Annual Tony Awards 
Cynthia Erivo is a Grammy® Emmy® and Tony Award-winning actress, singer and producer, as well as a Golden Globe®, SAG, and 3x Academy Award® nominee. Erivo burst onto West End and Broadway stages in THE COLOR PURPLE and has since taken the world by storm.

Erivo most recently starred as Elphaba opposite Ariana Grande's Glinda in Universal's record-breaking film adaptation of the hit musical WICKED from director Jon M. Chu, with an original score composed by Carnegie Mellon University alumnus Stephen Schwartz. Part 1 of WICKED was released on November 22nd, 2024. With Part 2 releasing on November 21st, 2025. WICKED Part One opened at number one and has since become the highest grossing movie ever at the domestic box office based on a Broadway musical. Erivo has received widespread critical acclaim and rave reviews for her performance as Elphaba including Golden Globe, SAG, Critics' Choice, NAACP, BAFTA, and Academy Award nominations.

The 78th Tonys celebration will recognize all the award categories and honor the incredible artistry of the 2024-25 season. The Tony Awards, which honor theatre professionals for distinguished achievement on Broadway, is presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League and has been broadcast on CBS since 1978.

For more information about CMU and The Tony Awards, visit cmu.edu.

About Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon, cmu.edu, is a private, internationally ranked research university with acclaimed programs spanning the sciences, engineering, technology, business, public policy, humanities and the arts. Our diverse community of scholars, researchers, creators and innovators is driven to make real-world impacts that benefit people across the globe. With an unconventional, interdisciplinary and entrepreneurial approach, we do the work that matters.

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SOURCE Carnegie Mellon University