Tony Awards 2026: Joshua Henry wins 'Best Lead Actor' in Musical

Joshua Henry won the title for “Best Performance by an Actor in Leading Role” in a Musical at the 79th Annual Tony Awards 2026, held at Radio City Music Hall.

On June 7,  Henry won for his performance as Coalhouse Walker, Jr. in the hit revival of Ragtime that plays Lincoln Center Theater’s Vivian Beaumont. This marks the actor’s first Tony win, following nominations for his performances in The Scottsboro Boys, Violet, and the 2018 revival of Carousel.

“Speaking on excellence for a second, Audra McDonald and Brian Stokes Mitchell, thank you for your black-don’t-crack legacy of artistic brilliance, showing us that we can shine in the fullness of who we are,” gushed Henry, accepting his award. “It is an honor to play this role, Coalhouse Walker, Jr., a Black musician whose art led him to his love and to his dream. And even in the face of pain and tragedy, he found a way to be heard. Every artist in this room, every artist at home, fights, fights, fights to be heard.”

Other nominees in the category included Nicholas Christopher for Chess, Luke Evans for Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show, Sam Tutty for Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York), and Henry’s Ragtime co-star, Brandon Uranowitz.

This production of Ragtime, which began its life at New York City Center, is currently scheduled to continue through August 2 at the Beaumont. The revival opened on October 16, 2025. See what critics had to say about the revival here.

The show picked up 11 Tony Award nominations on May 5, the second-highest of any show this season, including Best Revival of a Musical. The production was nominated for Leading Actor (Joshua Henry and Brandon Uranowitz), Leading Actress (Caissie Levy), Featured Actress (Lewis), Featured Actor (Ben Levi Ross), Costume Design (Linda Cho), Lighting Design (Adam Honoré, Donald Holder, and 59 Studio), Sound Design (Kai Harada), Direction (Lear deBessonet), and Choreography (Ellenore Scott).

Based on a novel by E.L. Doctorow, Ragtime blends fact and fiction, telling the story of New York City at the dawn of the 20th century, with a book by Terrence McNally, music by Stephen Flaherty, and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens.

The story focuses on Coalhouse Walker, Jr., a Black man who buys a Model T Ford and sets off a chain of events that encompass all levels of New York City society, along with magician Harry Houdini, industrialist Henry Ford, celebrity party girl Evelyn Nesbit, civil rights leader Booker T. Washington, architect Stanford White, anarchist Emma Goldman, a Jewish Latvian immigrant who becomes a movie director, and an upper class white family living in suburban New Rochelle.

Henry, Caissie Levy, and Brandon Uranowitz lead the cast as Coalhouse Walker, Jr., Mother, and Tateh, respectively, with Colin Donnell (Anything Goes) as Father, Nichelle Lewis (The Wiz) as Sarah, 2026 Tony nominee Ben Levi Ross (Dear Evan Hansen) as Mother’s Younger Brother, Shaina Taub as Emma Goldman, John Clay III (New York, New York) as Booker T. Washington, and Rodd Cyrus (The Light in the Piazza) as Harry Houdini. All are reprising their performances from the production’s New York City Center run.

The Broadway cast also features Anna Grace Barlow as Evelyn Nesbit, Nick Barrington as The Little Boy, and Ellie May Sennett as The Little Girl. They are currently joined by Nicholas Barrón, Lauren Blackman, Allison Blackwell, Briana Carlson-Goodman, Jordan Chin, Eean Sherrod Cochran, Billy Cohen, Kerry Conte, Rheaume Crenshaw, Ellie Fishman, Jason Forbach, Nick Gaswirth, Ta’Nika Gibson, Jackson Parker Gill, David Jennings, Marina Kondo, Morgan Marcell, Kane Emmanuel Miller, Jenny Mollet, Tom Nelis, Kent Overshown, Kayla Pecchioni, Jake Pedersen, John Rapson, Matthew Scott, Deandre Sevon, Keenan D. Washington, Jacob Keith Watson, Alan Wiggins, and Keenan Williams. Casting is by The Telsey Office’s Craig Burns.

The production also features choreography by Ellenore Scott, set design by David Korins, costume design by Linda Cho, lighting design by Adam Honoré and Donald Holder, sound design by Kai Harada, projection design by 59 Studio, and hair and wig design by Tom Watson.

Music director James Moore is conducting a 28-piece orchestra playing the original orchestrations by William David Brohn, and vocal arrangements by Flaherty. Ann James is a sensitivity specialist, and Tim Semon serves as production stage manager.

The musical premiered on Broadway in 1998 following a pre-Broadway bow in Toronto, with an original cast that boasted Brian Stokes Mitchell, Audra McDonald, and Marin Mazzie. McDonald won the second of her six career Tony Awards for her featured performance as Sarah. Even in a year otherwise dominated by juggernaut The Lion King, Ragtime managed to also win Tonys for McNally’s book and Flaherty and Ahrens’ score, along with Brohn’s orchestrations.

Check Playbill throughout the evening for the latest in Tony Awards coverage, including photos from the red carpet, a continually updated list of winners, analysis from Playbill’s theatre experts, and more.

The American Theatre Wing’s Tony Awards are presented by The American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League. At the American Theatre Wing, Ted Chapin is interim chair, and Heather Hitchens is president and CEO. At the Broadway League, Kristin Caskey is chair, and Jason Laks is president. Raj Kapoor, Sarah Levine Hall, and Jack Sussman are producing this year’s ceremony.