This is a list of Tony Award winners and nominees who are of Asian descent or native to an Asian country. As of the 75th Tony Awards, which were presented on June 12, 2022, there are 14 individual Asian Tony Award winners, including 13 competitive award winners. The first Asian to win a Tony Award was Willa Kim in 1981 when she won the Tony Award for Best Costume Design in a Musical for Sophisticated Ladies.
Show and technical
Best Musical Best MusicalYearRecipientShowStatusMilestone / Notes2011Yasuhiro KawanaCatch Me If You Can (Shared with Margo Lion, Hal Luftig, Stacey Mindich, Scott & Brian Zeilinger, The Rialto Group, The Araca Group, Michael Watt, Barbara & Buddy Freitag, Jay & Cindy Gutterman/Pittsburgh CLO, Elizabeth Williams, Johnny Roscoe Productions/Van Dean, Fakston Productions/Solshay Productions, Patty Baker/Richard Winkler, Nederlander Presentations, Inc., Warren Trepp, Remmel T. Dickinson, Paula Herold/Kate Lear, Stephanie P. McClelland, Jamie deRoy, Barry Feirstein, Rainerio J. Reyes, Rodney Rigby, Loraine Boyle, Amuse Inc., Joseph & Matthew Deitch/Cathy Chernoff, Joan Stein/Jon Murray, and The 5th Avenue Theatre.)2013Kinky Boots First Asian to win for Best Musical. (Shared with Daryl Roth, Hal Luftig, James L. Nederlander, Terry Allen Kramer, Independent Presenters Network, CJ E&M, Jayne Baron Sherman, Just for Laughs Theatricals/Judith Ann Abrams, Jane Bergère, Allan S. Gordon & Adam S. Gordon, Ken Davenport, Hunter Arnold, Lucy & Phil Suarez, Bryan Bantry, Ron Fierstein & Dorsey Regal, Jim Kierstead/Gregory Rae, BB Group/Christina Papagjika, Michael DeSantis/Patrick Baugh, Brian Smith/Tom & Connie Walsh, Warren Trepp, and Jujamcyn Theaters.)2014Jhett TolentinoA Gentlemen’s Guide to Love and Murder Second Asian to win for Best Musical. (Shared with Joey Parnes, S.D. Wagner, John Johnson, 50 Church Street Productions, Joan Raffe, Jay Alix & Una Jackman, Catherine & Fred Adler, Rhoda Herrick, Kathleen K. Johnson, Megan Savage, ShadowCatcher Entertainment, Ron Simons, True Love Productions, Jamie deRoy, Four Ladies & One Gent, John Arthur Pinckard, Greg Nobile, Stewart Lane & Bonnie Comley, Exeter Capital/Ted Snowdon, Ryan Hugh Mackey, Cricket-CTM Media/Mano-Horn Productions, Dennis Grimaldi/Margot Astrachan, Hello Entertainment/Jamie Bendell, Michael T. Cohen/Joe Sirola, Joseph & Carson Gleberman/William Megevick, Green State Productions, The Hartford Stage, and The Old Globe.)2017Raymond PoliquitDear Evan Hansen Third Asian to win for Best Musical.
Best Revival of a Musical Best Revival of a MusicalYearRecipientShowStatusMilestone / Notes2012Yasuhiro KawanaEvita (Shared with Hal Luftig, Scott Sanders Productions, Roy Furman, Allan S. Gordon/Adam S. Gordon, James L. Nederlander, Terry Allen Kramer, Gutterman Fuld Chernoff/Pittsburgh CLO, Thousand Stars Productions, Adam Blanshay, Adam Zotovich, Robert Ahrens, Stephanie P. McClelland, Carole L. Haber, Richardo Hornos, Carol Fineman, Brian Smith, and Warren & Jâlé Trepp.)
Best Direction of a Musical Best Direction of a MusicalYearRecipientShowStatusMilestone / Notes2009Diane PaulusHair—2012The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess2013PippinFirst Asian to win for Best Direction of a Musical2020Jagged Little Pill
Best Book of a Musical Best Book of a MusicalYearRecipientShowStatusMilestone / Notes2003David Henry HwangFlower Drum Song —2011Robert LopezThe Book of Mormon First Asian to win for Best Book of a Musical. First Asian to win a third Tony Award.
Second Asian to win a second Tony Award.
(Shared with Trey Parker and Matt Stone.)2025Hue ParkMaybe Happy EndingWon(Shared with Will Aronson.)
Best Original Score Best Original ScoreYearRecipientShowStatusMilestone / Notes2004Robert LopezAvenue Q First Asian to win for Best Original Score. (Shared with Jeff Marx.)2011The Book of Mormon First Asian to win a third Tony Award. Second Asian to win a second Tony Award. (Shared with Trey Parker and Matt Stone.)2018Frozen (Shared with Kristen Anderson-Lopez.)2025Hue ParkMaybe Happy EndingWon(Shared with Will Aronson.)
Best Orchestrations Best OrchestrationsYearRecipientShowStatusMilestone / Notes2018Jamshied SharifiThe Band's VisitWon2025Marco PaguiaBuena Vista Social ClubWon—
Best Choreography Best ChoreographyYearRecipientShowStatusMilestone / Notes1989Kimi OkadaLargely New YorkNominated(Shared with Bill Irwin.)2004Farah KhanBombay DreamsNominated(Shared with Anthony Van Laast.)
Best Scenic Design in a Musical Best Scenic Design in a MusicalYearRecipientShowStatusMilestone / Notes1970Ming Cho LeeBilly —2017Mimi LienNatasha, Pierre & The Great Comet Of 1812 First Asian to win Best Scenic Design in a Musical.2023Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet StreetNominated2024Takeshi KataWater for ElephantsNominated
Best Costume Design in a Musical Best Costume Design in a MusicalYearRecipientShowStatusMilestone / Notes1975Willa KimGoodtime Charley —1978Dancin' —1981Sophisticated Ladies First Asian to win a Tony Award. First Asian to win for Best Costume Design in a Musical.1986Song & Dance —1989Legs Diamond —1991The Will Rogers Follies First Asian to win a second Tony Award.2005Junko KushinoPacific OverturesNominated2012Eiko IshiokaSpider-Man: Turn Off the DarkNominated2014Linda ChoA Gentlemen's Guide to Love and Murder Second Asian to win for Best Costume Design in a Musical.2017Anastasia —2018Clint RamosOnce on This IslandNominated2023KPOPNominatedSophia ChoiNominated2024Linda ChoThe Great Gatsby2025Clint RamosMaybe Happy EndingNominated
Best Lighting Design in a Musical Best Lighting Design in a MusicalYearRecipientShowStatusMilestone / Notes2023Lap Chi ChuLerner & Loewe's CamelotNominated2024Hana S. KimThe OutsidersWonFirst Asian to win for Best Lighting Design of a Musical.David BengaliWater for ElephantsNominated2025Ruey Horng SunFloyd CollinsNominated
Best Sound Design of a Musical Best Sound Design of a MusicalYearRecipientShowStatusMilestone / Notes2012Kai HaradaFollies 2018The Band's Visit First Asian to win for Best Sound Design of a Musical.2023New York, New YorkNominated2024Merrily We Roll AlongNominated
Best Play Best PlayYearRecipientShowStatusMilestone / Notes1988David Henry HwangM. Butterfly First Asian to win for Best Play. (Shared with Stuart Ostrow and David Geffen.)1998Golden Child (Shared with Benjamin Mordecai, Dori Berinstein, John Kao, Talia Shire, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, South coast Repertory, The Joseph Papp Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival, American Conservatory Theater.)2013Jhett TolentinoVanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike Second Asian to win for Best Play. (Shared with Christopher Durang, Joey Parnes, Larry Hirschhorn, Joan Raffe, Martin Platt & David Elliott, Pat Flicker Addiss, Catherine Adler, John O'Boyle, Joshua Goodman, Jamie deRoy/Richard Winkler, Cricket Hooper Jiranek/Michael Palitz, Mark S. Golub & David S. Golub, Radio Mouse Entertainment, ShadowCatcher Entertainment, Mary Cossette/Barbara Manocherian, Megan Savage/Meredith Lynsey Schade, Hugh Hysell/Richard Jordan, Cheryl Wiesenfeld/Ron Simons, S.D. Wagner, John Johnson, McCarter Theatre Center, and Lincoln Center Theater.)2015Hand to God (Shared with Robert Askins, Kevin McCollum, Broadway Global Ventures, CMC, Morris Berchard, Mariano V. Tolentino Jr., Stephanie Kramer, LAMS Productions, DeSimone/Winkler, Joan Raffe, Timothy Laczynski, Lily Fan, Ayal Miodovnik, Jam Theatricals, Ensemble Studio Theatre, and MCC Theater.)
Best Revival of a Play Best Revival of a PlayYearRecipientShowStatusMilestone / Notes2014Jhett TolentinoA Raisin in the Sun First Asian to win for Best Revival of a Play. (Shared with Scott Rudin, Roger Berlind, Eli Bush, Jon B. Platt, Scott M. Delman, Roy Furman, Stephanie P. McClelland, Ruth Hendel, Sonia Friedman/Tulchin Bartner, The Araca Group, Heni Koenigsberg, Daryl Roth, Joan Raffe, Joey Parnes, S.D. Wagner, and John Johnson.)2015This Is Our Youth (Shared with Scott Rudin, Eli Bush, Roger Berlind, William Berlind, Jon B. Platt, Roy Furman, The Shubert Organization, Ruth Hendel, Scott M. Delman, Stephanie P. McClelland, Sonia Friedman, Tulchin Bartner, The Araca Group, Heni Koenigsberg, Daryl Roth, Joan Raffe, Catherine & Fred Adler, Joey Parnes, Sue Wagner, John Johnson, and Steppenwolf Theatre Company.)
Best Direction of a Play Best Direction of a PlayYearRecipientShowStatusMilestone / Notes—————
Best Scenic Design in a Play Best Scenic Design in a PlayYearRecipientShowStatusMilestone / Notes1983Ming Cho LeeK2 First Asian to win for Best Scenic Design in a Play.2020Clint RamosSlave PlayNominated
Best Costume Design in a Play Best Costume Design in a PlayYearRecipientShowStatusMilestone / Notes2016Clint RamosEclipsedWonFirst Asian to win for Best Costume Design of a Play.2019Torch SongNominated2020The Rose TattooNominated
Best Lighting Design in a Play Best Lighting Design in a PlayYearRecipientShowStatusMilestone / Notes2020Jiyoun ChangSlave PlayNominated2022for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf —Yi ZhaoThe Skin of Our Teeth —2024Amith ChandrashakerPrayer for the French RepublicNominatedJiyoun ChangStereophonicNominated2025David BengaliGood Night, and Good LuckNominated
Best Sound Design of a Play Best Sound Design of a PlayYearRecipientShowStatusMilestone / Notes—————
Performance
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a PlayYear Recipient Show RoleStatusMilestone / Notes2025Daniel Dae KimYellow FaceDHHFirst Asian to be nominated for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play
Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a PlayYearRecipientShowRoleStatusMilestone / Notes——————
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a PlayYearRecipientShowRoleStatusMilestone / Notes1988BD WongM. ButterflySong Liling First Asian to win for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play.2025Francis JueYellow FaceHYH/Others2025Conrad RicamoraOh, Mary!Mary's Husband
Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a PlayYearRecipientShowRoleStatusMilestone / Notes1998Julyana SoelistyoGolden ChildMa/Eng Ahn2025Tala AsheEnglishElhamMarjan NeshatMarjan
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a MusicalYearRecipientShowRoleStatusMilestone / Notes1996Lou Diamond PhillipsThe King and IKing Mongkut of Siam—2015Ken WatanabeThe King and IKing Mongkut of SiamFirst Japanese actor to be nominated in this category.2025Darren CrissMaybe Happy EndingOliverFirst Asian actor to win in this category
Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a MusicalYearRecipientShowRoleStatusMilestone / Notes1991Lea SalongaMiss SaigonKim First Asian actress to win a Tony Award. First Asian to win for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical.June AngelaShōgun: The MusicalLady Mariko —2016Phillipa SooHamiltonEliza Hamilton —2017Eva NoblezadaMiss SaigonKim —2019HadestownEurydice —2025Nicole ScherzingerSunset Boulevard Norma Desmond
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a MusicalYearRecipientShowRoleStatusMilestone / Notes——————
Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a MusicalYearRecipientShowRoleStatusMilestone / Notes1996Joohee ChoiThe King and ITuptim2008Loretta Ables SayreSouth PacificBloody Mary2015Ruthie Ann MilesThe King and ILady Thiang First Asian to win for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical. Second Asian actress to win a Tony Award.2018Ashley ParkMean GirlsGretchen Wieners2023Ruthie Ann MilesSweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet StreetThe Beggar Woman
Special awards
Special Tony Award / Lifetime Achievement Award