Tony Awards host James Corden wasn’t lying when he described the show as “the Oscars, but with diversity” being that the 70th annual Broadway awards ceremony made history when black actors swept all four musical acting categories Sunday night (June 12).
For the first time in #TonyAwards history, all four musical acting awards have gone to people of color.
— The Tony Awards (@TheTonyAwards) June 13, 2016
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Hamilton actors dominated the winning streak as Leslie Odom Jr. took home Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical, Daveed Diggs earned Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical, and Renée Elise Goldsberry scored Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical. The Color Purple star Cynthia Erivo basked in the historic moment as well after receiving the award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical.
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Hamilton, which won 11 awards total at the end of the night, just shy of what would’ve been a historic win for any musical, took home the honor for Best Musical while The Color Purple was deemed the Best Revival of a Musical.
“There is so much diversity on Broadway right now,” Diggs expressed backstage. “It’s nice to have it feeling a little more mainstream and a lot more inclusive.”