Broadway icon Audra McDonald has once again cemented her place in theatrical history, earning her 11th nomination at the 2025 Tony Awards and securing the Guinness World Records title for the most Tony Award nominations for an actress.
The historic nomination was announced on May 1, 2025, for her powerful portrayal of Mama Rose in the critically acclaimed revival of the classic musical, Gypsy. With this nod for Best Leading Actress in a Musical, McDonald surpasses Broadway legends Julie Harris and Chita Rivera, who each held the previous record with 10 career nominations.
The achievement is not her only record. McDonald already holds the Guinness World Records title for the most Tony Awards won by an actress, with six wins already under her belt. Her wins are particularly remarkable as she is the only performer in history to have won a Tony in all four acting categories: Best Leading Actress and Best Featured Actress in both a play and a musical. Her wins came for Carousel (1994), Master Class (1996), Ragtime (1998), A Raisin in the Sun (2004), The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess (2012), and Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill (2014).
Her latest nomination underscores the unparalleled consistency and versatility that have defined her three-decade-long career. Often described as having a voice capable of silencing a room, her work as an actress has consistently been praised for its emotional depth and technical brilliance.
As the 2025 Tony Awards ceremony, hosted at Radio City Music Hall, approaches, Audra McDonald’s name stands alone in the record books, a testament to a career that continues to set new standards for excellence in American theater.
