The iconic musician Pink has been tapped to host the 79th Annual Tony Awards, set to air on CBS and Paramount+ on Sunday, June 7. This will be Pink’s first time hosting the ceremony, which recognizes the year’s best in Broadway entertainment.
Pink announced the hosting gig through a skit she posted on Instagram on Thursday. In the video, she sneakily steps a single toe onto the stage of “The Great Gatsby Musical” from the wings while the cast takes their bows.
“Now I’ve been on Broadway,” she says. “Now I can host the Tonys.” You can watch the video below.
In the official announcement from the Tonys, Pink shared a more earnest message for her first hosting gig.
“It is the honor of an entire lifetime to host a night celebrating the literal hardest working people in showbiz,” Pink said in a statement. “Broadway has shaped my life and how I put my own shows together – it is a community that is supportive, and inclusive, and full of talent and love. These people give magic every single day, and I cannot wait to celebrate them with the entire world.”
“When I was asked to host the Tonys, I immediately thought, ‘I have to get permission from my daughter.’ I’ve never been on Broadway, and shouldn’t you have to have been on Broadway in order to host? That seems fair and right,” Pink continued. “But when I asked my daughter, she was really excited about being able to have a ticket to go to the Tonys, so I’m hosting the Tonys and I’m really, really excited and very nervous because that girl is a tough crowd!”
Pink hasn’t won a Tony herself, though she does have three Grammys to her name. Two were for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals (one for “Lady Marmalade” with Christina Aguilera, Lil’ Kim and Mýa in 2002, the other for Imagine” with Herbie Hancock, India.Arie, Seal, Konono Nº1, Jeff Beck and Oumou Sangaré in 2011), while the other was for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance (for “Trouble” in 2004).
“Pink is an extraordinary artist, and her fearless creativity makes her an inspired choice to host this year’s Tony Awards on CBS,” said Mackenzie Mitchell, senior vice president of specials at CBS. “Her dynamic presence and deep respect for live performance will undoubtedly shape a powerful and memorable broadcast that celebrates the remarkable achievements of this Broadway season.”
Pink follows in the hosting footsteps of Cynthia Erivo, who hosted last year’s ceremony, and Ariana DeBose, who hosted the three before that. In 2021, Audra McDonald hosted the proper ceremony, while Leslie Odom Jr. hosted a special “Broadway’s Back!” post-Covid concert.
“Each year, the Tony Awards creates new theater fans around the world, expanding Broadway’s reach and shaping its future,” said Heather Hitchens, president and CEO of the American Theatre Wing, and Jason Laks, president of The Broadway League. “Over the course of her extraordinary career, Pink has built one of the most passionate and enduring fan communities in the history of popular music, giving her a unique ability to bring even more people into this growing family. Simply put: we could not be more excited to get this party started.”
