The American Theatre Wing’s Tony Awards® Presented By:
Presented By:

On September 23, the 65th Annual Tony Awards telecast (2011) was honored with an Emmy Award -- its fourth of the year -- for Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special. The award was accepted by Glenn Weiss. This was not Mr. Weiss's first time honored for directing the Tonys: He won an Emmy for Outstanding Directing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program in 2003 for the 56th Annual Tony Awards. He is also the Emmy-winning Executive Producer of the Tony telecast, together with Ricky Kirshner.  

The 2011 Tony Awards telecast had previously won three Emmy Awards. Those categories, which were included in the Creative Arts Emmy ceremony held a week prior, were as follows:

Outstanding Special Class Program
Ricky Kirshner, Executive Producer; Glenn Weiss, Executive Producer and Neil Patrick Harris, Host/Producer

Outstanding Art Direction for Variety or Nonfiction Programming
Steve Bass, Production Designer
Seth Easter, Art Director

Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics
Song Title: “It's Not Just For Gays Anymore”
Music by Adam Schlesinger
Lyrics by David Javerbaum

The 2011 Tony telecast was also nominated in the Best Writing for a Variety Special (Dave Boone, with special material by Paul Greenberg).

The Tony Awards has received a total of 12 Emmy Awards to date.  In addition to the four Emmys for the 65th annual Tony Awards, the Tonys have been honored by the Emmys in pervious years as follows:

  • Kirshner and Weiss previously won the Emmy Award in the Outstanding Special Class Programs Category in 2011 for the 64th Annual Tony Awards, 2010 for the 63rd Annual Tony Awards, 2008 for the 61st Annual Tony Awards and 2007 for the 60th Annual Tony Awards. They won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special in 2005 for the 58th Annual Tony Awards.
  • Weiss received the Emmy for Outstanding Directing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program in 2003 for the 56th Annual Tony Awards.  
  • Dave Boone was honored with an Emmys in 2009 and 2010 in the category of Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Special for the 63rd and 64th Annual Tony Awards.

The Antoinette Perry “Tony” Award, which was founded by the American Theatre Wing in 1947, is bestowed annually on theatre professionals for distinguished achievement on Broadway.  The Tony is one of the most coveted awards in the entertainment industry and the annual telecast – the night America watches Broadway – is considered one of the most prestigious programs on television.  The Tonys are presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing.

Check back for info on the 2013 Tony Awards later this year.