2025 Tony Awards Nominations

Plus: what moment always makes Jeff Probst break down in tears?

May 07, 2025

👋 The stars have aligned on Broadway this season. George Clooney, Sarah Snook, and Cole Escola all scored their first-ever Tony nominations this year, proving Hollywood celebrities can conquer the Great White Way.

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🏆 Tony Awards Nominees Announced

📲 Submit your Tonys Ballot, predicting what nominees will win in each category on the Bracketology app.

Three musical powerhouses — "Buena Vista Social Club," "Death Becomes Her" and "Maybe Happy Ending" — lead the 2025 Tony nominations with 10 nods each, showcasing Broadway's celebration of innovative storytelling and outstanding performances. These crowd-pleasers will compete against "Dead Outlaw" and "Operation Mincemeat" for the coveted Best Musical award at the 78th annual ceremony.

Hollywood stars made significant inroads on Broadway this season, with acting nominations for George Clooney ("Good Night, and Good Luck"), Sarah Snook ("The Picture of Dorian Gray"), Cole Escola ("Oh, Mary!"), and Bob Odenkirk ("Glengarry Glen Ross") – all first-time Tony nominees bringing their star power to the Great White Way.

Not every star-studded production earned recognition – notably absent from the nominations was "Othello," featuring Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal, one of the season's most expensive and highest-grossing productions.

The 78th Tony Awards, hosted by Tony winner Cynthia Erivo, will take place on June 8 at Radio City Music Hall and broadcast live on CBS. Will this be the year Hollywood dominates Broadway's biggest night, or will theater veterans maintain their stronghold? The countdown to Broadway's most glamorous evening begins now.

For a complete list of nominees in all categories, click here.

🏈 Golden Bachelor Mel Owens, Deep Dive

Born in Detroit in 1958, Mel Owens had athletic talent in his blood – his father Walter played professional baseball for the Detroit Stars in the Negro American League before coaching baseball at Northern Illinois University.

The 66-year-old retired NFL linebacker has been announced as Season 2's Golden Bachelor, bringing a different perspective than his predecessor.

According to ABC, Mel was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the first round (9th overall) of the 1981 NFL Draft after attending the University of Michigan. During his impressive 9-season career, he recorded 453 tackles, 26.5 sacks, and four interceptions before retiring in 1989.

After hanging up his cleats, Mel pursued a law degree from the University of California, Hastings College of Law and became a founding partner at Namanny, Byrne & Owens in California. His legal practice focuses on "helping others, particularly those seeking justice for sports-related injuries," keeping him connected to athletics in his second career.

Unlike Season 1's widowed Gerry Turner, Mel comes to the show following a divorce. He was married to Fabiana Pimentel for 25 years before they split in 2020. During their marriage, they welcomed two sons, who Mel says are "getting ready to go off to college" and supported his Bachelor journey.

When announcing Mel as the new lead, host Jesse Palmer described him as "super handsome, very charming, very intelligent, and very successful." Palmer added that viewers can expect Mel to open up about the "tragic passing" of his father and his divorce, while sharing his hope to find someone for "simple everyday moments."

The Golden Bachelor Season 2 is expected to air this fall. Will you be watching Mel's journey to find love?

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The BachMakers Podcast is spearheading an Austin Ott (Bachelorette contestant) dating show, since he’s not going to be on BIP…

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