Grammy winner Pink to host Tony Awards with 170-person opening number

Grammy Award-winning pop star Pink will host the 2026 Tony Awards live Sunday on CBS, opening the ceremony with a Broadway-scale number featuring approximately 170 performers, ABC7 Los Angeles reported.

The broadcast puts 24 Broadway productions in competition across 26 categories — a ceremony where, according to ABC7 Los Angeles, awards can mean "the difference between keeping the doors open and pulling down the curtain" for a production. Southern California viewers can watch live on CBS or stream on Paramount+.

All seven nominees for best new musical and best musical revival will perform during the broadcast, along with anniversary tributes to four landmark productions, according to ABC7 Los Angeles. The show airs Sunday from 8 to 11 p.m. Eastern (5 to 8 p.m. Pacific) on CBS.

Pink, who grew up in Philadelphia with a family-instilled love of musicals, said her daughter Willow, 15, was the deciding factor in accepting the hosting role. "The biggest reason she wanted me to say 'yes' was so that she could have a seat at the show because she loves the show so much," Pink said. "I was like, 'I can probably get you a seat anyway.'" The opening number, written by Benj Pasek, Justin Paul and Mark Sonnenblick, will include costume changes and aerial wire work, ABC7 Los Angeles reported.

Among the individual story lines this season: June Squibb, 96, is nominated as the oldest acting contender in Tony history, surpassing Lois Smith, who was 90 when she won in 2021, according to ABC7 Los Angeles. Nathan Lane, competing in "Death of a Salesman," seeks his fourth Tony — a win that would tie him with Boyd Gaines and Frank Langella for the most wins by a male performer in the ceremony's history.

Best new musical nominees include vampire-themed "The Lost Boys," "Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)," Broadway adaptation "Schmigadoon!" and film spoof "Titanique." Best play contenders include "Giant," exploring antisemitism accusations leveled at author Roald Dahl, and "Liberation," set around a 1970s women's consciousness-raising group.

Bill Rauch, co-director of "Cats: The Jellicle Ball," praised the breadth of the season. "I just think there's so much variety on Broadway and so many artistic risks that people take," Rauch said. "I left my three years as a nominator really impressed by the landscape."

Special tributes will mark the 15th anniversary of "The Book of Mormon," the 30th anniversaries of "Rent" and "Chicago," and the 50th anniversary of "A Chorus Line," ABC7 Los Angeles reported.

The 2026 Tony Awards air Sunday from 8 to 11 p.m. Eastern (5 to 8 p.m. Pacific) on CBS, with simultaneous streaming on Paramount+.