Sarah Snook wins best actress at 2025 Tony Awards

Sarah Snook has won the Tony Award for best leading actress for her solo performance in The Picture of Dorian Gray.

The Australian actress, who plays 26 roles in the critically acclaimed Oscar Wilde adaptation, was tipped to win by multiple media outlets.

The New York Times called it “a must-see-it-to-believe-it performance”.

The show originally appeared on the West End, where she won an Olivier Award, before it was transferred to Broadway in March 2025.

Snook was overcome with emotion when she accepted Broadway’s highest honour.

“Thank you so much for this. This means so much for a little Australian girl to be here on Broadway,” she said on stage after receiving the award from Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter.

She thanked her team and gave a special mention to Australian director Kip Williams, who wrote the stage play during his tenure as Artistic Director at Sydney Theatre Company.

“Thank you to my incredible team... and just everybody on stage. It is billed as a one-person show, and I don’t feel alone any night that I do this show,” she told the crowd.

“There are so many people on the stage making it work and so many people behind the stage making it work.”

Snook, 37, was up against a strong lineup of nominees, including Stranger Things actress Sadie Sink, who was nominated for her performance in John Proctor is the Villain.

Other nominees were Laura Donnelly for The Hills of California, Mia Farrow for The Roommate, and LaTanya Richardson Jackson for Purpose.

Melbourne-based costume designer Marg Horwell also took home a Tony in her category for creating multiple costumes for the beloved stage play.

The Tony for best actor in a play went to Francis Jue for his work in a revival of Yellow Face.

The Picture of Dorian Gray follows a handsome young man whose painted portrait grotesquely ages with each of his sins, while he remains eternally youthful.

Snook is best known for her Emmy-winning performance as Shiv Roy in the TV series Succession, which ran for four seasons.

The Picture of Dorian Gray is playing at the Music Box Theatre until June 29.