1985 Tony Awards results (39th) – Winners & nominees

This page lists the winners and nominees of the 39th Tony Awards, held on June 2, 1985. The 1985 Tony Award for Best Musical went to Big River.

Best musical

• Big River

• Grind
• Leader of the Pack
• Quilters

Best play

• Biloxi Blues

• As Is
• Hurlyburly
• Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Best book of a musical

• William Hauptman (Big River)

• Fay Kanin (Grind)
• Michael Stewart (Harrigan ’n Hart)
• Molly Newman, Barbara Damashek (Quilters)

Best original score

• Roger Miller (Big River)

• Larry Grossman, Ellen Fitzhugh (Grind)
• Barbara Damashek (Quilters)

Best revival

• A Day in the Death of Joe Egg

• Cyrano de Bergerac
• Much Ado About Nothing
• Strange Interlude

Best performance by a leading actor in a play

• Derek Jacobi (Much Ado About Nothing)

• Jim Dale (A Day in the Death of Joe Egg)
• Jonathan Hogan (As Is)
• John Lithgow (Requiem for a Heavyweight)

Best performance by a leading actress in a play

• Stockard Channing (A Day in the Death of Joe Egg)

• Sinead Cusack (Much Ado About Nothing)
• Rosemary Harris (Pack of Lies)
• Glenda Jackson (Strange Interlude)

Best performance by a leading actor in a musical

• Ron Richardson (Big River)

• Rene Auberjonois (Big River)
• Daniel H. Jenkins (Big River)
• Kurt Knudson (Take Me Along)

Best performance by a leading actress in a musical

• Leilani Jones (Grind)

• Evalyn Baron (Quilters)
• Mary Beth Peil (The King and I)
• Lenka Peterson (Quilters)

Best performance by a featured actor in a play

• Barry Miller (Biloxi Blues)

• Charles S. Dutton (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom)
• William Hurt (Hurlyburly)
• Edward Petherbridge (Strange Interlude)

Best performance by a featured actress in a play

• Judith Ivey (Hurlyburly)

• Joanna Gleason (A Day in the Death of Joe Egg)
• Theresa Merritt (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom)
• Sigourney Weaver (Hurlyburly)

Best performance by a featured actor in a musical

• Charles Kimbrough (Sunday in the Park with George)

• Rene Auberjonois (Big River)
• Daniel H. Jenkins (Big River)
• Kurt Knudson (Take Me Along)

Best performance by a featured actress in a musical

• Leilani Jones (Grind)

• Evalyn Baron (Quilters)
• Mary Beth Peil (The King and I)
• Lenka Peterson (Quilters)

Best scenic design in a musical

• Heidi Landesman (Big River)

• Clarke Dunham (Grind)
• Santo Loquasto (Much Ado About Nothing)
• Douglas W. Schmidt (Strange Interlude)

Best costume design

• Florence Klotz (Grind)

• Patricia McGourty (Big River)
• Alexander Reid (Cyrano de Bergerac, Much Ado About Nothing)

Best lighting design

• Richard Riddell (Big River)

• Terry Hands (Cyrano de Bergerac, Much Ado About Nothing)
• Allen Lee Hughes (Strange Interlude)

Best direction of a play

• Gene Saks (Biloxi Blues)

• Keith Hack (Strange Interlude)
• Terry Hands (Much Ado About Nothing)
• Marshall W. Mason (As Is)

Best direction of a musical

• Des McAnuff (Big River)

• Barbara Damashek (Quilters)
• Mitch Leigh (The King and I)
• Harold Prince (Grind)

Regional theatre Tony Award

• Steppenwolf Theater Company, Chicago, Illinois

Special Tony Award

• Yul Brynner

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