Tony Nominations Snubs and Surprises: Lea Michele Overlooked for ‘Chess,’ ‘Proof’ Shut Out, Scott Rudin Makes a Comeback and More

Home Legit News May 5, 2026 7:20am PT Tony Nominations Snubs and Surprises: Lea Michele Overlooked for ‘Chess,’ ‘Proof’ Shut Out, Scott Rudin Makes a Comeback and More By Brent Lang, Rebecca Rubin Matthew Murphy When the 79th Tony Awards revealed its list of contenders on Tuesday morning, there were expected nominations for the likes of John Lithgow (“Giant”), Nathan Lane (“Death of a Salesman”) and Joshua Henry (“Ragtime”), as well as plenty of notable omissions. (How does Lea Michele still not have a single Tony nomination? What’s a girl gotta do?) In case you didn’t want to wake up early along with the Broadway community, we’re breaking down all the twists and turns, snubs and surprises from this year’s nominees. Popular on Variety Related Stories From Local Producer to Global Player: How Chile's Fabula Scaled Across Borders