On the hallowed stage of Radio City Music Hall, the Tony Awards(opens in new window) just delivered one of the most robust productions of its 75-year history. The four-hour celebration of Broadway's finest kicked off with an exclusive Paramount+ stream and transitioned to a national/international telecast on CBS.

The 75th Annual Tony Awards honored performances and productions from 2021-2022 and marked a return to the pre-pandemic tradition of recognizing the best of Broadway each June.

Following the star-studded, performance-packed ceremony, Carnegie Mellon University and its School of Drama(opens in new window) had several reasons to celebrate:

2022 CMU Alumni Tony Award Winners

Jamie deRoy, 1967 School of Drama alumna, Producer
Best Play for "The Lehman Trilogy"
Best Revival of a Musical for "Company"

Kevin Emrick, 2007 School of Drama alumnus, Producer
Best Play for "The Lehman Trilogy"
Best Musical for "A Strange Loop"
Best Revival of a Musical for "Company"

Billy Porter, 1991 School of Drama alumnus, Producer
Best Musical for "A Strange Loop"

Also during the ceremony, Carnegie Mellon and the Tony Awards presented the 2022 Excellence in Theatre Education Award(opens in new window) to Roshunda Jones-Koumba(opens in new window), a drama teacher from G.W. Carver Magnet High School in Houston, Texas. Jones-Koumba was honored for her exemplary drama curriculum, her steadfast commitment to improving the lives of her students and the monumental impact she's had on her community.

CMU alumna, trustee, and Tony Award-winner Tamara Tunie (actor, director, producer) served on this year's Excellence in Theatre Education Award judges' panel. Tunie, along with Carnegie Mellon President Farnam Jahanian(opens in new window), presented Jones-Koumba with her award during the Tony Awards ceremony. Another CMU alumnus, Telly Leung (actor, singer, songwriter), announced Jones-Koumba's selection during the live CBS telecast.

"Congratulations to CMU's Tony Award winners and to all the nominees," Jahanian said. "More than ever this season, performing arts and theatre education has demonstrated its power to bring people together, and to inspire and uplift us even during challenging times. We applaud the artists — and the teachers — who are leading the way."

CMU has a long tradition of producing top talent onstage and behind the scenes. CMU's School of Drama is the oldest degree-granting drama school in the country and consistently ranks as one of the world's best drama schools.

Carnegie Mellon is the exclusive higher education partner of the Tony Awards. For more information about CMU and the Tony Awards, visit cmu.edu(opens in new window).