First-Time Tony Nominee Lena Waithe Reacts to Noms for 'Monumental Play' 'Ain't No Mo' (Exclusive)
Emmy-winning TV writer Lena Waithe is now a first-time Tony nominee as one of the producers of Ain't No Mo'. The production scored a total of six nods, tying it with Leopoldstadt as the most-nominated new play, for the 76th annual Tony Awards.
Following the announcement, which was revealed live by Lea Michele and Myles Frost on Tuesday, Waithe shared her excitement about the play's recognition. "Ain't No Mo' is a monumental play and I was honored when Lee Daniels asked me to join the team," she said in an exclusive statement to ET.
"I saw a reading of it years ago and I knew it deserved to be on Broadway. To be nominated for a Tony award is truly a dream come true after fighting to stay open," she continued, before shouting out the production's nominated star. "Jordan E. Cooper is a voice that needs to be heard and I’m so glad that very soon everyone will know his name.”
Written and starring Cooper, the play tells the story about an alternate universe where the U.S. government has granted any Black person in America the opportunity of taking a one-way flight to Africa. First opening on Broadway in December, the production made Cooper, 27, the youngest Black American playwright to make his writing debut on Broadway.
In addition to nominations for Best Play and Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play for Cooper, the production is also up for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play for Crystal Lucas-Perry, Best Direction of a Play for Stevie Walker-Webb, Best Costume Design of a Play for Emilio Sosa and Best Sound Design of a Play for Jonathan Deans and Taylor Williams.
Waithe, meanwhile, is nominated alongside Daniels, who is also a first-time Tony nominee, as well as RuPaul, who earned his second nod after first winning for A Strange Loop in 2022, and three-time nominated playwright Jeremy O. Harris, among others.
The 76th annual Tony Awards will be hosted by Ariana DeBose and handed out live at United Palace Theatre. The ceremony will take place Sunday, June 11, during a four-hour television event, starting at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on Paramount+ before continuing on CBS at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
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