Audra McDonald and Leslie Odom Jr. to host 74th Tony Awards

This year's Tony Awards will take place next week.

Ahead of next week's Tony Awards ceremony, the hosts have been confirmed. The 74th Tony Awards will be hosted by Audra McDonald, and will take place at the Winter Garden Theatre. Following the ceremony, Leslie Odom Jr. will host The Tony Awards Present: Broadway's Back. The Tony Awards will take place on September 26.

This year's ceremony will be the first that Audra McDonald has hosted. Speaking about the event, she said: "I'm elated that the Tony Awards are back! I am so glad that we've found a way to gather safely to honor and recognize all the incredible work that was done in the 2019-20 season." McDonald is a six-time Tony Award-winning actress, starring in A Raisin in the Sun and Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill.

Leslie Odom Jr. is best known for his Tony Award-winning role as Aaron Burr in Hamilton. Speaking about hosting the Tony Awards' concert, Odom said: ""Broadway is a part of my DNA and I'm so thrilled to see it open back up again .There are so many talented artists going back to work and doing what they love for audiences who have missed these tremendous performances. I'm very happy to host The Tony Awards Present: Broadway's Back!"

The Tony Awards will be broadcast 7:00 PM ET/4:00 PM PT live from the Winter Garden Theatre exclusively on Paramount+. After the ceremony, The Tony Awards Present: Broadway's Back concert will then be available to watch on Paramount+, as well as the CBS television network and app.

18 shows were eligible for the 2020 Tony Awards, made up of 10 original plays, four original musicals and four play revivals. Read the full Tony Awards nominations here.

^{Photo credit: Audra McDonald and Leslie Odom Jr (Photos by Allison Michael Orenstein and Tony Duran)}