As the 78th Tony Awards approach on June 8, 2025, at Radio City Music Hall, the races for Best Actress and Best Actor in a Musical are shaping up to be nail-biters. Nicole Scherzinger, Audra McDonald, Darren Criss, and Jonathan Groff lead the pack with electrifying performances that have Broadway buzzing. With nominations announced on May 1 by Tony winners Sarah Paulson and Wendell Pierce, the four stars are locked in fierce battles, each bringing unique strengths to iconic roles in a season packed with star power.

In the Best Actress in a Musical category, Nicole Scherzinger and Audra McDonald are neck-and-neck, their performances in Sunset Boulevard and Gypsy earning rave reviews. Scherzinger, a former Pussycat Doll making her Broadway debut, stunned as Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard. Her raw, animalistic take—growling in the shadows and dousing herself in blood for director Jamie Lloyd’s bold revival—won her an Olivier Award for the West End run and a Drama League Distinguished Performance Award last week. “She’s reinvented Norma in a way that’s both glamorous and unhinged,” wrote Tessa Smith for Mama’s Geeky. Scherzinger’s edge lies in her fresh face on Broadway and the show’s 10 nominations, including Best Musical Revival. Her Sardi’s portrait unveiling and splashy media presence, like reenacting scenes at Marie’s Crisis piano bar, keep her in the spotlight.

Audra McDonald, a Broadway titan with six Tony wins, counters with her searing Mama Rose in Gypsy. Her 11th nomination, a record for any performer, cements her as a legend. Critics, including former New York Times scribe Ben Brantley, hailed her “Rose’s Turn” as “thrilling and terrifying,” with a slow-burn menace that redefines the role. “Audra’s performance is the season’s emotional peak,” a GoldDerby reviewer noted, predicting her as the slight favorite because Gypsy feels like a crowd-pleaser. McDonald’s announcement of Scherzinger’s Drama League win added a classy twist, though her ineligibility for that award (having won it in 2012) sparked chatter about voter sentiment. The race is razor-close, with Megan Hilty and Jennifer Simard (Death Becomes Her) and Jasmine Amy Rogers (BOOP! The Musical) as dark horses.

On the men’s side, Darren Criss and Jonathan Groff headline a crowded Best Actor in a Musical field. Criss, a Glee alum and Tony-nominated producer, stars as Oliver, an android in Maybe Happy Ending, a futuristic romance that tied for the most nominations with 10, including Best Musical. His tender, precise performance as a robot discovering love has critics swooning. “Criss is the heart of the show,” said David Buchanan on GoldDerby, noting his role as the face of a beloved production, especially since co-star Helen J Shen missed a nomination. Criss’s whirlwind campaign—hopping from nominee events to parties—gives him momentum, though some worry his understated role might be overshadowed by flashier turns.

Jonathan Groff, fresh off a 2024 Tony win for Merrily We Roll Along, brings high-octane charisma as Bobby Darin in Just in Time. Despite the show’s lack of a Best Musical nod, Groff’s star power and “electric” performance, as The New York Times called it, make him a threat. “He’s Broadway’s golden boy right now,” posted @groffsource on social media, sharing snaps of him with Criss and Scherzinger at nominee events. But his recent win could hurt, as voters often hesitate to award back-to-back Tonys—Lindsay Mendez’s 2024 loss after a 2018 win is a recent example. Still, Groff’s selfies at the Just in Time bash in Chelsea show he’s working the room hard. Other contenders, like Jeremy Jordan (Floyd Collins), Tom Francis (Sunset Boulevard), Andrew Durand (Dead Outlaw), and James Monroe Iglehart (A Wonderful World), are strong but trail the top two.

The stakes are high. For Scherzinger, a win would cap a triumphant Broadway debut; for McDonald, it’d be a historic seventh Tony. Criss could claim his first acting Tony and a producer’s prize if Maybe Happy Ending wins, while Groff aims to defy history with a second straight victory. Fans on social media are split—@BroadwayBabe77 called Scherzinger “unstoppable,” while @TheatreNerd42 backed McDonald’s “masterclass.” For the men, @TonyFanatic posted, “Criss has the edge, but Groff’s charm is dangerous.” With Cynthia Erivo hosting and CBS airing the ceremony live, the June 8 showdown promises drama as fierce as the performances themselves.