The 2019 Tony Awards Made History For This Important Reason

The 2019 Tony Awards brought together Broadway's best and brightest talents for a night of entertainment, accolades, and very important historical moments.

The director of the smash musical Hadestown, Rachel Chavkin, scored her first Tony, reported The New York Times. As the only woman who was nominated as a director of any show, drama, or musical this year, Chavkin took up the cause for her fellow talented female contemporaries as she accepted her award.

Chavkin, only the fourth woman in Tony history to win as the director of a musical, as reported by The New York Times, used her acceptance speech to invoke a change toward the inclusion of more women directors on Broadway.

"This is not a pipeline issue," Chavkin explained during her speech. "It is a failure of imagination by a field whose job is to imagine the way the world could be."

History was also made during the show when Ali Stroker became the first actor who was wheelchair-bound to win a Tony. Stroker was honored for her work in the role of Ado Annie in Oklahoma! The new Tony-winner lost the use of her legs in a car accident at the age of 2. Stroker dedicated her award to "every kid who is watching tonight who has a disability, who has a limitation or a challenge, who has been waiting to see themselves represented in this arena."

The following are the nominated shows and performers. The winners are highlighted in bold.

Best PlayChoir Boy by Tarell Alvin McCraneyThe Ferryman by Jez Butterworth Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus by Taylor MacInk by James GrahamWhat the Constitution Means to Me by Heidi Schreck

Best Revival of a MusicalKiss Me, KateRodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma!

Best MusicalAin't Too Proud to BegBeetlejuiceHadestown The PromTootsie

Best Revival of a PlayArthur Miller's All My SonsThe Boys in the Band by Mart Crowley Burn This by Lanford WilsonTorch Song by Harvey FiersteinThe Waverly Gallery by Kenneth Lonergan

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a MusicalBrooks Ashmanskas, The PromDerrick Baskin, Ain't Too ProudAlex Brightman, BeetlejuiceDamon Daunno, Oklahoma!Santino Fontana, Tootsie

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a MusicalStephanie J. Block, The Cher ShowCaitlin Kinnunen, The PromBeth Leavel, The PromEva Noblezada, HadestownKelli O'Hara, Kiss Me, Kate

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a PlayPaddy Considine, The FerrymanBryan Cranston, NetworkJeff Daniels, To Kill a MockingbirdAdam Driver, Burn ThisJeremy Pope, Choir Boy

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a PlayAnnette Bening, All My SonsLaura Donnelly, The FerrymanElaine May, The Waverly GalleryJanet McTeer, Bernhardt/HamletLaurie Metcalf, Hillary and ClintonHeidi Schreck, What the Constitution Means to Me

Best Book of a MusicalAin't Too Proud, Dominique MorisseauBeetlejuice, Scott Brown and Anthony KingHadestown, Anaïs MitchellThe Prom, Bob Martin and Chad BeguelinTootsie, Robert Horn

Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the TheaterBe More Chill, Joe IconisBeetlejuice, Eddie PerfectHadestown, Anaïs Mitchell The Prom, Matthew Sklar and Chad BeguelinTo Kill a Mockingbird, Adam GuettelTootsie, David Yazbek

Best Direction of a MusicalRachel Chavkin, HadestownScott Ellis, TootsieDaniel Fish, Oklahoma!Des McAnuff, Ain't Too ProudCasey Nicholaw, The Prom

Best Direction of a PlayRupert Goold, InkSam Mendes, The FerrymanBartlett Sher, To Kill a MockingbirdIvo van Hove, NetworkGeorge C. Wolfe, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a MusicalAndré De Shields, HadestownAndy Grotelueschen, TootsiePatrick Page, HadestownJeremy Pope, Ain't Too ProudEphraim Sykes, Ain't Too Proud

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a MusicalLilli Cooper, TootsieAmber Gray, HadestownSarah Stiles, TootsieAli Stroker, Oklahoma!Mary Testa, Oklahoma!

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a PlayBertie Carvel, InkRobin De Jesús, The Boys in the BandGideon Glick, To Kill a MockingbirdBrandon Uranowitz, Burn ThisBenjamin Walker, All My Sons

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a PlayFionnula Flanagan, The FerrymanCelia Keenan-Bolger, To Kill a Mockingbird Kristine Nielsen, Gary: A Sequel to Titus AndronicusJulie White, Gary: A Sequel to Titus AndronicusRuth Wilson, King Lear

Best ChoreographyCamille A. Brown, Choir BoyWarren Carlyle, Kiss Me, KateDenis Jones, TootsieDavid Neumann, HadestownSergio Trujillo, Ain't Too Proud

Best OrchestrationsMichael Chorney and Todd Sickafoose, HadestownLarry Hochman, Kiss Me, KateDaniel Kluger, Oklahoma!Simon Hale, TootsieHarold Wheeler, Ain't Too Proud

Best Scenic Design of a MusicalRobert Brill and Peter Nigrini, Ain't Too ProudPeter England, King KongRachel Hauck, Hadestown Laura Jellinek, Oklahoma!David Korins, Beetlejuice

Best Scenic Design of a PlayMiriam Buether, To Kill a MockingbirdBunny Christie, InkRob Howell, The FerrymanSanto Loquasto, Gary: A Sequel to Titus AndronicusJan Versweyveld, Network

Best Costume Design of a MusicalMichael Krass, HadestownWilliam Ivey Long, BeetlejuiceWilliam Ivey Long, TootsieBob Mackie, The Cher ShowPaul Tazewell, Ain't Too Proud

Best Costume Design of a PlayRob Howell, The Ferryman Toni-Leslie James, Bernhardt/HamletClint Ramos, Torch SongAnn Roth, Gary: A Sequel to Titus AndronicusAnn Roth, To Kill a Mockingbird

Best Sound Design of a MusicalPeter Hylenski, BeetlejuicePeter Hylenski, King KongSteve Canyon Kennedy, Ain't Too ProudDrew Levy, Oklahoma!Nevin Steinberg and Jessica Paz, Hadestown

Best Sound Design of a PlayAdam Cork, InkScott Lehrer, To Kill a MockingbirdFitz Patton, Choir BoyNick Powell, The FerrymanEric Sleichim, Network

Best Lighting Design of a MusicalKevin Adams, The Cher ShowHowell Binkley, Ain't Too ProudBradley King, HadestownPeter Mumford, King KongKenneth Posner and Peter Nigrini, Beetlejuice

Best Lighting Design of a PlayNeil Austin, InkJules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer, Gary: A Sequel to Titus AndronicusPeter Mumford, The FerrymanJennifer Tipton, To Kill a MockingbirdJan Versweyveld and Tal Yarden, Network

The Tony Awards, hosted by James Corden, aired on CBS.