Nonbinary star Alex Newell makes Tony Awards history with win: ‘You Can Do Anything You Put Your Mind To’

Alex Newell made history at the 2023 Tony Awards tonight.

On Sunday, Newell became the first performer who identifies as nonbinary to win a Tony as they won the award for best performance by an actor in a featured role in a musical for their scene-stealing performance in Broadway’s original musical Shucked.

“I have wanted this my entire life, and I thank each and every one of you in this room right now,” the Glee alum, 30, said as they accepted the award at New York City’s United Palace Theatre. “And Mommy, I love you. Thank you for believing in me, thank you for loving me unconditionally, thank you for teaching me what strength is.”

“To my entire building and cast and crew of Shucked, you are my rock. I love you all. Thank you for seeing me Broadway,” Newell, who goes by he/she/they pronouns, continued. “I should not be up here; as a queer, nonbinary, fat, Black little baby from Massachusetts.”

“Thank you for seeing me, Broadway,” the Shucked star said. “I should not be up here as a queer, nonbinary, fat, Black little baby from Massachusetts. And to anyone that thinks that they can’t do it, I am going to look you dead in your face [and say] that you can do anything you put your mind to,” Newell added as the actor closed their speech.