Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe earned his first Tony Award at Sunday’s ceremony in New York.
Radcliffe received the award for Best Actor in a Musical for his performance in the revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along.
The play secured an additional three awards at the event, which honors the best in Broadway theater.
In his acceptance speech, the 34-year-old wished his father a happy Father’s Day and expressed gratitude to his girlfriend, Erin Darke.
“My love Erin, you and our son are the best thing that has ever happened to me. I love you so much, thank you so much,” he said.
He also thanked his parents for playing Sondheim in the car and said the play was “one of the best experiences of my life”.
Jonathan Groff also won his first Tony for his performance in the musical.
He praised his co-stars, Radcliffe and Lindsay Mendez and called them “more than old friends”.
“You are soulmates, and I’m looking forward to watching each other change for the rest of our lives,” he said.
Meanwhile, Angelina Jolie secured her first Tony Award for producing The Outsiders, which won Best Musical and garnered three additional awards out of 12 nominations.
The 49-year-old actress was accompanied on stage by her 15-year-old daughter, Vivienne.
In her acceptance speech, director Danya Taymor acknowledged Jolie among the “great women who have lifted me up.”
The production later clinched the prestigious Best Musical award, prompting Jolie to return to the stage.
The play, based on S.E. Hinton’s book, explores the conflict between two rival gangs of white Americans separated by socioeconomic status.
It triumphed over musical rival Hell’s Kitchen, a semi-autobiographical account of Alicia Keys, which received 13 nominations and won two awards.
One of Hell’s Kitchen’s wins was for theater veteran Kecia Lewis, who took home the award for Featured Actress.
In an emotional on-stage speech, Lewis said: “40 years ago yesterday I walked into the Imperial Theatre to begin my Broadway career at 18 years old.
“I have had so many amazing experiences and some heartbreaking ones, too. I took a short break from showbusiness and raised a son as a single parent while trying to build a career.
“This moment is the one I dreamed for most of those 40 years, so I say to everyone who can hear my voice – don’t give up.”
Keys and Jay-Z surprised the audience by joining the musical cast to perform their 2009 hit “Empire State of Mind” in a tribute to New York.
Stereophonic, which made history with 13 nominations, won five awards, including Best Play.
In his acceptance speech, playwright David Adjmi highlighted the challenges of building a career in the arts and emphasized the need for increased funding.
The play centers on a fictional rock band from the 1970s as they work on producing an album.
Elsewhere, Hollywood star Jeremy Strong won his first Tony Award for Lead Actor in a Play for An Enemy of the People.
The 45-year-old, known for his role as Kendall in Succession, praised Henrik Ibsen’s cautionary environmental play, calling it “a cry from the heart” with “difficult truths that are staring us down right now.”
Strong’s character is a doctor who stands firm against being silenced after discovering contamination in public baths.
Another first-time winner was Sarah Paulson, who took home the award for Best Actress in a Lead Role, surpassing Rachel McAdams and Jessica Lange.
Paulson received the award for her performance in the revival of the darkly comic drama Appropriate, which depicts a dysfunctional family squabbling over their recently deceased father’s inheritance.
The 49-year-old Ratched actress is now halfway to achieving EGOT status, having previously won an Emmy in 2016 for her role in The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story.
During the in-memoriam segment, US star Nicole Scherzinger, who recently won at the Olivier Awards for her role in Sunset Boulevard, delivered a moving performance.
Among those honored were British icons Sir Michael Gambon, Glenda Jackson, and theatre impresario Bill Kenwright, as well as US actors Louis Gossett Jr. and Ron Cephas Jones.