Cats: The Jellicle Ball wins design awards but loses Best Revival

artJun 8, 2026751,371

Ragtime won Best Revival of a Musical at the 2026 Tony Awards, while Cats: The Jellicle Ball claimed multiple major design awards. Cats reimagined Andrew Lloyd Webber's show as a queer ballroom competition staged in a junkyard, a bold reinterpretation of the original. The musical's Tonys performance overwhelmed viewer traffic and crashed the show's website after it aired, and Cats also performed on Good Morning America earlier this season. The split honors show the Tonys recognized Ragtime's timely storytelling while rewarding Cats's imaginative staging and technical craft, making both productions notable for different reasons.

BlackskyNews 🗞️

@blackskynews.blacksky.app

Costume designer and founder of Black Trans Liberation, Qween Jean, made Tony Awards history, becoming the first openly trans person to win the award. Jean won for Best Costume Design of a Musical for Cats: The Jellicle Ball. By: Diep Tran #BlackskyNews #Pride playbill.com/article/qwee...

2783h ago

The New York Times

@nytimes.com

Qween Jean won the Tony Award for best costume design of a musical on Sunday for her work on “Cats: The Jellicle Ball.” The costume designer and activist has become the first openly transgender person to win a Tony, according to a publicist for the show. trib.al/I5Rmi1i

2325h ago

romie2

I’ve worked with her and can avidly attest to her brilliance! So deserved!

Mike Ingram For Everyone

@electmikeingram.bsky.social

Congratulations to Qween Jean on her shiny new, very first Tony!! She is taking home Best Costume Design (Musical) for "Cats: The Jellicle Ball." Her win makes her the first out trans winner of a Tony! #tonyawards

Photo of a very dashing Black woman in a stunning pink dress holding a freshly won Tony award while giving her acceptance speech.

1446h ago

Kevin Daly

@kevinddaly.bsky.social

Cats: The Jellicle Ball is THAT much fun, an absolute joy bomb. I'm gonna see it twice more!

825h ago

Kyle Thomas4

My husband works in the area!

SinnamonS

@sinnamonscouture.bsky.social

My doll ❤️ CATS: THE JELLICLE BALL co-producer Law Roach on the red carpet at the 79th Annual #TonyAwards at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.

394h ago

New York Theater

@newyorktheater.bsky.social

BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch, Cats: The Jellicle Ball #TonyAwards newyorktheater.me/2026/06/07/2...

385h ago

David Levy

@itsdlevy.me

I am a sucker for speeches that directly address closeted kids watching at home. I love Cats: The Jellicle Ball so much.

425h ago

The Isaac Who Came In From the Butler

@isaacbutler.bsky.social

The problem with the jellicle ball is… it’s still the songs from cats.

375h ago

josh boerman

@bosh.worstpossible.world

pink really said “this year was hard for trans people, so we gave you cats the jellicle ball”

286h ago

JenJen

@diflaversham.bsky.social

This one should have made the main broadcast!! Qween Jean just became the first openly trans person to win a Tony! Qween won Best Costume Design for a Musical for Cats: The Jellicle Ball

245h ago

Kyle Thomas

@kylehemingway.com

Immediately before the Tonys telecast began, I bought two good tickets in July to Cats The Jellicle Ball for me and my mother before they triple in price. This is my version of playing the market.

245h ago

Risa2

So much same. Taking my mother in three weeks for her 85th birthday.

Kyle Thomas2

My mother’s first question: “Do we get fans?”

nona coco

@norawallis.bsky.social

It was a stunning production but the imagination and skill that went into Jellicle Ball is generational.

203h ago

Alissa Wilkinson

@alissawilkinson.bsky.social

Now proud possessors of Jellicle Ball tickets (which neither of us have seen) *and* tickets to see Meg Statler in Oh Mary (a show I have seen but he has not)

183h ago

chris

@chrissayshi.bsky.social

do you guys remember when i saw p!nk at cats: the jellicle ball

176h ago

Craig Can’t Even

@craigcanteven.bsky.social

Cats: The Jellicle Ball simultaneously is a brilliant reimagining and also works so well it feels like it was always meant to be this way.

145h ago

1 source

vulture.comEvery Single Thing Happening at the 2026 Tony Awards

Cats: The Jellicle Ball wins design awards but loses Best Revivalart

Cats: The Jellicle Ball wins design awards but loses Best Revival

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