2026 Pulitzer Prize winner 'Liberation' wins Tony Award for best play

NEW YORK — Bess Wohl’s “Liberation,” a drama examining the legacy of the 1970s women’s liberation movement, won the Tony Award for Best Play on Sunday, adding to its 2026 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

The play follows a group of women who form a consciousness-raising circle in Ohio, alongside a parallel storyline involving a daughter who later revisits the unfinished ideals and tensions of their movement decades later.

Moving between past and present, “Liberation” explores what has endured — and what has been lost — in the ongoing struggle for gender equality. The production was widely regarded as a leading contender throughout the awards season following strong reviews and multiple nominations.

The recognition at the Tony Awards cements the play’s status as one of the most acclaimed works of the year in American theater. 

-Reporting by Kathryn Lurie; Editing by Howard Goller/Reuters