Is Bigger Better? Tony Award Gains a Couple Inches

The Tony Awards are already the biggest honor Broadway can bestow upon its brightest stars—and now they’re a little bit bigger. According to The New York Times, the base of the 2010 Tony Award has gained almost two inches and two pounds (bringing the statuette up to three-and-a-half pounds). The trophy still features the famous spinnable Tony Award medallion, a silver disk depicting the comedy and tragedy masks, attached to a silver armature and affixed to the base. The changes were reportedly made to make the prize feel “more substantial.”

“We know the physical scale of the Oscars, Emmys and Grammys,” Howard Sherman, executive director of the American Theater Wing, told The Times. “While we’re not attempting to keep up with the Joneses, we felt this is a significant award, and it could feel and look a bit more significant.”

The new taller award continues the evolution of the Tonys. When the honors began in 1947, winners received an engraved money clip, compact or scroll. In 1949 the medallion, designed by Herman Rosse, was introduced, becoming the standard until 1967, when it was mounted onto a base. While production materials have been tweaked over time, the growth spurt marks Tony’s first major change in 43 years.

No word on whether the 2010 Tony Award certificates, which are given out to all nominees, were printed in a larger font.