Tony Poll Results! Billy Porter Wowed Fans with His Emotional Acceptance Speech

The Tony Awards honored a bevy of first-time winners at the 2013 ceremony, and you know what that means…tons of tearful acceptance speeches! From Lucky Guy winner Courtney B. Vance’s dedication to his “mommy,” to Pippin winner Patina Miller’s emotional tribute to her stepfather, this year’s speeches were so heartfelt, we had to get out our tissues. After the show, we asked you which speech was your favorite. Check out the results below!

1. Billy Porter — 32%
Over 20 years after making his Broadway debut, Billy Porter took the stage to accept his very first Tony Award for his performance as Lola in Kinky Boots. The Broadway.com video blogger delivered an emotional speech that obviously moved fans, too. “When I was 11 years old,” Porter said, “my journey to truth began when I discovered the Tony Awards, washing dishes in my kitchen, and the performance of Jennifer Holliday and the cast of Dreamgirls on the Tony Awards took my breath away.” Congratulations, Billy, you’re living the dream!


2. Cicely Tyson — 21%
The Trip to Bountiful star Cicely Tyson won the Tony for Best Actress in a Play, and her stirring acceptance speech clearly struck a chord with fans. Her speech ran long, but the first-time winner managed to maintain her inspiring presence, even as she was played offstage. “'Please wrap it up,' it says,” Tyson said, referring to the teleprompter. “Well, that’s exactly what you did with me: You wrapped me up in your arms after 30 years and now I can go home with a Tony.”

3. Cyndi Lauper — 11%
You’d think winning a Grammy and an Emmy would give her some practice, but Kinky Boots composer Cyndi Lauper (also a first-time Tony winner) couldn’t hide her excitement as she took the stage. “I can’t say I wasn’t practicing in front of the shower curtain for a couple of days for this speech,” she told the audience. We even learned something new: “I wrecked all [of my mother’s] Broadway musicals when I was a kid—her cast albums,” Lauper admitted. “That’s how I learned how to sing!”