Hugh Jackman, Stephen Sondheim & More Call for Reinstatement of Sound Design Tony Awards in Online Petition

Tony winners Hugh Jackman, Stephen Sondheim, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Diane Paulus are among those who have have signed a petition to reinstate the categories for Best Sound Design of a Play and Musical. According to The New York Times, the petition has now been submitted to the Tony Awards Administration Committee. The committee voted this summer to eliminate the two categories, just six years after the awards were first presented in 2008.

Tony nominee John Gromada, sound designer and composer for the current revival of The Elephant Man, formed the online petition shortly after the ruling had been made public on June 11. He had collected the 32,495 signatures by July 30. In it, Gromada noted, “Sound designers are an important part of the theatrical community whose vital contributions cannot be ignored or dismissed.”

The 2013-14 Tony Awards Administration Committee announced their decision following their final meeting three days after the 2014 Tony Awards. They noted that while the two categories would be eliminated, a special award may be given to a production when the committee determines that extraordinary sound design has been achieved. Reactions ranging from disappointment to outrage erupted online, prompting the hashtag #TonyCanYouHearMe.