Joshua Henry won Best Actor in a Musical at the 2026 Tony Awards for playing Coalhouse Walker Jr. in Ragtime.
Coalhouse Walker Jr. is one of the three central family figures in Ragtime. He is a Black ragtime pianist whose struggle for justice becomes a major thread in the musical’s portrait of American society before the First World War.
Henry’s victory came in a competitive category that also included Nicholas Christopher in Chess, Luke Evans in Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show, Sam Tutty in Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York), and Brandon Uranowitz in Ragtime. Henry and Uranowitz were both nominated for Ragtime, but only Henry won the leading-actor award.
Ragtime also won Best Revival of a Musical and Best Actress in a Musical for Caissie Levy. Henry’s Tony was one of four awards earned by the revival at the ceremony.