Tony Awards Searches for New Venue in 2011

According to the New York Times, the 65th Annual Tony Awards will not be in Radio City Music Hall, due to a booking contract that expires in June 2011. The ceremony has been held at Radio City since 1997 (with the exception of 1999).

Radio City Music Hall has enormous seating capacity of around 6,000. Tony officials now face the challenge of securing a facility of this size and quality in a convenient location in Manhattan. Up for consideration are currently Madison Square Garden, Beacon Theater and the Apollo Theater, the Broadway Theater, and the Marriott Marquis Theater.

The American Theater Wing and the Broadway League issued the following statement regarding the Tonys' new location:

“We have been aware for some time that Radio City Music Hall is not available to us for the 2011 Tony Awards and we are currently exploring a dozen or so possibilities throughout Manhattan for next year’s ceremony,”

The Antoinette Perry "Tony" Awards are bestowed annually on theatre professionals for distinguished achievement. The Tony is one of the most coveted awards in the entertainment industry and the annual telecast is considered one of the most prestigious programs on television.

Click here to see a full list of this year's winners on BroadwayWorld.com!