PINK HAS BEEN getting rave reviews for her performance as host of the Tony Awards ceremony, which was held in New York City on Sunday. 

The Tony Awards recognise excellence in Broadway productions and performances, and this year the top prize went to Schmigadoon!, a musical that pokes fun at, well, musicals.

Liberation, which explores sexuality and the place of women in society in the 1970s, was named Best Play after winning a Pulitzer Prize in May. 

But Pink’s debut as host of the awards show seems to be the big story of the night.

In her opening monologue, Pink joked about how she has never been in a Broadway production herself.

“For some reason, I’m your host, Pink,” she quipped.

But her lack of Broadway credentials didn’t stop the audience and critics heaping praise on her customised rendition of Lady Marmalade from Moulin Rouge. 

Pink performing All That Jazz from Chicago Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

Pink led a host of Broadway performers in singing “Leading Lady Marmalade”, which replaced many of the original lyrics with the names of stars from the musicals that were up for awards on the night. 

The revamped lyrics featured references to Laurie Metcalf, Carrie Coon, Lesley Manville and a host of other Broadway personalities. 

“Gitchie, gitchie Laurie Metcalf! Gitchie, gitchie Carrie Coon!” (You get the idea.)

Rapper Megan Thee Stallion, who made her debut on Broadway this year in Moulin Rouge! The Musical, also showed up on stage towards the end of the song. 

Pink opens the 79th Annual Tony Awards to a standing ovation at Radio City Music Hall. #Tonys #Pink #broadway #ladymarmalade pic.twitter.com/Se12a5hfy6

— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) June 8, 2026

While the Lady Marmalade performance made the biggest splash, Pink also sang All That Jazz from Chicago and did we mention she descended onto the stage dressed as Peter Pan to open the show?

The pop singer also performed snippets of numbers from Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables and Wicked.

Patrick Ryan of USA Today wrote: “Pink delivered the best Tonys opening of the past decade – and genuinely one of the greatest ever – with a joy bomb performance that was as celebratory as it was hilarious.”

“All in all, one of the better opening numbers of any recent awards show, Tonys or otherwise,” said Deadline’s Greg Evans. 

Neil Patrick Harris, who has hosted the Tonys a number of times, made an appearance to promote Paddington coming to Broadway. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

The awards show also partly reflected the political climate of President Donald Trump’s America, with Pink taking a stand in support of transgender people and freedom of expression.

The awards honoured socially conscious works that explored feminism, antisemitism and US history, and celebrated LGBTQ+ culture.

Not all the critics saw Pink’s hosting debut as a great success, though, with the New York Post’s Johnny Oleksinski praising the Lady Marmalade rendition as “rousing” before adding: 

“But from there, Pink flopped. The material written for her was terrible, especially one mystifying skit about free speech.

“She then asked various stars such as Rose Byrne and Kelli O’Hara to speak their truths,” Oleksinski wrote, “They awkwardly told lame jokes. Awful, awful, awful.”

With reporting from AFP