Josh Groban is nominated in a marquee category at the 2023 Tony Awards on Sunday June 11. The singer/actor is nominated for best leading actor in a musical for his performance in a revival of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. This is his second nod in that category.
Groban has also notched three No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200. Groban is just the sixth person to accomplish both of these feats — to top the Billboard 200 with an album of their own and land a Tony nomination for performing in a musical.
Before we look at the full list, here’s a little fine print: Tony winner Jackie Gleason (Take Me Along, 1960) and Tony nominee Sammy Davis. Jr. (Golden Boy, 1965) both topped a Billboard albums chart prior to the March 1956 inception of the Billboard 200 (which was the first regular, weekly album chart).
Several more Tony-nominated (or Tony-winning) performers have had top five albums on the Billboard 200, though they have yet to reach No. 1. These include Bette Midler (a winner for Hello, Dolly!, 2017), Harry Connick Jr. (a nominee for The Pajama Game, 2006), Heather Headley (a winner for Aida, 2000), Al Green (a nominee for Your Arms Too Short to Box With God, 1983) and Robert Goulet (a winner for The Happy Time, 1968).
While Groban is a strong contender in his category, he faces stiff competition from Ben Platt for Parade and J. Harrison Ghee for Some Like It Hot. The category is rounded out by Christian Borle, also for Some Like It Hot; Brian d’Arcy James for Into the Woods and Colton Ryan for New York, New York.
Here’s a complete list of the six performers who have both topped the Billboard 200 and landed a Tony nomination for performing in a musical. They are listed in reverse chronological order.
