Special Tony Awards given to 2 shows, 1 advocacy nonprofit

The Tony Awards may be months away, but three groups can already celebrate: The Broadway Advocacy Coalition, “David Byrne’s American Utopia” and Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “Freestyle Love Supreme” are going to get special awards

NEW YORK -- The Tony Awards may be months away, but three groups can already celebrate: The Broadway Advocacy Coalition, “David Byrne’s American Utopia” and Lin-Manuel Miranda's ”Freestyle Love Supreme" are getting special awards. The American Theatre Wing and the Broadway League announced Tuesday that the three groups will win Special Tony Awards, given to productions or organizations that don’t fit in competitive categories. The Broadway Advocacy Coalition is an arts-based advocacy nonprofit dedicated to building the capacity of individuals, organizations and communities to use storytelling to dismantle the systems that perpetuate racism. It was founded in 2016 by Jackie Bell, Amber Iman, Cameron J. Ross, Britton Smith, Adrienne Warren and Christian Dante White. In a statement, the American Theatre Wing and the Broadway League said the coalition “has provided an unparalleled platform for marginalized members of our theatre community and tools to help us all do better as we strive for equity.”