The 64th Annual Tony Awards were held on Sunday, June 13, 2010 at Radio City Music Hall and was hosted by Broadway newcomer, Sean Hayes, whom most television viewers will remember from the hit sitcom, Will and Grace.

The Tonys are given out each year in New York City by the American Theatre Wing and the Broadway League in order to recognize achievement and excellence in American theatre.  Except for a single award given to a regional theatre, all Tonys are given to Broadway productions.  They are named for Mary Antoinette Perry, the co-founder of the American Theatre Wing.

In spite of the fact that the Tonys attract a far smaller audience than other major awards shows such as the Oscars – the audience for the Oscars tends to be about six times the number of people that tune in to the Tonys – the telecast is still highly prized by CBS, the network that has broadcast the awards for decades, as well as advertisers because the demographic of the telecast skews "rich and smart," making these premium viewers quite coveted.  However, because of its admittedly limited appeal, the awards are telecast in June after the regular television season has ended.

Although the plays and musicals on Broadway often run for multiple seasons the way hit television shows do, the Tony Awards are more reminiscent of the Oscars in that only new productions in the eligibility period are allowed to be nominated for an award whereas a television show or actor can be nominated year after year for an Emmy Award.  However, productions coming to Broadway after having run off-Broadway are eligible because they are new to Broadway.  The eligibility period for a production is determined by the Tony Award Administration Committee, and for the 2009-2010 season, it consisted of plays or musicals that opened between May 1, 2009 until approximately April 30, 2010.  Further, the production must have opened in an eligible Broadway theatre, which, among other requirements, must seat at least 500 people.  There are 40 theatres in Manhattan that qualify as official Broadway theatres.

Eligibility of plays and musicals (and their actors and craftspeople) for Tony Award nomination is also under the purview of the 24-member Tony Award Administration Committee, who selects the 30-member Nominating Committee.  The Nominating Committee consists of theatre professionals who serve three-year terms and are required to see every new Broadway production.  It is they who will determine the plays, musicals and talent that get a Tony Award nomination, which is voted on by a larger body of approximately 700 people.  These 700 voters include the board of directors and designated members of the advisory committee of the American Theatre Wing; members of the governing boards of Actors' Equity Association, the Dramatists Guild, the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers, United Scenic Artists, and the Association of Theatrical Press Agents and Managers; members of the Theatrical Council of the Casting Society of America; and voting members of The Broadway League.

The tally of multiple award winners was as follows:

Red - 6 Tonys (out of 7 nominations) including Best Play, Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play, Best Direction of a Play

Memphis - 4 Tonys (out of 8 nominations) including Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical

Fences - 3 Tonys (out of 10 nominations): Best Revival of a Play, Best Performance by a Lead Actor in a Play, Best Performance by a Lead Actress in a Play

La Cage aux Folles - 3 Tonys (out of 11 nominations) : Best Revival of a Musical, Best Performance by a Lead Actor in a Musical, Best Direction of a Musical

Fela! - 3 Tonys (out of 11 nominations)

American Idiot - 2 Tonys (out of 3 nominations)