The 36th Annual Tony Awards was broadcast by CBS television on June 6, 1982 from the Imperial Theatre. The host was Tony Randall.
Presenters: Lucie Arnaz, Milton Berle, Victor Borge, Pam Dawber, Lillian Gish, Marvin Hamlisch, Lena Horne, Beth Howland, Robert Goulet, Swoosie Kurtz, Michele Lee, Hal Linden, Ann Miller, Robert Preston, Jason Robards, Ginger Rogers, Gary Sandy, Ben Vereen.
Some of Broadway's theatres were being demolished (the Morosco, Helen Hayes and Bijou Theatres) thus the theme was to celebrate a great Broadway theatre, the Imperial. "The Imperial Medley" featured songs from Rose Marie; Oh, Kay!; Jubilee; Leave It to Me; On Your Toes; Between the Devil; Annie Get Your Gun; Miss Liberty; Call Me Madam; The Most Happy Fella; Fiddler on the Roof; The New Moon; Silk Stockings; Wish You Were Here; The Laugh Parade; Carnival; They're Playing Our Song; Oliver!; and Pippin.
Musicals represented:
- Dreamgirls ("It's All Over/And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going" - Jennifer Holliday and Company);
- Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat ("Any Dream Will Do" - Bill Hutton and Company);
- Nine ("Be Italian" - Kathi Moss and Company);
- Pump Boys and Dinettes (Medley - Company).
Winners and nominees
Winners are in bold
Production
- The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby by David Edgar. Produced by James M. Nederlander, The Shubert Organization, Elizabeth I. McCann, and Nelle Nugent
- Crimes of the Heart by Beth Henley. Produced by Warner Theater Productions, Inc., Claire Nichtern, Mary Lea Johnson, Martin Richards, and Francine Le Frak
- The Dresser by Ronald Harwood. Produced by James M. Nederlander, Elizabeth I. McCann, Nelle Nugent, Warner Theater Productions, Inc., and Michael Codron
- Master Harold...and the Boys by Athol Fugard. Produced by The Shubert Organization, Freydberg/Bloch Productions, Dasha Epstein, Emanuel Azenberg and David Geffen
- Nine. Produced by Michel Stuart, Harvey J. Klaris, Roger S. Berlind, James M. Nederlander, Francine LeFrak, and Kenneth D. Greenblatt
- Dreamgirls. Produced by Michael Bennett, Bob Avian, Geffen Records, and The Shubert Organization
- Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Produced by Zev Bufman, Susan R. Rose, Melvin J. Estrin, Sidney Shlenker, and Gail Berman
- Pump Boys and Dinettes. Dodger Productions, Louis Busch Hager, Marilyn Strauss, Kate Studley, Warner Theater Productions, Inc., and Max Weitzenhoffer
Reproduction (Play or Musical)
- Othello. Produced by Barry and Fran Weissler and CBS Video Enterprises
- A Taste of Honey. Produced by Roundabout Theatre Co., Gene Feist and Michael Fried
- Medea. Produced by Barry and Fran Weissler, The Kennedy Center and Bunny and Warren Austin
- My Fair Lady. Produced by Mike Merrick and Don Gregory
Performance
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play
- Roger Rees (The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby)
- Tom Courtenay (The Dresser)
- Milo O'Shea (Mass Appeal)
- Christopher Plummer (Othello)
Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
- Zoe Caldwell (Medea)
- Katharine Hepburn (The West Side Waltz)
- Geraldine Page (Agnes of God)
- Amanda Plummer (A Taste of Honey)
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical
- Ben Harney (Dreamgirls)
- Herschel Bernardi (Fiddler on the Roof)
- Victor Garber (Little Me)
- Raul Julia (Nine)
Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
- Jennifer Holliday (Dreamgirls)
- Lisa Mordente (Marlowe)
- Mary Gordon Murray (Little Me)
- Sheryl Lee Ralph (Dreamgirls)
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play
- Zakes Mokae (Master Harold...and the Boys)
- Richard Kavanaugh (The Hothouse)
- Edward Petherbridge (The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby)
- David Threlfall (The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby)
Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play
- Amanda Plummer (Agnes of God)
- Judith Anderson (Medea)
- Mia Dillon (Crimes of the Heart)
- Mary Beth Hurt (Crimes of the Heart)
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical
- Cleavant Derricks (Dreamgirls)
- Obba Babatundé (Dreamgirls)
- David Alan Grier (The First)
- Bill Hutton (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat)
Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical
- Liliane Montevecchi (Nine)
- Karen Akers (Nine)
- Laurie Beechman (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat)
- Anita Morris (Nine)
Craft
- Trevor Nunn, John Caird (The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby)
- Melvin Bernhardt (Crimes of the Heart)
- Geraldine Fitzgerald (Mass Appeal)
- Athol Fugard (Master Harold...and the Boys)
- Tommy Tune (Nine)
- Michael Bennett (Dreamgirls)
- Martin Charnin (The First)
- Tony Tanner (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat)
- Michael Bennett, Michael Peters (Dreamgirls)
- Peter Gennaro (Little Me)
- Tony Tanner (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat)
- Tommy Tune (Nine)
- Dreamgirls by Tom Eyen
- Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat by Tim Rice
- Nine by Arthur Kopit
- The First by Joel Siegel and Martin Charnin
Best Original Score Written for the Theatre
- Nine Music and lyrics by Maury Yeston
- Dreamgirls Music by Henry Krieger, lyrics by Tom Eyen
- Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Tim Rice
- Merrily We Roll Along Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
- John Napier, Dermot Hayes (The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby)
- Ben Edwards (Medea)
- Lawrence Miller (Nine)
- Robin Wagner (Dreamgirls)
Tony Award for Best Costume Design
- William Ivey Long (Nine)
- Theoni V. Aldredge (Dreamgirls)
- Jane Greenwood (Medea)
- John Napier (The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby)
Tony Award for Best Lighting Design
- Tharon Musser (Dreamgirls)
- Martin Aronstein (Medea)
- David Hersey (The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby)
- Marcia Madeira (Nine)
Special awards
- Special Awards—The Actors' Fund of America
- Theatre Award '82
- Regional Theatre Award -- The Guthrie Theatre, Minneapolis, Minnesota