Jonathan Groff has won the 2024 Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical for his work as Franklin Shepard in Broadway's now Tony-winning revival of Merrily We Roll Along. Following earlier Tony nominations for his performances in the original productions of Spring Awakening and Hamilton, Groff's first-ever Tony win was one of the more emotional moments of the evening.

Backstage after his win, in an interview with Playbill: Groff credited his win to the theatre community. "The opportunity to get on stage and express my love back to this community was what I wanted to do with that moment,” says Groff. “I wrote that speech because I get too emotional when I talk about this show, and this experience, and these people, and this city, and this community—and so I wanted to exercise my gratitude, which is very deep and profound."

See everything Groff had to say after accepting the honor in the video above, in an interview with Playbill's Jeffrey Vizcaíno!

Check Playbill throughout the evening for the latest in Tony Awards coverage, including photos from the red carpet, a continually updated list of winners, analysis from Playbill's theatre experts, and more.

For more about the Tony Awards, visit Playbill.com/Tonys.