After receiving her Special Tony Award onstage at the David H. Koch Theater, hair and wig designer Nikiya Mathis couldn't help but marvel at her beginnings: "I started out as an actor, I thought maybe if I got a Tony Award, it would be for acting."
Watch her video backstage with Playbill on how her original dream was "too small," in an interview with Playbill's Jeffrey Vizcaíno.
Mathis won for her work in Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, which will tour this fall. Her hair and wig designs can currently be seen in Home and in The Heart of Rock and Roll.
READ: Nikiya Mathis Says It's Time for a Permanent Hair Design Tony Award
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.
Linda Cho
Dede Ayite
Dede Ayite
Cody Spencer
Shaina Taub
George C. Wolfe
Justin Peck
Tom Scutt
Jane Cox
David Zinn
Ryan Rumery
Dr. Jason Kindt
Nikiya Mathis
Nikiya Mathis
Billy Porter
Billy Porter
Alex Edelman
Alex Edelman
Daniel Radcliffe
Kecia Lewis
Jeremy Strong
Jeremy Strong
Branden Jacobs-Jenkins
Branden Jacobs-Jenkins
Members of Stereophonic
Daniel Aukin
Will Brill
David Adjmi
Kara Young
Kara Young
Sarah Paulson
Jonathan Groff and Sarah Paulson
Sarah Paulson and Jonathan Groff
Jonathan Groff
Jonathan Groff
Sarah Paulson and Branden Jacobs-Jenkins
The Outsiders producers Hank Unger, Michael Rego, and Matthew Rego
Patrick Catullo, David Babani, and Sonia Friedman
Maleah Joi Moon
Maleah Joi Moon
Maleah Joi Moon
