Clark Atlanta Alumnus Kenny Leon Nominated for a 2024 Tony Award

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

May 7, 2024

Distinguished Clark Atlanta alumnus Kenny Leon receives a second Tony Award nomination for Best Direction of a Play.

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Kenny Leon, director of “A Raisin in the Sun” and Clark Atlanta alumnus, received his second Tony Award nomination for Best Direction of a Play.

The 2024 Tony Awards nominations were announced last week and Leon joined Alicia Keys as nominees for this year’s ceremony, Fox News reports. The 1979 CAU graduate got the green light for his latest adaptation of the play “Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch.”

The nomination comes exactly 10 years after Leon won his first Tony for his 2014 adaptation of Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun” with Denzel Washington. Anika Noni Rose, and more. He is famous for bringing black stories to the stage with star talent like the award-winning film “Fences.”

Leon’s work, with Viola Davis, Angela Bassett, Danielle Brooks and Kerry Washington, has earned him three Primetime Emmys, two Tonys, a Drama Desk Award, two Drama League Awards and an NAACP Award, among others.

In his 2018 memoir “Take You Where You Go,” the Tallahassee, Fla., native credited his time at Clark Atlanta (then Clark College) with providing the experience he needed before pursuing a career in theater.

“I went to visit the school (Clark College) and see Atlanta. It was everything I was looking for: a big international city, far, but not too far, from home, and a very good school. I entered,” he wrote.

The school celebrated his latest Tony Award nomination and Leon’s contributions to the world of arts and theater.

“We are immensely proud of the accomplishments of our distinguished alumnus, Kenny Leon, and his significant contributions to the arts and theater industry,” said Charlene Gilbert, Ph.D., senior vice president for academic affairs. “Mr. Léon’s exceptional career is a testament to creative excellence and a source of inspiration for all our students who aspire to a career in the arts.

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