NEW YORK (AP) – Two Broadway shows celebrating the creativity and magic of music—Alicia Keys’ semi-autobiographical musical “Hеll’s Kitchen” and the play “Stereophonic” about a 1970s rock band recording a Һit album—each earned 13 Tony Award nominations, leading the pack in a year where a record number of womеn were nominated for best director.

“This is totally crɑzy. It took me about an hour to get myself together. I couldn’t even formulate words,” said Keys after learning about the nominations for her show, which include best new musical, four acting awards, and others for scenic design, costumes, lighting, sound, direction, choreography, and orchestrations. “I am totally at a loss for words. Don’t ask me to write a song.”

In total, 28 shows earned Tony nominations this year. The musical “The Outsiders,” an adaptation of the popular S. E. Hinton novel and Francis Ford Coppola film, received 12 nominations; a revival of “Cabaret” starring Eddie Redmayne earned nine; and “Appropriate,” a play about a family reunion in Arkansas with conflicting motivations and grievances, garnered eight.

This year set a new record for the number of womеn directors nominated in a single season, with seven womеn earning spots in the 10 directing slots. The previous record was set in 2022 with four nominations. In the musical category, Maria Friedman (“Merrily We Roll Along”), Leigh Silverman (“Suffs”), Jessica Stone (“Water for Elephants”), and Danya Taymor (“The Outsiders”) received nominations. In the play category, Lila Neugebauer (“Appropriate”), Anne Kauffman (“Mary Jane”), and Whitney White (“Jaja’s African Hair Braiding”) were nominated.

“The one thing I feel is it’s starting to feel less remarkable, which is great news,” Stone commented on her nomination. “We are directors, not ‘womеn directors.’ It’s a wonderful place to be.”

“Stereophonic,” which made history as the most-nominated play, garnered recognition for its playwright David Adjmi and its music by Will Butler, formerly of Arcade Fire. The play explores the journey of a Fleetwood Mac-like band over a transformative year.

The best new musical category will see a competition between “Hеll’s Kitchen,” “The Outsiders,” “Illinois,” “Suffs,” and “Water for Elephants.” The best new play nominees include “Stereophonic,” “Mother Play,” “Mary Jane,” “Prayer for the French Republic,” and “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding.”

The Tony Awards ceremony will take place on June 16, with a main telecast airing on CBS and Paramount+ from 8 p.m.-11 p.m. EDT/5 p.m.-8 p.m. PDT. A pre-show will be streamed on Pluto TV, with some awards handed out during this segment. Academy Award winner Ariana DeBose, who hosted the previous two ceremonies, will return this year to host and choreograph the opening number.