Harvey Fierstein is taking center stage once again, this time to receive one of Broadway’s highest honors.

The Tony Awards Administration Committee has announced that the beloved actor and playwright will be honored with the 2025 Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre.

It’s a move that not only celebrates Fierstein’s incredible work and longtime dedication to making Broadway bolder, braver and more inclusive, but also cements his place among the elite list of legends who have received the honor in the past — like Andrew Lloyd Webber, Stephen Sondheim, Angela Lansbury, James Earl Jones, Carol Channing, Chita Rivera, Tommy Tune, Terrence McNally, Jerry Herman and Joel Grey.

Last year, Fierstein’s longtime friend Jack O’Brien received the award. O’Brien, 85, directed Fierstein in the 2002 production of Hairspray.

“Harvey Fierstein’s contributions to the American theatre, both as an artist and activist, represent an extraordinary legacy,” said Heather Hitchens, President & CEO of the American Theatre Wing, and Jason Laks, President of the Broadway League, in a joint statement. “We are thrilled to honor him with this year’s Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre Award and can’t wait to celebrate one of our icons at the Tony Awards on June 8.”

Fierstein, whose unmistakable gravelly voice and heartfelt storytelling have made him a beloved figure both on and off stage, has racked up an impressive list of accolades over his time on the Rialto.

He already has four Tonys: two for his groundbreaking debut 1982 offering Torch Song Trilogy (Best Play and Best Actor in a Play), one for 1983’s La Cage Aux Folles (Best Book of a Musical) and fourth for Hairspray (Best Actor in a Musical).

The 72-year-old has penned a slew of Broadway hits throughout his four-decade-long career including books for the musicals Kinky Boots (2013), Newsies (2012), A Catered Affair (2008) and the most recent revival of Funny Girl (2022). His most recent original play was 2014’s Casa Valentina, which starred Mare Winningham, Patrick Page, Reed Birney and John Cullum (among others).

His New York Times bestselling memoir, I Was Better Last Night, and the enduring children’s book, The Sissy Duckling (now in its fifth printing), further showcase his storytelling range.