#Jay-Z and Alicia Keys Slated to Perform “Empire State of Mind” at Tony Awards

Alicia Keys and Jay-Z will perform together during the 77th Tony Awards on Sunday night, CBS announced Sunday afternoon.

The two artists will sing “Empire State of Mind” during the live telecast of the awards show, which this year will take place at New York’s David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center for the first time ever.

Jay-Z and Keys first released “Empire State of Mind” in 2009, as part of the former’s album, The Blueprint 3.

Keys will also be in attendance at Sunday’s ceremony representing her musical Hell’s Kitchen, which this year tied the straight play Stereophonic for most nominations with 13 each.

This year’s nominations marked a new milestone for women directors, with seven nominated across best play direction and best musical direction categories. Stereophonic also set a record for the most Tony nominations for a play, surpassing previous record holder Slave Play’s 12 noms in 2020.

In addition to Jay-Z and Keys, casts of nominated musicals Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club, Hell’s Kitchen, Illinoise, Merrily We Roll Along, Suffs, The Outsiders, The Who’s Tommy and Water for Elephants will all perform. Stereophonic will also take the stage, following backlash from fans and the playwright that the group was initially excluded from the lineup (many argued they had been excluded because the show is not a musical, but it is nominated for best score).

The awards show will air live on CBS Sunday at 8 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT. Now in her third year hosting, Ariana DeBose choreographed the opening number and served as producer. Find more information on how to watch here.