Liverpool actor Jodie Comer's winning streak continues with first ever Tony award

Liverpool actor Jodie Comer fought back tears after winning her first Tony award for her performance in Prima Facie.

The Killing Eve star was supported by her brother Charlie in the audience as she scooped Best Lead Actress in a Play for her one-woman show at the 76th ceremony held at the United Palace in New York City. 

But there was an awkward moment when presenter Marcia Gay Harden accidentally called her "Julie Comer" when announcing the winner. 

Marcia quickly corrected herself and told the audience: "I don't have my glasses on!"

Jodie made her Broadway debut earlier this year, after Prima Facie had a successful stint in the West End with the actress bagging an Evening Standard Theatre Award and a Laurence Olivier Award. 

The award is Comer’s first Tony nomination and win, and comes following her Broadway debut in Miller’s one-woman production, which follows a British defence lawyer who ends up in the witness box.

The annual event, which celebrates the best in Broadway theatre, saw success for several British names, including Sir Tom Stoppard, whose play Leopoldstadt scooped one of the night’s top prizes – best play.

Comer fended off competition from Oscar-winning actress Jessica Chastain in her category, as well as Jessica Hecht and Audra McDonald.

She plays a criminal defence attorney known for defending men accused of sexual assault whose faith in the law is shaken when she becomes a victim of the same crime in the one-woman play. 

Jodie beat nominees A Doll’s House's Jessica Chastain, Summer, 1976's Jessica Hecht, and Ohio State Murders' Audra McDonald.

And the actress did not let the name mix-up deter her from giving a moving speech.

She noted how her character Tessa had inspired the crowds who flocked to her show, which she noted still has three weeks left of its run. 

“This woman in this play has been my greatest teacher and I have to thank Suzie Miller for that, who wrote this magnificent piece," she said.

“Without her writing that (I) would not be here so this feels just as much Suzie’s as it is mine.”

The actress went on to thank members of her production team and apologised to her friends and family for being “absent” in the past year.

“To every person who feels represented by Tessa, this has been my greatest honour,” she added.

Comer’s win comes after a recent matinee performance of Prima Facie was halted after approximately 10 minutes, after the actress experienced difficulty breathing due to poor air in New York caused by smoke from Canadian wildfires.

The play had received four Tony nominations, including for best scenic design, best lighting design and best sound in a play, but lost out in all three categories to Life Of Pi.

The awards were accepted by British creatives Tim Hatley and Andrzej Goulding, Tim Lutkin and Carolyn Downing respectively.

Goulding and Downing both gave shout outs to Sheffield Theatres in the UK, where their play had its world premiere.

Veteran playwright Sir Tom said he was “teeming with emotion” as he accepted the best play award.

“I feel very proud and grateful. Thank you so much,” he said.

“But listen, I actually won a Tony Award in 1968, so I knew about not having scripts.

“I’m teeming with emotions that a chat-box wouldn’t begin to understand. Naturally, they include gratitude and pride in the Leopoldstadt ensemble.”

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