Sean Hayes Dedicates Tony Award to Husband: 'You Are My Purpose Every Single Day of My Life'

Sean Hayes and composer Scott Icenogle met on 'The Ellen Degeneres Show' and tied the knot in 2014

Sean Hayes is showing his husband Scott Icenogle love at the 2023 Tony Awards.

At Broadway's big night on Sunday, Hayes, 52, won the ceremony's award for lead actor in a play for his role as Oscar Levant in Good Night, Oscar.

Hayes thanked Icenogle, whom he has been married to since 2014, as he accepted the award in front of an audience at New York City's United Palace Theatre.

“Oh my God, this has gotta be the first time an Oscar won a Tony. I’m shaking, I can’t believe — this is so surreal," the actor said. "First of all, my husband, Scotty — it’s Scotty, right? I can never get it right. You are my purpose, every single day of my life."

"The cast and the crew, I love you guys so much, we get to laugh so hard backstage," Hayes continued during his speech. "Half of my performance I owe to Lisa Peters, the director, she’s phenomenal. And the other half to the greatest playwright ever, Doug Wright, I’m only standing here because of you, Doug, because of the words you wrote for me, for this part that you’ve created for me, It’s a life changer for me."

Related: Tony Awards 2023: See the Complete List of Winners

"Finally, I’d like to acknowledge Oscar Levant, whose wit and irascibility and virtuosity is not only inspirational but a true original," the actor added. "Thank you Oscar Levant, wherever you are. Thank you so much.”

Hayes' nomination for this year's Tony Awards marked his second career nomination; the actor was previously nominated for best actor in a musical for Promises, Promises back in 2010, when he hosted the ceremony himself.

Other nominees in Hayes' category included Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Corey Hawkins, who both received nominations for Suzan-Lori Parks' Topdog/Underdog, as well as Stephen McKinley Henderson (Between Riverside and Crazy) and Wendell Pierce (Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman). Hayes shouted out the other actors as "unbelievably talented" during his speech.

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"It's a lot. It is exhausting," Hayes recently PEOPLE of the pressure of leading the production of Good Night, Oscar. "And it makes you question why do we choose to do this for a living? But it's also extremely rewarding."

The actor went on to acknowledge "how unbelievably lucky I am" to have Icenogle's support during the show's run.

Related: Sean Hayes Feels 'Lucky' to Have Husband by His Side During 'Exhilarating' Broadway Run (Exclusive)

"People don't realize it, nor is it their job to realize, what goes into something like [Good Night, Oscar]," he said. "It's endless. The vocal preparation, watching what you eat, you have to buy the right foods, then you get there early, you have to ice your hands before, you have to ice your hands after."

"My right eye, my retina partially detached a couple weeks ago," he added. "I don't know if it's from doing this, I think it is, but I could talk to you for an hour what goes into it."

Good Night, Oscar is playing at the Belasco Theatre in New York City.

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