Irish actor Jim Norton has won a Tony Award - the theatre's equivalent of the Oscars - for his role in Conor McPherson's play The Seafarer.
Mr Norton, who plays the part of Richard Harkin in the play about the sea, Ireland, and the power of myth, won the Best Performance for a Featured Actor in a Play award.
The play attracted four nominations awards including Best Direction of a Play and Best Play.
Actor Jim Norton holds aloft his Tony award
The awards, which were awarded by a panel of approximately 700 judges from various areas of the entertainment industry and press, were held at Radio City Music Hall in New York City last night and broadcast on CBS television.
Arts Minister Martin Cullen congratulated the actor this morning saying “Jim Norton has consistently enthralled audiences with compassionate and moving performances on stage, television and film over a career spanning five decades.
"He is an actor of exceptional versatility and this prestigious award to him for his performance in this demanding central role in The Seafareris warranted and well deserved."
Last year Norton also won a Laurence Olivier Award for the same role in the critically-acclaimed play at the National Theatre in London.
Set on Christmas Eve in Dublin, The Seafareris a dark and enthralling story of despair and redemption and is currently touring Ireland.
The Arts Council also sent congratulations to Norton. “We in the Arts Council are very happy that an Irish play by an Irish writer has achieved such recognition,” chairwoman Olive Braiden said.
Arts Council director Mary Cloake said: “This award salutes the irrepressible talent, and also the hard work, of Jim Norton, and we are delighted to see him honoured on Broadway.”
McPherson’s play is currently touring Ireland in an Abbey Theatre production.