Harry Potter And The Cursed Child picked up six awards in a successful night for British theatre at the 72nd Tony Awards.

The two-part stage play written by Jack Thorne, based on the original story by author JK Rowling, collected gongs for best play, book, lighting, sound design, orchestrations and director for John Tiffany.

British actor Andrew Garfield also won his first Tony, for best leading actor in a play, for the seven-hour revival Angels of America, in which he plays a young gay man living with AIDS.

Image: Andrew Garfield was named best leading actor in a play

The Hacksaw Ridge star, 34, dedicated the win to the LGBTQ community and said the play was a rejection of bigotry, shame and oppression.

"We are all sacred and we all belong," he said.

English composer Andrew Lloyd Webber received a lifetime achievement award for his work in theatre at the ceremony, which was held at Radio City Music Hall in New York.

Andrew Garfield accepts his lifetime achievement award at the Tony Awards
Image: Andrew Lloyd Webber said he was 'overwhelmed' by his lifetime achievement award

"I have to say, I am completely overwhelmed," Lloyd Webber, 70, told the audience.

"What made me absolutely certain I wanted to be a musical theatre composer was the movie South Pacific. I devoured absolutely everything I could find by Rodgers and Hammerstein and all I wanted when I was 10 years old was to be Richard Rodgers.

"I never dreamed that one day I, a Brit of all things, would be honoured with the same lifetime award that my idol won, by my peers and the true home of the musical, Broadway. I'm absolutely humbled."

Veteran actress Glenda Jackson picked up best actress for her performance in Three Tall Women.

Glenda Jackson accepts the award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play for Three Tall Women 0:14
Video: Jackson wins best actress at Tonys

The biggest winner of the night was The Band's Visit, a musical about an Egyptian band visiting an Israeli desert town.

The David Yazbeck-composed musical swept the awards ceremony with 10 prizes – including best musical, best actress (Katrina Lenk) and best actor (Tony Shalhoub).

During the ceremony, Robert De Niro directed an expletive at US President Donald Trump when introducing a performance from Bruce Springsteen, causing the network to bleep him while live on air.

Robert De Niro speaks onstage during the awards ceremony in New York
Image: Robert De Niro didn't hold back on his thoughts on Donald Trump as he presented Bruce Springsteen with an award

"I'm gonna say one thing: 'F*** Trump'," he said, to a standing ovation from the crowd.

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Springsteen also received a special Tony, presented by Billy Joel, for his successful and critically acclaimed show, Springsteen on Broadway.

"This is deeply appreciated, and thanks for making me feel so welcome on your block," he said in his acceptance speech.

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