The Cyndi Lauper-scored "Kinky Boots has earned a leading 13 Tony Award nominations, with the British import "Matilda: The Musical" close behind with 12.

"Kinky Boots" is based on the 2005 British movie about a real-life shoe factory that struggles until it finds new life in fetish footwear. Lauper's songs and a story by Harvey Fierstein have made it a crowd-pleaser.

"Matilda: The Musical" is a witty musical adaptation of the beloved novel by Roald Dahl and is true to his bleak vision of childhood as a savage battleground.

Both will compete for the best musical prize with the acrobatic "Bring It On: The Musical" and "A Christmas Story, The Musical," adapted from the beloved holiday movie.

The best play nominees are Richard Greenberg's "The Assembled Parties," Nora Ephron's "Luky Guy," Colm Toibin's "The Testament of Mary" and Christopher Durang's "Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike."

The nominations were announced Tuesday in a televised event co-hosted by Tony winner Sutton Foster and "Modern Family" star Jesse Tyler Ferguson. The awards will be broadcast on CBS from Radio City Music Hall on June 9.

The Tony committee also said playwright Larry Kramer, author of "The Normal Heart" and co-founder of the Gay Men's Health Crisis, will receive the Isabelle Stevenson Award for his "substantial contribution" on behalf of a charity or social service organization.

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Online: http://www.TonyAwards.com

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AP Entertainment Writer Frazier Moore and AP National Writer Jocelyn Noveck contributed to this report.

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