Drama League Nominations

Natalie Venetia Belcon and Corbin Bleu
announced the 2026 Drama League nominees

The nominations for the 2026 Drama League Awards were announced on April 20 by Tony winner Natalie Venetia Belcon (Buena Vista Social Club) and Corbin Bleu (The Great Gatsby) at Lincoln Center's NY Public Library for the Performing Arts. The awards will be presented on May 15 at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in a ceremony hosted by NY-1's Frank DiLella. Tickets and tables to the star-studded luncheon are available for purchase at dramaleague.org/2026awards or by calling The Drama League event office at 212.625.1025.First awarded in 1922 and formalized in 1935, The Drama League Awards are the oldest theatrical honors in America. They are the only major theater awards chosen by a cross-section of the theater community — the industry professionals, producers, artists, audiences, and critics who are Drama League members nationwide.

OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION OF A PLAY

THE BALUSTERS
CAROLINE
COLD WAR CHOIR PRACTICE
DOG DAY AFTERNOON
GIANT

KYOTO

LIBERATION

MARCEL ON THE TRAIN
THE MONSTERS

PRINCE FAGGOT

RHEOLOGY

SPREAD

OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL

BEACHES, A NEW MUSICAL

BEAU THE MUSICAL

BIGFOOT

THE LOST BOYS
MEXODUS

MY JOY IS HEAVY

NIGHT SIDE SONGS

SATURDAY CHURCH

SCHMIDGADOON!

THE SEAT OF OUR PANTS

TITANIQUE

TWO STRANGERS (CARRY A CAKE ACROSS NEW YORK)

OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A PLAY
ANNA CHRISTIE

BECKY SHAW

THE BROTHERS SIZE
BUG

DEATH OF A SALESMAN

EVERY BRILLIANT THING

FALLEN ANGELS

GRUESOME PLAYGROUND INJURIES
JOE TURNER'S COME AND GONE

PROOF

TWELFTH NIGHT

YOU GOT OLDER

OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL

THE 25th ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLNG BEE
BAT BOY THE MUSICAL

CATS: THE JELLICLE BALL

CHESS
THE GOSPEL AT COLONUS

HEATHERS THE MUSICAL:

MASQUERADE

ORATORIO FOR LIVING THINGS

RAGTIME

THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW

THE WILD PARTY

OUTSTANDING DIRECTION OF A PLAY
 
Knud Adams
COLD WAR CHOIR PRACTICE
MCC Theater
 
Debbie Allen
JOE TURNER’S COME AND GONE
Ethel Barrymore Theatre
 
Tatyana-Marie Carlo
SPREAD
INTAR Theatre
 
Shayok Misha Chowdhury
PRINCE FAGGOT
Playwrights Horizons/Soho Rep and Studio Seaview
 
David Cromer
CAROLINE
MCC Theater
 
Trip Cullman
BECKY SHAW
Second Stage Theater
 
Stephen Daldry and Justin Martin
KYOTO
Lincoln Center Theater
 
Joe Mantello
DEATH OF A SALESMAN
Winter Garden Theatre
and
LITTLE BEAR RIDGE ROAD
Booth Theatre
 
Marshall Pailet
MARCEL ON THE TRAIN
Classic Stage Company
 
 
 
OUTSTANDING DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL
 
Michael Arden
THE LOST BOYS
Palace Theatre
 
Lili-Anne Brown
THE WILD PARTY
New York City Center Encores!
 
Rachel Chavkin
MY JOY IS HEAVY
New York Theatre Workshop
 
Lear deBessonet
RAGTIME
Lincoln Center Theater
 
Lee Sunday Evans
ORATORIO FOR LIVING THINGS
Signature Theatre
 
Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch
CATS: THE JELLICLE BALL
Broadhurst Theatre
 
Danny Mefford
THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE
New World Stages
and
BIGFOOT
Manhattan Theatre Club/New York City Center
 
David Mendizábal
MEXODUS
Minetta Lane Theatre/Daryl Roth Theatre
 
Sam Pinkleton
RICHARD O’BRIEN’S THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW
Studio 54
 
Leigh Silverman
THE SEAT OF OUR PANTS
The Public Theater
 
Alex Timbers
BAT BOY: THE MUSICAL
New York City Center Encores!
 

DISTINGUISHED PERFORMANCE

Caroline Aaron, The Reservoir
Christopher Abbott, Death of a Salesman
Shoshana Bean, The Lost Boys
Jon Bernthal, Dog Day Afternoon
Ali Louis Bourzgui, The Lost Boys
Marylouise Burke, The Balusters
Kerry Butler, Bat Boy: The Musical
Rose Byrne, Fallen Angels
Sara Chase, Schmigadoon!
Patrice Johnson Chevannes, The Waterfall
Nicholas Christopher, Chess
Justin Cooley, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Carrie Coon, Bug
André De Shields, Cats: The Jellicle Ball
Brandon J. Dirden, Waiting For Godot
Ayo Edebiri, Proof
Alden Ehrenreich, Becky Shaw
Luke Evans, Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show
Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Tru
Susannah Flood, Liberation
Ishmael Gonzalez, Spread
Sean Hayes, The Unknown
Joshua Henry, Ragtime
Grey Henson, Bigfoot
André Holland, The Brothers Size
Stephanie Hsu, Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show
Alani iLongwe, The Brothers Size
Stephen Kunken, Kyoto
Caissie Levy, Ragtime
Lesley Manville, Oedipus
John McCrea, Prince Faggot
Laurie Metcalf, Death of a Salesman and Little Bear Ridge Road
Lea Michele, Chess
Marla Mindelle, Titaníque
Lizan Mitchell, Cold War Choir Practice
Aigner Mizzelle, The Monsters
Chloë Grace Moretz, Caroline
Lupita Nyong’o, Twelfth Night
Kelli O’Hara, Fallen Angels
Christiani Pitts, Two Strangers (Carry A Cake Across New York)
Brian Quijada, Mexodus
Daniel Radcliffe, Every Brilliant Thing
Nygel D. Robinson, Mexodus
Jasmine Amy Rogers, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and The Wild Party
Constantine Rousouli, Titaníque
Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Joe Turner's Come and Gone
Ethan Slater, Marcel on the Train
Ari'el Stachel, Other
B Noel Thomas, Saturday Church
Taylor Trensch, Bat Boy: The Musical
Brandon Uranowitz, Ragtime
Jessica Vosk, Beaches, A New Musical
Adrienne Warren, The Wild Party
Kara Young, Gruesome Playground Injuries and Proof
 
The Drama League also wishes to acknowledge the previous recipients of the Distinguished Performance Award who appeared in Broadway or Off-Broadway productions this season. As the Award can only be won once in a performer’s lifetime, they are ineligible to be nominated; however, their exemplary work is recognized and applauded. 
 
Danny Burstein, Marjorie Prime
Neil Patrick Harris, Art
Hugh Jackman, Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes
Nathan Lane, Death of a Salesman
John Lithgow, Giant
 
SPECIAL RECOGNITIONS
(previously announced)
 
Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theater – Caissie Levy
Founders Award for Excellence in Directing – David Cromer
Contribution to the Theater – Kamilah Forbes
Gratitude Award – Scott Ellis