Mexodus, the two-character musical about African-American migration from the salve states to Mexico, won the most awards at the 2026 Lortel Awards, presented on May 3. The show currently played at the Daryl Roth Theater after an earlier engagement at the Minetta Lane, took four awards including Outstanding Musical, Director, Lead Performance in a Musical (Nygel D. Robinson who also co-wrote the chow with castmate Brian Quijada), and Sound Design. Jordan Tannahill's Prince Faggot was voted Outstanding Play. The Awards presented for excellence in Off- and Off-Off-Broadway theater were distributed in a ceremony at NYU Skirball hosted by Alex Moffat (“SNL,” “Bigfoot!”) and presenters Patrick Ball (“The Pitt,” “Becky Shaw”), Maya Boyd (“Joe Turner’s Come and Gone”) Susannah Flood (“Liberation”), Stephanie Hsu (“The Rocky Horror Show,”) Aasif Mandvi (“Fallen Angels,”), and Lea Michele (“Chess”). The Lucille Lortel Awards are produced by the Off-Broadway League and Lucille Lortel Theatre, with additional support provided by TDF. 
Nygel D. Robinson and Brian Quijada in Mexodus.
Credit: Curtis Brown
Special honorees this year include Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Mia Katigbak, performer and founder of the National Asian American Theatre Company (NAATCO), whose honor was presented by Francis Jue; and legendary composer and lyricist William Finn, who was posthumously inducted onto the famed Playwrights’ Sidewalk with a tribute performance featuring frequent Finn collaborators Carolee Carmello, Lilli Cooper, Mary Testa, and Chip Zien, and presented by David Stone and James Lapine. In addition, the Off-Broadway League presented George Forbes with the first ever Paul Libin Leadership Award, a new annual honor recognizing a member of the Off-Broadway League who exemplifies extraordinary leadership, whether over the course of a distinguished career or through a singular moment of impact, mentorship, and service to the Off-Broadway community. The In Memoriam segment was accompanied by a performance of Bobby Darin’s “The Curtain Falls” by Isa Briones, currently appearing in “Just in Time” on Broadway.
NOMINEES & RECIPIENTS OF THE 2026 LUCILLE LORTEL AWARDS
*Please note: all nominees are listed with the award recipient in BOLD.
Outstanding Play
Cold War Choir Practice
Produced by MCC Theater, Clubbed Thumb, and Page 73
Written by Ro Reddick
Kyoto
Produced by Lincoln Center Theater, by arrangement with The Royal Shakespeare Company, Good Chance, Rachel Styne and Jessica Foung
Written by Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson
THE MONSTERS
Produced by Manhattan Theatre Club in association with Two River Theater
Written by Ngozi Anyanwu
Mother Russia
Produced by Signature Theatre Company
Written by Lauren Yee
Prince Faggot
Produced by Playwrights Horizons and Soho Rep
Written by Jordan Tannahill
Outstanding Musical
BIGFOOT!
Produced by Benson Drive Productions, David Carter, Frankly Spoken Productions, The Shubert Organization, Robin Thede, Carson Gleberman, Sean Nyberg, Adam Riemer, Stark Sands, in association with Manhattan Theatre Club
Book by Amber Ruffin and Kevin Sciretta, Lyrics by Amber Ruffin, Music by David Schmoll and Amber Ruffin
Mexodus
Produced by Audible Theater and P3 Productions in association with Gabrielle Palitz, Gina Maria Leonetti, Todd B. Rubin, Willette and Manny Klausner, Adam Zell & Co, MTTM Theatrics, Thompson Creative Group/Balsam Levitan, QM Productions / The Movement Theatre Company, Bright & Shiny Productions/DKIM Caldwell, Barzach Productions/Brian Guy, Erica Berger/Studebaker Theater, Drama Club/Rick Feldman
Written by Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson
My Joy Is Heavy
Produced by New York Theatre Workshop
Created by The Bengsons
Night Side Songs
Produced by Lincoln Center Theater/LCT3
Words and Music by The Lazours
Saturday Church
Produced by New York Theatre Workshop
Book and Additional Lyrics by Damon Cardasis and James Ijames, Music and Lyrics by Sia, Additional Music by Honey Dijon
Outstanding Revival
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Produced by Barbara Whitman, Aaron Glick, Timothy Bloom, James L. Nederlander, Nancy Nagel Gibbs, Debra Martin Chase, Rachel Sussman, Patrick Catullo, Ryan Solomon, by special arrangement with David Stone
Music and Lyrics by William Finn, Book by Rachel Sheinkin
Bus Stop
Produced by Classic Stage Company, National Asian American Theatre Company, and Transport Group
Written by William Inge
Gruesome Playground Injuries
Produced by Seaview, Sue Wagner, John Johnson, Jillian Robbins, Adam Zell, Stella La Rue, Willette & Manny Klausner, Joan Rechnitz, Kyle Valentine, Bergère Cohen Productions, Steinfast & Moellenberg, Imaginespace, No Guarantees, Melissa Chamberlain & Michael McCartney, deRoy & Trezza, by special arrangement with the Lucille Lortel Theatre
Written by Rajiv Joseph
Titus Andronicus
Produced by Red Bull Theater
Written by William Shakespeare
The Weir
Produced by Irish Repertory Theatre
Written by Conor McPherson
Outstanding Solo Show
Hold Me in the Water
Produced by Playwrights Horizons
Written and Performed by Ryan J. Haddad
I'm Assuming You Know David Greenspan
Produced by Atlantic Theater Company
Written by Mona Pirnot
Performed by David Greenspan
Nothing Can Take You From The Hand Of God
Produced by Playwrights Horizons
Written by Jen Tullock and Frank Winters
Performed by Jen Tullock
Other
Produced by LaChanze, Marc Platt, Marvin Krislov/Adam Cohen, Anna Jenefsky, Bob Stachel/Aaron Yeshayahu
Written and Performed by Ari'el Stachel
The Unknown
Produced by Seaview, ATG Productions, Pam Hurst-Della Pietra & Stephen Della Pietra, Mickey Liddell & Pete Shilaimon, Tom Tuft, Craig Balsam/Ken Levitan, Julie Boardman, Creative Partners Productions, Front Row Productions, Lloyd Tichio Productions, MarketStall, New Ventures Entertainment, in association with Hayes Entertainment, Inc.
Written by David Cale
Performed by Sean Hayes
Outstanding Director
Knud Adams – Cold War Choir Practice
Shayok Misha Chowdhury – Prince Faggot
Stephen Daldry and Justin Martin – Kyoto
David Mendizábal – Mexodus
Keenan Tyler Oliphant – Practice
Outstanding Choreographer
Edgar Godineaux and Jared Grimes – Lights Out: Nat "King" Cole
Darrell Grand Moultrie – GODDESS
Darrell Grand Moultrie – Saturday Church
Tony Thomas – Mexodus
Rickey Tripp – THE MONSTERS
Outstanding Lead Performer in a Play
Noah Galvin – The Reservoir
Marin Ireland – Queens
John Krasinski – Angry Alan
Aigner Mizzelle – THE MONSTERS
Okieriete Onaodowan – THE MONSTERS
Susannah Perkins – Antigone (This Play I Read In High School)
Kara Young – Gruesome Playground Injuries
Outstanding Featured Performer in a Play
Jorge Bosch – Kyoto
Felicia Curry – Bowl EP
Crystal Finn – Cold War Choir Practice
David Greenspan – Prince Faggot
Lizan Mitchell – Cold War Choir Practice
Deirdre O'Connell – Glass. Kill. What If If Only. Imp.
David Turner – Mother Russia
Outstanding Lead Performer in a Musical
Abigail Bengson – My Joy Is Heavy
J. Harrison Ghee – Saturday Church
Dulé Hill – Lights Out: Nat "King" Cole
Ruthie Ann Miles – The Seat of Our Pants
Brian Quijada – Mexodus
Nygel D. Robinson – Mexodus
Daniel J. Watts – Lights Out: Nat "King" Cole
Outstanding Featured Performer in a Musical
Nick Rashad Burroughs – GODDESS
Judy Kuhn – The Baker's Wife
Erin Morton – Heathers The Musical
Stephanie Jae Park – Monte Cristo
Star Quezon – Saturday Church
Natalie Walker – The Last Bimbo of the Apocalypse
Lynne Wintersteller – About Time
Outstanding Ensemble
IInitiative
Olivia Rose Barresi, Brandon Burk, Greg Cuellar, Harrison Densmore, Carson Higgins, Andrea Lopez Alvarez, Jamie Sanders, Christopher Dylan White
Night Side Songs
Robin de Jesús, Brooke Ishibashi, Jonathan Raviv, Kris Saint-Louis, Mary Testa
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Philippe Arroyo, Autumn Best, Leana Rae Concepcion, Justin Cooley, Lilli Cooper, Jason Kravits, Matt Manuel, Kevin McHale, Jasmine Amy Rogers
Outstanding Scenic Design
Miriam Buether – Glass. Kill. What If If Only. Imp.
Afsoon Pajoufar – Cold War Choir Practice
Riw Rakkulchon – Mexodus
Adam Rigg and Anton Volovsek – Bowl EP
David Zinn – Prince Faggot
Outstanding Costume Design
Montana Levi Blanco – Prince Faggot
Enver Chakartash – TARTUFFE
Qween Jean – Saturday Church
Celeste Jennings – minor.ity
Kaye Voyce – The Seat of Our Pants
Outstanding Lighting Design
Isabella Byrd – Glass. Kill. What If If Only. Imp.
Isabella Byrd – Prince Faggot
Mextly Couzin – Mexodus
Cha See – The Unknown
Studio Luna – Marcel on the Train
Outstanding Sound Design
Caroline Eng – The Unknown
Mikhail Fiksel – Mexodus
Ryan Gamblin – Bowl EP
Drew Levy – The Weir
Bray Poor – Eurydice
Outstanding Projection Design
David Bengali – My Joy Is Heavy
Stefania Bulbarella – Nothing Can Take You From The Hand Of God
Akhila Krishnan – Kyoto
Johnny Moreno – Mexodus
John Narun – Bughouse
HONORARY AWARDS
Lifetime Achievement
Mia Katigbak
Playwrights’ Sidewalk Inductee
William Finn
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