The Industry

Paddington looking lost in Paddington the Musical

Image credit: Johan Persson / Production still from Paddington the Musical

Olivier Awards 2026 Nominations Announced

by Natasha Raymond

‘Paddington the Musical’ and ‘Into the Woods’ lead the 2026 Olivier Awards nominees list with 11 nominations each.

The nominations for the 2026 Olivier Awards have been announced at a ceremony at the London Palladium, ahead of the star-studded 50th-anniversary event at the Royal Albert Hall.

The frontrunners for this year’s awards are the Savoy Theatre’s Paddington the Musical and the Bridge Theatre’s revival of Into the Woods, both of which secured a staggering 11 nominations each. These include nods for Best New Musical and Best Musical Revival respectively, as well as recognition for their directors, Luke Sheppard and Jordan Fein, and several acting and design categories.

However, they face stiff competition from other critic’s darlings. The Almeida Theatre’s production of All My Sons, the Broadway transfer Stereophonic, and the innovative one-man thriller Kenrex also performed exceptionally well, each receiving six nominations.

Other highlights include Spotlight member Zachary Hart achieving a rare double nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his work in both The Seagull and Stereophonic, Spotlight member Tom Hiddleston landing a nod for Best Actor for his acclaimed turn in Much Ado About Nothing, and Spotlight members Marc Antolin and Andy Nyman both being nominated for Best Actor in a Musical for their roles in the Garrick Theatre revival of The Producers.

Full list of 2026 Olivier Awards Nominations:

* indicates performer is a Spotlight member

Best New Musical

Here We Are – book by David Ives, music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim at National Theatre, Lyttelton
Paddington the Musical – music and lyrics by Tom Fletcher and book by Jessica Swale at Savoy Theatre
Shucked – book by Robert Horn, music and lyrics by Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry – book by Rachel Joyce, music and lyrics by Passenger at Theatre Royal Haymarket

Best Musical Revival

American Psycho – book by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, music and lyrics by Duncan Sheik, based on the novel by Bret Easton Ellis at Almeida Theatre
Evita – lyrics by Tim Rice, music by Andrew Lloyd Webber at The London Palladium
Into The Woods – music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by James Lapine at Bridge Theatre
The Producers – music and lyrics by Mel Brooks, book by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan at Garrick Theatre

Best Actor in a Musical

Marc Antolin* – The Producers at Garrick Theatre
James Hameed* & Arti Shah – Paddington the Musical at Savoy Theatre
Andy Nyman* – The Producers at Garrick Theatre
Jamie Parker* – Into the Woods at Bridge Theatre
Diego Andres Rodriguez – Evita at The London Palladium

Best Actress in a Musical

Katie Brayben* – Into the Woods at Bridge Theatre
Danielle Fiamanya* & Georgina Onuorah* – Brigadoon at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Jane Krakowski – Here We Are at National Theatre, Lyttelton
Jenna Russell* – The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry at Theatre Royal Haymarket
Rachel Zegler – Evita at The London Palladium

Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical

Trevor Ashley* – The Producers at Garrick Theatre
Corbin Bleu – The Great Gatsby – A New Musical at London Coliseum
Tom Edden* – Paddington the Musical at Savoy Theatre
Jo Foster* – Into the Woods at Bridge Theatre
Oliver Savile* – Into the Woods at Bridge Theatre

Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical

Tracie Bennett* – Here We Are at National Theatre, Lyttelton
Amy Booth-Steel* – Paddington the Musical at Savoy Theatre
Kate Fleetwood* – Into the Woods at Bridge Theatre
Victoria Hamilton-Barritt* – Paddington the Musical at Savoy Theatre
Georgina Onuorah* – Shucked at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Best New Play

1536 – by Ava Pickett at Almeida Theatre
Inter Alia – bySuzie Miller at National Theatre Lyttelton
Kenrex – by Jack Holden and Ed Stambollouian at The Other Palace
Punch – by James Graham at Young Vic and Apollo Theatre

Best Revival

All My Sons – by Arthur Miller at Wyndham’s Theatre
Arcadia – by Tom Stoppard at The Old Vic
Much Ado About Nothing – by William Shakespeare at Theatre Royal Drury Lane
The Seagull – by Anton Chekhov, adapted by Duncan Macmillan and Thomas Ostermeier at Barbican Theatre

Noël Coward Award for Best New Entertainment or Comedy Play

The Comedy About Spies – by Henry Lewis and Henry Shields at Noël Coward Theatre
Every Brilliant Thing – by Duncan Macmillan with Jonny Donahoe at @sohoplace
Oh, Mary! – by Cole Escola at Trafalgar Theatre
Paranormal Activity – by Levi Holloway at Ambassadors Theatre

Best Actress

Cate Blanchett – The Seagull at Barbican Theatre
Marianne Jean-Baptiste* – All My Sons at Wyndham’s Theatre
Julia McDermott – Weather Girl at Soho Theatre
Rosamund Pike* – Inter Alia at National Theatre, Lyttelton
Rosie Sheehy* – Guess How Much I Love You? at Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at Royal Court Theatre

Best Actor

Bryan Cranston – All My Sons at Wyndham’s Theatre
Sean Hayes – Good Night, Oscar at Barbican Theatre
Tom Hiddleston* – Much Ado About Nothing at Theatre Royal Drury Lane
Jack Holden* – Kenrex at The Other Palace
David Shields – Punch at Young Vic and Apollo Theatre

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

Isis Hainsworth* – Arcadia at The Old Vic
Julie Hesmondhalgh* – Punch at Young Vic and Apollo Theatre
Lucy Karczewski* – Stereophonic at Duke of York’s Theatre
Hayley Squires* – All My Sons at Wyndham’s Theatre
Sophie Thompson* – When We Are Married at Donmar Warehouse

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

Hammed Animashaun* – Dealer’s Choice at Donmar Warehouse
Paapa Essiedu* – All My Sons at Wyndham’s Theatre
Zachary Hart* – The Seagull at Barbican Theatre
Zachary Hart* – Stereophonic at Duke of York’s Theatre
Giles Terera – Oh, Mary! at Trafalgar Theatre

Sir Peter Hall Award for Best Director

Jordan Fein – Into the Woods at Bridge Theatre
Luke Sheppard – Paddington the Musical at Savoy Theatre
Ed Stambollouian – Kenrex at The Other Palace
Lyndsey Turner – 1536 at Almeida Theatre
Ivo van Hove – All My Sons at Wyndham’s Theatre

Gillian Lynne Award for Best Theatre Choreographer

Fabian Aloise – Evita at The London Palladium
Ellen Kane – Paddington the Musical at Savoy Theatre
Drew McOnie – Brigadoon at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Lynne Page – American Psycho at Almeida Theatre

Best Costume Design

Enver Chakartash – Stereophonic at Duke of York’s Theatre
Linda Cho – The Great Gatsby – A New Musical at London Coliseum
Tom Scutt – Into the Woods at Bridge Theatre
Gabriella Slade (costume design) and Tahra Zafar (Paddington design) – Paddington the Musical at Savoy Theatre

Best Set Design

Paul Tate dePoo III (Scenic and Projection Design) – The Great Gatsby – A New Musical at The London Coliseum
Tom Pye (set design) and Ash J. Woodward (video design) – Paddington the Musical at Savoy Theatre
Tom Scutt – Into the Woods at Bridge Theatre
David Zinn – Stereophonic at Duke of York’s Theatre

Best Lighting Design

Robbie Butler – Punch at Young Vic and Apollo Theatre
Jon Clark – Evita at The London Palladium
Aideen Malone (lighting design) and Roland Horvath (video design) – Into the Woods at Bridge Theatre
Joshua Pharo – Kenrex at The Other Palace

Best Sound Design

Adam Fisher – Into the Woods at Bridge Theatre
Gareth Owen – Paddington the Musical at Savoy Theatre
Ryan Rumery – Stereophonic at Duke of York’s Theatre
Giles Thomas – Kenrex at The Other Palace

Outstanding Musical Contribution

Matt Brind (orchestrations and arrangements) – Paddington the Musical at Savoy Theatre
Will Butler (original songs and orchestrations) and Justin Craig (orchestrations) – Stereophonic at Duke of York’s Theatre
John Patrick Elliott (composition) – Kenrex at The Other Palace
Chris Fenwick (musical supervision and arrangements) and Sean Hayes (Live Piano Performance of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue) – Good Night, Oscar at Barbican Theatre

Best Family Show

The Boy at the Back of the Class – adapted by Nick Ahad at Rose Theatre
The Boy With Wings – adapted by Arvind Ethan David at Polka Theatre
The Firework-Maker’s Daughter – adapted by Jude Christian at Polka Theatre
The Three Little Pigs – music by George Stiles, book and lyrics by Anthony Drewe at Unicorn Theatre

Best New Production in Affiliate Theatre

Ben and Imo – by Mark Ravenhill at Orange Tree Theatre
The Glass Menagerie – by Tennessee Williams at The Yard Theatre
The Ministry of Lesbian Affairs – by Iman Qureshi at Kiln Theatre
Miss Myrtle’s Garden – by Danny James King at Bush Theatre
The Sh*theads – by Jack Nicholls at Jerwood Theatre Upstairs at Royal Court Theatre

Best New Dance Production

Into the Hairy – by Sharon Eyal for S-E-D at Sadler’s Wells
Mimi’s Shebeen – by Alesandra Seutin & KVS at Sadler’s Wells East
Random Taranto – by María del Mar Suárez (La Chachi) as part of Dance Umbrella: Change Tempo at The Pit at Barbican
She’s Auspicious – by Mythili Prakash at Sadler’s Wells East