The Industry

The cast of Paddington the Musical in front of a taxi

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

‘Paddington the Musical’ Wins Big at the WhatsOnStage Awards 2026

by Natasha Raymond

‘Paddington the Musical’ leads with nine awards, while ‘Evita’ wins six at the 2026 WhatsOnStage Awards.

The winners of the 2026 WhatsOnStage Awards have been crowned at a ceremony at the London Palladium, celebrating the very best of British theatre as voted for by audiences. As the only major theatre awards decided entirely by the theatregoing public, the night served as a tribute to the productions that captured the hearts and imaginations of fans over the past year.

Fresh off its success in the Olivier Awards 2026 nominations, the Savoy Theatre’s Paddington the Musical was the undisputed champion of the night with a record-breaking nine wins. The production swept nearly all the technical and creative categories, including Best New Musical, Best Casting Director for Spotlight member Natalie Gallacher and team, and Best Direction for Luke Sheppard.

It was closely followed by the London Palladium’s powerhouse revival of Evita, which earned six wins. The production triumphed in several major categories, including Best Musical Revival and Best Performer in a Musical for Rachel Zegler, while also picking up accolades for its choreography and video design.

Other highlights include performance awards going to Spotlight members Jonathan Bailey, Stephen Fry, Amber Davies, Emma Kingston and Timi Akinyosade.

Full List of 2026 WhatsOnStage Awards Winners:

* indicates performer or casting director is a Spotlight member

Best Performer in a Play Award

Jonathan Bailey* – Richard II – WINNER
Ncuti Gatwa – Born With Teeth
Tom Hiddleston* – Much Ado About Nothing
Joe Locke* – Clarkston
Maxine Peake* – The Last Stand of Mary Whitehouse
Rosamund Pike* – Inter Alia

Best Supporting Performer in a Play

Stephen Fry* – The Importance of Being Earnest – WINNER
Joe Alwyn* – The Lady from the Sea
Emma Corrin* – The Seagull
Yerin Ha – The Maids
Sophie Melville* – Clarkston
Mason Alexander Park* – Much Ado About Nothing

Best Performer in a Musical

Rachel Zegler – Evita – WINNER
Lauren Drew* – Titanique
James Hameed* & Arti Shah – Paddington the Musical
Lucie Jones* – 13 Going On 30 the Musical
Jamie Muscato* – The Great Gatsby
Diego Andres Rodriguez – Evita

Best Supporting Performer in a Musical

Amber Davies* – The Great Gatsby – WINNER
Bella Brown* – Evita
Candace Furbert*, Sharlene Hector*, Brianna Ogunbawo*, Malinda Parris & Robyn Rose-Li* – Hercules
Victoria Hamilton-Barritt* – Paddington the Musical
Grace Mouat* – 13 Going On 30 the Musical
Layton Williams* – Titanique

Best Takeover Performance

Emma Kingston* – Wicked – WINNER
Karis Anderson* – Moulin Rouge! the Musical
Stevie Doc* – The Devil Wears Prada
Rob Madge* – Cabaret
Eva Noblezada – Cabaret
Alex Young* – Operation Mincemeat

Best Professional Debut Performance

Timi Akinyosade* – Paddington the Musical – WINNER
Mia Carragher* – The Hunger Games on Stage
Hannah Dodd* – Cabaret
Jess Folley* – Burlesque the Musical
Ruaridh Mollica* – Clarkston
Asha Parker-Wallace* – Burlesque the Musical

Best Casting Direction

Natalie Gallacher*, for Pippa Ailion & Natalie Gallacher Casting, Nick Hockaday & Annabelle Davis – Paddington the Musical – WINNER
Pippa Ailion*, for Pippa Ailion & Natalie Gallacher Casting – Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
Stuart Burt* – Make It Happen
Alastair Coomer – The Importance of Being Earnest
Bryony Jarvis-Taylor* – Here We Are
Pearson Casting* – Titanique

Best New Play

The Comedy About Spies – Henry Lewis & Henry Shields – WINNER
Born With Teeth – Liz Duffy Adams
Clarkston – Samuel D. Hunter
Inter Alia – Suzie Miller
Stereophonic – David Adjmi
Through It All Together – Chris O’Connor

Best Play Revival Award

Richard II – Bridge Theatre – WINNER
The Importance of Being Earnest – National Theatre & Noël Coward Theatre
The Lady from the Sea – Bridge Theatre
Much Ado About Nothing – Theatre Royal Drury Lane
The Seagull – Barbican Theatre
A Streetcar Named Desire – Sheffield Crucible

Best New Musical Award

Paddington the Musical – Tom Fletcher & Jessica Swale – WINNER
The Great Gatsby – Kait Kerrigan, Jason Howland & Nathan Tysen
Hercules – Alan Menken, David Zippel, Robert Horn & Kwame Kwei-Armah
Here and Now – Shaun Kitchener
Shucked – Brandy Clark, Shane McAnally & Robert Horn
Titanique – Tye Blue, Marla Mindelle & Constantine Rousouli

Best Musical Revival

Evita – The London Palladium – WINNER
Brigadoon – Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Jesus Christ Superstar – The Watermill Theatre
Little Shop of Horrors – Sheffield Crucible
My Fair Lady – Curve, Leicester
The Producers – Menier Chocolate Factory & Garrick Theatre

Best Regional Production

13 Going On 30 the Musical – Opera House, Manchester – WINNER
Come Fall in Love – The DDLJ Musical – Opera House, Manchester
Jesus Christ Superstar – Watermill Theatre
Krapp’s Last Tape – York Theatre Royal
Pride and Prejudice – on tour (Octagon Theatre Bolton, Theatre by the Lake, Stephen Joseph Theatre & Hull Truck Theatre production, in association with Theatr Clwyd)
Through It All Together – Leeds Playhouse

Best Studio Production

Young Frankenstein – Hope Mill Theatre – WINNER
Be More Chill – Old Joint Stock Theatre
Brixton Calling – Southwark Playhouse
Cul de Sac – Omnibus Theatre
The Frogs – Southwark Playhouse
The Last Five Years – Barn Theatre, Cirencester & Reading Rep Theatre

Best West End Show

Les Misérables – Sondheim Theatre – WINNER
Cabaret – Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre
Hadestown – Lyric Theatre
Oliver! – Gielgud Theatre
Operation Mincemeat – Fortune Theatre
Wicked – Apollo Victoria Theatre

Best Concert Event

Rachel Zegler: Live at The London Palladium – The London Palladium – WINNER
The Book Thief in Concert – Prince of Wales Theatre
Gravity – Theatre Royal Drury Lane
The Hunchback of Notre Dame in Concert – Prince Edward Theatre
Jeremy Jordan: Live at the Royal Albert Hall – Royal Albert Hall
Songs for a New World – 30th Anniversary Concert – Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith

Best Direction

Luke Sheppard – Paddington the Musical – WINNER
Tamara Harvey – The Constant Wife
Lynette Linton – Intimate Apparel
Jamie Lloyd – Much Ado About Nothing
Thomas Ostermeier – The Seagull
Tim Sheader – Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

Best Choreography

Fabian Aloise – Evita – WINNER
Ellen Kane – Ballet Shoes
Ellen Kane – Paddington the Musical
Lorin Latarro – The Producers
Drew McOnie – Brigadoon
Jennifer Weber – 13 Going On 30 the Musical

Best Set Design Award

Tom Pye – Paddington the Musical – WINNER
Frankie Bradshaw – Ballet Shoes
Lizzie Clachan – The Lady from the Sea
Paul Tate dePoo III – The Great Gatsby
Michael Taylor – My Fair Lady
David Zinn – Stereophonic

Best Lighting Design Award

Jon Clark – Evita – WINNER
Neil Austin – Born With Teeth
Neil Austin – Paddington The Musical
Paule Constable – The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
Howard Hudson – Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
Jessica Hung Han Yun – Hamlet Hail to the Thief

Best Sound Design

Gareth Owen – Paddington the Musical – WINNER
Adam Fisher – Evita
Tony Gayle – Wild Rose
Tom Gibbons – The Seagull
Ryan Rumery – Stereophonic
Gareth Tucker & Nick Lidster for Autograph – Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

Best Video Design

Jamie Lloyd (Director), Nick Ward (Video Systems and Programmer) & David Anderson (Camera Supervisor) – Evita – WINNER
Will Duke – Hamlet Hail to the Thief
Andrzej Goulding – Born With Teeth
Luke Halls – Sing Street
Zakk Hein – The Maids
Ash J. Woodward – Paddington the Musical

Best Costume Design

Gabriella Slade (costume design) & Tahra Zafar (Paddington design) – Paddington the Musical – WINNER
Alex Berry – Intimate Apparel
Linda Cho – The Great Gatsby
Colin Richmond – The Red Shoes
Rae Smith – The Importance of Being Earnest
Michael Taylor – My Fair Lady

Best Wigs, Hair and Make-up Design

Campbell Young Associates – Paddington the Musical – WINNER
Georgia Lowe – Little Shop of Horrors
Charles G. LaPointe, Rachael Geier (Wigs and Hair) & Ashley Ryan (Make-up) – The Great Gatsby
Mia M. Neal (Wigs and Hair) & Kirk Cambridge-Del Pesche (Make-up) – Hercules
Grace Smart – Cyrano de Bergerac
Rae Smith, with Kate Elizabeth, Campbell Young Associates & Adele Brandman – The Importance of Being Earnest