Natalie Venetia Belcon and Corbin Bleu to Announce 2026 Drama League Awards Nominees

Tony Award winner Natalie Venetia Belcon and film, television and stage star Corbin Bleu will announce the nominees of the 2026 Drama League Awards. The announcement will take place on April 20 at 11:00 a.m. at Lincoln Center’s New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. The awards will be presented during the famed luncheon ceremony at The Ziegfeld Ballroom on May 15 at 11:00 a.m. The event will be hosted by Emmy Award winner Frank DiLella.

Bleu joins The Great Gatsby on March 30 as Nick Carraway, a role which he originated in the European premiere of the production. Belcon portrays the legendary Omara Portuondo in Buena Vista Social Club, for which she won the 2025 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical.

The Drama League Awards will be bestowed in the following categories, honoring Broadway and off-Broadway productions in the 2025-26 season: Distinguished Performance Award, Outstanding Production of a Play, Outstanding Production of a Musical, Outstanding Revival of a Play, Outstanding Revival of a Musical, Outstanding Direction of a Play and Outstanding Direction of a Musical.

The Drama League previously announced the 2026 Special Recognition Award Recipients: Olivier and Grammy-nominated actress Caissie Levy will receive the Award for Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theater; Tony Award-winning director David Cromer will be honored with the Founders Award for Excellence in Directing; Executive Producer of the Apollo Theatre Kamilah Forbes will be honored with the Contribution to the Theater Award; and The Gratitude Award will be presented to Tony nominee and Olivier Award winner Scott Ellis. The Awards Honorary Committee, still in formation, includes Bryan Cranston, Bebe Neuwirth, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Nathan Lane and John Lithgow.