2026 Lucille Lortel Awards Nominations: Mexodus Tops Musicals, Prince F****t Leads Plays
See the complete lineup of off-Broadway nominees ahead of the May 3 ceremony at NYU Skirball
(Photo: Thomas Mundell)
What to Know
- The 41st Lucille Lortel Awards nominations were announced on April 1, with the ceremony scheduled for May 3 at NYU Skirball celebrating excellence in off-Broadway theater
- Mexodus leads musical nominations with nine while Prince F*****t tops plays with six and Cold War Choir Practice and Saturday Church earn five each
- Notable nominees include Kara Young, John Krasinski and J. Harrison Ghee, with special honors for Mia Katigbak and a posthumous recognition for William Finn
Nominations for the 41st annual Lucille Lortel Awards were announced on April 1 by Amber Gray and Harvey Guillén, both currently appearing in the Broadway revival of The Rocky Horror Show. The 2026 awards, produced by the Off-Broadway League and the Lucille Lortel Theatre, with additional support provided by TDF, will be presented in a ceremony on May 3 at NYU Skirball.
Audible Theater and P3 Productions’ Mexodus received the most musical nominations, with a total of nine including Outstanding Musical. Prince F*****t from Playwrights Horizons and Soho Rep was the most nominated play, with six including Outstanding Play. MCC Theater, Clubbed Thumb and Page 73’s Cold War Choir Practice and New York Theatre Workshop’s Saturday Church each received five nominations.
Two-time Tony winner Kara Young, currently performing in Proof on Broadway, was once again nominated for her performance in the Seaview production Gruesome Playground Injuries. The Lead Performer in a Play category also includes Noah Galvin (The Reservoir), Marin Ireland (Queens), John Krasinski (Angry Alan), Aigner Mizzelle (THE MONSTERS), Okieriete Onaodowan (THE MONSTERS) and Susannah Perkins for Antigone (This Play I Read in High School).
The Lead Performer in a Musical category includes 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) and Daniel J. Watts (Lights Out: Nat "King" Cole).
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, currently running at New World Stages through September 6, was nominated for Outstanding Revival and Outstanding Ensemble.
As previously announced, special honorees this year include Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Mia Katigbak, performer and founder of the National Asian American Theatre Company (NAATCO); and legendary composer and lyricist William Finn, who will be posthumously inducted onto the famed Playwrights’ Sidewalk in front of the Lucille Lortel Theatre.
The Lortels are the only New York theater award to exclusively honor outstanding achievement off-Broadway. Click here for the complete list of nominees.
