2026 Drama League Awards Nominations Announced

The Drama League has announced the nominees for the 2026 Drama League Awards. Honoring Broadway and off-Broadway achievements, the nominations were announced by Natalie Venetia Belcon and Corbin Bleu at the official announcement event held at Lincoln Center’s New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.

First awarded in 1922 and formalized in 1935, The Drama League Awards are the oldest theatrical honors in America. They are the only major theater awards chosen by a cross-section of the theater community—the industry professionals, producers, artists, audiences and critics who are Drama League members nationwide. The 92nd Annual Drama League Awards will be held at the Ziegfeld Ballroom on May 15.

See the full list of nominations below:

OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION OF A PLAY

The Balusters

Caroline

Cold War Choir Practice

Dog Day Afternoon

Giant

Kyoto

Liberation

Marcel on the Train

The Monsters

Prince F****t

Rheology

Spread

OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A PLAY

Anna Christie

Becky Shaw

The Brothers Size

Bug

Death of a Salesman

Every Brilliant Thing

Fallen Angels

Gruesome Playground Injuries

Joe Turner’s Come and Gone

Proof

Twelfth Night

You Got Older

OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL

Beaches, A New Musical

Beau the Musical

Bigfoot

The Lost Boys

Mexodus

My Joy is Heavy

Night Side Songs

Saturday Church

Schmigadoon!

The Seat of Our Pants

Titaníque

Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)

OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Bat Boy: The Musical

Cats: The Jellicle Ball

Chess

The Gospel at Colonus

Heathers The Musical

Masquerade

Oratorio For Living Things

Ragtime

Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show

The Wild Party

OUTSTANDING DIRECTION OF A PLAY

Knud Adams, Cold War Choir Practice

Debbie Allen, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone

Tatyana-Marie Carlo, Spread

Shayok Misha Chowdhury, Prince F****t

David Cromer, Caroline

Trip Cullman, Becky Shaw

Stephen Daldry and Justin Martin, Kyoto

Joe Mantello, Death of a Salesman and Little Bear Ridge Road

Marshall Pailet, Marcel on the Train

OUTSTANDING DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL

Michael Arden, The Lost Boys

Lili-Anne Brown, The Wild Party

Rachel Chavkin, My Joy is Heavy

Lear deBessonet, Ragtime

Lee Sunday Evans, Oratorio For Living Things

Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch, Cats: The Jellicle Ball

Danny Mefford, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and Bigfoot

David Mendizábal, Mexodus

Sam Pinkleton, Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show

Leigh Silverman, The Seat of Our Pants

Alex Timbers, Bat Boy: The Musical

DISTINGUISHED PERFORMANCE

Caroline Aaron, The Reservoir

Christopher Abbott, Death of a Salesman

Shoshana Bean, The Lost Boys

Jon Bernthal, Dog Day Afternoon

Ali Louis Bourzgui, The Lost Boys

Marylouise Burke, The Balusters

Kerry Butler, Bat Boy: The Musical

Rose Byrne, Fallen Angels

Sara Chase, Schmigadoon!

Patrice Johnson Chevannes, The Waterfall

Nicholas Christopher, Chess

Justin Cooley, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Carrie Coon, Bug

André De Shields, Cats: The Jellicle Ball

Brandon J. Dirden, Waiting For Godot

Ayo Edebiri, Proof

Alden Ehrenreich, Becky Shaw

Luke Evans, Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show

Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Tru

Susannah Flood, Liberation

Ishmael Gonzalez, Spread

Sean Hayes, The Unknown

Joshua Henry, Ragtime

Grey Henson, Bigfoot

André Holland, The Brothers Size

Stephanie Hsu, Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show

Alani iLongwe, The Brothers Size

Stephen Kunken, Kyoto

Caissie Levy, Ragtime

Lesley Manville, Oedipus

John McCrea, Prince F****t

Laurie Metcalf, Death of a Salesman and Little Bear Ridge Road

Lea Michele, Chess

Marla Mindelle, Titaníque

Lizan Mitchell, Cold War Choir Practice

Aigner Mizzelle, The Monsters

Chloë Grace Moretz, Caroline

Lupita Nyong’o, Twelfth Night

Kelli O’Hara, Fallen Angels

Christiani Pitts, Two Strangers (Carry A Cake Across New York)

Brian Quijada, Mexodus

Daniel Radcliffe, Every Brilliant Thing

Nygel D. Robinson, Mexodus

Jasmine Amy Rogers, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and The Wild Party

Constantine Rousouli, Titaníque

Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Joe Turner's Come and Gone

Ethan Slater, Marcel on the Train

Ari'el Stachel, Other

B Noel Thomas, Saturday Church

Taylor Trensch, Bat Boy: The Musical

Brandon Uranowitz, Ragtime

Jessica Vosk, Beaches, A New Musical

Adrienne Warren, The Wild Party

Kara Young, Gruesome Playground Injuries and Proof

The Drama League also acknowledged the previous recipients of the Distinguished Performance Award who appeared in Broadway or off-Broadway productions this season. As the Award can only be won once in a performer’s lifetime, they are ineligible to be nominated; however, their exemplary work is recognized and applauded.

Danny Burstein, Marjorie Prime

Neil Patrick Harris, Art

Hugh Jackman, Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes

Nathan Lane, Death of a Salesman

John Lithgow, Giant

SPECIAL RECOGNITIONS (previously announced)

Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theater – Caissie Levy

Founders Award for Excellence in Directing – David Cromer

Contribution to the Theater – Kamilah Forbes

Gratitude Award – Scott Ellis

The Steering Committee is led by co-chairs Bonnie Comley and Darin Oduyoye and members Trish Chambers, Irene Gandy, Sarah Hutton, Jennifer Johnson-Blalock, Paula Kaminsky Davis, Fred Siegel, and Kumiko Yoshii. The Awards Honorary Committee, still in formation, includes Bryan Cranston, Bebe Neuwirth, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Nathan Lane and John Lithgow.