Joshua Henry, Mexodus, Liberation and More Win Big at 2026 Drama League Awards

Joshua Henry, star of Ragtime, was named the winner of the Drama League's Distinguished Performance Award at the 92nd annual Drama League Awards ceremony, which took place at the Ziegfeld Ballroom on May 15. Henry's win was announced along with winners in the Outstanding Production of a Play, Outstanding Revival of a Play, Outstanding Production of a Musical and Outstanding Revival of a Musical categories—which went to Liberation, Death of a Salesman, Mexodus and Ragtime, respectively. The event was hosted by New York 1’s Frank DiLella.

Henry triumphed in a category that included 54 Distinguished Performance nominees. His acclaimed turn as Coalhouse Walker Jr. in the Broadway revival of Ragtime marks his first Drama League win. He was previously nominated in 2018 for his performance as Billy Bigelow in Carousel.

As previously announced, the Drama League's 2026 Special Recognition Awards went to Caissie Levy who received the Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theater Award for her performance in Ragtime; Tony-winning director David Cromer, who was honored with the Founders Award for Excellence in Directing and curator Kamilah Forbes, who received the Contribution to the Theater Award.

See the full list of nominees and winners for the competitive awards below, bolded and preceded by an asterisk.

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 Faggot
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
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 Faggot
David Cromer, Caroline
Trip Cullman, Becky Shaw
Stephen Daldry and Justin Martin, Kyoto
*Joe Mantello, Death of a Salesman
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,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 Faggot
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

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—specifically, by the industry professionals, producers, artists, audiences and critics who are Drama League members nationwide.