2026 Drama Desk Awards Winners: Ragtime, Schmigadoon! and The Balusters Lead the Night

Winners have been announced for the 2026 Drama Desk Awards, honoring the best in Broadway, off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway theater in the 2025–2026 season. The ceremony was held on May 17 at the Town Hall, hosted by Titanique star Marla Mindelle.

Ragtime was the most awarded production of the evening, winning Outstanding Revival of a Musical, Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical for stars Joshua Henry and Caissie Levy, Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical for Ben Levi Ross and Outstanding Direction of a Musical for Lear DeBessonet.

Schmigadoon! was named Outstanding Musical and The Balusters was named Outstanding Play. Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play went to Giant star John Lithgow and Oedipus star Lesley Manville. Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play was awarded to Becky Shaw's Alden Ehrenreich and Ruben Santiago-Hudson for Joe Turner's Come and Gone.

Death of a Salesman won Outstanding Revival of a Play, and collected four total wins including Outstanding Direction of a Play for Joe Mantello, Outstanding Scenic Design of a Play for Chloe Lamford and Outstanding Lighting Design of a Play for Jack Knowles. Oedipus also received four total wins.

The Drama Desk Awards are voted on and bestowed by theater critics, journalists, editors and publishers covering theater.

Read the complete list of winners below, bolded and marked with an asterisk:

Outstanding Play
Caroline, Preston Max Allen
Cold War Choir Practice, Ro Reddick
Meet the Cartozians, Talene Monahon
Prince F****t, Jordan Tannahill
*The Balusters, David Lindsay-Abaire
The Porch on Windy Hill, Sherry Stregnack Lutken, Lisa Helmi Johanson, Morgan Morse and David M. Lutken
Well, I’ll Let You Go, Bubba Weiler

Outstanding Musical
Beau the Musical
Mexodus
*Schmigadoon!
The Seat of Our Pants
Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)

Outstanding Revival of a Play
Becky Shaw
Ceremonies in Dark Old Men
*Death of a Salesman
Los Soles Truncos
Titus Andronicus
You Got Older

Outstanding Revival of a Musical
Amahl and The Night Visitors
Chess
*Ragtime
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
The Baker’s Wife
The Rocky Horror Show

Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play
Quincy Tyler Bernstine, Well, I’ll Let You Go
Noah Galvin, The Reservoir
Synnøve Karlsen, Pygmalion
John Krasinski, Angry Alan
Nathan Lane, Death of a Salesman
*John Lithgow, Giant
*Lesley Manville, Oedipus
Laurie Metcalf, Death of a Salesman
Aigner Mizzelle, The Monsters
Patrick Page, Titus Andronicus
Anika Noni Rose, The Balusters
Kara Young, Gruesome Playground Injuries

Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical
Nicholas Christopher, Chess
Micaela Diamond, The Seat of Our Pants
Luke Evans, The Rocky Horror Show
*Joshua Henry, Ragtime
Dulé Hill, Lights Out: Nat “King” Cole
Amber Iman, Goddess
*Caissie Levy, Ragtime
Brian Quijada, Mexodus
Nygel D. Robinson, Mexodus
Matt Rodin, Beau the Musical
Sam Tutty, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)

Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play 
Caroline Aaron, The Reservoir
Edoardo Benzoni, Are the Bennett Girls OK?
Maria-Christina Oliveras, The Balusters
Nathan Darrow, (un)conditional
Emily Davis, Well, I’ll Let You Go
West Duchovny, Diversion
*Alden Ehrenreich, Becky Shaw
Linda Emond, Becky Shaw
David Greenspan, Prince F****t
River Lipe-Smith, Caroline
Lizan Mitchell, Cold War Choir Practice
*Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Joe Turner's Come and Gone
Richard Thomas, The Balusters

Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical
Chris Blisset, Beau the Musical
Max Clayton, Schmigadoon!
Lilli Cooper, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Stephanie Hsu, The Rocky Horror Show
*Judy Kuhn, The Baker's Wife
McKenzie Kurtz, Schmigadoon!
Ruthie Ann Miles, The Seat of Our Pants
Erin Morton, Heathers the Musical
Jackson Kanawha Perry, Saturday Church
Jasmine Amy Rogers, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
*Ben Levi Ross, Ragtime
Layton Williams, Titanique

Outstanding Solo Performance
Savon Bartley, Holes in the Shape of My Father
*Jack Holden, Kenrex
Hailey McAfee, and her Children
Natalie Palamides, Weer
Julia McDermott, Weather Girl
Josh Sharp, ta-da!

Outstanding Direction of a Play
Jesse Berger, Titus Andronicus
David Cromer, Caroline
Trip Cullman, Becky Shaw
Kenny Leon, The Balusters
*Joe Mantello, Death of a Salesman
Tarell Alvin McCraney and Bijan Sheibani, The Brothers Size
Jack Serio, Well, I’ll Let You Go

Outstanding Direction of a Musical
*Lear deBessonet, Ragtime
Gordon Greenberg, The Baker's Wife
Danny Mefford, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
David Mendizábal, Mexodus
Josh Rhodes, Beau the Musical
Leigh Silverman, The Seat of Our Pants

Outstanding Choreography
*Christopher Gattelli, Schmigadoon!
Edgar Godineaux and Jared Grimes (tap choreography),
Lights Out: Nat “King” Cole
Natalie Malotke, Jonathan Platero and Oksana Platero, Blood/Love
Toran X. Moore, Try/Step/Trip
*Omari Wiles and Arturo Lyons, Cats: The Jellicle Ball
Lauren Yalango-Grant and Christopher Cree Grant, The Lost Boys (includes aerial choreography)

Outstanding Music
The Lazours, Night Side Songs
Ethan Lipton, The Seat of Our Pants
Ethan D. Pakchar and Douglas Lyons, Beau the Musical
Michael Thurber, Goddess
*Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson, Mexodus

Outstanding Lyrics
*Jim Barne and Kit Buchan, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Dahlak Brathwaite, Try/Step/Trip
Ethan Lipton, The Seat of Our Pants
Douglas Lyons, Beau the Musical
Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson, Mexodus

Outstanding Book of a Musical
Dahlak Brathwaite, Try/Step/Trip
Ethan Lipton, The Seat of Our Pants
Douglas Lyons, Beau the Musical
Jesse Malin and Lauren Ludwig, Silver Manhattan
*Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson, Mexodus

Outstanding Orchestrations
Bryan Carter (music supervisor and arranger), The Fear of 13
Daniel Kluger, The Seat of Our Pants
*David M. Lutken, Morgan Morse, Lisa Helmi Johanson and Sherry Stregack Lutken, The Porch on Windy Hill
John McDaniel, Lights Out: Nat “King” Cole
The Bengsons and Or Matias, My Joy is Heavy

Outstanding Music in a Play
*John Patrick Elliot, Kenrex
Donald Lawrence, Oh Happy Day!
Stan Mathabane (composer) and Munir Zakee (musician), The Brothers Size
Jonathan Moore, The Imaginary Invalid (Molière in the Park)
Ro Reddick, Cold War Choir Practice
Darron L. West and Alexander Sovronsky, The Wild Duck

Outstanding Scenic Design of a Play
Harry Feiner, Ceremonies in Dark Old Men
Soutra Gilmour, Waiting for Godot
Tatiana Kahvegian, Meet the Cartozians
*Chloe Lamford, Death of a Salesman
Derek McLane, The Adding Machine
Derek McLane, The Balusters

Outstanding Scenic Design of a Musical
Daniel Allen, Beau the Musical
dots, The Rocky Horror Show
Rachel Hauck, Cats: The Jellicle Ball
*Dane Laffrey, The Lost Boys
Arnulfo Maldonado, Goddess
Jason Sherwood, The Baker's Wife

Outstanding Costume Design of a Play
Kindall Almond, Initiative
Enver Chakartash, Meet the Cartozians
Enver Chakartash, Tartuffe (New York Theatre Workshop)
Qween Jean, Oh, Happy Day!
Emilio Sosa, The Balusters
*Paul Tazewell, Joe Turner's Come and Gone

Outstanding Costume Design of a Musical
*Qween Jean, Cats: The Jellicle Ball
Qween Jean, Saturday Church
David I. Reynoso, The Rocky Horror Show
Kaye Voyce, The Seat of Our Pants
Catherine Zuber, The Baker's Wife

Outstanding Lighting Design of a Play
Isabella Byrd, Prince F****t
Jeff Croiter, The Adding Machine
Stacy Derosier, Well, I'll Let You Go
*Jack Knowles, Death of a Salesman
Kate McGee, without mirrors
Studio Luna, Marcel on the Train

Outstanding Lighting Design of a Musical
Mextly Couzin, Mexodus
Adam Honoré, Amahl and the Night Visitors
Adam Honoré and Donald Holder, Ragtime
Bradley King, The Baker's Wife
*Jen Shriever and Michael Arden, The Lost Boys
​​Japhy Weideman, Beau the Musical

Outstanding Sound Design of a Play
Angela Baughman, Initiative
Caroline Eng, The Unknown
*Tom Gibbons, Oedipus
Kieran Lucas, Weather Girl
Nevin Steinberg, Anna Christie
Giles Thomas, Kenrex

Outstanding Sound Design of a Musical
Jordana Abrenica, Beau the Musical
Jason Crystal, The Baker's Wife
*Mikhail Fiksel, Mexodus (includes looping systems architecture)
Kai Harada, Ragtime
Alex Hawthorn and Drew Levy, Lights Out: Nat “King” Cole

Outstanding Projection and Video Design
David Bengali, My Joy is Heavy
Akhila Krishnan, Kyoto
Johnny Moreno, Mexodus
*Tal Yarden, Oedipus

Outstanding Wig and Hair
Alberto “Albee” Alvarado, The Rocky Horror Show
David Brian Brown, The Lost Boys
David Brian Brown and Victoria Tinsman, Fallen Angels
*Nikiya Mathis, Cats: The Jellicle Ball
Robert Pickens, Tartuffe (New York Theatre Workshop)

Outstanding Puppetry
*Axtell Expressions, Amaze
Emily Batsford (creator) and Yuliya Tsukerman (puppet design), Cumulo
Julian Crouch, Goddess
Monkey Boys Productions, The Burning Cauldron of Fiery Fire

Outstanding Fight Choreography
*Gerry Rodriguez, The Monsters
Thomas Schall, The Balusters
Rick Sordelet, Titus Andronicus
Rick Sordelet, Ulster American
Sordlet Inc., The Lost Boys

Outstanding Adaptation
and her Children by Rosie Glen Lambert and Haley McAfee
Are the Bennett Girls OK? by Emily Breeze
*Oedipus by Robert Icke
Pride and Prejudice by Abigail Pickard Price, with Sarah Gobran and Matt Pinches
Room 204 by Zusammen Theatre Project (Dennis Flanagan and Anjelica Fellini)
The Imaginary Invalid (Molière in the Park) by Lucie Tiberghien

Outstanding Revue
*About Time
Baile Cangrejero
I Wish My Life Were Like a Musical

Unique Theatrical Experience
Amaze
*Burnout Paradise
Color Theories
Rheology
Slanted Floors