WhatsOnStage Awards Nominations Announced

TheaterMania’s sister site across the pond, WhatsOnStage, has announced nominations for the 26th annual WhatsOnStage Awards, recognizing excellence in the UK theater. The winners are selected by an audience vote, with the polls open from now until January 22.

The winners will then be revealed at The London Palladium on March 8, 2026 – with tickets available here.

You can see the full list of nominees below:

The SINE Digital Best Performer in a Play Award

– Jonathan Bailey, Richard II

– Ncuti Gatwa, Born With Teeth

– Tom Hiddleston, Much Ado About Nothing

– Joe Locke, Clarkston

– Maxine Peake, The Last Stand of Mary Whitehouse

– Rosamund Pike, Inter Alia

Best Performer in a Musical – sponsored by Ticketmaster

– Lauren Drew, Titanique

– James Hameed and Arti Shah, Paddington The Musical

– Lucie Jones, 13 Going On 30 The Musical

– Jamie Muscato, The Great Gatsby

– Diego Andres Rodriguez, Evita

– Rachel Zegler, Evita

Best Supporting Performer in a Play – sponsored by Newman Displays

– Joe Alwyn, The Lady from the Sea

– Emma Corrin, The Seagull

– Stephen Fry, The Importance of Being Earnest

– Yerin Ha, The Maids

– Sophie Melville, Clarkston

– Mason Alexander Park, Much Ado About Nothing

Best Supporting Performer in a Musical – sponsored by Newman Displays

– Bella Brown, Evita

– Amber Davies, The Great Gatsby

– Candace Furbert, Sharlene Hector, Brianna Ogunbawo, Malinda Parris and Robyn Rose-Li, Hercules

– Victoria Hamilton-Barritt, Paddington The Musical

– Grace Mouat, 13 Going On 30 The Musical

– Layton Williams, Titanique

Best Takeover Performance

– Karis Anderson, Moulin Rouge! The Musical

– Stevie Doc, The Devil Wears Prada

– Emma Kingston, Wicked

– Rob Madge, Cabaret

– Eva Noblezada, Cabaret

– Alex Young, Operation Mincemeat

Best Professional Debut Performance – sponsored by AKA

– Timi Akinyosade, Paddington The Musical

– Mia Carragher, The Hunger Games on Stage

– Hannah Dodd, Cabaret

– Jess Folley, Burlesque the Musical

– Ruaridh Mollica, Clarkston

– Asha Parker-Wallace, Burlesque the Musical

Best New Play – sponsored by Disney on Stage

– Born With Teeth, Liz Duffy Adams

– Clarkston, Samuel D Hunter

– The Comedy About Spies, Henry Lewis and Henry Shields

– Inter Alia, Suzie Miller

– Stereophonic, David Adjmi

– Through It All Together, Chris O’Connor

The Travelzoo Best New Musical Award

– The Great Gatsby, Kait Kerrigan, Jason Howland and Nathan Tysen

– Hercules, Alan Menken, David Zippel, Robert Horn and Kwame Kwei-Armah

– Here and Now, Shaun Kitchener

– Paddington The Musical, Tom Fletcher and Jessica Swale

– Shucked, Brandy Clark, Shane McAnally and Robert Horn

– Titanique, Tye Blue, Marla Mindelle and Constantine Rousouli

The Londoner Best Play Revival Award

– The Importance of Being Earnest, National Theatre and Noël Coward Theatre

– The Lady from the Sea, Bridge Theatre

– Much Ado About Nothing, Theatre Royal Drury Lane

– Richard II, Bridge Theatre

– The Seagull, Barbican Theatre

– A Streetcar Named Desire, Sheffield Crucible

Best Musical Revival – sponsored by Concord Theatricals

– Brigadoon, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

– Evita, The London Palladium

– Jesus Christ Superstar, The Watermill Theatre

– Little Shop of Horrors, Sheffield Crucible

– My Fair Lady, Curve, Leicester

– The Producers, Menier Chocolate Factory and Garrick Theatre

Best Regional Production

– 13 Going On 30 The Musical, Opera House, Manchester

– Come Fall in Love – The DDLJ Musical, Opera House, Manchester

– Jesus Christ Superstar, Watermill Theatre

– Krapp’s Last Tape, York Theatre Royal

– Pride and Prejudice, on tour (Octagon Theatre Bolton, Theatre by the Lake, Stephen Joseph Theatre and Hull Truck Theatre production, in association with Theatr Clwyd)

– Through It All Together, Leeds Playhouse

Best Studio Production – sponsored by Theatrical Rights Worldwide

– Be More Chill, Old Joint Stock Theatre

– Brixton Calling, Southwark Playhouse

– Cul de Sac, Omnibus Theatre

– The Frogs, Southwark Playhouse

– The Last Five Years, Barn Theatre, Cirencester and Reading Rep Theatre

– Young Frankenstein, Hope Mill Theatre

Best West End Show – sponsored by Dewynters

– Cabaret, Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre

– Hadestown, Lyric Theatre

– Les Misérables, Sondheim Theatre

– Oliver!, Gielgud Theatre

– Operation Mincemeat, Fortune Theatre

– Wicked, Apollo Victoria Theatre

Best Concert Event

– The Book Thief in Concert, Prince of Wales Theatre

– Gravity, Theatre Royal Drury Lane

– The Hunchback of Notre Dame in Concert, Prince Edward Theatre

– Jeremy Jordan: Live at the Royal Albert Hall, Royal Albert Hall

– Rachel Zegler: Live at The London Palladium, The London Palladium

– Songs for a New World – 30th Anniversary Concert, Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith

Best Direction – sponsored by London Theatre Direct

– Tamara Harvey, The Constant Wife

– Lynette Linton, Intimate Apparel

– Jamie Lloyd, Much Ado About Nothing

– Thomas Ostermeier, The Seagull

– Tim Sheader, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

– Luke Sheppard, Paddington The Musical

Best Choreography – sponsored by LaDuca Shoes

– Fabian Aloise, Evita

– Ellen Kane, Ballet Shoes

– Ellen Kane, Paddington The Musical

– Lorin Latarro, The Producers

– Drew McOnie, Brigadoon

– Jennifer Weber, 13 Going On 30 The Musical

The Preevue Best Set Design Award

– Frankie Bradshaw, Ballet Shoes

– Lizzie Clachan, The Lady from the Sea

– Tom Pye, Paddington The Musical

– Paul Tate dePoo III, The Great Gatsby

– Michael Taylor, My Fair Lady

– David Zinn, Stereophonic

The White Light Best Lighting Design Award

– Neil Austin, Born With Teeth

– Neil Austin, Paddington The Musical

– Jon Clark, Evita

– Paule Constable, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

– Howard Hudson, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

– Jessica Hung Han Yun, Hamlet Hail to the Thief

Best Sound Design – sponsored by HERE @ Outernet

– Adam Fisher, Evita

– Tony Gayle, Wild Rose

– Tom Gibbons, The Seagull

– Gareth Owen, Paddington The Musical

– Ryan Rumery, Stereophonic

– Gareth Tucker and Nick Lidster for Autograph, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

Best Video Design – sponsored by Studio Twenty

– Will Duke, Hamlet Hail to the Thief

– Andrzej Goulding, Born With Teeth

– Luke Halls, Sing Street

– Zakk Hein, The Maids

– Jamie Lloyd (Director), Nick Ward (Video Systems and Programmer) and David Anderson (Camera Supervisor), Evita

– Ash J Woodward, Paddington The Musical

Best Costume Design

– Alex Berry, Intimate Apparel

– Linda Cho, The Great Gatsby

– Colin Richmond, The Red Shoes

– Gabriella Slade (costume design) and Tahra Zafar (Paddington design), Paddington The Musical

– Rae Smith, The Importance of Being Earnest

– Michael Taylor, My Fair Lady

Best Wigs, Hair and Make-up Design

– Valerie Atkinson, Little Shop of Horrors

– Campbell Young Associates, Paddington The Musical

– Charles G LaPointe, Rachael Geier (Wigs and Hair) and Ashley Ryan (Make-up), The Great Gatsby

– Mia M Neal (Wigs and Hair) and Kirk Cambridge-Del Pesche (Make-up), Hercules

– Grace Smart, Cyrano de Bergerac

– Rae Smith, with Kate Elizabeth, Campbell Young Associates and Adele Brandman, The Importance of Being Earnest

Best Casting Direction

– Pippa Ailion, for Pippa Ailion & Natalie Gallacher Casting, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

– Stuart Burt, Make It Happen

– Alastair Coomer, The Importance of Being Earnest

– Natalie Gallacher, for Pippa Ailion & Natalie Gallacher Casting, Nick Hockaday and Annabelle Davis, Paddington The Musical

– Bryony Jarvis-Taylor, Here We Are

– Pearson Casting, Titanique

Best Music Supervision / Direction

– Tom Brady, Hamlet Hail to the Thief

– Matt Brind, Paddington The Musical

– Justin Craig, Stereophonic

– Stuart Morley, Jesus Christ Superstar

– Sarah Travis, Davey Anderson and Ali Roocroft, Wild Rose

– Alan Williams, Evita