2026 Olivier Awards nominations announced, with Paddington and Into The Woods leading

Find out the full details of the 2026 Olivier Award nominations. The ceremony will take place at the Royal Albert Hall on 12 April, with Nick Mohammed hosting.

Summary

• The Olivier Awards will take place on 12 April at the Royal Albert Hall in London
• Nominations have been announced today (5 March)
• Paddington and Into The Woods lead the way with 11 nominations each

The full list of Olivier Award nominations for 2026 was announced today, 5 March. The nominations were revealed by Nick Mohammed, who will host the awards shows in April, as well as previous winners from each category.

The shows scooping the most nominations are Paddington The Musical and Into The Woods, with 11 nominations each. Last year's Fiddler on the Roof still holds the crown for the highest number of Olivier nominations, with 13.

Also in contention are Ivo van Hove's revival of All My Sons, with six nominations, as well as new plays Stereophonic and Kenrex, also with six nominations each.

Jo Foster and Oliver Savile will battle it out in the same category (best actor in a supporting role in a musical) for Into The Woods, as will Marc Antolin and Andy Nyman for The Producers in the best actor in a musical category. Meanwhile James Hameed & Arti Shah have been jointly nominated for bringing to life Paddington Bear in Paddingon The Musical.

Zachary Hart goes up against himself for best actor in a supporting role for The Seagull and Stereophonic.

There will also be lots of attention on stars such as Cate Blanchett, Bryan Cranston, and Rachel Zegler, who have all been nominated for awards for The Seagull, All My Sons, and Evita respectively.

This year’s Olivier Awards will take place at the Royal Albert Hall in London on Sunday 12 April and will be broadcast on BBC television and radio. Comedian Nick Mohammed will host the awards show, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

Who is nominated for Olivier Awards in 2026?

Best New Play

• 1536 by Ava Pickett at Almeida Theatre
• Inter Alia by Suzie Miller at National Theatre – Lyttelton
• Kenrex by Jack Holden & Ed Stambollouian at The Other Palace
• Punch by James Graham at Young Vic & Apollo Theatre

Best New Musical

• Here We Are, book by David Ives, music & lyrics by Stephen Sondheim at National Theatre – Lyttelton
• Paddington The Musical, music & lyrics by Tom Fletcher & book by Jessica Swale at Savoy Theatre
• Shucked, book by Robert Horn, music & lyrics by Brandy Clark & Shane McAnally at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre
• The Unlikely Pilgrimage Of Harold Fry, book by Rachel Joyce, music & lyrics by Passenger at Theatre Royal Haymarket

Best Revival

• All My Sons by Arthur Miller at Wyndham's Theatre
• Arcadia by Tom Stoppard at The Old Vic
• Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare at Theatre Royal Drury Lane
• The Seagull by Anton Chekhov, adapted by Duncan Macmillan & Thomas Ostermeier at Barbican Theatre

Best Musical Revival

• American Psycho, book by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, music & lyrics by Duncan Sheik, based on the novel by Bret Easton Ellis at Almeida Theatre
• Evita, lyrics by Tim Rice, music by Andrew Lloyd Webber at The London Palladium
• Into The Woods, music & lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by James Lapine at Bridge Theatre
• The Producers, music & lyrics by Mel Brooks, book by Mel Brooks & Thomas Meehan at Garrick Theatre

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

• Hammed Animashaun for Dealer's Choice at Donmar Warehouse
• Paapa Essiedu for All My Sons at Wyndham's Theatre
• Zachary Hart for The Seagull at Barbican Theatre
• Zachary Hart for Stereophonic at Duke of York's Theatre
• Giles Terera for Oh, Mary! at Trafalgar Theatre

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

• Isis Hainsworth for Arcadia at The Old Vic
• Julie Hesmondhalgh for Punch at Young Vic & Apollo Theatre
• Lucy Karczewski for Stereophonic at Duke of York’s Theatre
• Hayley Squires for All My Sons at Wyndham’s Theatre
• Sophie Thompson for When We Are Married at Donmar Warehouse

Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical

• Tracie Bennett for Here We Are at National Theatre – Lyttelton
• Amy Booth-Steel for Paddington The Musical at Savoy Theatre
• Kate Fleetwood for Into The Woods at Bridge Theatre
• Victoria Hamilton-Barritt for Paddington The Musical at Savoy Theatre
• Georgina Onuorah for Shucked at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre

Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical

• Trevor Ashley for The Producers at Garrick Theatre
• Corbin Bleu for The Great Gatsby - A New Musical at London Coliseum
• Tom Edden for Paddington The Musical at Savoy Theatre
• Jo Foster for Into The Woods at Bridge Theatre
• Oliver Savile for Into The Woods at Bridge Theatre

Best Actor in a Musical

• Marc Antolin for The Producers at Garrick Theatre
• James Hameed & Arti Shah for Paddington The Musical at Savoy Theatre
• Andy Nyman for The Producers at Garrick Theatre
• Jamie Parker for Into The Woods at Bridge Theatre
• Diego Andres Rodriguez for Evita at The London Palladium

Best Actress in a Musical

• Katie Brayben for Into The Woods at Bridge Theatre
• Danielle Fiamanya & Georgina Onuorah for Brigadoon at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre
• Jane Krakowski for Here We Are at National Theatre – Lyttelton
• Jenna Russell for The Unlikely Pilgrimage Of Harold Fry at Theatre Royal Haymarket
• Rachel Zegler for Evita at The London Palladium

Best Actress

• Cate Blanchett for The Seagull at Barbican Theatre
• Marianne Jean-Baptiste for All My Sons at Wyndham's Theatre
• Julia McDermott for Weather Girl at Soho Theatre
• Rosamund Pike for Inter Alia at National Theatre – Lyttelton
• Rosie Sheehy for Guess How Much I Love You? at Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at Royal Court Theatre

Best Actor

• Bryan Cranston for All My Sons at Wyndham's Theatre
• Sean Hayes for Good Night, Oscar at Barbican Theatre
• Tom Hiddleston for Much Ado About Nothing at Theatre Royal Drury Lane
• Jack Holden for Kenrex at The Other Palace
• David Shields for Punch at Young Vic & Apollo Theatre

Best Director

• Jordan Fein for Into The Woods at Bridge Theatre
• Luke Sheppard for Paddington The Musical at Savoy Theatre
• Ed Stambollouian for Kenrex at The Other Palace
• Lyndsey Turner for 1536 at Almeida Theatre
• Ivo van Hove for All My Sons at Wyndham's Theatre

Best Costume Design

• Enver Chakartash for Stereophonic at Duke of York's Theatre
• Linda Cho for The Great Gatsby - A New Musical at London Coliseum
• Tom Scutt for Into The Woods at Bridge Theatre
• Gabriella Slade (Costume Design) & Tahra Zafar (Paddington Design) for Paddington The Musical at Savoy Theatre

Best Sound Design

• Adam Fisher for Into The Woods at Bridge Theatre
• Gareth Owen for Paddington The Musical at Savoy Theatre
• Ryan Rumery for Stereophonic at Duke of York's Theatre
• Giles Thomas for Kenrex at The Other Palace

Best New Entertainment or Comedy Play

• The Comedy About Spies by Henry Lewis & Henry Shields at Noël Coward Theatre
• Every Brilliant Thing by Duncan Macmillan with Jonny Donahoe at @sohoplace
• Oh, Mary! by Cole Escola at Trafalgar Theatre
• Paranormal Activity by Levi Holloway at Ambassadors Theatre

Best Family Show

• The Boy At The Back Of The Class, adapted by Nick Ahad at Rose Theatre
• The Boy With Wings, adapted by Arvind Ethan David at Polka Theatre
• The Firework-Maker’s Daughter, adapted by Jude Christian at Polka Theatre
• The Three Little Pigs, music by George Stiles, book & lyrics by Anthony Drewe at Unicorn Theatre

Best Theatre Choreographer

• Fabian Aloise for Evita at The London Palladium
• Ellen Kane for Paddington The Musical at Savoy Theatre
• Drew McOnie for Brigadoon at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre
• Lynne Page for American Psycho at Almeida Theatre

Best Set Design

• Paul Tate dePoo III (Scenic & Projection Design) for The Great Gatsby - A New Musical at London Coliseum
• Tom Pye (Set Design) & Ash J Woodward (Video Design) for Paddington The Musical at Savoy Theatre
• Tom Scutt for Into The Woods at Bridge Theatre
• David Zinn for Stereophonic at Duke of York's Theatre

Best Lighting Design

• Robbie Butler for Punch at Young Vic & Apollo Theatre
• Jon Clark for Evita at The London Palladium
• Aideen Malone (Lighting Design) & Roland Horvath (Video Design) for Into The Woods at Bridge Theatre
• Joshua Pharo for Kenrex at The Other Palace

Best New Production in Affiliate Theatre

• Ben And Imo by Mark Ravenhill at Orange Tree Theatre
• The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams at The Yard Theatre
• The Ministry Of Lesbian Affairs by Iman Qureshi at Kiln Theatre
• Miss Myrtle’s Garden by Danny James King at Bush Theatre
• The Shitheads by Jack Nicholls at Jerwood Theatre Upstairs at Royal Court Theatre

Best New Opera Production

• Dead Man Walking by English National Opera at London Coliseum
• The Makropulos Case by The Royal Opera at Royal Opera House
• Tosca by The Royal Opera at Royal Opera House
• Die Walküre by The Royal Opera at Royal Opera House

Best New Dance Production

• Into The Hairy by Sharon Eyal for S-E-D at Sadler's Wells
• Mimi’s Shebeen by Alesandra Seutin & KVS at Sadler's Wells East
• Random Taranto by María del Mar Suárez (La Chachi) as part of Dance Umbrella: Change Tempo at The Pit at Barbican
• She’s Auspicious by Mythili Prakash at Sadler’s Wells East

Outstanding Musical Contribution

• Matt Brind (Orchestrations & Arrangements) for Paddington The Musical at Savoy Theatre
• Will Butler (Original Songs & Orchestrations) & Justin Craig (Orchestrations) for Stereophonic at Duke of York's Theatre
• John Patrick Elliott (Composition) for Kenrex at The Other Palace
• Chris Fenwick (Musical Supervision & Arrangements) & Sean Hayes (Live Piano Performance of Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue) for Good Night, Oscar at Barbican Theatre

Photo credit: Olivier Awards. (Courtesy of the Society of London Theatre).