Olivier Awards 2026 – Who Should Win, Who Will Win🏆

TWO very different musicals — one about a marmalade-loving Peruvian bear, the other a darkly Sondheim fairy tale — have emerged as the dominant forces at this year’s Olivier Awards, earning 11 nominations each.

The annual event is the industry’s annual shop window, and the ceremony and media coverage honour SOLT’s description of the awards as “Britain’s most prestigious stage honours”. Even when they get it right, it’s often for the wrong reason – or show.

Anyway, this party’s like a hundred hours long. It is, though, good news that the Oliviers will once more get a prime-time screening in a new deal with the BBC.

The ceremony, marking 50 years since the first Olivier Awards were handed out, will take place next month and will be hosted by Nick Mohammed. 

Close behind the two musical juggernauts are three plays with six nominations: the stunning classic drama All My Sons, the crime drama Kenrex, and the Broadway transfer Stereophonic.

The acting categories are packed with star quality. In Best Actress, nominees include Cate Blanchett for her performance in The Seagull, alongside Marianne Jean-Baptiste for All My Sons, Julia McDermott for Weather Girl, Rosamund Pike for Inter Alia, and Rosie Sheehy for Guess How Much I Love You?

The Best Actor race is similarly competitive, featuring Bryan Cranston for All My Sons and Tom Hiddleston for Much Ado About Nothing. They are joined by Sean Hayes for Good Night, Oscar, Jack Holden for Kenrex, and David Shields for Punch.

The TikTok-grabbing summer stunt of Rachel Zegler in Evita at the London Palladium — that saw her perform nightly from the theatre’s outdoor balcony — put London theatre on the global map and drew huge crowds to the concourse outside and got everyone talking.

And with nominations for Here We Are, Shucked, American Psycho, The Producers, All My Sons, Stereophonic, Oh, Mary! and Brigadoon, we already have a clear overall winner: America.

Anyway, Among the most intriguing categories is Best New Play. Kenrex is nominated alongside Punch, Inter Alia, and Ava Pickett’s 1536 — 70s band saga Stereophonic bizarrely isn’t. 

Meanwhile, plenty of other surprising snubs. The powers that be have decided not to include Cynthia Erivo’s one-person Dracula, or the revival of Connor McPherson’s The Weir starring Brendan Gleeson. McPherson is currently filming a version of the play in Ireland with the cast from the revival. 

Director Jamie Lloyd also missed out for his directorial work on Evita and Much Ado About Nothing, while Mason Alexander Park failed to land nominations for both Oh, Mary! and the karaoke-fuelled Much Ado About Nothing. Giles Terera was nominated for Oh, Mary! but Mary’s strapping acting tutor played by Dino Fetscher wasn’t. A travesty. 

Anyhow. The prizes still depend heavily on subsidised theatre: look at the four awards nominations this year Punch and Kenrex that originated at the excellent Nottingham Playhouse and Sheffield respectively. 
Elsewhere, Mark Addy was overlooked for his tireless turn in The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, while The Fifth Step — starring Martin Freeman and Jack Lowden — drew a complete blank. The mind boggles. 

No nods for the productions that have opened under the National Theatre’s new artistic director Indhu Rubasingham. Yikes.

For crystal clarity, greater transparency wouldn’t go amiss. The Society of London Theatre cannot guarantee every Olivier voter has seen every nominated show — and it’s unclear whether those who haven’t recuse themselves. By contrast, the Tony Awards enforce strict rules: voters must attend all nominated productions and log their attendance, or they lose the right to vote in any category involving that show.

Several industry figures I spoke to, however, suggested that Kenrex — and, to a lesser extent, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry — could prove formidable underdogs. But don’t be surprised, however, if quieter nominees lose out to work backed by the big guns.

Alas, Paddington the Musical feels unstoppable. Its real triumph lies in making theatre feel universally appealing. Yet while producer Sonia Friedman may have what looks like a licence to print money at the Savoy Theatre, she would do well to avoid £300 tickets and keep prices accessible for the next generation—especially now. High culture is for everyone. 

But look, my own feelings on all this, if anyone cares, two works stand apart: Kenrex and Stereophonic. Both were rare theatrical experiences: theatre is often at its best and most exciting when it takes you by surprise. 

Best New Musical

• Here We Are – National Theatre, Lyttelton
• Paddington the Musical – Savoy Theatre
• Shucked – Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
• The Unlikely Pilgrimage Of Harold Fry –Theatre Royal Haymarket

Should win: Paddington The Musical

Will win: Paddington The Musical

Best Musical Revival

• American Psycho – Almeida Theatre
• Evita – London Palladium
• Into the Woods – Bridge Theatre
• The Producers – Garrick Theatre

Should win: Into The Woods

Will win: Into The Woods

Best New Play

• 1536 – Almeida Theatre
• Inter Alia – National Theatre, Lyttelton
• KENREX – The Other Palace
• Punch – Young Vic and Apollo Theatre Should win: Punch  Will win: Punch 

Best Revival

• All My Sons – Wyndham’s Theatre
• Arcadia – The Old Vic
• Much Ado About Nothing – Theatre Royal Drury Lane
• The Seagull – Barbican Theatre

Should win: All my sons

Will win: All my sons

Best New Entertainment or Comedy Play

• The Comedy About Spies – Noël Coward Theatre
• Every Brilliant Thing – @sohoplace
• Oh, Mary! – Trafalgar Theatre
• Paranormal Activity – Ambassadors Theatre

Should win: Every Brilliant Things

Will win: Paranormal Activity 

Best Actress

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

Should win: Marianne Jean-Baptiste

Will win: Rosamund Pike 

Best Actor

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

Should win: Sean Hayes

Will win: Bryan Cranston 

Best Actor in a Musical

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

Should win: Marc Antolin

Will win: James Hameed and Arti Shah

Best Actress in a Musical

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

Will win: Rachel Zegler

Should win: Rachel Zegler

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

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

Should win: Sophie Thompson

Will win: Julie Hesmondhalgh 

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

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

Should win: Paapa Essiedu

Will win: Paapa Essiedu

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

Should win: Jo Foster

Will win: Tom Edden

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

Should win: Kate Fleetwood

Will win: Victoria Hamilton-Baritt

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

Should win: Jordan Fein

Will win: Luke Shepherd

Gillian Lynne Award for 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

Should win: Drew McOnie

Will win: Fabian Aloise

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

Should win: Tom Scutt

Will win: Linda Cho

Best Set Design supported by Blue-i Theatre Technology

• 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

Should win: David Zinn

Will win: Tom Scutt

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

Should win: Robbie Butler

Will win: Aideen Malone

Best Sound Design supported by d&b audiotechnik

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

Should win: Stereophonic

Will win: Kenrex

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

Should win: Kenrex

Will win: Stereophonic 

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

Should win: Ben and Imo

Will win: The Glass Menagerie

The Olivier Awards with Cunard are due to be held on April 12 at the Royal Albert Hall in London.