2026 Drama Desk Award nominations announced

The Off-Broadway musical Mexodus and the Broadway shows Ragtime and The Balusters are among the shows that received the most nominations this season.

Summary

• The Drama Desk Awards honor the best of Broadway; Off-Broadway; and Off-Off-Broadway theatre
• The Off-Broadway musicals Mexodus and Beau The Musical received the most nominations
• Winners will be announced at the May 17 ceremony

The 2026 Drama Desk Award nominations have been announced, honoring the best of Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway theatre, competing against each other in all categories.

The Off-Broadway musicals Mexodus (currently running) and Beau The Musical, which played two Off-Broadway runs last year, tied for the most nominations with 10 each. Ethan Lipton's now-closed Off-Broadway musical The Seat of Our Pants received nine, and the Broadway shows Ragtime and The Balusters received eight each.

Currently playing Broadway shows nominated for top honors include the new musicals Schmigadoon! and Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York); the musical revivals Chess, and The Rocky Horror Show; and the play revivals Becky Shaw and Death of a Salesman.

Other current Off-Broadway shows nominated include the new play Well, I’ll Let You Go; the musical revival The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee; and the play revivals Titus Andronicus and You Got Older.

The Drama Desk committee also gave out numerous special awards, including the Ensemble Award (for the casts of Marjorie Prime on Broadway and Intar Theatre’s Spread), the Sam Norkin Off-Broadway Award (for Xhloe Rice and Natasha Roland), the William Wolf Award (for Richard Maltby Jr. and David Shire), the Harold S. Prince Award (for Tom Schumacher), and additional special awards for Initiative off Broadway and director Diane Paulus and her creative team for Masquerade.

Winners will be announced at the 70th annual ceremony on May 17. Discover the full list of competitive Drama Desk Award nominees below.

Outstanding Musical

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

Outstanding Play

• Caroline
• Cold War Choir Practice
• Meet the Cartozians
• Prince Faggot
• The Balusters
• The Porch on Windy Hill
• Well, I’ll Let You Go

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 Revival of a Play

• Becky Shaw
• Ceremonies in Dark Old Men
• Death of a Salesman
• Los Sole Truncos
• Titus Andronicus
• You Got Older

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)
• Brandon Uranowitz, Ragtime

Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play

• Caroline Aaron, The Reservoir
• Edoardo Benzoni, Are the Bennet 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 Faggot
• 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, Titaníque

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 & 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 & Douglas Lyons, Beau the Musical
• Michael Thurber, Goddess
• Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson, Mexodus

Outstanding Lyrics

• Jim Barne & 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 & 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 & Or Matias, My Joy is Heavy

Outstanding Music in a Play

• John Patrick Elliott, Kenrex
• Donald Lawrence, Oh Happy Day!
• Stan Mathabane (composer) and Munir Zakee (musician), The Brothers Size
• Johnathan 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 Faggot
• Jeff Croiter, The Adding Machine
• Stacey 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 & Donald Holder, Ragtime
• Bradley King, The Baker’s Wife
• Jen Schriever 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 & 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 Design

• 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
• Sordelet Inc., The Lost Boys

Outstanding Adaptation

• and her Children, by Rosie Glen-Lambert and Hailey McAfee
• Are the Bennet Girls Ok?, by Emily Breeze
• Oedipus, by Robert Icke
• Pride & Prejudice, by Abigail Pickard Price, with Sarah Gobran and Matt Pinches
• Room 204, by Taylor Massa
• 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
• ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
• Rheology
• Slanted Floors

Photo credit: Mexodus off Broadway. (Photo by Thomas Mundell)