Olivier Awards 2026 nominations announced as Paddington and Into the Woods lead the field

The Laurence Olivier Awards has revealed its nominations for 2026, with Paddington The Musical and Into the Woods leading the field with 11 nominations each. The annual awards ceremony will take place at the Royal Albert Hall on 12 April 2026, with Nick Mohammed making his debut as host.

Now celebrating its 50th year, the Olivier Awards recognise the best productions and performances across London theatre.

Which shows received the most Olivier nominations?

Musicals dominated the 2026 nominations, with Paddington The Musical and the revival of Into the Woods both receiving 11 nominations.

In the play categories, three productions tied with six nominations each - All My Sons, Kenrex and Stereophonic.

The nominations reflect a strong year for both new productions and major revivals across the West End and London theatre scene.

Performers and creatives receiving multiple nominations

Several artists received multiple nominations across categories.

Sean Hayes is nominated for Best Actor and Outstanding Musical Contribution, while Georgina Onuorah received two nominations for her work in musical theatre performance categories. Designer Tom Scutt is nominated for both Best Costume Design and Best Set Design.

Zachary Hart also received a double nomination in the same category for his supporting performances in Stereophonic and The Seagull.

Paddington The Musical earns strong recognition

Paddington The Musical, adapted for the stage by Jessica Swale and Tom Fletcher and directed by Luke Sheppard, received nominations across both performance and technical categories.

The production’s costume designers Gabriella Slade and Tahra Zafar are jointly nominated in Best Costume Design, while Tom Pye and Ash J Woodward are nominated for their work in Best Set Design.

Two performers bringing the character of Paddington Bear to life, Arti Shah and James Hameed, have also been jointly nominated in the Best Actor in a Musical category.

Into the Woods revival receives performer nominations

Jordan Fein’s revival of the Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine musical Into the Woods received nominations across multiple performance categories.

Performers Jamie Parker, Katie Brayben, Jo Foster, Oliver Savile and Kate Fleetwood are recognised alongside the production’s nomination for Best Musical Revival.

Meanwhile, Sondheim’s final musical Here We Are, which received its European premiere at the National Theatre, is nominated for Best New Musical, with Jane Krakowski and Tracie Bennett also recognised for their performances.

Major acting nominations for All My Sons

Ivo van Hove’s revival of Arthur Miller’s All My Sons received six nominations, including recognition for performances by Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Bryan Cranston, Hayley Squires and Paapa Essiedu, alongside van Hove’s direction.

Other nominated productions across categories

Stereophonic also received six nominations, matching the totals for All My Sons and Kenrex.

Additional nominations include recognition for productions such as Shucked, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, American Psycho, Much Ado About Nothing and Evita.

Notable acting nominees include Tom Hiddleston for Much Ado About Nothing, Rachel Zegler and Diego Andres Rodriguez for Evita, Rosamund Pike for Inter Alia and Cate Blanchett for The Seagull.

Full List Of Olivier Awards 2026 Nominees

Below is the complete list of nominees for the 2026 Olivier Awards.

Best New Musical

• Here We Are – book by David Ives, music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim – National Theatre (Lyttelton)

• Paddington The Musical – music and lyrics by Tom Fletcher, book by Jessica Swale – Savoy Theatre

• Shucked – book by Robert Horn, music and lyrics by Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally – Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

• The Unlikely Pilgrimage Of Harold Fry – book by Rachel Joyce, music and lyrics by Passenger – Theatre Royal Haymarket

Best Musical Revival

• American Psycho – Almeida Theatre

• Evita – The London Palladium

• Into The Woods – Bridge Theatre

• The Producers – Garrick Theatre

Best New Play

• 1536 by Ava Pickett – Almeida Theatre

• Inter Alia by Suzie Miller – National Theatre (Lyttelton)

• Kenrex by Jack Holden and Ed Stambollouian – The Other Palace

• Punch by James Graham – Young Vic and Apollo Theatre

Best Revival

• All My Sons by Arthur Miller – Wyndham’s Theatre

• Arcadia by Tom Stoppard – The Old Vic

• Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare – Theatre Royal Drury Lane

• The Seagull by Anton Chekhov, adapted by Duncan Macmillan and Thomas Ostermeier – Barbican Theatre

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

Best Actress

• Cate Blanchett – The Seagull

• Marianne Jean-Baptiste – All My Sons

• Julia McDermott – Weather Girl

• Rosamund Pike – Inter Alia

• Rosie Sheehy – Guess How Much I Love You?

Best Actor

• Bryan Cranston – All My Sons

• Sean Hayes – Good Night, Oscar

• Tom Hiddleston – Much Ado About Nothing

• Jack Holden – Kenrex

• David Shields – Punch

Best Actor In A Musical

• Marc Antolin – The Producers

• James Hameed and Arti Shah – Paddington The Musical

• Andy Nyman – The Producers

• Jamie Parker – Into The Woods

• Diego Andres Rodriguez – Evita

Best Actress In A Musical

• Katie Brayben – Into The Woods

• Danielle Fiamanya and Georgina Onuorah – Brigadoon

• Jane Krakowski – Here We Are

• Jenna Russell – The Unlikely Pilgrimage Of Harold Fry

• Rachel Zegler – Evita

Best Actress In A Supporting Role

• Isis Hainsworth – Arcadia

• Julie Hesmondhalgh – Punch

• Lucy Karczewski – Stereophonic

• Hayley Squires – All My Sons

• Sophie Thompson – When We Are Married

Best Actor In A Supporting Role

• Hammed Animashaun – Dealer’s Choice

• Paapa Essiedu – All My Sons

• Zachary Hart – The Seagull

• Zachary Hart – Stereophonic

• Giles Terera – Oh, Mary!

Best Actor In A Supporting Role In A Musical

• Trevor Ashley – The Producers

• Corbin Bleu – The Great Gatsby – A New Musical

• Tom Edden – Paddington The Musical

• Jo Foster – Into The Woods

• Oliver Savile – Into The Woods

Best Actress In A Supporting Role In A Musical

• Tracie Bennett – Here We Are

• Amy Booth-Steel – Paddington The Musical

• Kate Fleetwood – Into The Woods

• Victoria Hamilton-Barritt – Paddington The Musical

• Georgina Onuorah – Shucked

Best Director

• Jordan Fein – Into The Woods

• Luke Sheppard – Paddington The Musical

• Ed Stambollouian – Kenrex

• Lyndsey Turner – 1536

• Ivo van Hove – All My Sons

Best Theatre Choreographer

• Fabian Aloise – Evita

• Ellen Kane – Paddington The Musical

• Drew McOnie – Brigadoon

• Lynne Page – American Psycho

Best Costume Design

• Enver Chakartash – Stereophonic

• Linda Cho – The Great Gatsby – A New Musical

• Tom Scutt – Into The Woods

• Gabriella Slade and Tahra Zafar – Paddington The Musical

Best Set Design

• Paul Tate dePoo III – The Great Gatsby – A New Musical

• Tom Pye and Ash J Woodward – Paddington The Musical

• Tom Scutt – Into The Woods

• David Zinn – Stereophonic

Best Lighting Design

• Robbie Butler – Punch

• Jon Clark – Evita

• Aideen Malone and Roland Horvath – Into The Woods

• Joshua Pharo – Kenrex

Best Sound Design

• Adam Fisher – Into The Woods

• Gareth Owen – Paddington The Musical

• Ryan Rumery – Stereophonic

• Giles Thomas – Kenrex

Outstanding Musical Contribution

• Matt Brind – Paddington The Musical

• Will Butler and Justin Craig – Stereophonic

• John Patrick Elliott – Kenrex

• Chris Fenwick and Sean Hayes – Good Night, Oscar

Best Family Show

• The Boy At The Back Of The Class – Rose Theatre

• The Boy With Wings – Polka Theatre

• The Firework-Maker’s Daughter – Polka Theatre

• The Three Little Pigs – Unicorn Theatre

Best New Production In Affiliate Theatre

• Ben And Imo – Orange Tree Theatre

• The Glass Menagerie – The Yard Theatre

• The Ministry Of Lesbian Affairs – Kiln Theatre

• Miss Myrtle’s Garden – Bush Theatre

• The Shtheads* – Royal Court Theatre

Best New Dance Production

• Into The Hairy – Sadler’s Wells

• Mimi’s Shebeen – Sadler’s Wells East

• Random Taranto – Barbican

• She’s Auspicious – Sadler’s Wells East

Best New Opera Production

• Dead Man Walking – English National Opera

• The Makropulos Case – Royal Opera House

• Tosca – Royal Opera House

• Die Walküre – Royal Opera House

When are the Olivier Awards 2026?

The 2026 Olivier Awards ceremony will take place on 12 April 2026 at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

The event marks the 50th anniversary of the Olivier Awards and celebrates the best theatre productions and performances across London’s stages.

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