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‘Chess,’ ‘Schmigadoon!’ & ‘Two Strangers’ lead 2026 Broadway.com Audience Choice Awards nominations — vote now

Voting is open now through Friday, May 8 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Winners will be announced on May 12.

Alex Brightman and McKenzie Kurtz in "Schmigadoon!"; Aaron Tveit and Lea Michele in "Chess"; Sam Tutty and Christiani Pitts in "Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)" (Photos: Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman; Matthew Murphy)

Broadway.com readers have selected the nominees for the 2026 Broadway.com Audience Choice Awards, the only major theatrical awards where the nominating jury and voting committee is made up entirely of  Broadway fans. Now, it’s time to check out the list and vote for the stars and shows you want to take home the trophies.

“Chess” dominates the board with 15 nominations, including four nominations for its trio of stars, Nicholas Christopher, Lea Michele and Aaron Tveit. Their castmate Hannah Cruz earned two nominations. “Schmigadoon!” is another major contender with 11 nominations, followed by “Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)” with a total of 10 nominations. Sam Tutty tied with Christopher, Michele and Tveit with four nominations, making them the most nominated performers.

Voting is open now through Friday, May 8 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Winners will be announced on May 12.

Read the full list of nominees below, and click here to vote!

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Favorite New Musical

Beaches

The Lost Boys

The Queen of Versailles

Schmigadoon!

Titanique

Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)

Favorite New Play

Call Me Izzy

Dog Day Afternoon

The Fear of 13

Giant

Liberation

Punch

Favorite Musical Revival

Cats: The Jellicle Ball

Chess

Mamma Mia!

Ragtime

The Rocky Horror Show

Favorite Play Revival

Death of a Salesman

Every Brilliant Thing

Fallen Angels

Oedipus

Proof

Waiting for Godot

Favorite Long-Running Show

Chicago

Death Becomes Her

Hadestown

Hamilton

Maybe Happy Ending

Wicked

Favorite Tour

Beetlejuice

Chicago

Hadestown

Hamilton

Les Misérables

Wicked

Favorite Leading Actor in a Musical

Alex Brightman, Schmigadoon!

Nicholas Christopher, Chess

Luke Evans, The Rocky Horror Show

Joshua Henry, Ragtime

Sam Tutty, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)

Aaron Tveit, Chess

Favorite Leading Actress in a Musical

Sara Chase, Schmigadoon!

Caissie Levy, Ragtime

Lea Michele, Chess

Marla Mindelle, Titanique

Christiani Pitts, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)

Jessica Vosk, Beaches

Favorite Leading Actor in a Play

Don Cheadle, Proof

Neil Patrick Harris, Art

Nathan Lane, Death of a Salesman

John Lithgow, Giant

Daniel Radcliffe, Every Brilliant Thing

Keanu Reeves, Waiting for Godot

Favorite Leading Actress in a Play

Rose Byrne, Fallen Angels

Ayo Edebiri, Proof

Taraji P. Henson, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone

Laurie Metcalf, Little Bear Ridge Road

Kelli O’Hara, Fallen Angels

Jean Smart, Call Me Izzy

Favorite Featured Actor in a Musical

Bryce Pinkham, Chess

Ali Louis Bourzgui, The Lost Boys

Max Clayton, Schmigadoon!

Andre De Shields, Cats: The Jellicle Ball

Jim Parsons, Titanique

Ben Levi Ross, Ragtime

Favorite Featured Actress in a Musical

Melissa Barrera, Titanique

Shoshana Bean, The Lost Boys

Hannah Cruz, Chess

Ana Gasteyer, Schmigadoon!

McKenzie Kurtz, Schmigadoon!

Nichelle Lewis, Ragtime

Favorite Featured Actor in a Play

Christopher Abbott, Death of a Salesman

Ben Ahlers, Death of a Salesman

Patrick Ball, Becky Shaw

Joshua Boone, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone

Danny Burstein, Marjorie Prime

Mark Consuelos, Fallen Angels

Favorite Featured Actress in a Play

Betsy Aidem, Liberation

Madeline Brewer, Becky Shaw

Victoria Clark, Punch

Laurie Metcalf, Death of a Salesman

Cynthia Nixon, Marjorie Prime

Kara Young, Proof

Favorite Diva Performance

Shoshana Bean, The Lost Boys

Hannah Cruz, Chess

Luke Evans, The Rocky Horror Show

Caissie Levy, Ragtime

Lea Michele, Chess

Jessica Vosk, Beaches

Favorite Funny Performance

Alex Brightman, Schmigadoon!

Sara Chase, Schmigadoon!

Kristin Chenoweth, The Queen of Versailles

McKenzie Kurtz, Schmigadoon!

Bryce Pinkham, Chess

Sam Tutty, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)

Favorite Onstage Pair

Shoshana Bean and Paul Alexander Nolan, The Lost Boys

Alex Brightman and Sara Chase, Schmigadoon!

Nicholas Christopher and Lea Michele, Chess

Nicholas Christopher and Aaron Tveit, Chess

Lea Michele and Aaron Tveit, Chess

Christiani Pitts and Sam Tutty, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)

Favorite Breakthrough Performance (Male)

LJ Benet, The Lost Boys

Don Cheadle, Proof

Luke Evans, The Rocky Horror Show

Keanu Reeves, Waiting for Godot

Sam Tutty, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)

Layton Williams, Titanique

Favorite Breakthrough Performance (Female)

Melissa Barrera, Titanique

Ayo Edebiri, Proof

Taraji P. Henson, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone

Juliette Lewis, The Rocky Horror Show

Tessa Thompson, The Fear of 13

Maria Wirries, The Lost Boys

Favorite Replacement (Male)

Mark Ballas, Chicago

Corbin Bleu, The Great Gatsby

Bob the Drag Queen, Moulin Rouge!

Tom Felton, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Jeremy Jordan, Just In Time

Jack Wolfe, Hadestown

Favorite Replacement (Female)

Julie Benko, Ragtime

Isa Briones, Just In Time

Sarah Hyland, Just In Time

Jane Krakowski, Oh, Mary!

Whitney Leavitt, Chicago

Betsy Wolfe, Death Becomes Her

Favorite Original Song

“About To Go In” - Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)

“American Express” - Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)

“Belong to Someone” - The Lost Boys

“If We Make It Through the Night” - The Lost Boys

“New York” - Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)

“Not That Kinda Gal” - Schmigadoon!

Performance of the Year (Musical)

Nicholas Christopher, Chess

Joshua Henry, Ragtime

Caissie Levy, Ragtime

Lea Michele, Chess

Christiani Pitts, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)

Aaron Tveit, Chess

Performance of the Year (Play)

Rose Byrne, Fallen Angels

Ayo Edebiri, Proof

Nathan Lane, Death of a Salesman

Kelli O’Hara, Fallen Angels

Daniel Radcliffe, Every Brilliant Thing

Totals By Show

Chess - 15

Schmigadoon! - 11

Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) - 10

The Lost Boys - 9

Ragtime - 9

Proof - 7

Death of a Salesman - 6

Fallen Angels - 6

Titanique - 6

The Rocky Horror Show - 5

Chicago - 4

Beaches - 3

Every Brilliant Thing - 3

Hadestown - 3

Joe Turner’s Come and Gone - 3

Just In Time - 3

Waiting for Godot - 3

Becky Shaw - 2

Call Me Izzy - 2

Cats: The Jellicle Ball - 2

Death Becomes Her - 2

The Fear of 13 - 2

Giant - 2

Hamilton - 2

Liberation - 2

Little Bear Ridge Road - 2

Marjorie Prime - 2

The Queen of Versailles - 2

Punch - 2

Wicked - 2

Art - 1

Beetlejuice - 1

Dog Day Afternoon - 1

The Great Gatsby - 1

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - 1

Les Miserables - 1

Mamma Mia! - 1

Maybe Happy Ending - 1

Moulin Rouge! - 1

Oedipus - 1

Oh, Mary! - 1

Performers With Multiple Nominations

Nicholas Christopher, Chess - 4

Lea Michele, Chess - 4

Sam Tutty, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) - 4

Aaron Tveit, Chess - 4

Alex Brightman, Schmigadoon! - 3

Sara Chase, Schmigadoon! - 3

Ayo Edebiri, Proof - 3

Caissie Levy, Ragtime - 3

Laurie Metcalf, Death of a SalesmanLittle Bear Ridge Road - 3

Christiani Pitts, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) - 3

Melissa Barrera, Titanique - 2

Shoshana Bean, The Lost Boys - 2

Rose Byrne, Fallen Angels - 2

Hannah Cruz, Chess - 2

Luke Evans, The Rocky Horror Show - 2

Joshua Henry, Ragtime - 2

Taraji P. Henson, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone - 2

Nathan Lane, Death of a Salesman - 2

Kelli O’Hara, Fallen Angels - 2

Bryce Pinkham, Chess - 2

Daniel Radcliffe, Every Brilliant Thing - 2

Jessica Vosk, Beaches - 2

This article previously appeared on Broadway.com.