Nominations have been announced for the 70th annual Drama Desk Awards. In a ceremony on April 29 at the Lambs, four-time Tony Award nominee and three-time Drama Desk winner Raúl Esparza and Drama Desk nominee Helen J Shen revealed the nominees.
For the 70th annual awards, the Drama Desk nominating committee considered Broadway, Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway productions that opened during the 2025-2026 season prior to April 26, and ran for at least 21 performances.
To determine the eligibility of shows from prior seasons, the committee considered only elements that constituted new work. The productions affected by this eligibility rule include “A Christmas Carol (Old Vic),” “Cats: The Jellicle Ball,” “Eurydice,” “Exorcistic: The Rock Musical,” “Heathers the Musical,” “Liberation,” “Marjorie Prime,” “Oratorio for Living Things,” “The Whole of Time,” “Titanique” and “You Got Older.”
Productions deemed not eligible, either because they were considered in their entirety in previous seasons or because they did not invite consideration, include “All Out,” “Beetlejuice,” “Creditors,” “Father Anonymous,” “Mamma Mia!,” “Pen Pals,” “Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes,” “Slam Frank,” “What Happened Was…” and “What We Did Before Our Moth Days.”
In addition to the competitive awards, former Disney Theatrical Productions president Tom Schumacher will be honored with the Harold S. Prince Award. The William Wolf Award, presented by the board of the Drama Desk, will honor songwriting duo Richard Maltby Jr. and David Shire.
As for special awards, Ensemble Awards will be presented to the casts of Second Stage Theater’s revival of “Marjorie Prime” and Intar Theater’s “Spread.” Xhloe Rice and Natasha Roland will receive the Sam Norkin Off-Broadway Award for “A Letter to Lyndon B Johnson or God” and “What If They Ate The Baby?”
Additional special awards will recognize “Initiative,” the five-hour “Dungeons and Dragons” play that ran at the Public Theater this past fall, and “Masquerade,” the immersive reimagining of "Phantom of the Opera.”
The 2026 Drama Desk Awards winners will be announced in a ceremony on May 17, located at the Town Hall. A limited number of tickets are now available to the general public. This will be the first time the awards have been presented at the historic venue since the COVID-19 pandemic shut down Broadway theaters in 2020.
A full list of the 2026 Drama Desk Award nominees is below.
Outstanding Play
“Caroline” by Preston Max Allen
“Cold War Choir Practice” by Ro Reddick
“Meet the Cartozians” by Talene Monahon
“Prince F*ggot” by Jordan Tannahill
“The Balusters” by David Lindsay-Abaire
“The Porch on Windy Hill” by Sherry Stregack Lutken, Lisa Helmi Johanson, Morgan Morse and David M. Lutken
“Well, I’ll Let You Go” by Bubba Weiler
Outstanding Musical
“Beau”
“Mexodus”
“Schmigadoon!”
“The Seat of Our Pants”
“Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)”
Outstanding Revival of a Play
“Becky Shaw”
“Ceremonies in Dark Old Men”
“Death of a Salesman”
“Los Soles Truncos”
“Titus Andronicus”
“You Got Older”
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 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”)
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 F*ggot”)
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”)
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 (“Titanique”)
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”)
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 and Arturo Lyons (“Cats: The Jellicle Ball”)
Lauren Yalango-Grant and Christopher Cree Grant (includes aerial choreography) (“The Lost Boys”)
Outstanding Music
The Lazours (“Night Side Songs”)
Ethan Lipton (“The Seat of Our Pants”)
Ethan D. Pakchar and Douglas Lyons (“Beau”)
Michael Thurber (“Goddess”)
Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson (“Mexodus”)
Outstanding Lyrics
Jim Barne and 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”)
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”)
Jesse Malin and 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 and 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”)
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 F*ggot”)
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 and Donald Holder (“Ragtime”)
Bradley King (“The Baker’s Wife”)
Jen Schriever and Michael Arden (“The Lost Boys”)
Japhy Weideman (“Beau”)
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”)
Jason Crystal (“The Baker’s Wife”)
Mikhail Fiksel (includes looping systems architecture) (“Mexodus”)
Kai Harada (“Ragtime”)
Alex Hawthorn and 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”
Tied for the most nominations are two Off-Broadway musicals: “Beau” and “Mexodus” at ten nominations each. Broadway’s most-nominated shows are “Ragtime” and "The Balusters,” each of which is nominated for eight awards.
