Raúl Esparza and Helen J Shen have been selected to announce the nominees for the 70th annual Drama Desk Awards. The announcement will take place on April 29 at 10 a.m. ET at the Lambs in New York City; it will also be livestreamed via Broadway.com’s YouTube channel.
Esparza is a four-time Tony Award nominee and a winner of three Drama Desk Awards, including Outstanding Actor in a Musical for his performance in the 2006 revival of “Company.” He is also set to star in the new musical “Galileo,” which is set to open at the Shubert Theatre on December 6. Esparza is also known for his long-running turn as Rafael Barba on TV’s “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.”
Shen originated the role of Claire in the Tony-winning musical “Maybe Happy Ending,” for which she was nominated for a Drama Desk Award in 2025. They are also set to make their film debut in “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” which is scheduled to arrive in cinemas on May 1.
The 2025-2026 Drama Desk nominating committee consists of Martha Wade Steketee, Linda Armstrong, Dan Dinero, Peter Filichia, Kenji Fujishima, Margaret Hall and Raven Snook.
Winners of the 2026 Drama Desk Awards will be announced in a ceremony at the Town Hall on May 17. The ceremony will also honor Tom Schumacher, the former president of Disney Theatrical Productions, with the Harold S. Prince Award.
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The Drama Desk Awards are presented by the Drama Desk organization and produced by Drama Desk Awards productions, a venture of Scene Partners and the Season. David Barbour and Charles Wright are co-presidents of the Drama Desk organization; Mike Karns and Steven Tartick are co-founders. Victoria Weinberg leads Drama Desk Awards productions.
