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Romeo & Juliet stars Sadie Sink and Noah Jupe, Oscar nominee Brendan Gleeson and directorial newcomer Ralph Fiennes are among the names shortlisted for The Stage Debut Awards 2026, celebrating breakthrough theatre talent from across the UK.

The Stage Debut Awards, in association with Netflix, has announced its 2026 shortlist, recognising performers and creatives making standout professional and West End debuts across UK theatre. The shortlist spans several categories. including performance, writing, directing, design, composition, lyrics and book writing with nominees drawn from West End productions, major regional theatres, touring shows and fringe venues.

Sadie Sink and Noah Jupe were both shortlisted for their West End debuts in Romeo & Juliet earlier this year, alongside Oscar nominee Brendan Gleeson, who was nominated for his West End debut in The Weir. BAFTA and Tony-winning actor Ralph Fiennes has been recognised for his directorial debut on As You Like It at Theatre Royal Bath.

Chair of the judges and The Stage reviews editor Sam Marlowe said: ‘It’s never an easy task, narrowing down the wealth of theatrical talent across the UK into a shortlist – but it is an immense pleasure and a privilege.

This year’s nominees have made work of stunning breadth and ingenuity – and, as ever, we recognise and salute those flexing their talents in our smallest spaces, on shoestring budgets, as well as those creating on a much larger scale.

From the tiniest fringe venues to the West End stage, they all have one thing in common: a palpable passion for the art form, and limitless vision, both of which continue to make our theatre culture vibrant, challenging, thrilling and beautiful.

These are artists taking their first steps with their gaze firmly fixed on the future – and the Debuts celebrates not only their achievements so far, but all those still to come.’

Hilson Agbangbe, who won Best Performer in a Play for Wonder Boy at the Bristol Old Vic. Photo by David Monteith-Hodge
Hilson Agbangbe, who won Best Performer in a Play for Wonder Boy at the Bristol Old Vic. Photo by David Monteith-Hodge

The Stage Debut Awards

The awards aim to celebrate the performers and creatives making standout professional and West End debuts across UK theatre. Previous winners of the awards who have gone on to have glittering careers in theatre include Rob Madge, Jack Wolfe, Rachel Zegler, Sam Tutty and Grace Hodgett Young.

This year’s nominees include those beginning stage careers at the start of adult life to others embracing theatre after careers in other areas of the arts.

This year’s full list of nominees include:

Best Performer in a Play (sponsored by Encore)

  • Robert Aramayo for Guess How Much I Love You? at Royal Court Theatre, London
  • Zoë Armer for The Virgins at Soho Theatre, London
  • Noah Jupe for Romeo and Juliet at Harold Pinter Theatre, London
  • Assa Kanouté for Much Ado About Nothing at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, London
  • Erin Kellyman for Evening All Afternoon at Donmar Warehouse, London
  • Dylan Malyn for To Kill a Mockingbird at Leeds Playhouse, and touring
  • Ruaridh Mollica for Clarkston at Trafalgar Theatre, London
  • Amber van der Brugge for Vincent in Brixton at Orange Tree Theatre, London

Best Performer in a Musical (sponsored by Michael Harrison Entertainment)

  • Jess Douglas-Welsh for Redcliffe at Southwark Playhouse Borough, London
  • Jess Folley for Burlesque at Savoy Theatre, London
  • Lydia Louise for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at Watermill Theatre, Newbury
  • Julianne Pundan for Miss Saigon at Palace Theatre, Manchester, and touring
  • James Spence for Thespians at Mercury Theatre, Colchester, and touring
  • Sheridan Townsley for Sing Street at Lyric Hammersmith, London

Best Writer (sponsored by Sonia Friedman Productions)

  • Chris Ashworth-Bennion for The Red Rogue of Bala at Theatr Clwyd, Mold
  • Georgie Dettmer for Are You Watching? at Royal Court Theatre, London
  • Hannah Doran for The Meat Kings! (Inc.) of Brooklyn Heights at Park Theatre, London
  • Leo Drayton for Dynolwaith at Sherman Theatre, Cardiff
  • Fran Kranz for Mass at Donmar Warehouse, London
  • John Morton for Eclipse at Chichester Festival Theatre
  • Jack Nicholls for The Shitheads at Royal Court Theatre, London
  • Danielle Phillips for Children of the Night at Cast, Doncaster

Best Director

  • Douglas Clarke-Wood for THIS IS NOT ABOUT ME. at Summerhall, Edinburgh
  • Ralph Fiennes for As You Like It at Bath Theatre Royal
  • Tommaso Giacomin for The Uncontainable Nausea of Alec Baldwin at New Diorama Theatre, London
  • Michelle McTernan for HOP – The Hopeful Hare at Swansea Grand Theatre

Best Designer (sponsored by Preevue)

  • Lev Govorovski and Ted Walliker (set and lighting design) for RON at Riverside Studios, London
  • Alex Mullins (costume design) for Teeth ‘n’ Smiles at Duke of York’s Theatre, London
  • Natalie Roar (costume design) for Les Liaisons Dangereuses at National Theatre, London

Best Composer, Lyricist or Book Writer (sponsored by Theatrical Rights Worldwide)

  • John Carney and Gary Clark (music, lyrics) for Sing Street at Lyric Hammersmith, London
  • Jordan Luke Gage (book, music, lyrics) for Redcliffe at Southwark Playhouse Borough, London
  • Guido García Lueches and Sergio Antonio Maggiolo (book, music, lyrics) for Jeezus! at Underbelly Cowgate, Edinburgh and New Diorama Theatre, London
  • Ed Zanders (music, lyrics) for Thespians at Mercury Theatre, Colchester, and touring

Best Creative West End Debut (sponsored by Jamie Wilson Productions)

  • Finn den Hertog (director) for The Fifth Step at @sohoplace
  • Tom Fletcher (composer/lyricist) for Paddington the Musical at Savoy Theatre
  • Rachel Joyce (book) and Passenger (composer/lyricist) for The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry at Theatre Royal Haymarket
  • Ava Pickett (writer) for 1536 at Ambassadors Theatre

Best West End Debut Performer

  • Levi Brown for Cyrano de Bergerac at Noël Coward Theatre
  • Brendan Gleeson for The Weir at Harold Pinter Theatre
  • Liv Hill for 1536 at Ambassadors Theatre
  • Noah Jupe for Romeo and Juliet at Harold Pinter Theatre
  • Cormac McAlinden for Inter Alia at Wyndham’s Theatre
  • Ntombizodwa Ndlovu for Marie and Rosetta at @sohoplace
  • Alistair Nwachukwu for The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind at @sohoplace
  • Kate Phillips for The Weir at Harold Pinter Theatre
  • Arti Shah for Paddington the Musical at Savoy Theatre
  • Sadie Sink for Romeo and Juliet at Harold Pinter Theatre

Winners will be revealed at the ninth annual awards ceremony on 27 September 2026.

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Main photo: Alistair Nwachukwu, Brendan Gleeson, Sadie Sink, Kate Phillips, Levi Brown. The Stage Debut Award 2026 Shortlist

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