UK Theatre Awards 2026 nominations announced

The nominees for the UK Theatre Awards 2026 have been announced today, with nominees showcasing the breadth of theatre across the UK. Winners will be revealed at October’s awards ceremony hosted by La Voix.

The nominees for the UK Theatre Awards 2026, sponsored by Encore, have been announced. The annual event has celebrated creative excellence and outstanding achievement on and off stage across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. As previously announced, La Voix is set to host this year’s ceremony, taking place in October.

In the performing categories, Isis Hainsworth (Measure for Measure), Adrian Lester (Cyrano de Bergerac) and Katie Redford & Benedict Salter (Scenes from a Friendship) are nominated for Best Performance in a Play, while Hadley Fraser (My Fair Lady), Annette McLaughlin (Follies) and Julianne Pundan (Miss Saigon) received nominations for Best Performance in a Musical.

Nottingham Playhouse leads the way with four nominations, spanning Best Performance in a Play, Best New Play and Best Play Revival, in addition to its previously announced UK’s Most Welcoming Theatre nomination. Theatr Clwyd follows closely with three nominations, also shortlisted for Excellence in Touring and Excellence in Sustainability.

UK Theatre Awards: The full list of nominations

Best Musical Production (sponsored by Tysers Live)

Calendar Girls The Musical (Stephen Joseph Theatre, Theatre by the Lake, New Wolsey Theatre & Octagon Theatre Bolton)
The High Life (National Theatre of Scotland & Dundee Rep Theatre)
Kiss of the Spiderwoman (Curve, Bristol Old Vic & Mayflower Southampton)
Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Birmingham Rep

Best New Play (sponsored by Ecclesiastical Insurance)

Black Sheep (curious directive, Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds & New Wolsey Theatre)
The Last Stand of Mrs. Mary Whitehouse (Nottingham Playhouse, Eleanor Lloyd Productions & Kate Pakenham)
The Manningtree Witches (Mercury Original, in association with Frantic Assembly)

Best Play Revival

Our Town (Welsh National Theatre & Rose Theatre)
Road (Royal Exchange Theatre)
Small Island (Leeds Playhouse, Birmingham Rep & Nottingham Playhouse)

Best Director

Abigail Graham (Living, Sheffield Theatres)
Emma Jordan (The Human Voice, Prime Cut Productions at Lyric Theatre Belfast)
Tom Littler (Love’s Labour’s Lost & Much Ado About Nothing, Guildford Shakespeare Company & Orange Tree Theatre)

Best Performance in a Musical

Hadley Fraser (My Fair Lady, Chichester Festival Theatre)
Annette McLaughlin (Follies, Northern Ireland Opera at Grand Opera House, Belfast)
Julianne Pundan (Miss Saigon, Cameron Mackintosh in association with Michael Harrison)

Best Performance in a Play

Isis Hainsworth (Measure for Measure, RSC)
Adrian Lester (Cyrano de Bergerac, RSC)
Katie Redford & Benedict Salter (Scenes from a Friendship, Nottingham Playhouse)

Best Supporting Performance (in a Musical or Play)

Ash Hunter (The Meat Kings! (Inc.) of Brooklyn Heights, Papatango Theatre Company & Park Theatre)
Lydia Louise (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Watermill Theatre)
Gloria Obianyo (As You Like It, Theatre Royal Bath Productions)

Best Design

Jenny Booth, Garry Boyle, Daniel Hughes & Emma Jones (The Singer, Dundee Rep Theatre & Solar Bear)
Ceci Calf (The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher, Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse)
Terry Parsons (Jack and Sarah, The Mill at Sonning)

Best Show for Children & Young People