The Olivier Awards 2026 nominations have been announced, with 45 productions nominated from a total of over 200.

This year’s Olivier Awards eligibility list was announced last month by the Society of London Theatre, which runs the awards.

With every nomination success for a show, there are even more shows that are not recognised by the Olivier Awards judges.

It’s just one of those things.

But there are some startling omissions from this year’s list of Olivier Awards nominations.

The National Theatre

The theatre which must be most depressed this year is the National Theatre. Indhu Rubasingham’s first full season at the National has failed to bring in the awards, including no nominations for her production of Bacchae, or the venue’s productions of Hamlet, The Estate, The Land of the Living, Man and Boy, and The Playboy of the Western World.

That said, the National stages a huge number of shows every year, so it’s great that Sondheim’s Here We Are and Inter Alia starring Rosamund Pike were recognised with nominations. Inter Alia is transferring into the West End this month.

Jamie Lloyd

In terms of directors snubbed this year, the name at the top of the list has to be Jamie Lloyd.

Lloyd’s productions of Much Ado About Nothing at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, and Evita starring Rachel Zegler at the London Palladium, were two of the most talked-about, sold-out and critically-acclaimed productions of 2025.

There is only one category for Best Director at the Olivier Awards, so it has to encompass musicals and plays – which is a big ask. Best Director of a Musical? Surely it’s time.

The Old Vic & Almeida

It wasn’t an especially great day for Matthew Warchus’s final season at The Old Vic either.

Where the venue has won is with Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia, which scored two nominations including Best Revival.

But Conor MacPherson’s new play The Brightening Air, and Mary Page Marlowe starring Susan Sarandon, failed to spark the Olivier judges.

It also hasn’t been a great success for Rupert Goold’s final season at the Almeida Theatre, with The Line Of Beauty, A Moon For The Misbegotten starring Ruth Wilson, Romans a novel, Rhinoceros, Christmas Day and Otherland all being passed over for awards.

Consolation has been 1536 and American Psycho, which both received two nominations each.

It’s worth noting that Rupert Goold is off to join The Old Vic later this year.

Star vehicles

A number of shows with star names were also snubbed by the awards judges this year. Fans will be up in arms, as will some critics who have given a few of these shows five stars.

  • Dracula starring Cynthia Erivo at the Noel Coward Theatre
  • Clarkston starring Joe Locke at the Trafalgar Theatre
  • The Fifth Step starring Jack Lowden and Martin Freeman at @SohoPlace Theatre
  • The RSC’s Born with Teeth starring Ncuti Gatwa at the Wyndham’s Theatre
  • Indian Ink starring Felicity Kendal at Hampstead Theatre
  • The Lady From The Sea starring Andrew Lincoln and Alicia Vikander at the Bridge Theatre
  • The Weir starring Brendan Gleeson at the Harold Pinter Theatre
  • My Master Builder starring Ewan McGregor and Elizabeth Debicki at the Wyndham’s Theatre
  • Richard II starring Jonathan Bailey at the Bridge Theatre
  • Othello starring David Harewood and Toby Jones at the Theatre Royal Haymarket
  • Shadowlands starring Hugh Bonneville at the Aldwych Theatre
  • Mrs. Warren’s Profession starring Imelda Staunton at the Garrick Theatre
  • Woman In Mind starring Sheridan Smith and Romesh Ranganathan at the Duke Of York’s Theatre

More surprise snubs

Other surprise omissions from this year’s awards included big-name musicals Disney’s Hercules at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane; and Burlesque The Musical at the Savoy Theatre, which is coming back to London later this year.

In terms of plays, The Hunger Games: On Stage didn’t score with the judges, but continues to pack in audiences at the new Troubadour Canary Wharf Theatre.

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Main photo: Olivier Awards. Photo by Pamela Raith

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