Olivier Awards 2026: Full list of winners announced

The star-studded evening featured a dazzling mix of presenters and a glorious array of performances from some of the biggest musicals in the West End. We were treated to performances of 'Masquerade' and 'The Phantom of the Opera' from The Phantom of the Opera, celebrating its 40th anniversary; 'Marmalade' from Paddington the Musical; a heartrending rendition of 'Don't Cry For Me, Argentina' from Evita by Rachel Zegler; 'First Midnight' from Into the Woods; 'Independently Owned' from Shucked by Georgina Onuorah; 'We Can Do It' and 'I Wanna Be a Producer' from The Producers; 'Keep On Walking, Mr Fry' from Jenna Boyd, Mark Addy, and the cast of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry; and finally a rendition of 'For Good' from Emma Kingston and Zizi Strallen with the cast of Wicked, celebrating its 20th anniversary.

It was also an opportunity to highlight some of the issues dear to the theatre industry, such as the importance of accessibility to the arts, combating funding cuts, and the crucial role played by local theatres, without whom many big shows would never have made it to the West End.

The show also looked back on some of the best moments from past Olivier Awards, as well as paid tribute to all those within the theatre community who have passed away in the last year.

Andrew Lloyd Webber also presented the Special Award to Dame Elaine Paige for her sixty years of extraordinary accomplishments in musical theatre.

The biggest winner of the night was Paddington the Musical, who walked away with seven (!) Olivier Awards for Best New Musical, Best Actor in a Musical for James Hameed and Arti Shah (whose acceptance speeches brought many in the audience to tears), Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical for Tom Edden, Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical for Victoria Hamilton-Barritt, Best Director for Luke Sheppard, Best Costume Design for Gabriella Slade and Tahra Zafar, and Best Set Design for Tom Pye and Ash J Woodward.

Here's the complete list of winners:

Cunard Best New Musical

• Here We Are at National Theatre (Lyttelton)
• Paddington The Musical at Savoy Theatre - WINNER
• Shucked at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre
• The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry at Theatre Royal Haymarket

Best Musical Revival supported by Piper-Heidsieck

• American Psycho at Almeida Theatre
• Evita at the London Palladium
• Into the Woods at Bridge Theatre - WINNER
• The Producers at Garrick Theatre

Best New Play supported by The Londoner

• 1536 by Ava Pickett at Almeida Theatre
• Inter Alia by Suzie Miller at National Theatre (Lyttelton)
• Kenrex by Jack Holden and Ed Stambollouian at The Other Palace
• Punch by James Graham at Young Vic and Apollo Theatre - WINNER

Best Revival

• All My Sons by Arthur Miller at Wyndham’s Theatre - WINNER
• Arcadia by Tom Stoppard at The Old Vic
• Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare at Theatre Royal Drury Lane
• The Seagull by Anton Chekhov, adapted by Duncan Macmillan and Thomas Ostermeier at Barbican Theatre

Noël Coward Award for Best New Entertainment or Comedy Play

• The Comedy About Spies at Noël Coward Theatre
• Every Brilliant Thing at @sohoplace
• Oh, Mary! at Trafalgar Theatre - WINNER
• Paranormal Activity by Levi Holloway at Ambassadors Theatre

Best Actress

• Cate Blanchett for The Seagull at Barbican Theatre
• Marianne Jean-Baptiste for All My Sons at Wyndham's Theatre
• Julia McDermott for Weather Girl at Soho Theatre
• Rosamund Pike for Inter Alia at National Theatre (Lyttelton) - WINNER
• Rosie Sheehy for Guess How Much I Love You? at Royal Court Theatre

Best Actor

• Bryan Cranston for All My Sons at Wyndham's Theatre
• Sean Hayes for Good Night, Oscar at Barbican Theatre
• Tom Hiddleston for Much Ado About Nothing at Theatre Royal Drury Lane
• Jack Holden for Kenrex at The Other Palace - WINNER
• David Shields for Punch at Young Vic and Apollo Theatre

Best Actor in a Musical

• Marc Antolin for The Producers at Garrick Theatre
• James Hameed and Arti Shah for Paddington the Musical at Savoy Theatre - WINNER
• Andy Nyman for The Producers at Garrick Theatre
• Jamie Parker for Into the Woods at Bridge Theatre
• Diego Andres Rodriquez for Evita at the London Palladium

Best Actress in a Musical

• Katie Brayben for Into the Woods at Bridge Theatre
• Danielle Fiamanya and Georgina Onuorah for Brigadoon at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre
• Jane Krakowski for Here We Are at National Theatre (Lyttleton)
• Jenna Russell for The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry at Theatre Royal Haymarket
• Rachel Zegler for Evita at the London Palladium - WINNER

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

• Isis Hainsworth for Arcadia at The Old Vic
• Julie Hesmondhalgh for Punch at Young Vic and Apollo Theatre - WINNER
• Lucy Karczewski for Stereophonic at Duke of York’s Theatre
• Hayley Squires for All My Sons at Wyndham’s Theatre
• Sophie Thompson for When We Are Married at Donmar Warehouse

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

• Hammed Animashaun for Dealer’s Choice at Donmar Warehouse
• Paapa Essiedu for All My Sons at Wyndham’s Theatre - WINNER
• Zachary Hart for The Seagull at Barbican Theatre
• Zachary Hart for Stereophonic at Duke of York’s Theatre
• Giles Terera for Oh, Mary! at Trafalgar Theatre

Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical

• Trevor Ashley for The Producers at Garrick Theatre
• Corbin Bleu for The Great Gatsby – A New Musical at London Coliseum
• Tom Edden for Paddington The Musical at Savoy Theatre - WINNER
• Jo Foster for Into The Woods at Bridge Theatre
• Oliver Savile for Into The Woods at Bridge Theatre

Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical

• Tracie Bennett for Here We Are at National Theatre (Lyttelton)
• Amy Booth-Steel for Paddington The Musical at Savoy Theatre
• Kate Fleetwood for Into The Woods at Bridge Theatre
• Victoria Hamilton-Barritt for Paddington The Musical at Savoy Theatre - WINNER
• Georgina Onuorah for Shucked at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Sir Peter Hall Award for Best Director

• Jordan Fein for Into The Woods at Bridge Theatre
• Luke Sheppard for Paddington The Musical at Savoy Theatre - WINNER
• Ed Stambollouian for Kenrex at The Other Palace
• Lyndsey Turner for 1536 at Almeida Theatre
• Ivo van Hove for All My Sons at Wyndham’s Theatre

Gillian Lynne Award for Best Theatre Choreographer

• Fabian Aloise for Evita at The London Palladium - WINNER
• Ellen Kane for Paddington The Musical at Savoy Theatre
• Drew McOnie for Brigadoon at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
• Lynne Page for American Psycho at Almeida Theatre

Best Costume Design

• Enver Chakartash for Stereophonic at Duke of York’s Theatre
• Linda Cho for The Great Gatsby – A New Musical at London Coliseum
• Tom Scutt for Into The Woods at Bridge Theatre
• Gabriella Slade (costume design) and Tahra Zafar (Paddington design) for Paddington The Musical at Savoy Theatre - WINNER

Best Set Design supported by Blue-i Theatre Technology

• Paul Tate dePoo III (Scenic and Projection Design) for The Great Gatsby – A New Musical at The London Coliseum
• Tom Pye (set design) and Ash J Woodward (video design) for Paddington The Musical at Savoy Theatre - WINNER
  
• Tom Scutt for Into The Woods at Bridge Theatre
• David Zinn for Stereophonic at Duke of York’s Theatre

Best Lighting Design

• Robbie Butler for Punch at Young Vic and Apollo Theatre
• Jon Clark for Evita at The London Palladium
• Aideen Malone (lighting design) and Roland Horvath (video design) for Into The Woods at Bridge Theatre - WINNER
  
• Joshua Pharo for Kenrex at The Other Palace

Best Sound Design supported by d&b audiotechnik

• Adam Fisher for Into The Woods at Bridge Theatre
• Gareth Owen for Paddington The Musical at Savoy Theatre
• Ryan Rumery for Stereophonic at Duke of York’s Theatre
• Giles Thomas for Kenrex at The Other Palace - WINNER

Outstanding Musical Contribution

• Matt Brind (orchestrations and arrangements) for Paddington The Musical at Savoy Theatre
• Will Butler (original songs and orchestrations) and Justin Craig (orchestrations) for Stereophonic at Duke of York’s Theatre
• John Patrick Elliott (composition) for Kenrex at The Other Palace
• Chris Fenwick (musical supervision and arrangements) and Sean Hayes (Live Piano Performance of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue) for Good Night, Oscar at Barbican Theatre - WINNER

Best Family Show

• The Boy At The Back Of The Class, adapted by Nick Ahad at Rose Theatre - WINNER
• The Boy With Wings, adapted by Arvind Ethan David at Polka Theatre
• The Firework-Maker’s Daughter, adapted by Jude Christian at Polka Theatre
• The Three Little Pigs, music by George Stiles, book and lyrics by Anthony Drewe at Unicorn Theatre

Best New Production in Affiliate Theatre

• Ben And Imo by Mark Ravenhill at Orange Tree Theatre
• The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams at The Yard Theatre - WINNER
• The Ministry Of Lesbian Affairs by Iman Qureshi at Kiln Theatre
• Miss Myrtle’s Garden by Danny James King at Bush Theatre
• The Sh*theads by Jack Nicholls at Jerwood Theatre Upstairs at Royal Court Theatre

Best New Dance Production

• Into The Hairy by Sharon Eyal for S-E-D at Sadler’s Wells - WINNER
• Mimi’s Shebeen by Alesandra Seutin & KVS at Sadler’s Wells East
• Random Taranto by María del Mar Suárez (La Chachi) as part of Dance Umbrella: Change Tempo at The Pit at Barbican
• She’s Auspicious by Mythili Prakash at Sadler’s Wells East

Best New Opera Production supported by TAIT

• Dead Man Walking by English National Opera at London Coliseum - WINNER
• The Makropulos Case by The Royal Opera at Royal Opera House
• Tosca by The Royal Opera at Royal Opera House
• Die Walküre by The Royal Opera at Royal Opera House

See what all the hype is about - find out all the Olivier-nominated shows you can watch in London now. And don't forget to check out the new musicals and new plays opening this year - who knows? One of them might be the next Olivier Award winner!