Raúl Esparza (Company) and Helen J Shen (Maybe Happy Ending) announced the nominations for the 70th Annual Drama Desk Awards – honoring outstanding achievements in NYC theater of the 2025-26 season – at 10:00 this morning (Wednesday, April 29) from The Lambs, America’s oldest professional theatrical club. In addition to the 32 competitive non-gendered categories, in which Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway productions are considered together, the recipients of special awards have been recognized, and Tom Schumacher, former President of Disney Theatrical Productions, was previously named the recipient of the Harold S. Prince Award.
The 2025-26 Drama Desk Nominating Committee, comprised of Martha Wade Steketee, Linda Armstrong, Dan Dinero, Peter Filichia, Kenji Fujishima, Margaret Hall, and Raven Snook, considered productions that opened before April 26, 2026. Leading this year’s nominations are Beau the Musical and Mexodus with ten each, followed by The Seat of Our Pants with nine, and Ragtime and The Balusters, both with eight. Winners will be announced at a ceremony hosted by Marla Mindelle on Sunday, May 17, at NYU Skirball.
And the nominees for the 70th Annual Drama Desk Awards are:
Outstanding Play: Caroline, Preston Max Allen; Cold War Choir Practice, Ro Reddick; Meet the Cartozians, Talene Monahon; Prince Faggot, Jordan Tannahill; The Balusters, David Lindsay-Abaire; The Porch on Windy Hill, Sherry Stregnack Lutken, Lisa Helmi Johanson, Morgan Morse & David M. Lutken; Well, I’ll Let You Go, Bubba Weiler
Outstanding Revival of a Play: Becky Shaw; Ceremonies in Dark Old Men; Death of a Salesman; Los Soles Truncos; Titus Andronicus; You Got Older
Outstanding Musical: Beau the Musical; Mexodus; Schmigadoon!; The Seat of Our Pants; Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Outstanding Revival of a Musical: Amahl and the Night Visitors; Chess; Ragtime; The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee; The Baker’s Wife; The Rocky Horror Show
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play: Qunicy Tyler Bernstine, Well, I’ll Let You Go; Noah Galvin, The Reservoir; Synnøve Karlsen, Pygmalion; John Krasinski, Angry Alan; Nathan Lane, Death of a Salesman; John Lithgow, Giant; Lesley Manville, Oedipus; Laurie Metcalf, Death of a Salesman; Aigner Mizzelle, The Monsters; Patrick Page, Titus Andronicus; Anika Noni Rose, The Balusters; Kara Young, Gruesome Playground Injuries
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical: Nicholas Christopher, Chess; Micaela Diamond, The Seat of Our Pants; Luke Evans, The Rocky Horror Show; Joshua Henry, Ragtime; Dulé Hill, Lights Out: Nat “King” Cole; Amber Iman, Goddess; Caissie Levy, Ragtime; Brian Quijada, Mexodus; Nygel D. Robinson, Mexodus; Matt Rodin, Beau the Musical; Sam Tutty, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York); Brandon Uranowitz, Ragtime
Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play: Caroline Aaron, The Reservoir; Edoardo Benzoni, Are the Bennet Girls Ok?; Maria-Christina Oliveras, The Balusters; Nathan Darrow, (un)conditional; Emily Davis, Well, I’ll Let You Go; West Duchovny, Diversion; Alden Ehrenreich, Becky Shaw; Linda Emond, Becky Shaw; David Greenspan, Prince Faggot; River Lipe-Smith, Caroline; Lizan Mitchell, Cold War Choir Practice; Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone; Richard Thomas, The Balusters
Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical: Chris Blisset, Beau the Musical; Max Clayton, Schmigadoon!; Lilli Cooper, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee; Stephanie Hsu, The Rocky Horror Show; Judy Kuhn, The Baker’s Wife; McKenzie Kurtz, Schmigadoon!; Ruthie Ann Miles, The Seat of Our Pants; Erin Morton, Heathers the Musical; Jackson Kanawha Perry, Saturday Church; Jasmine Amy Rogers, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee; Ben Levi Ross, Ragtime; Layton Williams, Titaníque
Outstanding Solo Performance: Savon Bartley, Holes in the Shape of My Father; Jack Holden, Kenrex; Hailey McAfee, and her Children; Natalie Palamides, Weer; Julia McDermott, Weather Girl; Josh Sharp, ta-da!
Outstanding Direction of a Play: Jesse Berger, Titus Andronicus; David Cromer, Caroline; Trip Cullman, Becky Shaw; Kenny Leon, The Balusters; Joe Mantello, Death of a Salesman; Tarell Alvin McCraney and Bijan Sheibani, The Brothers Size; Jack Serio, Well, I’ll Let You Go
Outstanding Direction of a Musical: Lear deBessonet, Ragtime; Gordon Greenberg, The Baker’s Wife; Danny Mefford, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee; David Mendizábal, Mexodus; Josh Rhodes, Beau the Musical; Leigh Silverman, The Seat of Our Pants
Outstanding Choreography: Christopher Gattelli, Schmigadoon!; Edgar Godineaux and Jared Grimes (tap choreography), Lights Out: Nat “King” Cole; Natalie Malotke, Jonathan Platero, and Oksana Platero, Blood/Love; Toran X. Moore, Try/Step/Trip; Omari Wiles & Arturo Lyons, CATS: The Jellicle Ball; Lauren Yalango-Grant and Christopher Cree Grant, The Lost Boys (includes aerial choreography)
Outstanding Music: The Lazours, Night Side Songs; Ethan Lipton, The Seat of Our Pants; Ethan D. Pakchar & Douglas Lyons, Beau the Musical; Michael Thurber, Goddess; Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson, Mexodus
Outstanding Lyrics: Jim Barne & Kit Buchan, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York); Dahlak Brathwaite, Try/Step/Trip; Ethan Lipton, The Seat of Our Pants; Douglas Lyons, Beau the Musical; Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson, Mexodus
Outstanding Book of a Musical: Dahlak Brathwaite, Try/Step/Trip; Ethan Lipton, The Seat of Our Pants; Douglas Lyons, Beau the Musical; Jesse Malin & Lauren Ludwig, Silver Manhattan; Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson, Mexodus
Outstanding Orchestrations: Bryan Carter (music supervisor and arranger), The Fear of 13; Daniel Kluger, The Seat of Our Pants; David M. Lutken, Morgan Morse, Lisa Helmi Johanson, and Sherry Stregack Lutken, The Porch on Windy Hill; John McDaniel, Lights Out: Nat “King” Cole; The Bengsons & Or Matias, My Joy is Heavy
Outstanding Music in a Play: John Patrick Elliott, Kenrex; Donald Lawrence, Oh Happy Day!; Stan Mathabane (composer) and Munir Zakee (musician), The Brothers Size; Johnathan Moore, The Imaginary Invalid (Molière in the Park); Ro Reddick, Cold War Choir Practice; Darron L West and Alexander Sovronsky, The Wild Duck
Outstanding Scenic Design of a Play: Harry Feiner, Ceremonies in Dark Old Men; Soutra Gilmour, Waiting for Godot; Tatiana Kahvegian, Meet the Cartozians; Chloe Lamford, Death of a Salesman; Derek McLane, The Adding Machine; Derek McLane, The Balusters
Outstanding Scenic Design of a Musical: Daniel Allen, Beau the Musical; dots, The Rocky Horror Show; Rachel Hauck, CATS: The Jellicle Ball; Dane Laffrey, The Lost Boys; Arnulfo Maldonado, Goddess; Jason Sherwood, The Baker’s Wife
Outstanding Costume Design of a Play: Kindall Almond, Initiative; Enver Chakartash, Meet the Cartozians; Enver Chakartash, Tartuffe (New York Theatre Workshop); Qween Jean, Oh Happy Day!; Emilio Sosa, The Balusters; Paul Tazewell, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Outstanding Costume Design of a Musical: Qween Jean, CATS: The Jellicle Ball; Qween Jean, Saturday Church; David I. Reynoso, The Rocky Horror Show; Kaye Voyce, The Seat of Our Pants; Catherine Zuber, The Baker’s Wife
Outstanding Lighting Design of a Play: Isabella Byrd, Prince Faggot; Jeff Croiter, The Adding Machine; Stacey Derosier, Well, I’ll Let You Go; Jack Knowles, Death of a Salesman; Kate McGee, without mirrors; Studio Luna, Marcel on the Train
Outstanding Lighting Design of a Musical: Mextly Couzin, Mexodus; Adam Honoré, Amahl and the Night Visitors; Adam Honoré & Donald Holder, Ragtime; Bradley King, The Baker’s Wife; Jen Schriever and Michael Arden, The Lost Boys; Japhy Weideman, Beau the Musical
Outstanding Sound Design of a Play: Angela Baughman, Initiative; Caroline Eng, The Unknown; Tom Gibbons, Oedipus; Kieran Lucas, Weather Girl; Nevin Steinberg, Anna Christie; Giles Thomas, Kenrex
Outstanding Sound Design of a Musical: Jordana Abrenica, Beau the Musical; Jason Crystal, The Baker’s Wife; Mikhail Fiksel, Mexodus (includes looping systems architecture); Kai Harada, Ragtime; Alex Hawthorn & Drew Levy, Lights Out: Nat “King” Cole
Outstanding Projection and Video Design: David Bengali, My Joy is Heavy; Akhila Krishnan, Kyoto; Johnny Moreno, Mexodus; Tal Yarden, Oedipus
Outstanding Wig and Hair Design: Alberto “Albee” Alvarado, The Rocky Horror Show; David Brian Brown, The Lost Boys; David Brian Brown and Victoria Tinsman, Fallen Angels; Nikiya Mathis, CATS: The Jellicle Ball; Robert Pickens, Tartuffe (New York Theatre Workshop)
Outstanding Puppetry: Axtell Expressions, Amaze; Emily Batsford (creator) and Yuliya Tsukerman (puppet design), Cumulo; Julian Crouch, Goddess; Monkey Boys Productions, The Burning Cauldron of Fiery Fire
Outstanding Fight Choreography: Gerry Rodriguez, The Monsters; Thomas Schall, The Balusters; Rick Sordelet, Titus Andronicus; Rick Sordelet, Ulster American; Sordelet Inc., The Lost Boys
Outstanding Adaptation: and her Children, by Rosie Glen-Lambert and Hailey McAfee; Are the Bennet Girls Ok?, by Emily Breeze; Oedipus, by Robert Icke; Pride & Prejudice, by Abigail Pickard Price, with Sarah Gobran and Matt Pinches; Room 204, by Taylor Massa; The Imaginary Invalid (Molière in the Park), by Lucie Tiberghien
Outstanding Revue: About Time; Baile Cangrejero; I Wish My Life Were Like a Musical
Unique Theatrical Experience: Amaze; Burnout Paradise; Color Theories; ha ha ha ha ha ha ha; Rheology; Slanted Floors.
Special Awards:
Ensemble Awards: Danny Burstein, Christopher Lowell, Cynthia Nixon, and June Squibb, Marjorie Prime; Daniel Bravo Hernández, Ricardy Fabre, Danny Gómez, Ishmael Gonzalez, and Jaden Perez, Spread;
Sam Norkin Off-Broadway Award: Xhloe Rice and Natasha, A Letter to Lyndon B. Johnson or God and What If They Ate The Baby?
Additional Special Awards: Else Went, Emma Rosa Went, and the cast of Initiative Olivia (Rose Barresi, Brandon Burk, Greg Cuellar, Harrison Densmore, Carson Higgins, Andrea Lopez Alvarez, Jamie Sanders, and Christopher Dylan White); the creative collaborators of Off-Broadway’s immersive Masquerade, led by Diane Paulus
Other Awards:
Harold S. Prince Award: Tom Schumacher
The William Wolf Award (given by the Board of the Drama Desk): Richard Maltby Jr. and David Shire.
Congratulations to all the nominees and special honorees!
The 70th Annual Drama Desk Awards will be presented on Sunday, May 17, 2026, at the Town Hall, 123 West 43rd Street, NYC. For tickets (priced at $250-15,000), go online.
