At 1:00 this afternoon, nominations for the inaugural Broadway Ensemble Awards for the 2025-26 season were introduced by Bradley Dean (now appearing in Chess) and announced in eight categories by Kurt Csolak (swing and dance captain in The Great Gatsby), radio host Seth Rudetsky, and Tony winner Lillias White at the Museum of Broadway. Created to honor the “unsung heroes of the Broadway stage” and to recognize the caliber of talent that goes into making a musical, for which those in the ensemble are too often referred to as “just a chorus member,” the mission of the BEA is to operate with diversity and inclusion, without bias or favoritism of any race, creed, color, gender, religion, or age. The awards nominating committee will remain anonymous; each nominator must have appeared in the ensemble of at least one Broadway musical production and may not serve on the committee for more than two consecutive years.
Leading the nominations is Mamma Mia! with ten, followed by Chess and Ragtime with nine each, and The Queen of Versailles with one. The awards will be presented at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater on Monday, April 6, beginning at 6:30, hosted by Thayne Jasperson, from the original cast of Hamilton, preceded by a red carpet at 5:00. Winners will receive a unique golden trophy, measuring 8 1/2 x 6 1/2 inches, of a stage door that opens to reveal a performer, co-designed and constructed by R.S. Owens of Chicago – the company that also makes the Oscar, Emmy, and MTV Awards.
And the nominations for the 2025-26 Broadway Ensemble Awards are:
Most Outstanding Male Performer: Sean McLaughlin (Chess); Jacob Keith Watson (Ragtime); Shavey Brown (Chess); George Vickers (Mamma Mia!); Xari Soto Burgos (Mamma Mia!)
Most Outstanding Female Performer: Allison Blackwell (Ragtime); Anne Fraser Thomas (The Queen of Versailles); Sarah Meahl (Chess); Jasmine Overbaugh (Mamma Mia!); Samantha Pollino (Chess)
Most Outstanding Featured Dance Group: “Lay All Your Love on Me” (Mamma Mia!); “One Night in Bangkok” (Chess); “Gettin’ Ready Rag” (Ragtime); “What a Game” / “Baseball” (Ragtime); “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!” (Mamma Mia!)
Most Outstanding Featured Vocal Group: “Nobody’s Side” (Chess); “Voulez-Vous” (Mamma Mia!); “New Music” (Ragtime); “’Til We Reach That Day” (Ragtime); “Money, Money, Money” (Mamma Mia!)
Most Outstanding Musical Direction: Ian Weinberger (Chess); Wendy Bobbitt Cavett (Mamma Mia!); James Moore (Ragtime)
Most Outstanding Choreography: Ellenore Scott (Ragtime); Anthony Van Laast (Mamma Mia!); Lorin Latarro (Chess)
Most Outstanding Broadway Ensemble: Chess; Mamma Mia!; Ragtime
The Legendary Broadway Ensemble Award: The original 1975 ensemble of A Chorus Line.
Congratulations to all the nominees for the recognition of their essential work and talent!
The Broadway Ensemble Awards will be presented on Monday, April 6, 2026, starting at 6:30 pm (doors open at 5 pm), at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater, 524 West 59th Street, NYC. For tickets (priced at $134.25-266.75, including fees), go online.
