2026 Drama Desk Awards
Ceremony: Sunday, May 17
Outstanding Play
The Balusters
Caroline
Cold War Choir Practice
Meet the Cartozians
Prince Faggot
The Porch on Windy Hill
Well, I’ll Let You Go
Outstanding Musical
Schmigadoon!
Beau the Musical
Mexodus
The Seat of Our Pants
Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Outstanding Revival of a Play
Death of a Salesman
Becky Shaw
Ceremonies in Dark Old Men
Los Soles Truncos
Titus Andronicus
You Got Older
Outstanding Revival of a Musical
Ragtime
Amahl and the Night Visitors
Chess
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
The Baker’s Wife
The Rocky Horror Show
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play
John Lithgow, Giant
Lesley Manville, Oedipus
Quincy 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
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
Joshua Henry, Ragtime
Caissie Levy, Ragtime
Nicholas Christopher, Chess
Micaela Diamond, The Seat of Our Pants
Luke Evans, The Rocky Horror Show
Dulé Hill, Lights Out: Nat “King” Cole
Amber Iman, Goddess
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
Alden Ehrenreich, Becky Shaw
Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
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
Linda Emond, Becky Shaw
David Greenspan, Prince Faggot
River Lipe-Smith, Caroline
Lizan Mitchell, Cold War Choir Practice
Richard Thomas, The Balusters
Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical
Judy Kuhn, The Baker’s Wife
Ben Levi Ross, Ragtime
Chris Blisset, Beau the Musical
Max Clayton, Schmigadoon!
Lilli Cooper, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Stephanie Hsu, The Rocky Horror Show
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
Layton Williams, Titaníque
Outstanding Solo Performance
Jack Holden, Kenrex
Savon Bartley, Holes in the Shape of My Father
Hailey McAfee, and her Children
Natalie Palamides, Weer
Julia McDermott, Weather Girl
Josh Sharp, ta-da!
Outstanding Direction of a Play
Joe Mantello, Death of a Salesman
Jesse Berger, Titus Andronicus
David Cromer, Caroline
Trip Cullman, Becky Shaw
Kenny Leon, The Balusters
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!
Omari Wiles & Arturo Lyons, Cats: The Jellicle Ball
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
Lauren Yalango-Grant and Christopher Cree Grant, The Lost Boys (includes aerial choreography)
Outstanding Music
Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson, Mexodus
The Lazours (Daniel Lazour and Patrick Lazour), Night Side Songs
Ethan Lipton, The Seat of Our Pants
Douglas Lyons, Beau the Musical
Michael Thurber, Goddess
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
Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson, Mexodus
Dahlak Brathwaite, Try/Step/Trip
Ethan Lipton, The Seat of Our Pants
Douglas Lyons, Beau the Musical
Jesse Malin & Lauren Ludwig, Silver Manhattan
Outstanding Orchestrations
David M. Lutken, Morgan Morse, Lisa Helmi Johanson, and Sherry Stregack Lutken, The Porch on Windy Hill
Bryan Carter (music supervisor and arranger), The Fear of 13
Daniel Kluger, The Seat of Our Pants
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
Chloe Lamford, Death of a Salesman
Harry Feiner, Ceremonies in Dark Old Men
Soutra Gilmour, Waiting for Godot
Tatiana Kahvegian, Meet the Cartozians
Derek McLane, The Adding Machine
Derek McLane, The Balusters
Outstanding Scenic Design of a Musical
Dane Laffrey, The Lost Boys
Daniel Allen, Beau the Musical
dots, The Rocky Horror Show
Rachel Hauck, Cats: The Jellicle Ball
Arnulfo Maldonado, Goddess
Jason Sherwood, The Baker’s Wife
Outstanding Costume Design of a Play
Paul Tazewell, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Kindall Almond, Initiative
Enver Chakartash, Meet the Cartozians
Enver Chakartash, Tartuffe (New York Theatre Workshop)
Qween Jean, Oh Happy Day!
Emilio Sosa, The Balusters
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
Jack Knowles, Death of a Salesman
Isabella Byrd, Prince Faggot
Jeff Croiter, The Adding Machine
Stacey Derosier, Well, I’ll Let You Go
Kate McGee, without mirrors
Studio Luna, Marcel on the Train
Outstanding Lighting Design of a Musical
Jen Schriever and Michael Arden, The Lost Boys
Mextly Couzin, Mexodus
Adam Honoré, Amahl and the Night Visitors
Adam Honoré and Donald Holder, Ragtime
Japhy Weideman, Beau the Musical
Bradley King, The Baker’s Wife
Outstanding Sound Design of a Play
Tom Gibbons, Oedipus
Angela Baughman, Initiative
Caroline Eng, The Unknown
Kieran Lucas, Weather Girl
Nevin Steinberg, Anna Christie
Giles Thomas, Kenrex
Outstanding Sound Design of a Musical
Mikhail Fiskel, Mexodus (includes looping systems architecture)
Jordana Abrencia, Beau the Musical
Jason Crystal, The Baker’s Wife
Kai Harada, Ragtime
Alex Hawthorn and Drew Levy, Lights Out: Nat “King” Cole
Outstanding Projection and Video Design
Tal Yarden, Oedipus
David Bengali, My Joy is Heavy
Akhila Krishnan, Kyoto
Johnny Moreno, Mexodus
Outstanding Wig and Hair
Nikiya Mathis, Cats: The Jellicle Ball
Alberto “Albee” Alvarado, The Rocky Horror Show
David Brian Brown, The Lost Boys
David Brian Brown and Victoria Tinsman, Fallen Angels
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
Oedipus, Robert Icke
and her Children, Rosie Glen-Lambert and Hailey McAfee
Are the Bennet Girls Ok?, Emily Breeze
Pride & Prejudice, Abigail Pickard Price, with Sarah Gobran and Matt Pinches
Room 204, Taylor Massa
The Imaginary Invalid (Molière in the Park), Lucie Tiberghien
Outstanding Revue
About Time
Baile Cangrejero
I Wish My Life Were Like a Musical
Unique Theatrical Experience
Burnout Paradise
Amaze
Color Theories
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
Rheology
Slanted Floors
Ensemble Award
Marjorie Prime
Spread
Sam Norkin Off-Broadway Award
Xhloe Rice and Natasha Roland, Lyndon B. Johnson or God and What If They Ate The Baby?
Additional Special Awards
The collective of writer Else Went, director Emma Rosa Went, and the extraordinary ensemble cast of Initiative
The creative collaborators responsible for Masquerade