Nominees announced for the 26^th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards.

PADDINGTON THE MUSICAL RECIEVES A RECORD-BREAKING 14 NOMINATIONS

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST LEADS THE STRAIGHT PLAY CATEGORIES WITH 5 NOMINATIONS

You have until 22 January 2026 to vote for the winners which will be announced on 8 March 2026 at The London Palladium.

VOTE NOW

BEST PERFORMER IN A PLAY

• Jonathan Bailey, Richard II, Bridge Theatre
• Ncuti Gatwa, Born With Teeth, Wyndham’s Theatre
• Tom Hiddleston, Much Ado About Nothing, Theatre Royal Drury Lane
• Joe Locke, Clarkston, Trafalgar Theatre
• Maxine Peake, The Last Stand of Mrs Mary Whitehouse, Nottingham Playhouse
• Rosamund Pike, Inter Alia, National Theatre

BEST PERFORMER IN A MUSICAL

• Lauren Drew, Titanique, Criterion Theatre
• James Hameed and Arti Shah, Paddington The Musical, Savoy Theatre
• Lucie Jones, 13 Going On 30 The Musical, Manchester Opera House
• Jamie Muscato, The Great Gatsby, London Coliseum
• Diego Andres Rodriguez, Evita, The London Palladium
• Rachel Zegler, Evita, The London Palladium

BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMER IN A PLAY

• Joe Alwyn, The Lady from the Sea, Bridge Theatre
• Emma Corrin, The Seagull, Barbican Theatre
• Stephen Fry, The Importance of Being Earnest, Noël Coward Theatre
• Yerin Ha, The Maids, Donmar Warehouse
• Sophie Melville, Clarkston, Trafalgar Theatre
• Mason Alexander Park, Much Ado About Nothing, Theatre Royal Drury Lane

BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMER IN A MUSICAL

• Bella Brown, Evita, The London Palladium
• Amber Davies, The Great Gatsby, London Coliseum
• Candace Furbert, Sharlene Hector, Brianna Ogunbawo, Malinda Parris, Robyn Rose-Li, Hercules, Theatre Royal Drury Lane
• Victoria Hamilton-Barritt, Paddington The Musical, Savoy Theatre
• Grace Mouat, 13 Going On 30 The Musical, Manchester Opera House
• Layton Williams, Titanique, Criterion Theatre

BEST PROFESSIONAL DEBUT

• Timi Akinyosade, Paddington The Musical, Savoy Theatre
• Mia Carragher, The Hunger Games on Stage, Troubadour Canary Wharf Theatre
• Hannah Dodd, Cabaret, Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre
• Jess Folley, Burlesque The Musical, Savoy Theatre
• Ruaridh Mollica, Clarkston, Trafalgar Theatre
• Asha Parker, Burlesque The Musical, Savoy Theatre

BEST TAKEOVER

• Karis Anderson, Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Piccadilly Theatre
• Stevie Doc, The Devil Wears Prada, Dominion Theatre
• Emma Kingston, Wicked, Apollo Victoria Theatre
• Rob Madge, Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre
• Eva Noblezada, Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre
• Alex Young, Operation Mincemeat, Fortune Theatre

BEST NEW PLAY

• Born With Teeth, Wyndham’s Theatre
• Clarkston, Trafalgar Theatre
• The Comedy About Spies, Noël Coward Theatre
• Inter Alia, National Theatre
• Stereophonic, Duke of York’s Theatre
• Through It All Together, Leeds Playhouse

BEST NEW MUSICAL

• The Great Gatsby, London Coliseum
• Hercules, Theatre Royal Drury Lane
• Here and Now, UK Tour
• Paddington The Musical, Savoy Theatre
• Shucked, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
• Titanique, Criterion Theatre

BEST PLAY REVIVAL

• The Importance of Being Earnest, National Theatre / Noël Coward Theatre
• The Lady from the Sea, Bridge Theatre
• Much Ado About Nothing, Theatre Royal Drury Lane
• Richard II, Bridge Theatre
• The Seagull, Barbican Theatre
• A Streetcar Named Desire, Sheffield Theatres

BEST MUSICAL REVIVAL

• Brigadoon, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
• Evita, The London Palladium
• Jesus Christ Superstar, The Watermill Theatre
• Little Shop of Horrors, Sheffield Theatres
• My Fair Lady, Curve, Leicester
• The Producers, Menier Chocolate Factory / Garrick Theatre

BEST WEST END SHOW

• Cabaret, Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre
• Hadestown, Lyric Theatre
• Les Misérables, Sondheim Theatre
• Oliver!, Gielgud Theatre
• Operation Mincemeat, Fortune Theatre
• Wicked, Apollo Victoria Theatre

BEST REGIONAL PRODUCTION

• 13 Going on 30 The Musical, Manchester Opera House
• Come Fall in Love – The DDLJ Musical, Manchester Opera House
• Jesus Christ Superstar, The Watermill Theatre
• Krapp’s Last Tape, York Theatre Royal
• Pride and Prejudice, UK Tour
• Through It All Together, Leeds Playhouse

BEST CONCERT EVENT

• The Book Thief in Concert, Prince of Wales Theatre
• Gravity, Theatre Royal Drury Lane
• The Hunchback of Notre Dame in Concert, Prince Edward Theatre
• Jeremy Jordan: Live at the Royal Albert Hall, Royal Albert Hall
• Songs For a New World, Eventim Apollo Hammersmith
• Rachel Zegler: Live at The London Palladium, The London Palladium

BEST STUDIO PRODUCTION

• Be More Chill, Old Joint Stock Theatre
• Brixton Calling, South Playhouse Borough
• Cul de Sac, Omnibus Theatre
• The Frogs, South Playhouse Borough
• The Last Five Years, Barn Theatre Cirencester and Reading Rep
• Young Frankenstein, Hope Mill Theatre

BEST DIRECTION

• Tamara Harvey, The Constant Wife, RSC
• Lynette Linton, Intimate Apparel, Donmar Warehouse
• Jamie Lloyd, Much Ado About Nothing, Theatre Royal Drury Lane
• Thomas Ostermeier, The Seagull, Barbican Theatre
• Tim Sheader, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812, Donmar Warehouse
• Luke Sheppard, Paddington The Musical, Savoy Theatre

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY

• Fabian Aloise, Evita, The London Palladium
• Ellen Kane, Ballet Shoes, National Theatre
• Ellen Kane, Paddington The Musical, Savoy Theatre
• Lorin Latarro, The Producers, Menier Chocolate Factory / Garrick Theatre
• Drew McOnie, Brigadoon, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
• Jennifer Weber, 13 Going on 30 The Musical, Manchester Opera House

BEST SET DESIGN AWARD

• Frankie Bradshaw, Ballet Shoes, National Theatre
• Lizzie Clachan, The Lady From the Sea, Bridge Theatre
• Tom Pye, Paddington The Musical, Savoy Theatre
• Paul Tate dePoo III, The Great Gatsby, London Coliseum
• Michael Taylor, My Fair Lady, Curve Leicester
• David Zinn, Stereophonic, Duke of York’s Theatre

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

• Alex Berry, Intimate Apparel, Donmar Warehouse
• Linda Cho, The Great Gatsby, London Coliseum
• Colin Richmond, The Red Shoes, RSC
• Gabrielle Slade and Tahra Zafar, Paddington The Musical, Savoy Theatre
• Rae Smith, The Importance of Being Earnest, National Theatre / Noël Coward Theatre
• Michael Taylor, My Fair Lady, Curve Leicester

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN

• Neil Austin, Born with Teeth, Wyndham’s Theatre
• Neil Austin, Paddington The Musical, Savoy Theatre
• Jon Clark, Evita, The London Palladium
• Paule Constable, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, Chichester Festival Theatre
• Howard Hudson, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812, Donmar Warehouse
• Jessica Hung Han Yun, Hamlet Hail to the Thief, RSC

BEST SOUND DESIGN

• Adam Fisher, Evita, The London Palladium
• Tony Gayle, Wild Rose, The Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh
• Tom Gibbons, The Seagull, Barbican Theatre
• Gareth Owen, Paddington The Musical, Savoy Theatre
• Ryan Rumery, Stereophonic, Duke of York’s Theatre
• Gareth Tucker, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812, Donmar Warehouse

BEST VIDEO DESIGN

• Will Duke, Hamlet Hail to the Thief, RSC
• Andrzej Goulding, Born with Teeth, Wyndham’s Theatre
• Luke Halls, Sing Street, Lyric Hammersmith
• Zakk Hein, The Maids, Donmar Warehouse
• Jamie Lloyd, Nick Ward, David Anderson, Evita, The London Palladium
• Ash J Woodward, Paddington The Musical, Savoy Theatre

WIGS, HAIR AND MAKE-UP

• Valerie Atkinson, Little Shop of Horrors, Sheffield Theatres
• Campbell Young Associates, Paddington The Musical, Savoy Theatre
• Rae Smith, with Kate Elizabeth, Campbell Young Associates and Adele Brandman,
• The Importance of Being Earnest, National Theatre / Noël Coward Theatre
• Charles G LaPointe, Rachel Grier and Ashley Ryan, The Great Gatsby, London Coliseum
• Mia M Neal, Kirk Cambridge-Del Pesche, Hercules, Theatre Royal Drury Lane
• Grace Smart, Cyrano de Bergerac, RSC

BEST MUSIC DIRECTION / SUPERVISION

• Tom Brady, Hamlet Hail to the Thief, RSC
• Matt Brind, Paddington The Musical, Savoy Theatre
• Justin Craig, Stereophonic, Duke of York’s Theatre
• Stuart Morley, Jesus Christ Superstar, The Watermill Theatre
• Sarah Travis, Davey Anderson, Ali Roocroft, Wild Rose, The Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh
• Alan Williams, Evita, The London Palladium

BEST CASTING DIRECTION

• Pippa Ailion CDG for Pippa Ailion and Natalie Gallacher Casting, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812, Donmar Warehouse
• Stuart Burt, Make It Happen, Dundee Rep Theatre and Edinburgh International Festival
• Alastair Coomer, The Importance of Being Earnest, National Theatre / Noël Coward Theatre
• Natalie Gallacher CDG for Pippa Ailion and Natalie Gallacher Casting, Nick Hockaday, Annabelle Davis,
• Paddington The Musical, Savoy Theatre
• Bryony Jarvis-Taylor, Here We Are, National Theatre
• Pearson Casting, Titanique, Criterion Theatre

Take a look at all the theatre shows currently playing in London