Olivier Awards reveal nominees for 2026 as Paddington and Into the Woods dominate

EntertainmentMusic
5 Mar 2026 • 8:56 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

image is not available

Paddington will be taking his marmalade sandwiches to the Royal Albert Hall next month – with the musical picking up 11 Olivier Award nominations ahead of April’s ceremony.

The Olivier Awards announced its nominees on Thursday (5 March), with the likes of Hayley Squires, Rosamund Pike, Cate Blanchett, Tom Hiddleston and Rachel Zegler receiving nods.

Paddington The Musical, staged at London’s Savoy Theatre, is the joint most-nominated production this year, alongside the Stephen Sondheim revival Into the Woods at the Bridge.

Meanwhile, Wyndham’s Theatre’s staging of Arthur Miller’s All My Sons earned six nominations, as did the one-man thriller Kenrex and the multi-Tony-winning rock-band drama Stereophonic.

Celebrity Traitors star Nick Mohammed will host the awards at the Royal Albert Hall in London, marking 50 years since the first gong was given out.

Here are the nominations in full:

Best New Musical

Here We Are, book by David Ives, music & lyrics by Stephen Sondheim at National Theatre – Lyttelton

Paddington The Musical, music & lyrics by Tom Fletcher & book by Jessica Swale at Savoy Theatre

Shucked, book by Robert Horn, music & lyrics by Brandy Clark & Shane McAnally at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre

The Unlikely Pilgrimage Of Harold Fry, book by Rachel Joyce, music & lyrics by Passenger at Theatre Royal Haymarket

Best Musical Revival

American Psycho, book by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, music & lyrics by Duncan Sheik, based on the novel by Bret Easton Ellis at Almeida Theatre

Evita, lyrics by Tim Rice, music by Andrew Lloyd Webber at The London Palladium

Into The Woods, music & lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by James Lapine at Bridge Theatre

The Producers, music & lyrics by Mel Brooks, book by Mel Brooks & Thomas Meehan at Garrick Theatre

Best New Play

1536 by Ava Pickett at Almeida Theatre

Inter Alia by Suzie Miller at National Theatre – Lyttelton

Kenrex by Jack Holden & Ed Stambollouian at The Other Palace

Punch by James Graham at Young Vic & Apollo Theatre

Best Revival

All My Sons by Arthur Miller at Wyndham's Theatre

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 & Thomas Ostermeier at Barbican Theatre

image is not available

Noël Coward Award for Best New Entertainment or Comedy Play

The Comedy About Spies by Henry Lewis & Henry Shields at Noël Coward Theatre

Every Brilliant Thing by Duncan Macmillan with Jonny Donahoe at @sohoplace

Oh, Mary! by Cole Escola at Trafalgar Theatre

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

Rosie Sheehy for Guess How Much I Love You? at Jerwood Theatre Downstairs 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

David Shields for Punch at Young Vic & Apollo Theatre

Best Actor in a Musical

Marc Antolin for The Producers at Garrick Theatre

James Hameed & Arti Shah for Paddington The Musical at Savoy Theatre

Andy Nyman for The Producers at Garrick Theatre

Jamie Parker for Into The Woods at Bridge Theatre

Diego Andres Rodriguez for Evita at The London Palladium

Best Actress in a Musical

Katie Brayben for Into The Woods at Bridge Theatre

Danielle Fiamanya & Georgina Onuorah for Brigadoon at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre

Jane Krakowski for Here We Are at National Theatre – Lyttelton

Jenna Russell for The Unlikely Pilgrimage Of Harold Fry at Theatre Royal Haymarket

Rachel Zegler for Evita at The London Palladium

image is not available

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

Isis Hainsworth for Arcadia at The Old Vic

Julie Hesmondhalgh for Punch at Young Vic & Apollo Theatre

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

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

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

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

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

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

image is not available

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) & Tahra Zafar (Paddington Design) for Paddington The Musical at Savoy Theatre

Best Set Design supported by Blue-i Theatre Technology

Paul Tate dePoo III (Scenic & Projection Design) for The Great Gatsby - A New Musical at London Coliseum

Tom Pye (Set Design) & Ash J Woodward (Video Design) for Paddington The Musical at Savoy Theatre

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 & Apollo Theatre

Jon Clark for Evita at The London Palladium

Aideen Malone (Lighting Design) & Roland Horvath (Video Design) for Into The Woods at Bridge Theatre

Joshua Pharo for Kenrex at The Other Palace

Best Sound Design

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

Outstanding Musical Contribution

Matt Brind (Orchestrations & Arrangements) for Paddington The Musical at Savoy Theatre

Will Butler (Original Songs & Orchestrations) & 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 & Arrangements) & Sean Hayes (Live Piano Performance of Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue) for Good Night, Oscar at Barbican Theatre

Best Family Show

The Boy At The Back Of The Class, adapted by Nick Ahad at Rose Theatre

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 & 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

The Ministry Of Lesbian Affairs by Iman Qureshi at Kiln Theatre

Miss Myrtle’s Garden by Danny James King at Bush Theatre

The S***heads 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

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

Dead Man Walking by English National Opera at London Coliseum

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

Read More

National Theatre director says industry risks ‘betraying’ Shakespeare

Cynthia Erivo hits back at complaints after using autocue in new show Dracula

Game of Thrones prequel to be staged by the Royal Shakespeare Company

JK Rowling addresses claims she invited Jeffrey Epstein to Harry Potter premiere

Broadway reacts to Trump’s Kennedy Center shutdown

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child to be shortened to single play