The nominees for the UK Theatre Awards 2026 sponsored by Encore have been announced. For over 30 years, this annual event has celebrated the creative excellence and outstanding achievements seen on and off stage throughout England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The winners will be announced at this year’s ceremony, taking place on Monday 12 October at 8 Northumberland Avenue, hosted by La Voix. With nominees representing all four nations, this year’s shortlist showcases the incredible range and quality of theatre seen across the UK over the past year.
In the performing categories, Isis Hainsworth (Measure For Measure, a Royal Shakespeare Company production), Adrian Lester (Cyrano De Bergerac, a Royal Shakespeare Company production), and Katie Redford & Benedict Salter (Scenes From A Friendship, a Nottingham Playhouse production) are nominated for Best Performance in a Play, whilst Hadley Fraser (My Fair Lady, a Chichester Festival Theatre production), Annette McLaughlin (Follies, a Northern Ireland Opera production at Grand Opera House, Belfast), and Julianne Pundan (Miss Saigon, a Cameron Mackintosh production in association with Michael Harrison) receive nominations for Best Performance in a Musical. The nominees for Best Supporting Performance (in a Musical or Play) are Ash Hunter (The Meat Kings! (Inc.) Of Brooklyn Heights, a Papatango Theatre Company & Park Theatre co-production), Lydia Louise (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, a Watermill Theatre production) and Gloria Obianyo (As You Like It, a Theatre Royal Bath Productions production).
The nominees for Best Musical Production sponsored by Tysers Live are Calendar Girls The Musical (a Stephen Joseph Theatre, Theatre by the Lake, New Wolsey Theatre & Octagon Theatre Bolton co-production), The High Life (a National Theatre of Scotland & Dundee Rep Theatre co-production in association with Aberdeen Performing Arts and Capital Theatres, co-written by original creators of the TV show, Alan Cumming & Forbes Masson), Kiss Of The Spiderwoman (a Curve, Bristol Old Vic & Mayflower Southampton co-production), and Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street (a Birmingham Rep production). For Best New Play sponsored by Ecclesiastical Insurance, the nominees are Black Sheep (a curious directive production at Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds & New Wolsey Theatre), The Last Stand Of Mrs. Mary Whitehouse (a Nottingham Playhouse, Eleanor Lloyd Productions & Kate Pakenham co-production), and Ava Pickett’s The Manningtree Witches (a Mercury Original in association with Frantic Assembly, supported by Eleanor Lloyd Productions). For Best Play Revival, the Michael Sheen-led Our Town (a Welsh National Theatre & Rose Theatre co-production), Road (a Royal Exchange Theatre production), and Small Island (a Leeds Playhouse, Birmingham Rep & Nottingham Playhouse co-production in association with Actors Touring Company) receive nominations. The nominees for Best Show for Children & Young People are Beauty And The Beast (a Citizens Theatre production), No Such Thing As Wolves (a Birmingham Hippodrome production), and Treasure Island (a Bristol Old Vic production).
In the creative categories, the nominees for Best Director are Abigail Graham (Living, a Sheffield Theatres production), Emma Jordan (The Human Voice, a Prime Cut Productions production at Lyric Theatre Belfast), and Tom Littler (Love’s Labour’s Lost & Much Ado About Nothing, a Guildford Shakespeare Company & Orange Tree Theatre co-production). The nominees for Best Design are Jenny Booth (Set & Costume Design), Garry Boyle (Sound Design), Daniel Hughes (Creative Captioning) & Emma Jones (Lighting Design) (The Singer, a Dundee Rep Theatre & Solar Bear co-production in association with Aberdeen Performing Arts), Ceci Calf (Set & Costume Design) (The Assassination Of Margaret Thatcher, a Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse production), and Terry Parsons (Set Design) (Jack And Sarah, a The Mill at Sonning production).
In Dance & Opera, each category showcases nominees representing England, Scotland and Wales, with National Dance Company Wales (for Surge | Gwefr), Scottish Ballet (for Mary, Queen of Scots), and Yorke Dance Project (for Modern Milestones) nominated for Achievement in Dance, and English Touring Opera (for the ambition and breadth of their programming in venues across the country), Jack Furness (for his direction of The Flying Dutchman by Welsh National Opera), and Scottish Opera (for their commitment to championing new work through their productions of The Galloping Cure and The Great Wave) nominated for Achievement in Opera.
Many UK Theatre members have received multiple nominations; Nottingham Playhouse leads the way with four, for Best Performance in a Play, Best New Play, and Best Play Revival, in addition to their previously announced nomination for UK’s Most Welcoming Theatre. They are closely followed by fellow UK’s Most Welcoming Theatre finalist Theatr Clwyd, receiving a total of three nominations; they are also shortlisted for Excellence in Touring sponsored by Theatre Tokens and Excellence in Sustainability. Other categories in the coveted ‘Off Stage Awards’ are Excellence in Arts Education, Excellence in Inclusivity, and Excellence in Workforce Culture.
“This year’s UK Theatre Awards nominations celebrate the extraordinary breadth of talent, creativity and dedication across our industry, and the vital role theatres play at the heart of communities across the UK.
“Audiences continue to flock to their local theatre in huge numbers, but as we look ahead to the Budget, we must ensure that our members have the support they need to continue reaching audiences across the country. This is why we are calling on the Chancellor for an expansion of Theatre Tax Relief to support touring costs and relief on business rates. These simple measures will enable greater access to the fantastic venues and productions that we are celebrating in these awards.
“We look forward to celebrating the very best of UK theatre on Monday 12 October. Congratulations to all the nominees, and thank you to our sponsors and partners for their support.”
Claire Walker & Hannah Essex, Co-CEOs of Society of London Theatre & UK Theatre
The UK Theatre Awards 2026 are sponsored by Encore, the premier provider of lighting equipment for theatre productions across the UK, including London’s West End, Off-West End, Europe, and Asia, as well as numerous UK and international tours.
Additional thanks to Award Sponsors Theatre Tokens and Tysers Live in association with Ecclesiastical; Official Partners John Good, Marquee TV, The Noël Coward Foundation, SINE, Theatrical Rights Worldwide, and Trafalgar Entertainment; and Official After Party Partner Preevue.
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Full list of nominations for the UK Theatre Awards 2026 sponsored by Encore
On Stage Awards:
Best Musical Production sponsored by Tysers Live
- Calendar Girls The Musical, a Stephen Joseph Theatre, Theatre by the Lake, New Wolsey Theatre & Octagon Theatre Bolton co-production
- The High Life, a National Theatre of Scotland & Dundee Rep Theatre co-production in association with Aberdeen Performing Arts and Capital Theatres
- Kiss Of The Spiderwoman, a Curve, Bristol Old Vic & Mayflower Southampton co-production
- Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street, a Birmingham Rep production
Best New Play sponsored by Ecclesiastical Insurance
- Black Sheep, a curious directive production at Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds & New Wolsey Theatre
- The Last Stand Of Mrs. Mary Whitehouse, a Nottingham Playhouse, Eleanor Lloyd Productions & Kate Pakenham co-production
- The Manningtree Witches, a Mercury Original in association with Frantic Assembly, supported by Eleanor Lloyd Productions
Best Play Revival
- Our Town, a Welsh National Theatre & Rose Theatre co-production
- Road, a Royal Exchange Theatre production
- Small Island, a Leeds Playhouse, Birmingham Rep & Nottingham Playhouse co-production in association with Actors Touring Company
Best Director
- Abigail Graham for Living, a Sheffield Theatres production
- Emma Jordan for The Human Voice, a Prime Cut Productions production at Lyric Theatre Belfast
- Tom Littler for Love’s Labour’s Lost & Much Ado About Nothing, a Guildford Shakespeare Company & Orange Tree Theatre co-production
Best Performance in a Musical
- Hadley Fraser for My Fair Lady, a Chichester Festival Theatre production
- Annette McLaughlin for Follies, a Northern Ireland Opera production at Grand Opera House, Belfast
- Julianne Pundan for Miss Saigon, a Cameron Mackintosh production in association with Michael Harrison
Best Performance in a Play
- Isis Hainsworth for Measure For Measure, a Royal Shakespeare Company production
- Adrian Lester for Cyrano De Bergerac, a Royal Shakespeare Company production
- Katie Redford & Benedict Salter for Scenes From A Friendship, a Nottingham Playhouse production
Best Supporting Performance (in a Musical or Play)
- Ash Hunter for The Meat Kings! (Inc.) Of Brooklyn Heights, a Papatango Theatre Company & Park Theatre co-production
- Lydia Louise for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, a Watermill Theatre production
- Gloria Obianyo for As You Like It, a Theatre Royal Bath Productions production
Best Design
- Jenny Booth (Set & Costume Design), Garry Boyle (Sound Design), Daniel Hughes (Creative Captioning) & Emma Jones (Lighting Design) for The Singer, a Dundee Rep Theatre & Solar Bear co-production in association with Aberdeen Performing Arts
- Ceci Calf (Set & Costume Design) for The Assassination Of Margaret Thatcher, a Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse production
- Terry Parsons (Set Design) for Jack And Sarah, a The Mill at Sonning production
Best Show for Children & Young People
- Beauty And The Beast, a Citizens Theatre production
- No Such Thing As Wolves, a Birmingham Hippodrome production
- Treasure Island, a Bristol Old Vic production
Achievement in Dance
- National Dance Company Wales for Surge | Gwefr
- Scottish Ballet for Mary, Queen of Scots
- Yorke Dance Project for Modern Milestones
Achievement in Opera
- English Touring Opera for the ambition and breadth of their programming in venues across the country
- Jack Furness for his direction of The Flying Dutchman by Welsh National Opera
- Scottish Opera for their commitment to championing new work through their productions of The Galloping Cure and The Great Wave
Off Stage Awards:
Excellence in Arts Education
- Buxton Opera House
- Curve
- Polka Theatre
Excellence in Touring sponsored by Theatre Tokens
- East Anglian Touring Consortium
- Northern Ballet
- Theatr Clwyd
Excellence in Inclusivity
- National Youth Theatre
- Northern Stage
- The Theatre Chipping Norton
Excellence in Sustainability
- Mercury Theatre
- The Old Vic
- Theatr Clwyd
Excellence in Workforce Culture
- Blackpool Grand Theatre
- Swindon Theatres
- Wales Millennium Centre
UK’s Most Welcoming Theatre sponsored by Encore
- Nottingham Playhouse
- Theatr Clwyd
- Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds
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