The countdown for the biggest night in British theatre begins, with actor and comedian Nick Mohammed hosting! 

The 2026 Olivier Awards will take place on 12 April 2026 at the Royal Albert Hall.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Olivier Awards, which were first presented in 1976 and are named after legendary actor and director Laurence Olivier. They remain the UK's most prestigious stage honours, recognising achievements across theatre, musicals, opera, and dance.

Takeaways From the 2026 Olivier Nominations

This year's nominations reveal a few clear trends! Into the Woods and Paddington The Musical are clear favourites with 11 nominations, dominating both the musical and design categories.

The nominations also highlight the continued pull of the West End for major screen talent, with stars such as Cate Blanchett, Bryan Cranston, Tom Hiddleston and Rosamund Pike receiving nods. The National Theatre features prominently thanks to productions like Here We Are and Inter Alia, while classic revivals, it seems, are all the trend - from All My Sons to Evita. 

Below is the full list of nominees across the major categories.

Olivier Awards 2026: Full List of Nominations

Best New Musical

Here We Are 
Paddington The Musical
Shucked
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

Best Musical Revival

American Psycho
Evita
Into the Woods
The Producers

Best New Play

1536 
Inter Alia 
Kenrex 
Punch 

Best Revival

All My Sons 
Arcadia 
Much Ado About Nothing
The Seagull

NoEl Coward Award for Best New Entertainment or Comedy Play

The Comedy About Spies
Every Brilliant Thing
Oh, Mary!
Paranormal Activity

Performance Categories

Best Actress

Cate Blanchett The Seagull
Marianne Jean-Baptiste All My Sons
Julia McDermott Weather Girl
Rosamund Pike Inter Alia
Rosie Sheehy Guess How Much I Love You?

Best Actor

Bryan Cranston All My Sons
Sean Hayes Good Night, Oscar
Tom Hiddleston Much Ado About Nothing
Jack Holden Kenrex
David Shields Punch

Best Actor in a Musical

Marc Antolin The Producers
James Hameed and Arti Shah Paddington The Musical
Andy Nyman The Producers
Jamie Parker Into the Woods
Diego Andres Rodriguez Evita

Best Actress in a Musical

Katie Brayben Into the Woods
Danielle Fiamanya and Georgina Onuorah Brigadoon
Jane Krakowski Here We Are
Jenna Russell The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
Rachel Zegler Evita

Creative Categories

Best Director

Jordan Fein Into the Woods
Luke Sheppard Paddington The Musical
Ed Stambollouian Kenrex
Lyndsey Turner 1536
Ivo van Hove All My Sons

Best Theatre Choreographer

Fabian Aloise Evita
Ellen Kane Paddington The Musical
Drew McOnie Brigadoon
Lynne Page American Psycho

Best Costume Design

Enver Chakartash Stereophonic
Linda Cho The Great Gatsby A New Musical
Tom Scutt Into the Woods
Gabriella Slade and Tahra Zafar Paddington The Musical

Best Set Design

Paul Tate dePoo III The Great Gatsby A New Musical
Tom Pye and Ash J Woodward Paddington The Musical
David Zinn Stereophonic

Best Lighting Design

Robbie Butler Punch
Jon Clark Evita
Aideen Malone and Roland Horvath Into the Woods
Joshua Pharo Kenrex

Best Sound Design

Adam Fisher Into the Woods
Gareth Owen Paddington The Musical
Ryan Rumery Stereophonic
Giles Thomas Kenrex

Additional Categories

Outstanding Musical Contribution

Matt Brind Paddington The Musical
Will Butler and Justin Craig Stereophonic
John Patrick Elliott Kenrex
Chris Fenwick and Sean Hayes Good Night, Oscar

Best Family Show

The Boy at the Back of the Class
The Boy With Wings
The Firework-Maker's Daughter
The Three Little Pigs

Best New Production in Affiliate Theatre

Ben and Imo
The Glass Menagerie
The Ministry of Lesbian Affairs
Miss Myrtle's Garden
The Shitheads

Best New Dance Production

Into the Hairy
Mimi's Shebeen
Random Taranto
She's Auspicious

Best New Opera Production

Dead Man Walking
The Makropulos Case
Tosca
Die Walkure