Having the distinction of being the oldest theatrical honors in America, first presented in 1922 and formalized in 1935, the Drama League Awards revealed its 2025-26 nominations today (Monday, April 20) at 11 am, in seven competitive categories, along with four special honors, in an announcement co -hosted by Natalie Venetia Belcon and Corbin Bleu at Lincoln Center’s New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. Chosen by the entire community of award-winning actors, directors, playwrights, designers, producers, industry professionals, critics, and audiences from across the country who are members of the organization and attend Broadway and Off-Broadway productions each season, this year’s 92nd annual awards considered live non-virtual productions that began preview performances between April 21, 2025, and April 18, 2026. And the nominations for the 92nd Annual Drama League Awards are: Distinguished Performance Award: Caroline Aaron, The Reservoir; Christopher Abbott, Death of a Salesman; Shoshana Bean, The Lost Boys; Jon Bernthal, Dog Day Afternoon; Ali Louis Bourzgui, The Lost Boys; Marylouise Burke, The Balusters; Kerry Butler, Bat Boy: The Musical; Rose Byrne, Fallen Angels; Sara Chase, Schmigadoon!; Patrice Johnson Chevannes, The Waterfall; Nicholas Christopher, Chess; Justin Cooley, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee; Carrie Coon, Bug; André De Shields, Cats: The Jellicle Ball; Brandon J. Dirden, Waiting for Godot; Ayo Edebiri, Proof; Alden Ehrenreich, Becky Shaw; Luke Evans, Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show; Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Tru; Susannah Flood, Liberation; Ishmael Gonzalez, Spread; Sean Hayes, The Unknown; Joshua Henry, Ragtime; Grey Henson, Bigfoot; André Holland, The Brothers Size; Stephanie Hsu, Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show; Alani iLongwe, The Brothers Size; Stephen Kunken, Kyoto; Caissie Levy, Ragtime; Lesley Manville, Oedipus; John McCrea, Prince Faggot; Laurie Metcalf, Death of a Salesman and Little Bear Ridge Road; Lea Michele, Chess; Marla Mindelle, Titaníque; Lizan Mitchell, Cold War Choir Practice; Aigner Mizzelle, The Monsters; Chloë Grace Moretz, Caroline; Lupita Nyong’o, Twelfth Night; Kelli O’Hara, Fallen Angels; Christiani Pitts, Two Strangers (Carry A Cake Across New York); Brian Quijada, Mexodus; Daniel Radcliffe, Every Brilliant Thing; Nygel D. Robinson, Mexodus; Jasmine Amy Rogers, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and The Wild Party; Constantine Rousouli, Titaníque; Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone; Ethan Slater, Marcel on the Train; Ari’el Stachel, Other; B Noel Thomas, Saturday Church; Taylor Trensch, Bat Boy: The Musical; Brandon Uranowitz, Ragtime; Jessica Vosk, Beaches, A New Musical; Adrienne Warren, The Wild Party; Kara Young, Gruesome Playground Injuries and Proof; Outstanding Direction of a Play: Knud Adams (Cold War Choir Practice, MCC Theater); Debbie Allen (Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, Ethel Barrymore Theatre); Tatyana-Marie Carlo (Spread, INTAR Theatre); Shayok Misha Chowdhury (Prince Faggot, Playwrights Horizons/Soho Rep and Studio Seaview); David Cromer (Caroline, MCC Theater); Trip Cullman (Becky Shaw, Second Stage Theater); Stephen Daldry and Justin Martin (Kyoto, Lincoln Center Theater); Joe Mantello (Death of a Salesman, Winter Garden Theatre, and Little Bear Ridge Road, Booth Theatre); Marshall Pailet (Marcel on the Train, Classic Stage Company); Outstanding Direction of a Musical: Michael Arden (The Lost Boys, Palace Theatre); Lili-Anne Brown (The Wild Party, New York City Center Encores!); Rachel Chavkin (My Joy Is Heavy, New York Theatre Workshop); Lear deBessonet (Ragtime, Lincoln Center Theater); Lee Sunday Evans (Oratorio for Living Things, Signature Theatre); Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch (Cats: The Jellicle Ball, Broadhurst Theatre); Danny Mefford (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, New World Stages, and Bigfoot, Manhattan Theatre Club/New York City Center); David Mendizábal (Mexodus, Minetta Lane Theatre/Daryl Roth Theatre); Sam Pinkleton (Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show, Studio 54); Leigh Silverman (The Seat of our Pants, The Public Theater); Alex Timbers (Bat Boy: The Musical, New York City Center Encores!); Outstanding Production of a Play: The Balusters (Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, written by David Lindsay-Abaire, directed by Kenny Leon); Caroline (MCC Theater, written by Preston Max Allen, directed by David Cromer); Cold War Choir Practice (MCC Theater, written by Ro Reddick, directed by Knud Adams); Dog Day Afternoon (August Wilson Theatre, written by Stephen Adly Guirgis, directed by Rupert Goold); Giant (Music Box Theatre, written by Mark Rosenblatt, directed by Nicholas Hytner); Kyoto (Lincoln Center Theater, written by Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson, directed by Stephen Daldry and Justin Martin); Liberation (James Earl Jones Theatre, written by Bess Wohl, directed by Whitney White); Marcel on the Train (Classic Stage Company, co-written by Marshall Pailet and Ethan Slater, directed by Marshall Pailet); The Monsters (Manhattan Theatre Club at New York City Center, written and directed by Ngozi Anyanwu); Prince Faggot (Playwrights Horizons/Soho Rep, Studio Seaview, written by Jordan Tannahill, directed by Shayok Misha Chowdhury); Rheology (Playwrights Horizons and The Bushwick Starr, written and directed by Shayok Misha Chowdhury in collaboration with Bulbul Chakraborty); Spread (INTAR Theatre, written by Jesús I. Valles, directed by Tatyana-Marie Carlo); Outstanding Production of a Musical: Beaches, A New Musical (Majestic Theatre, book by Iris Rainer Dart and Thom Thomas, music by Mike Stoller, lyrics by Iris Rainer Dart, co-directed by Lonny Price and Matt Cowart); Beau the Musical (St. Luke’s Theatre, concept, book, lyrics, and music by Douglas Lyons, music by Ethan D. Pakchar, directed by Josh Rhodes); Bigfoot (New York City Center, written by Amber Ruffin, David A. Schmoll, and Kevin Sciretta, directed by Danny Mefford); The Lost Boys (Palace Theatre, book by David Hornsby and Chris Hoch, music and lyrics by The Rescues, directed by Michael Arden); Mexodus (Minetta Lane Theatre and Daryl Roth Theatre, written and performed by Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson, directed by David Mendizábal); My Joy Is Heavy (New York Theatre Workshop, created and performed by The Bengsons, directed by Rachel Chavkin); Night Side Songs (Claire Tow Theater, words and music by The Lazours, developed with and directed by Taibi Magar); Saturday Church (New York Theatre Workshop, book and additional lyrics by Damon Cardasis and James Ijames, music and lyrics by Sia, additional music by Honey Dijon, directed by Whitney White); Schmigadoon! (Nederlander Theatre, book, music, and lyrics by Cinco Paul, directed by Christopher Gattelli); The Seat of our Pants (The Public Theater, adaptation, music, and lyrics by Ethan Lipton, directed by Leigh Silverman); Titanique (St. James Theatre, powered by the music of Céline Dion, co-created by Tye Blue, Marla Mindelle, and Constantine Rousouli, directed by Tye Blue); Two Strangers (Carry a Cake across New York) (Longacre Theatre, book, music, and lyrics by Jim Barne and Kit Buchan, musical director Ted Arthur, directed by Tim Jackson); Outstanding Revival of a Play: Anna Christie (St. Ann’s Warehouse, written by Eugene O’Neill, directed by Thomas Kail); Becky Shaw (Hayes Theater, written by Gina Gionfriddo, directed by Trip Cullman); The Brothers Size (The Shed, written by Tarell Alvin McCraney, co-directed by Tarell Alvin McCraney and Bijan Sheibani); Bug (Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, written by Tracy Letts, directed by David Cromer); Death of a Salesman (Winter Garden Theatre, written by Arthur Miller, directed by Joe Mantello); Every Brilliant Thing (Hudson Theatre, written by Duncan MacMillan with Jonny Donahoe, directed by Jeremy Herrin and Duncan MacMillan); Fallen Angels (Todd Haimes Theatre, written by Noël Coward, directed by Scott Ellis); Gruesome Playground Injuries (Lucille Lortel Theatre, written by Rajiv Joseph, directed by Neil Pepe); Joe Turner’s Come and Gone (Ethel Barrymore Theatre, written by August Wilson, directed by Debbie Allen); Proof (Booth Theatre, written by David Auburn, directed by Thomas Kail); Twelfth Night (Delacorte Theatre, written by William Shakespeare, directed by Saheem Ali); You Got Older (Cherry Lane Theatre, written by Clare Barron, directed by Anne Kauffman); Outstanding Revival of a Musical: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (New World Stages, music and lyrics by William Finn, book by Rachel Sheinkin, conceived by Rebecca Feldman, directed by Danny Mefford); Bat Boy: The Musical (New York City Center, story and book by Keythe Farley and Brian Flemming, music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe, directed by Alex Timbers); Cats: The Jellicle Ball (Broadhurst Theatre, music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, directed by Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch); Chess (Imperial Theatre, book by Danny Strong, music and lyrics by Benny Andersson, Tim Rice, and Björn Ulvaeus, directed by Michael Mayer); The Gospel at Colonus (Little Island, conceived and adapted by Lee Breuer, music by Bob Telson, directed by Shayok Misha Chowdhury); Heathers the Musical (book, music, and lyrics by Kevin Murphy and Laurence O’Keefe, directed by Andy Fickman); Masquerade (book by Richard Stilgoe and Andrew Lloyd Webber, music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Charles Hart, directed by Diane Paulus); Oratorio for Living Things (Signature Theatre, written by Heather Christian, directed by Lee Sunday Evans); Ragtime (Vivian Beaumont Theater, book by Terrence McNally, music by Stephen Flaherty, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, directed by Lear deBessonet); Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show (Studio 54, book, music, and lyrics by Richard O’Brien, directed by Sam Pinkleton); The Wild Party (New York City Center, music and lyrics by Michael John LaChiusa, book by Michael John LaChiusa and George C. Wolfe, directed by Lili-Anne Brown). Recipients of the 2026 Drama League Awards Special Honors are: Kamilah Forbes (photo by Nicole Mondestin), Caissie Levy (photo by Yellowbelly), David Cromer, and Scott Ellis. Photo courtesy of the Drama League Awards. Contribution to the Theater Award: Kamilah Forbes; Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theater: Caissie Levy; Founders Award for Excellence in Directing: David Cromer; Gratitude Award: Scott Ellis. Because the Distinguished Performance Award can only be won once in a performer’s lifetime, The Drama League also wishes to acknowledge the previous recipients who appeared in Broadway or Off-Broadway productions this season; though they are ineligible to be nominated, their outstanding work is recognized: Danny Burstein, Marjorie Prime; Neil Patrick Harris, Art; Hugh Jackman, Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes; Nathan Lane, Death of a Salesman; and John Lithgow, Giant. Congratulations to all the nominees and honorees! The Drama League Awards, hosted by Frank DiLella, will be presented on Friday, May 15, 2026, at the Drama League Awards Luncheon, beginning with a cocktail reception at 10 am, co-hosted by Bryan Cranston, Nathan Lane, John Lithgow, Bebe Neuwirth, and Brian Stokes Mitchell, at the Ziegfeld Ballroom, 141 West 54th Street, NYC. For tickets (priced at $500-25,000), go online. ...read more read less