2026 Outer Critics Circle Awards Winners- RAGTIME and SCHMIGADOON! Lead the Pack

The Outer Critics Circle (OCC), the official organization of writers on New York theatre for out-of-town, national, and digital news publications, has just announced the winners of the 2026 Outer Critics Circle Awards. The awards ceremony celebrating the winners of the 2025-2026 Broadway and Off-Broadway season will be held on Thursday, May 21, 2026 at Manhattan Movement & Arts Center (MMAC), 248 West 60th Street. The complete list of winners is below.

Founded during the 1949-50 Broadway season by respected theater journalist John Gassner, The Outer Critics Circle is an esteemed association with members affiliated with more than ninety newspapers, magazines, broadcast stations, and online news organizations, in America and abroad. Led by its current President David Gordon, the OCC Board of Directors also includes Vice President Richard Ridge, Recording Secretary Joseph Cervelli, Corresponding Secretary Patrick Hoffman, Treasurer David Roberts, Cynthia Allen, Harry Haun (1940-2026), Dan Rubins, Janice Simpson and Doug Strassler. Simon Saltzman is President Emeritus & Board Member (Non-nominating) and Stanley L. Cohen serves as Financial Consultant & Board Member (Non-nominating). 

2026 OUTER CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD WINNERS

Outstanding New Broadway Musical

The Lost Boys

**Schmigadoon! **

Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) 

Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical

Beau the Musical

Goddess

**Mexodus**

Oratorio for Living Things

Saturday Church

 Outstanding New Broadway Play

**The Balusters**

Giant

Little Bear Ridge Road

Oedipus

Punch

Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play

Angry Alan

**Meet the Cartozians**

The Monsters

Prince Faggot

The Reservoir

John Gassner Award (for a new American play preferably by a new playwright)

Call Me Izzy by Jamie Wax

Caroline by Preston Max Allen

**Cold War Choir Practice by Ro Reddick** (tie)

Data by Matthew Libby

**Well, I’ll Let You Go by Bubba Weiler** (tie)

 Outstanding Revival of a Musical

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

The Baker’s Wife

Chess

Masquerade

**Ragtime**

Outstanding Revival of a Play

Becky Shaw

The Brothers Size

**Death of a Salesman**

Joe Turner’s Come and Gone

Marjorie Prime

Outstanding Lead Performer in a Broadway Play

Rose Byrne, Fallen Angels

Will Harrison, Punch

**Nathan Lane, Death of a Salesman**

John Lithgow, Giant

Lesley Manville, Oedipus

Kelli O’Hara, Fallen Angels 

Outstanding Featured Performer in a Broadway Play

Christopher Abbott, Death of a Salesman

Danny Burstein, Marjorie Prime

Jessica Hecht, Dog Day Afternoon

**Laurie Metcalf, Death of a Salesman**

Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone

Outstanding Lead Performer in a Broadway Musical

Sara Chase, Schmigadoon!

Nicholas Christopher, Chess

Luke Evans, The Rocky Horror Show

**Joshua Henry, Ragtime**

Sam Tutty, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)

Brandon Uranowitz, Ragtime

Jessica Vosk, Beaches

 Outstanding Featured Performer in a Broadway Musical

Ali Louis Bourzgui, The Lost Boys

Max Clayton, Schmigadoon!

Andrew Durand, The Rocky Horror Show

Benjamin Pajak, The Lost Boys

**Ben Levi Ross, Ragtime**

Outstanding Lead Performer in an Off-Broadway Musical

Micaela Diamond, The Seat of Our Pants

Amber Iman, Goddess

Brian Quijada, Mexodus

**Nygel D. Robinson, Mexodus**

 Matt Rodin, Beau the Musical

Outstanding Featured Performer in an Off-Broadway Musical

Justin Cooley, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

J. Harrison Ghee, Saturday Church

**Judy Kuhn, The Baker’s Wife**

Kevin McHale, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Jasmine Amy Rogers, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Outstanding Lead Performer in an Off-Broadway Play

**Quincy Tyler Bernstine, Well, I’ll Let You Go**

Alana Raquel Bowers, Cold War Choir Practice

André Holland, The Brothers Size

Alani iLongwe, The Brothers Size

Aigner Mizzelle, The Monsters

Outstanding Featured Performer in an Off-Broadway Play

**Caroline Aaron, The Reservoir**

Brian d’Arcy James, Eurydice

River Lipe-Smith, Caroline

Andrea Martin, Meet the Cartozians

Malcolm Mays, The Brothers Size

Outstanding Solo Performance

Sean Hayes, The Unknown

Jack Holden, Kenrex 

Mary Kate O Flanagan, Making a Show of Myself

**Daniel Radcliffe, Every Brilliant Thing**

Jean Smart, Call Me Izzy

Outstanding Book of a Musical (Broadway or Off-Broadway)

Jim Barne and Kit Buchan, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)

David Hornsby and Chris Hoch, The Lost Boys

Douglas Lyons, Beau the Musical

**Cinco Paul, Schmigadoon! **

Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson, Mexodus

Outstanding Score (Broadway or Off-Broadway)

Jim Barne and Kit Buchan, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)

Heather Christian, Oratorio for Living Things

Ethan D. Pakchar and Douglas Lyons, Beau the Musical

**Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson, Mexodus**

The Rescues, The Lost Boys

Outstanding Direction of a Play

Debbie Allen, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone

Ngozi Anyanwu, The Monsters

Trip Cullman, Becky Shaw

Robert Icke, Oedipus

**Joe Mantello, Death of a Salesman**

Tarell Alvin McCraney and Bijan Sheibani, The Brothers Size

Outstanding Direction of a Musical

Michael Arden, The Lost Boys

**Lear deBessonet, Ragtime**

Lee Sunday Evans, Oratorio for Living Things

David Mendizábal, Mexodus

Diane Paulus, Masquerade 

Outstanding Choreography

Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Masquerade

**Christopher Gattelli, Schmigadoon! **

Darrell Grand Moultrie, Goddess

Darrell Grand Moultrie, Saturday Church

Rickey Tripp, The Monsters 

Outstanding Orchestrations (Broadway or Off-Broadway)

**Doug Besterman and Mike Morris, Schmigadoon! **

Heather Christian, Johnny Butler, Jane Cardona, Fraser Campbell, Laura Dadap, Clerida Eltime, Fred Epstein, Camellia Hartman, Odetta Hartman, Ben Moss, John Murchison and Peter Wise, Oratorio for Living Things

Mikhail Fiksel, Brian Quijada, and Nygel D. Robinson, Mexodus

Ethan Popp and The Rescues, The Lost Boys

Michael Thurber, Goddess

Outstanding Scenic Design

James Fluhr, Masquerade

**Dane Laffrey, The Lost Boys**

Scott Pask, Schmigadoon!

Adam Rigg and Anton Volovsek, Bowl EP

Jason Sherwood, The Baker’s Wife

Outstanding Costume Design

Dede Ayite, Goddess

**Linda Cho, Schmigadoon! **

Jeff Mahshie, Fallen Angels

Ryan park, The Lost Boys

Emilio Sosa, Masquerade

Outstanding Lighting Design

Mextly Couzin, Mexodus

Adam Honoré, Cats: The Jellicle Ball

Jack Knowles, Death of a Salesman

**Jen Schriever and Michael Arden, The Lost Boys**

Studio Luna, Marcel on the Train

Outstanding Sound Design

Caroline Eng, The Unknown

**Mikhail Fiksel, Mexodus**

Adam Fisher, The Lost Boys

Brett Jarvis, Masquerade

Nick Kourtides, Oratorio for Living Things 

Outstanding Video/Projection Design

**59 Studio, Ragtime**

Akhila Krishnan, Kyoto

Derek McLane, This World of Tomorrow

Johnny Moreno, Mexodus

John Narun, Bughouse

Wins by show:

5 – Ragtime; Schmigadoon!

4 – Death of a Salesman; Mexodus

2 – The Lost Boys; Well, I’ll Let You Go

1 – Cold War Choir Practice; Every Brilliant Thing; Meet the Cartozians; The Baker’s Wife; The Balusters; The Reservoir

A Note on Eligibility

The following Broadway productions were considered in previous seasons, with only new elements eligible during this cycle: Cats: The Jellicle Ball; Liberation; and Titaníque. The following productions were not eligible for awards this season: Mamma Mia!; Beetlejuice; Rob Lake Magic with Special Guests The Muppets; All Out: Comedy About Ambition.