Natalie Venetia Belcon and Corbin Bleu to Announce the 2026 Drama League Awards Nominations

Tony Award Winner Natalie Venetia Belcon (Buena Vista Social Club) and film, television, and stage star Corbin Bleu (The Great Gatsby) will co-host the 2026 Drama League Awards Nominations announcement on Monday, April 20, 2026 at 11:00 AM. The announcement event, held at Lincoln Center’s New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, will also be livestreamed by BroadwayWorld.

 

Honoring the outstanding accomplishments of the theatrical community, The Drama League Awards will be bestowed in the following categories: 

Distinguished Performance Award

Outstanding Production of a Play

Outstanding Production of a Musical

Outstanding Revival of a Play

Outstanding Revival of a Musical

Outstanding Direction of a Play

Outstanding Direction of a Musical

Broadway and Off-Broadway productions must have started previews between April 21, 2025, and April 18, 2026 to be eligible for this season’s Drama League Awards. 

 

These awards will be presented during the famed luncheon ceremony at The Ziegfeld Ballroom on Friday, May 15, 2026, at 11:00 AM. The event will be hosted by Emmy Award winner Frank DiLella (NY1 “On Stage”; PBS Great Performances “Reopening: The Broadway Revival”). 

 

The Drama League previously announced the 2026 Special Recognition Award Recipients: Olivier and Grammy-nominated actress Caissie Levy will receive the Award for Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theater; Tony Award-winning director David Cromer will be honored with the Founders Award for Excellence in Directing; Executive Producer of The Apollo Theatre Kamilah Forbes will be honored with the Contribution to the Theater Award; and The Gratitude Award will be presented to Tony nominee and Olivier Award winner Scott Ellis. The Awards Honorary Committee, still in formation, includes Bryan Cranston, Bebe Neuwirth, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Nathan Lane, and John Lithgow.