2026 Lucille Lortel Awards- Updating Live

The 41st Annual Lucille Lortel Awards – the only New York theatre award to exclusively honor Outstanding Achievement Off-Broadway – will be presented at the annual ceremony tonight, May 3, 2026, at NYU Skirball beginning at 7:00pm.

The Lortel Awards are produced by the Off-Broadway League and the Lucille Lortel Theatre, with additional support provided by TDF. TodayTix Group is a Red Carpet sponsor, Studio Seaview is a Producing Sponsor, and AudienceView, Checks & Balances Payroll, Line-Up, and The Pekoe Group are Presenting Sponsors.

Notable first-time Lortel Award nominees include Sean Hayes (The Unknown), Dulé Hill (Lights Out: Nat “King” Cole), John Krasinski (Angry Alan), Amber Ruffin (BIGFOOT!), and Sia (Saturday Church.) Artists with multiple nominations include Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson (Mexodus) for Outstanding Musical and Outstanding Lead Performer in a Musical, Darrell Grand Moultrie (GODDESS and Saturday Church) for Outstanding Choreographer and Isabella Byrd (Glass. Kill. What If If Only. Imp. and Prince Faggot) for Outstanding Lighting Design. In total, the nominating committee saw 98 Off-Broadway shows this season, with 41 receiving nominations.

Special honorees this year include Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Mia Katigbak, performer and founder of the National Asian American Theatre Company (NAATCO); and legendary composer and lyricist William Finn, who will be posthumously inducted onto the famed Playwrights’ Sidewalk in front of the Lucille Lortel Theatre.

Tune in at 7pm ET for live updates from inside the ceremony. Winners will be marked; **Winner**

Outstanding Play

Cold War Choir Practice

Produced by MCC Theater, Clubbed Thumb, and Page 73

Written by Ro Reddick

Kyoto

Produced by Lincoln Center Theater, by arrangement with The Royal Shakespeare Company, Good Chance, Rachel Styne and Jessica Foung

Written by Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson

THE MONSTERS

Produced by Manhattan Theatre Club

Written by Ngozi Anyanwu

Mother Russia

Produced by Signature Theatre Company

Written by Lauren Yee

Prince Faggot

Produced by Playwrights Horizons and Soho Rep

Written by Jordan Tannahill

Outstanding Musical

BIGFOOT!

Produced by Benson Drive Productions, David Carter, Frankly Spoken Productions, The Shubert Organization, Robin Thede, Carson Gleberman, Sean Nyberg, Adam Riemer, Stark Sands, in association with Manhattan Theatre Club

Book by Amber Ruffin and Kevin Sciretta, Lyrics by Amber Ruffin, Music by David Schmoll and Amber Ruffin

Mexodus

Produced by Audible Theater and P3 Productions in association with Gabrielle Palitz, Gina Maria Leonetti, Todd B. Rubin, Willette and Manny Klausner, and QM Productions / The Movement Theatre Company, MTTM Theatrics / Barzach Productions

Written by Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson

My Joy Is Heavy

Produced by New York Theatre Workshop

Created by The Bengsons

Night Side Songs

Produced by Lincoln Center Theater/LCT3

Words and Music by The Lazours

Saturday Church

Produced by New York Theatre Workshop

Book and Additional Lyrics by Damon Cardasis and James Ijames, Music by Sia, Additional Music by Honey Dijon

Outstanding Revival

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Produced by Barbara Whitman, Aaron Glick, Timothy Bloom, James L. Nederlander, Nancy Nagel Gibbs, Debra Martin Chase, Rachel Sussman, Patrick Catullo, Ryan Solomon, by special arrangement with David Stone

Written by Music and Lyrics by William Finn, Book by Rachel Sheinkin

Bus Stop

Produced by Classic Stage Company, National Asian American Theatre Company, and Transport Group Written by William Inge

Gruesome Playground Injuries

Produced by Seaview, Sue Wagner, John Johnson, Jillian Robbins, Adam Zell, Stella La Rue, Willette & Manny Klausner, Joan Rechnitz, Kyle Valentine, Bergère Cohen Productions, Steinfast & Moellenberg, Imaginespace, No Guarantees, Melissa Chamberlain & Michael McCartney, deRoy & Trezza, by special arrangement with the Lucille Lortel Theatre

Written by Rajiv Joseph

Titus Andronicus

Produced by Red Bull Theater

Written by William Shakespeare

The Weir

Produced by Irish Repertory Theatre

Written by Conor McPherson

Outstanding Solo Show

Hold Me in the Water

Produced by Playwrights Horizons

Written and Performed by Ryan J. Haddad

I’m Assuming You Know David Greenspan

Produced by Atlantic Theater Company

Written by Mona Pirnot

Performed by David Greenspan

Nothing Can Take You From The Hand Of God

Produced by Playwrights Horizons

Written by Jen Tullock and Frank Winters

Performed by Jen Tullock

Other

Produced by LaChanze, Marc Platt, Marvin Krislov/Adam Cohen, Anna Jenefsky, Bob Stachel/Aaron Yeshayahu

Written and Performed by Ari’el Stachel

The Unknown

Produced by Seaview, ATG Productions, Pam Hurst-Della Pietra & Stephen Della Pietra, Mickey Liddell & Pete Shilaimon, Tom Tuft, Craig Balsam/Ken Levitan, Julie Boardman, Creative Partners Productions, Front Row Productions, Lloyd Tichio Productions, MarketStall, New Ventures Entertainment, in association with Hayes Entertainment, Inc.

Written by David Cale

Performed by Sean Hayes

Outstanding Director

Knud Adams – Cold War Choir Practice

Shayok Misha Chowdhury – Prince Faggot

Stephen Daldry and Justin Martin – Kyoto

David Mendizábal – Mexodus

Keenan Tyler Oliphant – Practice

Outstanding Choreographer

Edgar Godineaux and Jared Grimes – Lights Out: Nat “King” Cole

Darrell Grand Moultrie – GODDESS

Darrell Grand Moultrie – Saturday Church

Tony Thomas – Mexodus

Rickey Tripp – THE MONSTERS

Outstanding Lead Performer in a Play

Noah Galvin – The Reservoir

Marin Ireland – Queens

John Krasinski – Angry Alan

Aigner Mizzelle – THE MONSTERS

Okieriete Onaodowan – THE MONSTERS

Susannah Perkins – Antigone (This Play I Read In High School)

Kara Young – Gruesome Playground Injuries

Outstanding Featured Performer in a Play

Jorge Bosch – Kyoto

Felicia Curry – Bowl EP

Crystal Finn – Cold War Choir Practice

David Greenspan – Prince Faggot

Lizan Mitchell – Cold War Choir Practice

Deirdre O’Connell – Glass. Kill. What If If Only. Imp.

David Turner – Mother Russia

Outstanding Lead Performer in a Musical

Abigail Bengson – My Joy Is Heavy

J. Harrison Ghee – Saturday Church

Dulé Hill – Lights Out: Nat “King” Cole

Ruthie Ann Miles – The Seat of Our Pants

Brian Quijada – Mexodus

Nygel D. Robinson – Mexodus

Daniel J. Watts – Lights Out: Nat “King” Cole

Outstanding Featured Performer in a Musical

Nick Rashad Burroughs – GODDESS

Judy Kuhn – The Baker’s Wife

Erin Morton – Heathers The Musical

Stephanie Jae Park – Monte Cristo

Caleb Quezon – Saturday Church

Natalie Walker – The Last Bimbo of the Apocalypse

Lynne Wintersteller – About Time

Outstanding Ensemble

Initiative

Olivia Rose Barresi, Brandon Burk, Greg Cuellar, Harrison Densmore, Carson Higgins, Andrea Lopez Alvarez, Jamie Sanders, Christopher Dylan White

Night Side Songs

Robin de Jesús, Brooke Ishibashi, Jonathan Raviv, Kris Saint-Louis, Mary Testa

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Philippe Arroyo, Autumn Best, Leana Rae Concepcion, Justin Cooley, Lilli Cooper, Jason Kravits, Matt Manuel, Kevin McHale, Jasmine Amy Rogers

Outstanding Scenic Design

Miriam Buether – Glass. Kill. What If If Only. Imp.

Afsoon Pajoufar – Cold War Choir Practice

Riw Rakkulchon – Mexodus

Adam Rigg and Anton Volovsek – Bowl EP

David Zinn – Prince Faggot

Outstanding Costume Design

Montana Levi Blanco – Prince Faggot

Enver Chakartash – TARTUFFE

Qween Jean – Saturday Church

Celeste Jennings – minor.ity

Kaye Voyce – The Seat of Our Pants

Outstanding Lighting Design

Isabella Byrd – Glass. Kill. What If If Only. Imp.

Isabella Byrd – Prince Faggot

Mextly Couzin – Mexodus

Cha See – The Unknown

Studio Luna/”>Luna – Marcel on the Train

Outstanding Sound Design

Caroline Eng – The Unknown

Mikhail Fiksel – Mexodus

Ryan Gamblin – Bowl EP

Drew Levy – The Weir

Bray Poor – Eurydice

Outstanding Projection Design

David Bengali – My Joy Is Heavy

Stefania Bulbarella – Nothing Can Take You From The Hand Of God Akhila Krishnan – Kyoto

Johnny Moreno – Mexodus

John Narun – Bughouse