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At a ceremony at The London Palladium hosted by Gina and Mazz Murray, the winners of the 26th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards in association with AudienceView were announced — the only major UK theatre awards decided by the theatregoers themselves.
WhatsOnStage’s Darius Thompson and Alex Wood said today, “The voters really did look after that Bear! Paddington’s record-setting awards haul has firmly cemented it as a fan-favourite new addition to the West End. From bears to balconies – it’s no surprise to see Rachel Zegler amongst the starry line-up of winners following her al fresco performance at this very venue last summer.”
The critically acclaimed smash-hit Paddington The Musical triumphed, winning nine awards and equalling the record for the most wins in WhatsOnStage Award history with Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and Miss Saigon — and the most for any new msucial. The production won Best New Musical; Best Professional Debut Performance for Timi Akinyosade; Best Direction for Luke Sheppard; Best Set Design for Tom Pye; Best Costume Design for Gabriella Slade and Tahra Zafar — the latter, who designed the bear; Best Sound Design for Gareth Owen; Best Wigs, Hair and Make-Up Design for Campbell Young Associates; Best Musical Supervision/Direction for Matt Brind; and Best Casting Direction for Natalie Gallacher CDG for Pippa Ailion and Natalie Gallacher Casting, Nick Hockaday and Annabelle Davis.
Evita was the recipient of five Awards – Best Musical Revival, Best Choreography for Fabian Aloise, Best Lighting for Jon Clark, Best Video Design for Jamie Lloyd, Nick Ward and David Anderson, and Rachel Zegler winning Best Performer in a Musical. Zegler also won the Best Concert Event for Rachel Zegler: Live at The London Palladium.
With the year very much dominated by the big musicals, Richard II at Bridge Theatre leads the straight play categories with two wins – Jonathan Bailey win Best Performer in a Play and the production, Best Play Revival. Taking the Best New Play Award are WhatsOnStage Award favourites Mischief for The Comedy About Spies by Henry Lewis and Henry Shields.
Completing the performance categories, Amber Davies wins Best Supporting Performer in a Musical taking the only win for The Great Gatsby; Stephen Fry winning Best Supporting Performer in a Play for The Importance of Being Earnest, again the only win for the multi-nominated production; and Emma Kingston takes Best Takeover for Elphaba in Wicked.
Crowning its 40th year, Les Misérables, the West End’s longest running musical, wins the coveted Best West End Show Award. Best Regional Production goes to 13 Going on 30 The Musical at the Opera House in Manchester; with the Hope Mill’s production of Young Frankenstein taking Best Studio Production.
See the full list of winners below:
2026 WhatsOnstage Awards: Full List of Nominees (* and italics denote win)
The Sine Digital Best Performer in a Play
*Jonathan Bailey (Richard II, Bridge Theatre)
Ncuti Gatwa (Born With Teeth, Wyndham’s Theatre)
Tom Hiddleston (Much Ado About Nothing, Theatre Royal Drury Lane)
Joe Locke (Clarkston, Trafalgar Theatre)
Maxine Peake (The Last of Mrs Mary Whitehouse, Nottingham Playhouse)
Rosamund Pike (Inter Alia, National Theatre)
Best Performer in a Musical — Sponsored by Ticketmaster
*Rachel Zegler (Evita, The London Palladium)
Lauren Drew (Titanique, Criterion Theatre)
James Hameed and Arti Shah (Paddington The Musical, Savoy Theatre)
Lucie Jones (13 Going On 30 The Musical, Manchester Opera House)
Jamie Muscato (The Great Gatsby, London Coliseum)
Diego Andres Rodriguez (Evita, The London Palladium)
Best Supporting Performer in a Play
*Stephen Fry (The Importance of Being Earnest, Noël Coward Theatre)
Joe Alwyn (The Lady from the Sea, Bridge Theatre)
Emma Corrin (The Seagull, Barbican Theatre)
Yerin Ha (The Maids, Donmar Warehouse)
Sophie Melville (Clarkston, Trafalgar Theatre)
Mason Alexander Park (Much Ado About Nothing, Theatre Royal Drury Lane)
Best Supporting Performer in a Musical — Sponsored by Newman Displays
*Amber Davies (The Great Gatsby, London Coliseum)
Bella Brown (Evita, The London Palladium)
Candace Furbert, Sharlene Hector, Brianna Ogunbawo, Malinda Parris, Robyn Rose-Li (Hercules, Theatre Royal Drury Lane)
Victoria Hamilton-Barritt (Paddington The Musical, Savoy Theatre)
Grace Mouat (13 Going On 30 The Musical, Manchester Opera House)
Layton Williams (Titanique, Criterion Theatre)
Best Professional Debut — Sponsored by AKA
*Timi Akinyosade (Paddington The Musical, Savoy Theatre)
Mia Carragher (The Hunger Games on Stage, Troubadour Canary Wharf Theatre)
Hannah Dodd (Cabaret, Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre)
Jess Folley (Burlesque The Musical, Savoy Theatre)
Ruaridh Mollica (Clarkston, Trafalgar Theatre)
Asha Parker (Burlesque The Musical, Savoy Theatre)
Best Takeover
*Emma Kingston (Wicked, Apollo Victoria Theatre)
Karis Anderson (Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Piccadilly Theatre)
Stevie Doc (The Devil Wears Prada, Dominion Theatre)
Rob Madge (Cabaret, Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre)
Eva Noblezada (Cabaret, Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre)
Alex Young (Operation Mincemeat, Fortune Theatre)
Best Child Performance
*Young Thomas: Platon Filatov, Darcy Tosun, Artie Wilkinson-Hunt, Anton Vehring (The Land of the Living, National Theatre)
Jonathan Brown: Joseph Bramley, Leo Collon, Stevie Hare, Jasper Rowse (Paddington The Musical, Savoy Theatre)
The Child: Auora Breslin, Lois Haidar, Ffion Rosalie Williams (Evita, The London Palladium)
Wynonna: Lily Ferguson, Jessie-Lou Harvie, Ayla Sheriff (Wild Rose, Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh)
Young Jenna Rink: Amelia Minto and Fearne Lily King I’anson / Young Matt Flamhaff: Max Bispham and George Hamblin (13 Going on 30 the Musical, Manchester Opera House)
Best New Play — Sponsored by Disney On Stage
*The Comedy About Spies (Noël Coward Theatre)
Born With Teeth (Wyndham’s Theatre)
Clarkston (Trafalgar Theatre)
Inter Alia (National Theatre)
Stereophonic (Duke of York’s Theatre)
Through It All Together (Leeds Playhouse)
The Travelzoo Best New Musical Award
*Paddington The Musical (Savoy Theatre)
The Great Gatsby (London Coliseum)
Hercules (Theatre Royal Drury Lane)
Here and Now (UK Tour)
Shucked (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre)
Titanique (Criterion Theatre)
The Londoner Best Play Revival Award
*Richard II (Bridge Theatre)
The Importance of Being Earnest (National Theatre / Noël Coward Theatre)
The Lady from the Sea (Bridge Theatre)
Much Ado About Nothing (Theatre Royal Drury Lane)
The Seagull (Barbican Theatre)
A Streetcar Named Desire (Sheffield Theatres)
Best Musical Revival – Sponsored by Concord Theatricals
*Evita (The London Palladium)
Brigadoon (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre)
Jesus Christ Superstar (The Watermill Theatre)
Little Shop of Horrors (Sheffield Theatres)
My Fair Lady (Curve, Leicester_
The Producers (Menier Chocolate Factory / Garrick Theatre)
Best West End Show — Sponsored by Dewynters
*Les Misérables (Sondheim Theatre)
Cabaret (Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre)
Hadestown (Lyric Theatre)
Oliver! (Gielgud Theatre)
Operation Mincemeat (Fortune Theatre)
Wicked (Apollo Victoria Theatre)
Audience Republic Best Regional Production
*13 Going on 30 The Musical (Manchester Opera House)
Come Fall in Love – The DDLJ Musical (Manchester Opera House)
Jesus Christ Superstar (The Watermill Theatre)
Krapp’s Last Tape (York Theatre Royal)
Pride and Prejudice (UK Tour)
Through It All Together (Leeds Playhouse)
Best Concert Event
*Rachel Zegler: Live at The London Palladium (The London Palladium)
The Book Thief in Concert (Prince of Wales Theatre)
Gravity (Theatre Royal Drury Lane)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame in Concert (Prince Edward Theatre)
Jeremy Jordan: Live at the Royal Albert Hall (Royal Albert Hall)
Songs For a New World (Eventim Apollo Hammersmith)
Best Studio Production — Sponsored by Theatrical Rights Worldwide
*Young Frankenstein (Hope Mill Theatre)
Be More Chill (Old Joint Stock Theatre)
Brixton Calling (South Playhouse Borough)
Cul de Sac (Omnibus Theatre)
The Frogs (South Playhouse Borough)
The Last Five Years (Barn Theatre Cirencester and Reading Rep)
Best Direction — Sponsored by London Theatre Direct
*Luke Sheppard (Paddington The Musical, Savoy Theatre)
Tamara Harvey (The Constant Wife, RSC)
Lynette Linton (Intimate Apparel, Donmar Warehouse)
Jamie Lloyd (Much Ado About Nothing, Theatre Royal Drury Lane)
Thomas Ostermeier (The Seagull, Barbican Theatre)
Tim Sheader (Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812, Donmar Warehouse)
Best Choreography — Sponsored by LaDuca Shoes
*Fabian Aloise (Evita, The London Palladium)
Ellen Kane (Ballet Shoes, National Theatre)
Ellen Kane (Paddington The Musical, Savoy Theatre)
Lorin Latarro (The Producers, Menier Chocolate Factory / Garrick Theatre)
Drew McOnie (Brigadoon, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre)
Jennifer Weber (13 Going on 30 The Musical, Manchester Opera House)
The Preevue Best Set Design Award
*Tom Pye (Paddington The Musical, Savoy Theatre)
Frankie Bradshaw (Ballet Shoes, National Theatre)
Lizzie Clachan (The Lady From the Sea, Bridge Theatre)
Paul Tate dePoo III (The Great Gatsby, London Coliseum)
Michael Taylor, My Fair Lady, Curve Leicester
David Zinn, Stereophonic, Duke of York’s Theatre
Best Costume Design
*Gabrielle Slade and Tahra Zafar (Paddington The Musical, Savoy Theatre)
Alex Berry (Intimate Apparel, Donmar Warehouse)
Linda Cho (The Great Gatsby, London Coliseum)
Colin Richmond (The Red Shoes, RSC)
Rae Smith (The Importance of Being Earnest, National Theatre / Noël Coward Theatre)
Michael Taylor (My Fair Lady, Curve Leicester)
The White Light Best Lighting Design Award
*Jon Clark (Evita, The London Palladium
Neil Austin (Born with Teeth, Wyndham’s Theatre)
Neil Austin (Paddington The Musical, Savoy Theatre)
Paule Constable (The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, Chichester Festival Theatre)
Howard Hudson (Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812, Donmar Warehouse)
Jessica Hung Han Yun, Hamlet Hail to the Thief, RSC
Best Sound Design – Sponsored by Here at Outernet
*Gareth Owen (Paddington The Musical, Savoy Theatre)
Adam Fisher (Evita, The London Palladium)
Tony Gayle (Wild Rose, The Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh)
Tom Gibbons (The Seagull, Barbican Theatre)
Ryan Rumery, Stereophonic, Duke of York’s Theatre
Gareth Tucker, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812, Donmar Warehouse
Best Video Design – Sponsored by Studio 20
*Jamie Lloyd, Nick Ward, David Anderson, Evita, The London Palladium
Will Duke, Hamlet Hail to the Thief, RSC
Andrzej Goulding, Born with Teeth, Wyndham’s Theatre
Luke Halls, Sing Street, Lyric Hammersmith
Zakk Hein, The Maids, Donmar Warehouse
Ash J Woodward, Paddington The Musical, Savoy Theatre
Wigs, Hair and Make-Up Design
*Campbell Young Associates (Paddington The Musical, Savoy Theatre)
Valerie Atkinson (Little Shop of Horrors, Sheffield Theatres)
Rae Smith, with Kate Elizabeth, Campbell Young Associates and Adele Brandman (The Importance of Being Earnest, National Theatre / Noël Coward Theatre)
Charles G LaPointe, Rachel Grier and Ashley Ryan (The Great Gatsby, London Coliseum)
Mia M Neal, Kirk Cambridge-Del Pesche (Hercules, Theatre Royal Drury Lane)
Grace Smart (Cyrano de Bergerac, RSC)
Best Music Direction / Supervision
*Matt Brind (Paddington The Musical, Savoy Theatre)
Tom Brady (Hamlet Hail to the Thief, RSC)
Justin Craig (Stereophonic, Duke of York’s Theatre)
Stuart Morley (Jesus Christ Superstar, The Watermill Theatre)
Sarah Travis, Davey Anderson, Ali Roocroft (Wild Rose, The Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh)
Alan Williams (Evita, The London Palladium)
Best Casting Direction
*Natalie Gallacher CDG for Pippa Ailion and Natalie Gallacher Casting, Nick Hockaday, Annabelle Davis (Paddington The Musical, Savoy Theatre)
Pippa Ailion CDG for Pippa Ailion and Natalie Gallacher Casting (Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812, Donmar Warehouse)
Stuart Burt (Make It Happen, Dundee Rep Theatre and Edinburgh International Festival)
Alastair Coomer (The Importance of Being Earnest, National Theatre / Noël Coward Theatre)
Bryony Jarvis-Taylor (Here We Are, National Theatre)
Pearson Casting (Titanique, Criterion Theatre)
