70th Drama Desk Awards

70th Drama Desk Awards
70th Drama Desk Awards
Date	May 17, 2026
Venue	The Town Hall
Hosted by	Marla Mindelle
Most nominations	Beau the Musical, Mexodus (10)
Website	dramadesks.com.
	← 2025 · Outer Critics Circle Awards · 2027 →

DateMay 17, 2026

VenueThe Town Hall

Hosted byMarla Mindelle

Most nominationsBeau the Musical, Mexodus (10)

The 70th Drama Desk Awards winners are set to be announced on May 17, 2026, recognizing excellence in Broadway and Off-Broadway productions during the 2025–26 season. Nominations were announced on April 29, 2026, with Beau the Musical and Mexodus receiving the most nominations with 10 each. The most-nominated Broadway productions were Ragtime and The Balusters, with eight nominations each.^[1]^[2]

[1]

[2]

Category	Winner and nominees^[4]
Outstanding Musical	Beau the Musical Mexodus Schmigadoon! The Seat of Our Pants Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Outstanding Play	Caroline by Preston Max Allen Cold War Choir Practice by Ro Reddick Meet the Cartozians by Talene Monahon Prince Faggot by Jordan Tannahill The Balusters by David Lindsay-Abaire The Porch on Windy Hill by Sherry Stregnack Lutken Well, I’ll Let You Go by Bubba Weiler
Outstanding Revival of a Musical	Amahl and the Night Visitors Chess Ragtime The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee The Baker's Wife The Rocky Horror Show
Outstanding Revival of a Play	Becky Shaw by Gina Gionfriddo Ceremonies in Dark Old Men by Lonne Elder III Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller Los Soles Truncos by René Marqués Titus Andronicus by William Shakespeare You Got Older by Clare Barron
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play	Quincy Tyler Bernstine, Well, I’ll Let You Go Noah Galvin, The Reservoir Synnøve Karlsen, Pygmalion John Krasinski, Angry Alan Nathan Lane, Death of a Salesman John Lithgow, Giant Lesley Manville, Oedipus Laurie Metcalf, Death of a Salesman Aigner Mizzelle, The Monsters Patrick Page, Titus Andronicus Anika Noni Rose, The Balusters Kara Young, Gruesome Playground Injuries
Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play	Caroline Aaron, The Reservoir Edoardo Benzoni, Are the Bennet Girls Ok? Maria-Christina Oliveras, The Balusters Nathan Darrow, (un)conditional Emily Davis, Well, I’ll Let You Go West Duchovny, Diversion Alden Ehrenreich, Becky Shaw Linda Emond, Becky Shaw David Greenspan, Prince Faggot River Lipe-Smith, Caroline Lizan Mitchell, Cold War Choir Practice Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone Richard Thomas, The Balusters
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical	Nicholas Christopher, Chess Micaela Diamond, The Seat of Our Pants Luke Evans, The Rocky Horror Show Joshua Henry, Ragtime Dulé Hill, Lights Out: Nat “King” Cole Amber Iman, Goddess Caissie Levy, Ragtime Brian Quijada, Mexodus Nygel D. Robinson, Mexodus Matt Rodin, Beau the Musical Sam Tutty, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) Brandon Uranowitz, Ragtime
Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical	Chris Blisset, Beau the Musical Max Clayton, Schmigadoon! Lilli Cooper, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Stephanie Hsu, The Rocky Horror Show Judy Kuhn, The Baker's Wife McKenzie Kurtz, Schmigadoon! Ruthie Ann Miles, The Seat of Our Pants Erin Morton, Heathers the Musical Jackson Kanawha Perry, Saturday Church Jasmine Amy Rogers, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Ben Levi Ross, Ragtime Layton Williams, Titanique
Outstanding Solo Performance	Savon Bartley, Holes in the Shape of My Father Jack Holden, Kenrex Hailey McAfee, and her Children Natalie Palamides, Weer Julia McDermott, Weather Girl Josh Sharp, ta-da!
Outstanding Direction of a Play	Jesse Berger, Titus Andronicus David Cromer, Caroline Trip Cullman, Becky Shaw Kenny Leon, The Balusters Joe Mantello, Death of a Salesman Tarell Alvin McCraney and Bijan Sheibani, The Brothers Size Jack Serio, Well, I’ll Let You Go
Outstanding Direction of a Musical	Lear deBessonet, Ragtime Gordon Greenberg, The Baker's Wife Danny Mefford, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee David Mendizábal, Mexodus Josh Rhodes, Beau the Musical Leigh Silverman, The Seat of Our Pants
Outstanding Choreography	Christopher Gattelli, Schmigadoon! Edgar Godineaux and Jared Grimes, Lights Out: Nat “King” Cole Natalie Malotke, Jonathan Platero, and Oksana Platero, Blood/Love Toran X. Moore, Try/Step/Trip Omari Wiles & Arturo Lyons, Cats: The Jellicle Ball Lauren Yalango-Grant and Christopher Cree Grant, The Lost Boys
Outstanding Music	The Lazours, Night Side Songs Ethan Lipton, The Seat of Our Pants Douglas Lyons, Beau the Musical Michael Thurber, Goddess Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson, Mexodus
Outstanding Lyrics	Jim Barne & Kit Buchan, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) Dahlak Brathwaite, Try/Step/Trip Ethan Lipton, The Seat of Our Pants Douglas Lyons, Beau the Musical Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson, Mexodus
Outstanding Book of a Musical	Dahlak Brathwaite, Try/Step/Trip Ethan Lipton, The Seat of Our Pants Douglas Lyons, Beau the Musical Jesse Malin & Lauren Ludwig, Silver Manhattan Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson, Mexodus
Outstanding Orchestrations	Bryan Carter, The Fear of 13 Daniel Kluger, The Seat of Our Pants Sherry Stregnack Lutken, The Porch on Windy Hill John McDaniel, Lights Out: Nat “King” Cole The Bengsons & Or Matias, My Joy is Heavy
Outstanding Music in a Play	John Patrick Elliott, Kenrex Donald Lawrence, Oh Happy Day! Stan Mathabane and Munir Zakee, The Brothers Size Johnathan Moore, The Imaginary Invalid Ro Reddick, Cold War Choir Practice Darron L West and Alexander Sovronsky, The Wild Duck
Outstanding Scenic Design of a Play	Harry Feiner, Ceremonies in Dark Old Men Soutra Gilmour, Waiting for Godot Tatiana Kahvegian, Meet the Cartozians Chloe Lamford, Death of a Salesman Derek McLane, The Adding Machine Derek McLane, The Balusters
Outstanding Scenic Design of a Musical	Daniel Allen, Beau the Musical dots, The Rocky Horror Show Rachel Hauck, Cats: The Jellicle Ball Dane Laffrey, The Lost Boys Arnulfo Maldonado, Goddess Jason Sherwood, The Baker's Wife
Outstanding Costume Design of a Play	Kindall Almond, Initiative Enver Chakartash, Meet the Cartozians Enver Chakartash, Tartuffe Qween Jean, Oh Happy Day! Emilio Sosa, The Balusters Paul Tazewell, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Outstanding Costume Design of a Musical	Qween Jean, Cats: The Jellicle Ball Qween Jean, Saturday Church David I. Reynoso, The Rocky Horror Show Kaye Voyce, The Seat of Our Pants Catherine Zuber, The Baker's Wife
Outstanding Lighting Design of a Play	Isabella Byrd, Prince Faggot Jeff Croiter, The Adding Machine Stacey Derosier, Well, I’ll Let You Go Jack Knowles, Death of a Salesman Kate McGee, without mirrors Studio Luna, Marcel on the Train
Outstanding Lighting Design of a Musical	Mextly Couzin, Mexodus Adam Honoré, Amahl and the Night Visitors Adam Honoré and Donald Holder, Ragtime Japhy Weideman, Beau the Musical Bradley King, The Baker's Wife Jen Schriever and Michael Arden, The Lost Boys
Outstanding Sound Design of a Play	Angela Baughman, Initiative Caroline Eng, The Unknown Tom Gibbons, Oedipus Kieran Lucas, Weather Girl Nevin Steinberg, Anna Christie Giles Thomas, Kenrex
Outstanding Sound Design of a Musical	Jordana Abrencia, Beau the Musical Jason Crystal, The Baker's Wife Mikhail Fiksel, Mexodus Kai Harada, Ragtime Alex Hawthorn and Drew Levy, Lights Out: Nat “King” Cole
Outstanding Projection and Video Design	David Bengali, My Joy is Heavy Akhila Krishnan, Kyoto Johnny Moreno, Mexodus Tal Yarden, Oedipus
Outstanding Wig and Hair	Alberto “Albee” Alvarado, The Rocky Horror Show David Brian Brown, The Lost Boys David Brian Brown and Victoria Tinsman, Fallen Angels Nikiya Mathis, Cats: The Jellicle Ball Robert Pickens, Tartuffe
Outstanding Puppetry	Axtell Expressions, Amaze Emily Batsford, Yuliya Tsukerman and Cumulo Julian Crouch, Goddess Monkey Boys Productions, The Burning Cauldron of Fiery Fire
Outstanding Fight Choreography	Gerry Rodriguez, The Monsters Thomas Schall, The Balusters Rick Sordelet, Titus Andronicus Rick Sordelet, Ulster American Sordelet Inc., The Lost Boys
Outstanding Adaptation	and her Children Rosie Glen-Lambert and Hailey McAfee Are the Bennet Girls Ok?, Emily Breeze Oedipus, Robert Icke Pride & Prejudice, Abigail Pickard Price, with Sarah Gobran and Matt Pinches Room 204, Zusammen Theatre Project (Dennis Flanagan and Anjelica Fellini) The Imaginary Invalid, Lucie Tiberghien
Outstanding Revue	About Time Baile Cangrejero I Wish My Life Were Like a Musical
Unique Theatrical Experience	Amaze Burnout Paradise Color Theories ha ha ha ha ha ha ha Rheology Slanted Floors

Award	Recipient^[5]
Ensemble Award	*The cast of Marjorie Prime: Danny Burstein, Christopher Lowell, Cynthia Nixon, and June Squibb*
Ensemble Award	*The cast of Spread: Daniel Bravo Hernandez, Danny Gómez, Ishmael Gonzalez, Jaden Perez, and Luis Vega*
Sam Norkin Off-Broadway Award	Xhloe Rice and Natasha Roland
Drama Desk Special Award	Initiative by Else Went, director Emma Rose Went, ensemble: livia Rose Barresi, Brandon Burk, Greg Cuellar, Harrison Densmore, Carson Higgins, Andrea Lopez Alvarez, Jamie Sanders, and Christopher Dylan White
Drama Desk Special Award	Masquerade and Diane Paulus

Nominations	Production
10	Beau the Musical
10	Mexodus
9	The Seat of Our Pants
8	Ragtime
8	The Balusters
7	The Baker's Wife
6	Death of a Salesman
6	The Rocky Horror Show
5	The Lost Boys
5	Well, I'll Let You Go
4	Becky Shaw
	Cats: The Jellicle Ball
	Goddess
	Lights Out: Nat "King Cole"
	Oedipus
	Schmigadoon!
	The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
	Titus Andronicus
3	Caroline
	Cold War Choir Practice
	Kenrex
	Meet the Cartozians
	Prince Faggot
	Try/Step/Trip
	Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
2	Amahl and the Night Visitors
	Amaze
	and her Children
	Are the Bennett Girls Ok?
	Ceremonies in Dark Old Men
	Chess
	Initiative
	Joe Turner's Come and Gone
	My Joy is Heavy
	Oh Happy Day!
	Saturday Church
	Tartuffe
	The Adding Machine
	The Brothers Size
	The Imaginary Invalid
	The Monsters
	The Porch on Windy Hill
	The Reservoir
	Weather Girl

70th Drama Desk Awards

Special awards

Productions with multiple nominations

References

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