The Outer Critics Circle (OCC), the official organization of writers on New York theatre for out-of-town, national, and digital news publications, has announced the nominees for the 2026 Outer Critics Circle Awards, honoring the 2025-2026 Broadway and Off-Broadway season.
Leading the pack with the most nominations of the season is the Broadway musical The Lost Boys, with eleven nods, followed by the Off-Broadway musical Mexodus with ten nominations. Death of a Salesman leads in the play categories with a total of six nominations. In a strong year for solo shows, the artists honored with nominations for Outstanding Solo Performance this season include Daniel Radcliffe, Jean Smart, Sean Hayes, Jack Holden, and Mary Kate O’ Flanagan. Nominees for the annual John Gassner Award — for a new American play, preferably by a new playwright — are: Call Me Izzy by Jamie Wax; Caroline by Preston Max Allen; Cold War Choir Practice by Ro Reddick; Data by Matthew Libby; and Well, I’ll Let You Go by Bubba Weiler.
The 2026 Outer Critics Circle Award nominees were announced Tuesday morning at a special event at the Museum of Broadway, hosted by Isa Briones (Just in Time, “The Pitt”) and Sepideh Moafi (New Born, “The Pitt”), and livestreamed by BroadwayWorld.com.
Nominees, past winners, and members will be celebrated at a cocktail reception on Monday, April 27 at West Bank Cafe.
Winners of the 2026 Outer Critics Circle Awards will be announced on Monday, May 11, 2026, followed by an awards ceremony held on Thursday, May 21, 2026 at the MMAC Theater.
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 NOMINATIONS
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
Data by Matthew Libby
Well, I’ll Let You Go by Bubba Weiler
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
Mary Kate O Flanagan, Making a Show of Myself
Jack Holden, Kenrex
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 Shibani, 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)
Fraser Campbell, Jane Cardona, Ben Moss, Odetta Hartman, John Murchison, Peter Wise, Oratorio for Living Things
Doug Besterman and Mike Morris, Schmigadoon!
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
A Note on Eligibility
The following 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.
Shows With Multiple Nominations
11 – The Lost Boys
10 – Mexodus
8 – Schmigadoon!
6 – Death of a Salesman, Masquerade, Ragtime
5 – The Brothers Size, Goddess, Oratorio for Living Things
4 – The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Beau the Musical, The Monsters, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
3 – The Baker’s Wife, Fallen Angels, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, Oedipus, Saturday Church
2 – Becky Shaw, Call Me Izzy, Caroline, Chess, Cold War Choir Practice, Giant, Marjorie Prime, Meet the Cartozians, Punch, The Reservoir, The Rocky Horror Show, The Unknown, Well I’ll Let You Go
Artists With Multiple Nominations
4 – Brian Quijada, Nygel D. Robinson
2 – Michael Arden, Jim Barne, Kit Buchan, Mikhail Fiksel, Douglas Lyon, Darrell Grand Moultrie, The Rescues
