Paddington The Musical proved to be the runaway winner at this year’s Oliver Awards, with the show receiving seven awards on a night celebrating the best of London’s theatre industry.
Musicals Evita and Into The Woods, and plays All My Sons, Kenrex and Punch each received two awards.
Paddington’s prizes included Cunard Best New Musical for writers Tom Fletcher & Jessica Swale; Best Actor in a Musical for James Hameed & Arti Shah as the titular bear; Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical for Victoria Hamilton-Barritt; and Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical award for Tom Edden. Luke Sheppard received the Sir Peter Hall Award for Best Director, Tom Pye (set design) & Ash J Woodward (video design) won for Best Set Design and Gabriella Slade (costume design) & Tahra Zafar (Paddington design) for Best Costume Design.
For Evita, Rachel Zegler won Best Actress in a Musical for her performance as Eva Peron, while Fabian Aloise received the Gillian Lynne Award for Best Theatre Choreographer.
Bridge Theatre’s take on Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s fairytale misadventure Into The Woods won Best Musical Revival supported by Piper-Heidsieck, and Aideen Malone (lighting design) & Roland Horvath (video design) received the award for Best Lighting Design.
All My Sons – a new production of Arthur Miller’s visionary first play – was awarded Best Revival, with Paapa Essiedu taking home the Best Actor in a Supporting Role award. Jack Holden received the Best Actor award for his performance in Kenrex while Giles Thomas won Best Sound Design.
James Graham’s Punch received the award for Best New Play, with Julie Hesmondhalgh receiving the award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.
The Best Actress award was won by Rosamund Pike for her performance in Suzie Miller’s Inter Alia.
Elsewhere, Good Night, Oscar received the award for Outstanding Musical Contribution for Chris Fenwick (musical supervision & arrangements) & Sean Hayes (live piano performance of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue).
Cole Escola’s Broadway hit Oh, Mary! received the Noël Coward Award for Best New Entertainment or Comedy Play, The Boy At The Back Of The Class received Best Family Show and The Glass Menagerie won Best New Production in Affiliate Theatre.
Into The Hairy by Sharon Eyal won Best New Dance Production and English National Opera’s Dead Man Walking won Best New Opera Production. This year’s Outstanding Contribution to Dance recipient was Sir Wayne McGregor and the Outstanding Contribution to Opera recipient was Danielle de Niese.
The Special Award recipient was Dame Elaine Paige. The Industry Recognition Award recipients were Betty Laine, Linda Tolhurst and David Wood.
Here’s the full list of winners at the Olivier Awards 2026 with Cunard:
Cunard Best New Musical
- WINNER: Paddington The Musical, music & lyrics by Tom Fletcher & book by Jessica Swale at Savoy Theatre
- Here We Are, book by David Ives, music & lyrics by Stephen Sondheim at National Theatre – Lyttelton
- Shucked, book by Robert Horn, music & lyrics by Brandy Clark & Shane McAnally at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
- The Unlikely Pilgrimage Of Harold Fry, book by Rachel Joyce, music & lyrics by Passenger at Theatre Royal Haymarket
Best Musical Revival supported by Piper-Heidsieck
- WINNER: Into The Woods, music & lyrics by Stephen Sondheim & book by James Lapine at Bridge Theatre
- American Psycho, book by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, music & lyrics by Duncan Sheik, based on the novel by Bret Easton Ellis at Almeida Theatre
- Evita, lyrics by Tim Rice, music by Andrew Lloyd Webber at The London Palladium
- The Producers, music & lyrics by Mel Brooks, book by Mel Brooks & Thomas Meehan at Garrick Theatre
Best New Play supported by The Londoner
- WINNER: Punch by James Graham at Young Vic & Apollo Theatre
- 1536 by Ava Pickett at Almeida Theatre
- Inter Alia by Suzie Miller at National Theatre – Lyttelton
- Kenrex by Jack Holden & Ed Stambollouian at The Other Palace
Best Revival
- WINNER: All My Sons by Arthur Miller at Wyndham’s Theatre
- Arcadia by Tom Stoppard at The Old Vic
- Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare at Theatre Royal Drury Lane
- The Seagull by Anton Chekhov, adapted by Duncan Macmillan & Thomas Ostermeier at Barbican Theatre
Noël Coward Award for Best New Entertainment or Comedy Play
- WINNER: Oh, Mary! by Cole Escola at Trafalgar Theatre
- The Comedy About Spies by Henry Lewis & Henry Shields at Noël Coward Theatre
- Every Brilliant Thing by Duncan Macmillan with Jonny Donahoe at @sohoplace
- Paranormal Activity by Levi Holloway at Ambassadors Theatre
Best Actress
- WINNER: Rosamund Pike for Inter Alia at National Theatre – Lyttelton
- Cate Blanchett for The Seagull at Barbican Theatre
- Marianne Jean-Baptiste for All My Sons at Wyndham’s Theatre
- Julia McDermott for Weather Girl at Soho Theatre
- Rosie Sheehy for Guess How Much I Love You? at Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at Royal Court Theatre
Best Actor
- WINNER: Jack Holden for Kenrex at The Other Palace
- Bryan Cranston for All My Sons at Wyndham’s Theatre
- Sean Hayes for Good Night, Oscar at Barbican Theatre
- Tom Hiddleston for Much Ado About Nothing at Theatre Royal Drury Lane
- David Shields for Punch at Young Vic & Apollo Theatre
Best Actor in a Musical
- WINNER: James Hameed & Arti Shah for Paddington The Musical at Savoy Theatre
- Marc Antolin for The Producers at Garrick Theatre
- Andy Nyman for The Producers at Garrick Theatre
- Jamie Parker for Into The Woods at Bridge Theatre
- Diego Andres Rodriguez for Evita at The London Palladium
Best Actress in a Musical
- WINNER: Rachel Zegler for Evita at The London Palladium
- Katie Brayben for Into The Woods at Bridge Theatre
- Danielle Fiamanya & Georgina Onuorah for Brigadoon at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
- Jane Krakowski for Here We Are at National Theatre – Lyttelton
- Jenna Russell for The Unlikely Pilgrimage Of Harold Fry at Theatre Royal Haymarket
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
- WINNER: Julie Hesmondhalgh for Punch at Young Vic & Apollo Theatre
- Isis Hainsworth for Arcadia at The Old Vic
- Lucy Karczewski for Stereophonic at Duke of York’s Theatre
- Hayley Squires for All My Sons at Wyndham’s Theatre
- Sophie Thompson for When We Are Married at Donmar Warehouse
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
- WINNER: Paapa Essiedu for All My Sons at Wyndham’s Theatre
- Hammed Animashaun for Dealer’s Choice at Donmar Warehouse
- Zachary Hart for The Seagull at Barbican Theatre
- Zachary Hart for Stereophonic at Duke of York’s Theatre
- Giles Terera for Oh, Mary! at Trafalgar Theatre
Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical
- WINNER: Tom Edden for Paddington The Musical at Savoy Theatre
- Trevor Ashley for The Producers at Garrick Theatre
- Corbin Bleu for The Great Gatsby – A New Musical at London Coliseum
- Jo Foster for Into The Woods at Bridge Theatre
- Oliver Savile for Into The Woods at Bridge Theatre
Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical
WINNER: Victoria Hamilton-Barritt for Paddington The Musical at Savoy Theatre
Tracie Bennett for Here We Are at National Theatre – Lyttelton
Amy Booth-Steel for Paddington The Musical at Savoy Theatre
Kate Fleetwood for Into The Woods at Bridge Theatre
Georgina Onuorah for Shucked at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Sir Peter Hall Award for Best Director
- WINNER: Luke Sheppard for Paddington The Musical at Savoy Theatre
- Jordan Fein for Into The Woods at Bridge Theatre
- Ed Stambollouian for Kenrex at The Other Palace
- Lyndsey Turner for 1536 at Almeida Theatre
- Ivo van Hove for All My Sons at Wyndham’s Theatre
Gillian Lynne Award for Best Theatre Choreographer
- WINNER: Fabian Aloise for Evita at The London Palladium
- Ellen Kane for Paddington The Musical at Savoy Theatre
- Drew McOnie for Brigadoon at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
- Lynne Page for American Psycho at Almeida Theatre
Best Costume Design
- WINNER: Gabriella Slade (Costume Design) & Tahra Zafar (Paddington Design) for Paddington The Musical at Savoy Theatre
- Enver Chakartash for Stereophonic at Duke of York’s Theatre
- Linda Cho for The Great Gatsby – A New Musical at London Coliseum
- Tom Scutt for Into The Woods at Bridge Theatre
Best Set Design supported by Blue-i Theatre Technology
- WINNER: Tom Pye (Set Design) & Ash J Woodward (Video Design) for Paddington The Musical at Savoy Theatre
- Paul Tate dePoo III (Scenic & Projection Design) for The Great Gatsby – A New Musical at London Coliseum
- Tom Scutt for Into The Woods at Bridge Theatre
- David Zinn for Stereophonic at Duke of York’s Theatre
Best Lighting Design
- WINNER: Aideen Malone (Lighting Design) & Roland Horvath (Video Design) for Into The Woods at Bridge Theatre
- Robbie Butler for Punch at Young Vic & Apollo Theatre
- Jon Clark for Evita at The London Palladium
- Joshua Pharo for Kenrex at The Other Palace
Best Sound Design supported by d&b audiotechnik
- WINNER: Giles Thomas for Kenrex at The Other Palace
- Adam Fisher for Into The Woods at Bridge Theatre
- Gareth Owen for Paddington The Musical at Savoy Theatre
- Ryan Rumery for Stereophonic at Duke of York’s Theatre
Outstanding Musical Contribution
- WINNER: Chris Fenwick (Musical Supervision & Arrangements) & Sean Hayes (Live Piano Performance of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue) for Good Night, Oscar at Barbican Theatre
- Matt Brind (Orchestrations & Arrangements) for Paddington The Musical at Savoy Theatre
- Will Butler (Original Songs & Orchestrations) & Justin Craig (Orchestrations) for Stereophonic at Duke of York’s Theatre
- John Patrick Elliott (Composition) for Kenrex at The Other Palace
Best Family Show
- WINNER: The Boy At The Back Of The Class, adapted by Nick Ahad at Rose Theatre
- The Boy With Wings, adapted by Arvind Ethan David at Polka Theatre
- The Firework-Maker’s Daughter, adapted by Jude Christian at Polka Theatre
- The Three Little Pigs, music by George Stiles, book & lyrics by Anthony Drewe at Unicorn Theatre
Best New Production in Affiliate Theatre
- WINNER: The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams at The Yard Theatre
- Ben And Imo by Mark Ravenhill at Orange Tree Theatre
- The Ministry Of Lesbian Affairs by Iman Qureshi at Kiln Theatre
- Miss Myrtle’s Garden by Danny James King at Bush Theatre
- The Shitheads by Jack Nicholls at Jerwood Theatre Upstairs at Royal Court Theatre
Best New Dance Production
- WINNER: Into The Hairy by Sharon Eyal for S-E-D at Sadler’s Wells
- Mimi’s Shebeen by Alesandra Seutin & KVS at Sadler’s Wells East
- Random Taranto by María del Mar Suárez (La Chachi) as part of Dance Umbrella: Change Tempo at The Pit at Barbican
- She’s Auspicious by Mythili Prakash at Sadler’s Wells East
Best New Opera Production supported by TAIT
- WINNER: Dead Man Walking by English National Opera at London Coliseum
- The Makropulos Case by The Royal Opera at Royal Opera House
- Tosca by The Royal Opera at Royal Opera House
- Die Walküre by The Royal Opera at Royal Opera House
Top image: Rachel Zegler and Dame Elaine Paige (c) Kashfi Khan (all images supplied)