Theatr Clwyd secured two wins, including the coveted UK’s Most Welcoming Theatre Award
Acting awards went to Adrian Lester (Cyrano De Bergerac), Gloria Obianyo (As You Like It), and Julianne Pundan (Miss Saigon)
Jodie Comer received the Outstanding Achievement in British Theatre Award, whilst the Outstanding Contribution to British Theatre Award was posthumously presented to Alan Finch CBE, collected by his family in his honour

The winners of the UK Theatre Awards 2026 sponsored by Encore have been announced today at a ceremony hosted by La Voix, which took place at 8 Northumberland Avenue. For over 30 years, this annual event has celebrated the creative excellence and outstanding achievements seen on and off stage throughout England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

Theatr Clwyd was this year’s most-awarded venue, winning the sought-after UK’s Most Welcoming Theatre Award, as well as Excellence in Touring sponsored by Theatre Tokens for Under Milk Wood. In further success for Wales, Our Town – a co-production between Rose Theatre and Michael Sheen’s Welsh National Theatre – won Best Play Revival.

Best New Play sponsored by Ecclesiastical Insurance was awarded to The Last Stand Of Mrs. Mary Whitehouse (a Nottingham Playhouse, Eleanor Lloyd Productions & Kate Pakenham Productions co-production), with Birmingham Rep’s Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street receiving Best Musical Production sponsored by Tysers Live. Completing the production awards, this year’s Best Show for Children & Young People was Beauty And The Beast (a Citizens Theatre production).

Elsewhere in the on stage categories, Adrian Lester took home the award for Best Performance in a Play for Cyrano De Bergerac (a Royal Shakespeare Company production), with Best Performance in a Musical going to Julianne Pundan for Miss Saigon (a Cameron Mackintosh production in association with Michael Harrison), and Gloria Obianyo receiving the award for Best Supporting Performance (in a Musical or Play) for As You Like It, part of the Ralph Fiennes season at Theatre Royal Bath.

The creatives recognised this year were Tom Littler, winning Best Director for Love’s Labour’s Lost & Much Ado About Nothing (a Guildford Shakespeare Company & Orange Tree Theatre co-production), and Ceci Calf, winning Best Design for the Set & Costume Design of The Assassination Of Margaret Thatcher (a Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse production). Rounding off the on stage awards, Yorke Dance Project won Achievement in Dance for Modern Milestones, and Achievement in Opera went to English Touring Opera for the ambition and breadth of their programming in venues across the country.

Joining Theatr Clwyd in the off stage categories, winning venues were Buxton Opera House – receiving the Excellence in Arts Education award for Connecting For Creativity –, The Theatre Chipping Norton for Excellence in Inclusivity, Mercury Theatre for Excellence in Sustainability, and Blackpool Grand Theatre for Excellence in Workforce Culture.

As previously announced, Jodie Comer was the recipient of the inaugural Outstanding Achievement in British Theatre Award for her work on the UK tour of Prima Facie, and the late Alan Finch CBE was honoured at the ceremony, with his family accepting the Outstanding Contribution to British Theatre Award on his behalf, recognising his extraordinary contribution to the industry both regionally and nationally.

“This year’s UK Theatre Awards were a wonderful celebration of the creativity, talent, and dedication found across our industry. From outstanding productions and performances to the vital work happening behind the scenes in venues around the country, it’s fantastic to see such a diverse range of work recognised and celebrated.

“Congratulations to all of this year’s winners and nominees, whose achievements demonstrate the extraordinary contribution theatre makes to audiences and communities across the UK. Our thanks also go to our sponsors and partners for their continued support.”
Claire Walker & Hannah Essex, Co-CEOs of Society of London Theatre & UK Theatre

The UK Theatre Awards 2026 are sponsored by Encore, the premier provider of lighting equipment for theatre productions across the UK, including London’s West End, Off-West End, Europe, and Asia, as well as numerous UK and international tours.

Additional thanks to Award Sponsors Theatre Tokens and Tysers Live in association with Ecclesiastical; Official Partners John Good, Marquee TV, The Noël Coward Foundation, SINE, Theatrical Rights Worldwide, and Trafalgar Entertainment; and Official After Party Partner Preevue.

Full list of winners and nominees for the UK Theatre Awards 2026 sponsored by Encore

Best Musical Production sponsored by Tysers Live

WINNER: Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street, a Birmingham Rep production

NOMINATED:

Calendar Girls The Musical, a Stephen Joseph Theatre, Theatre by the Lake, New Wolsey Theatre & Octagon Theatre Bolton co-production
The High Life – The Musical: Still Living It!, a National Theatre of Scotland & Dundee Rep Theatre co-production in association with Aberdeen Performing Arts and Capital Theatres
Kiss Of The Spider Woman, a Curve, Bristol Old Vic & Mayflower Southampton co-production

Best New Play sponsored by Ecclesiastical Insurance

WINNER: The Last Stand Of Mrs. Mary Whitehouse, a Nottingham Playhouse, Eleanor Lloyd Productions & Kate Pakenham Productions co-production

NOMINATED:

Black Sheep, a curious directive production at Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds & New Wolsey Theatre
The Manningtree Witches, a Mercury Original in association with Frantic Assembly, supported by Eleanor Lloyd Productions, Eilene Davidson Productions and Mark Gordon Pictures

Best Play Revival

WINNER: Our Town, a Rose Theatre & Welsh National Theatre co-production

NOMINATED:

Road, a Royal Exchange Theatre production
Small Island, a Leeds Playhouse, Birmingham Rep & Nottingham Playhouse co-production in association with Actors Touring Company

Best Director

WINNER: Tom Littler for Love’s Labour’s Lost & Much Ado About Nothing, a Guildford Shakespeare Company & Orange Tree Theatre co-production

NOMINATED:

Abigail Graham for Living, a Sheffield Theatres production
Emma Jordan for The Human Voice, a Prime Cut Productions production at Lyric Theatre Belfast

Best Performance in a Musical

WINNER: Julianne Pundan for Miss Saigon, a Cameron Mackintosh production in association with Michael Harrison

NOMINATED:

Hadley Fraser for My Fair Lady, a Chichester Festival Theatre production
Annette McLaughlin for Follies, a Northern Ireland Opera production at Grand Opera House, Belfast

Best Performance in a Play

WINNER: Adrian Lester for Cyrano De Bergerac, a Royal Shakespeare Company production

NOMINATED:

Isis Hainsworth for Measure For Measure, a Royal Shakespeare Company production
Katie Redford & Benedict Salter for Scenes From A Friendship, a Nottingham Playhouse production

Best Supporting Performance (in a Musical or Play)

WINNER: Gloria Obianyo for As You Like It, as part of the Ralph Fiennes / Theatre Royal Bath season

NOMINATED:

Ash Hunter for The Meat Kings! (Inc.) Of Brooklyn Heights, a Papatango Theatre Company & Park Theatre co-production
Lydia Louise for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang...

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