The 50th anniversary Olivier Awards took place at the Royal Albert Hall, hosted by Nick Mohammed, revealing a diverse range of winners across musical, play, and design categories. The ceremony highlighted standout productions including Paddington The Musical and Kenrex, underscoring the vibrant London theatre scene.

The Olivier Awards 2026 were held in London’s Royal Albert Hall, marking half a century of recognising outstanding achievements in theatre. Nick Mohammed presided over the event, which featured live announcements of winners and a concert spectacle celebrating the industry.

In the Best New Musical category, nominations included Here We Are at the National Theatre’s Lyttelton, Paddington The Musical at the Savoy Theatre, Shucked at the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, and The Unlikely Pilgrimage Of Harold Fry at Theatre Royal Haymarket. Paddington The Musical secured multiple accolades, including Best Costume Design and Best Set Design, with costumes by Gabriella Slade and Tahra Zafar and set/video design by Tom Pye and Ash J Woodward.

The Best Revival award went to Arthur Miller’s All My Sons at Wyndham’s Theatre, while Kenrex by Jack Holden and Ed Stambollouian won Best Actor for Holden and Best Sound Design for Giles Thomas, demonstrating its strong presence in the awards at The Other Palace.

Rosamund Pike won Best Actress for Inter Alia at the National Theatre’s Lyttelton, while Jack Holden took Best Actor for Kenrex. Other major acting awards included Julie Hesmondhalgh for Best Supporting Actress in Punch at Young Vic and Apollo Theatre, and Paapa Essiedu for Best Supporting Actor in All My Sons.

In musical theatre acting categories, Marc Antolin and Katie Brayben were shortlisted for The Producers and Into The Woods respectively, with multiple performers from Paddington The Musical and Evita also represented.

The ceremony also recognised creative talents behind the scenes, awarding Jordan Fein Best Director for Into The Woods at Bridge Theatre, Fabian Aloise Best Choreographer for Evita at The London Palladium, and Ellen Kane for Paddington The Musical. Lighting and video design honours were given to Aideen Malone and Roland Horvath for Into The Woods.

Among other categories, The Boy At The Back Of The Class, adapted by Nick Ahad at Rose Theatre, won Best Family Show, while The Ministry Of Lesbian Affairs by Iman Qureshi at Kiln Theatre featured among nominees for Best New Production in an Affiliate Theatre.

The Olivier Awards’ extensive celebration showcased London theatre’s breadth this year, with musical revivals, new plays, and family productions all gaining recognition. The evening reflected ongoing creativity and diversity within the city’s theatrical landscape.