2026 Dora Mavor Moore Awards Winners Announced; See the Full List

The Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts have announced all recipients for the 46th Annual Dora Mavor Moore Awards presented by the Romano D'Andrea Foundation. The Awards were presented on Monday, June 29 at an evening ceremony at Meridian Hall, hosted by actor Amaka Umeh.

“This year we saw a return to pre-pandemic numbers for the Doras, with 214 productions registered across divisions of Theatre, Opera, and Dance. It's a real marker of the quality and abundance of art that our city produces each year, and bolstering to see that despite the precarity of the sector these past years, that Toronto continues to be a world-class city for the performing arts.

The Doras have been a longstanding pillar of excellence and resilience within our community, and I hope this year is a herald of more abundance in the years to come.”
-Victor Pokinko, Producer, Dora Awards

The Jon Kaplan Audience Choice Award, sponsored by Now Toronto and voted on by the public, went to The Drowsy Chaperone from Shifting Ground Collective, which was also nominated this year for three Dora Awards in the Musical Theatre Division.

This year's Silver Ticket Award, presented annually by TAPA to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the performing arts, went to Jacoba Knaapen. As the former Executive Director of TAPA and Dora Awards producer, Knaapen is a longtime champion for the performing arts and a passionate advocate for Toronto's cultural sector.

The Dora Awards, Canada's largest and oldest awards program, celebrates the incredible talent within Toronto's professional theatre, dance, and opera communities.

This year there were 221 nominations across 44 gender-inclusive award categories within seven divisions, reflecting the remarkable artistry of the 2025-2026 season. This year's nominations encompassed 214 shows from 99 TAPA-registered companies.

Below are the recipients for this year's awards in the general, independent, musical theatre, theatre for young audiences, opera, and dance divisions. 

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GENERAL THEATRE DIVISION

Outstanding Production

Through the Eyes of God (Theatre Passe Muraille)

Outstanding New Play

The Neighbours, Nicolas Billon (Green Light Arts in association with Tarragon Theatre)

Outstanding Direction

Gregory Prest, Bremen Town (Tarragon Theatre)

Outstanding Performance by an Individual

Sophia Walker in Slave Play (Canadian Stage)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble

From Enormity, Girl, and the Earthquake in Her Lungs, the ensemble of Marta Armstrong, Liz Der, Philippa Domville, Vivien Endicott-Douglas, Noa Furlong, Bria McLaughlin, Sofía Rodríguez, and Emerjade Simms (Nightwood Theatre, in association with Tarragon Theatre)

Outstanding Scenic/Projection Design

Andy Moro (Scenic & Projection) for Mischief (Tarragon Theatre, Native Earth Performing Arts, and Neptune Theatre)

Outstanding Costume Design

Melanie McNeill for Le malentendu (The Misunderstanding) (Théâtre français de Toronto)

Outstanding Lighting Design

Bonnie Beecher for The Welkin (Soulpepper Theatre Company, The Howland Company, and Crow's Theatre)

Outstanding Sound Design/Composition

Romeo Candido for Through the Eyes of God (Theatre Passe Muraille)

INDEPENDENT THEATRE DIVISION

Outstanding Production

The Division (Project: Humanity and Pyretic Productions in association with Crow's Theatre)

Outstanding New Play

The Division, Andrew Kushnir (Project: Humanity and Pyretic Productions in association with Crow's Theatre)

Outstanding Direction

Andrew Kushnir, The Division (Project: Humanity and Pyretic Productions in association with Crow's Theatre)

Outstanding Performance by an Individual

Nick Eddie in Bug (The King Black Box in partnership with Elkabong Theatre Projects)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble

From The Division, the ensemble of Mariya Khomutova, Ivy Charles, Alon Nashman, and Karl Ang (Project: Humanity and Pyretic Productions in association with Crow's Theatre)

Outstanding Scenic/Projection Design

Anahita Dehbonehie (Scenic), The Green Line (In Arms Theatre Company and MENA Collective in association with Buddies in Bad Times Theatre and Factory Theatre)

Outstanding Costume Design

Melanie McNeill, Night at the Grand Guignol (Eldritch Theatre)

Outstanding Lighting Design

André du Toit, Public Consumption (Lester Trips (Theatre) presented by Factory Theatre)

Outstanding Sound Design/Composition

Heidi Chan and Chris Pereira, The Green Line (In Arms Theatre Company and MENA Collective in association with Buddies in Bad Times Theatre and Factory Theatre)

MUSICAL THEATRE DIVISION

Outstanding Production

Octet (Crow's Theatre, Soulpepper Theatre Company, and The Musical Stage Company)

Outstanding New Musical

Narnia, Fiona Sauder (Writer); Landon Doak (Composer); Matt Pilipiak (Dramaturg); Jonathan Corkal-Astorga (Music Supervisor/Arranger/Orchestrator); and Victor Pokinko (Creative Producer) (Soulpepper Theatre Company, Bad Hats Theatre, and Crow's Theatre)

Outstanding Performance by an Individual

Kaylee Harwood in Bright Star (Garner Theatre Productions presented by Mirvish Productions)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble

From Octet, the ensemble of Damien Atkins, Alicia Ault, Andrew Broderick, Ben Carlson, Hailey Gillis, Zorana Sadiq, Jacqueline Thair, and Giles Tomkins (Crow's Theatre, Soulpepper Theatre Company, and The Musical Stage Company)

Outstanding Creative Direction

Fiona Sauder (Director), Matt Pilipiak and Cynthia Jimenez-Hicks (Associate Directors), Fiona Sauder and Rohan Dhupar (Co-Choreographers), Jonathan Corkal-Astorga (Musical Director), Narnia (Soulpepper Theatre Company, Bad Hats Theatre, and Crow's Theatre)

Outstanding Achievement in Design

Olivia Wheeler (Sound), Octet (Crow's Theatre, Soulpepper Theatre Company, and The Musical Stage Company)

OPERA DIVISION

Outstanding Production

Orfeo ed Euridice (Canadian Opera Company co-production with Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Fondazione Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, Opéra Royal Château de Versailles Spectacles, and Lyric Opera of Chicago)

Outstanding New Opera

Canuck Cantatas, Danika Lorèn, Sarah Slean, and Spencer Kryzanowski (Composers); Royce Vavrek, Vern Thiessen, and Emma Pennell (Librettists) (Against the Grain Theatre)

Outstanding Performance by an Individual

Iestyn Davies in Orfeo ed Euridice (Canadian Opera Company co-production with Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Fondazione Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, Opéra Royal Château de Versailles Spectacles, and Lyric Opera of Chicago)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble

From Orfeo ed Euridice, the Canadian Opera Company Chorus (Canadian Opera Company co-production with Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Fondazione Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, Opéra Royal Château de Versailles Spectacles, and Lyric Opera of Chicago)

Outstanding Creative Direction

Christophe Gayral (Revival Director), based on the original direction of Robert Carsen; Bernard Labadie (Musical Director), Orfeo ed Euridice (Canadian Opera Company co-production with Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Fondazione Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, Opéra Royal Château de Versailles Spectacles, and Lyric Opera of Chicago)

Outstanding Achievement in Design

Robert Thomson (Lighting), Bluebeard's Castle / Erwartung (Canadian Opera Company)

THEATRE FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES DIVISION

Outstanding Production

Love You Forever... And More Munsch (Young People's Theatre)

Outstanding New Play

She Holds Up the Stars by Sandra Laronde (Red Sky Performance)

Outstanding Direction

Sandra Laronde, She Holds Up the Stars (Red Sky Performance)

Outstanding Performance by an Individual

Morgan St. Onge in Morgan's Journey (Roseneath Theatre)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble

From The Mush Hole, the ensemble of Kali Kennedy Bomberry, Falciony Patiño, Katie Couchie, Montana Summers, and Santee Smith (Young People's Theatre presents Kaha:wi Dance Theatre)

Outstanding Achievement in Design

Nick Barnes (Puppetry), She Holds Up the Stars (Red Sky Performance)

DANCE DIVISION

Outstanding Production

Make Banana Cry (Toronto Dance Theatre in partnership with Buddies in Bad Times Theatre)

Outstanding Original Choreography

Esie Mensah, ZAYO (dance Immersion & Esie Mensah Creations, in association with TO Live)

Outstanding Performance by an Individual

Rose-Mary Harbans in ZAYO (dance Immersion & Esie Mensah Creations, in association with TO Live)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble

From Make Banana Cry, the ensemble of Stephen Thompson, Cynthia Koppe, Francesca Chudnoff, Hanako Hoshimi-Caines, Sehyoung Lee, and Winnie Ho (Toronto Dance Theatre in partnership with Buddies in Bad Times Theatre)

Outstanding Original Sound Composition

Ben Waters, Reverence (Adieu mixed programme) (The National Ballet of Canada)

Outstanding Achievement in Design

Jeff Logue (Lighting), Reverence (Adieu mixed programme) (The National Ballet of Canada)

About the Dora Mavor Moore Awards

The Doras are named for Dora Mavor Moore (1888-1979), a well-loved teacher and director who helped establish Canadian professional theatre in the 1930s and 1940s. Recognizing the outstanding achievements in Toronto's performing arts industry, the Doras honour the creators of numerous theatre, dance and opera productions annually in the following divisions: General Theatre, Independent Theatre, Musical Theatre, Dance, Opera, Theatre for Young Audiences, Touring, and Innovation.

The Dora Awards are administered by the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA). In addition to the Doras, other programs and services provided by TAPA include: Arts Week at the City, hipTIX (offering $13 tickets to students between the ages of 14 and 29), TAPA RBC Artists Mentorship Program (TREAM), and the professional development TAPA Trade Series, featuring the Indie X Conference and Indie General Auditions.

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