2026 Outer Critics Circle Awards Winners- RAGTIME and SCHMIGADOON! Lead the Pack

The Outer Critics Circle (OCC), the official organization of writers on New York theatre for out-of-town, national, and digital news publications, has just announced the winners of the 2026 Outer Critics Circle Awards. The awards ceremony celebrating the winners of the 2025-2026 Broadway and Off-Broadway season will be held on Thursday, May 21, 2026 at Manhattan Movement & Arts Center (MMAC), 248 West 60th Street. The complete list of winners is below.

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). 

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2026 OUTER CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD WINNERS

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** (tie)
Data by Matthew Libby
**Well, I'll Let You Go by Bubba Weiler** (tie)

 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
Jack Holden, Kenrex 
Mary Kate O Flanagan, Making a Show of Myself
**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 Sheibani, 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)

**Doug Besterman and Mike Morris, Schmigadoon! **
Heather Christian, Johnny Butler, Jane Cardona, Fraser Campbell, Laura Dadap, Clerida Eltime, Fred Epstein, Camellia Hartman, Odetta Hartman, Ben Moss, John Murchison and Peter Wise, Oratorio for Living Things
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

Wins by show:

5 – Ragtime; Schmigadoon!
4 – Death of a Salesman; Mexodus
2 – The Lost Boys; Well, I'll Let You Go
1 – Cold War Choir Practice; Every Brilliant Thing; Meet the Cartozians; The Baker's Wife; The Balusters; The Reservoir

A Note on Eligibility

The following Broadway 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.

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