2026 Outer Critics Circle Awards Winners- RAGTIME and SCHMIGADOON! Lead the Pack
Joshua Henry, Nathan Lane, Laurie Metcalf, Daniel Radcliffe, and Ben Levi Ross are Outstanding Performance winners.
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).
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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