2026 Helen Hayes Award Winners- Full List
Among the big winners this year were Arena Stage with nine awards, eight being for Damn Yankees and one for Fremont Ave.
The 42nd Helen Hayes Awards were presented on Monday, May 18 at an event at The Anthem. The awards celebrated productions in the Washington, DC region in the 2025 calendar year.
Among the big winners this year were Arena Stage with nine awards, eight being for Damn Yankees and one for Fremont Ave. Round House Theatre received six awards, five for The Inheritance: Parts One and Two, and one for Bad Books.
Among the other winners were Adventure Theatre MTC, Spooky Action Theater, Signature Theatre, and more.
Check out the full list of winners below!
2026 Helen Hayes Award Winners
Outstanding Supporting Performer in a Musical
George Abud (Hayes)
The Untitled Unauthorized Hunter S. Thompson Musical
Signature Theatre
Facundo Agustín (Helen)
Botiquín de boleros
GALA Hispanic Theatre
Jeremy Allen Crawford (Helen)
Professor Woland’s Black Magic Rock Show
Spooky Action Theater
Jordan Donica (Hayes)
Damn Yankees
Arena Stage
Charles MacArthur Award for Outstanding New Play or Musical Adaptation
Will Power, Doug Wright, & Lynn Ahrens (Hayes)
Damn Yankees
Arena Stage
Outstanding Director of a Play
Autumn Angelettie (Helen)
Furlough's Paradise
Theater Alliance
Tom Story (Hayes)
The Inheritance: Parts One and Two
Round House Theatre
Outstanding Director of a Musical
Lili-Anne Brown (Hayes)
Play On!
Signature Theatre
Alexandria Wailes (Helen)
A Strange Loop
Visionaries of the Creative Arts & Deaf Austin Theatre
Outstanding Lead Performer in a Play
Renea S. Brown (Helen)
Furlough's Paradise
Theater Alliance
David Gow (Hayes)
The Inheritance: Parts One and Two
Round House Theatre
Hillary Jones (Helen)
Furlough's Paradise
Theater Alliance
Jordi Bertrán Ramírez (Hayes)
The Inheritance: Parts One and Two
Round House Theatre
Outstanding Performer, Non-Resident Production
Carolee Carmello
Kimberly Akimbo
Broadway at the National
Miguel Gil
Kimberly Akimbo
Broadway at the National
Outstanding Musical Direction
Marika Countouris (Helen)
Professor Woland’s Black Magic Rock Show
Spooky Action Theater
David Chase, Greg Anthony Rassen, Doug Besterman, & Adam Rothenberg (Hayes)
Damn Yankees
Arena Stage
Outstanding Costume Design
Paris Francesca (Helen)
Not Your Mother's Goose!
Adventure Theatre MTC
Ivania Stack (Hayes)
Merry Wives
Shakespeare Theatre Company
Outstanding Media/Projection Design
Luis Garcia (Helen)
Professor Woland’s Black Magic Rock Show
Spooky Action Theater
Peter Nigrini (Hayes)
Damn Yankees
Arena Stage
Outstanding Set Design
Megan Holden (Helen)
Not Your Mother's Goose!
Adventure Theatre MTC
Meghan Raham (Hayes)
Bad Books
Round House Theatre
Charles MacArthur Award for Outstanding New Play or Musical
Chess Jakobs (Hayes)
The American Five
Ford's Theatre
Outstanding Lighting Design
Lynn Joslin (Helen)
The Turn of the Screw: The Musical
Creative Cauldron
Philip Rosenberg (Hayes)
Damn Yankees
Arena Stage
Outstanding Supporting Performer in a Play
Stephen Kime (Helen)
The Margriad
Avant Bard Theatre
Adam Poss (Hayes)
The Inheritance: Parts One and Two
Round House Theatre
Anji White (Hayes)
Paradise Blue
Studio Theatre
Jacob Yeh (Helen)
Birthday Candles
1st Stage
Outstanding Lead Performer in a Musical
Rob McClure (Hayes)
Damn Yankees
Arena Stage
Katie McManus (Helen)
Falsettos
The Keegan Theatre
Douglas Sills (Hayes)
Fiddler on the Roof
Signature Theatre
Fran Tapia (Helen)
Professor Woland’s Black Magic Rock Show
Spooky Action Theater
Outstanding Choreography in a Play
Siani Nicole (Hayes)
Red Pitch
Olney Theatre Center
Irina Tsikurishvili (Helen)
The Immigrant
Synetic Theater in association with Theater J
Outstanding Sound Design
André Pluess (Hayes)
Fremont Ave.
Arena Stage
Justin Schmitz (Helen)
hang
1st Stage
Outstanding Choreography in a Musical
Ashleigh King & Ryan Sellers (Helen)
The Lightning Thief
Adventure Theatre MTC
Sergio Trujillo (Hayes)
Damn Yankees
Arena Stage
Outstanding Production – Musical
Damn Yankees (Hayes)
Arena Stage
Professor Woland’s Black Magic Rock Show (Helen)
Spooky Action Theater
Outstanding Ensemble in a Musical
Head Over Heels (Helen)
Constellation Theatre Company
The Untitled Unauthorized Hunter S. Thompson Musical (Hayes)
Signature Theatre
Outstanding Non-Resident Production
Kimberly Akimbo
Broadway at the National
Outstanding Ensemble in a Play
Merry Wives (Hayes)
Shakespeare Theatre Company
Not Your Mother's Goose! (Helen)
Adventure Theatre MTC
Outstanding Production, Theatre for Young Audiences
Not Your Mother's Goose! (Helen)
Adventure Theatre MTC
Outstanding Production – Play
The Immigrant (Helen)
Synetic Theater in association with Theater J
The Inheritance: Parts One and Two (Hayes)
Round House Theatre
Videos
