Raúl Esparza and Helen J Shen Will Announce 70th Annual Drama Desk Nominations Next Week

Raúl Esparza and Helen J Shen will announce the 70th Annual Drama Desk Awards nominations on Wednesday, April 29, 2026 at 10:00AM ET.

The 70th Annual Drama Desk Awards, the theater award honoring excellence across all of New York City’s theatrical landscape, will return to the historic Town Hall in New York City on Sunday, May 17, 2026. Gold, Silver, and Bronze premium ticket packages as well as individual orchestra tickets are available now.

The 70th celebration will recognize the New York theater of the 2025-2026 season, and honor Harold S. Prince Award-recipient Tom Schumacher, former President of Disney Theatrical Productions.

About The Drama Desk Awards

For seventy years, the Drama Desk Awards have been a unique voice celebrating the artistry, innovation, and unstoppable creativity of New York’s stages. Since 1955, they’ve been the only major theater award to honor excellence across all of New York City’s theatrical landscape—from big-budget spectacles to boundary-pushing new works.

Over the decades, the Drama Desk Awards have recognized a remarkable roster of American theater legends and cultural icons. Winners include Cynthia Erivo, Bryan Cranston, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Viola Davis, Al Pacino, Jason Robards, William Shakespeare, James Earl Jones, Neil Patrick Harris, Stephen Sondheim, August Wilson, Tony Kushner, Audra McDonald, Nathan Lane, Patti LuPone, Bernadette Peters, Billy Porter, Christopher Walken, Julie Taymor, George C. Wolfe, David Mamet, Laurie Metcalf, Sutton Foster, Glenn Close, Suzan-Lori Parks, Brian Dennehy, Tom Stoppard, Liev Schreiber, Harvey Fierstein, Cherry Jones, Tonya Pinkins, Bebe Neuwirth, Jefferson Mays, and André De Shields. These artists, and thousands of others recognized by the Drama Desks - spanning generations, genres, and disciplines - have helped shape the American stage. From breakthrough productions to career-defining roles, the Drama Desk Awards have long been a bellwether for excellence, honoring the visionaries who continue to redefine what theater is and what it can be.

The Drama Desk Awards are presented by the Drama Desk organization and produced by Drama Desk Awards Productions, a venture of Scene Partners in partnership with The Season. At the Drama Desk organization, David Barbour and Charles Wright are Co-Presidents. At The Season, Mike Karns and Steven Tartick are Co-Founders. Victoria Weinberg leads Drama Desk Awards Productions.