The Stage Awards 2026

From scheduled appearances to a surprise guest appearance from Bryn Terfel, this year’s The Stage Awards was another triumph for the industry. Always championing the pioneering, this year’s felt like it was pushing two aspects in particular: taking theatre to new audiences, and care, both for the industry and outside of it.

Emma our Head of Press went along to connect (and reconnect) with some artists and companies including Common Wealth, Foreign Affairs, Sadler's Wells and Mercury Colchester.

Taking theatre to new audiences was notable in several categories. Perhaps in reaction to how the industry is still not geared to working class creatives (a stark statistic from winners Common Wealth stated that theatre is still less than 20% working class creatives), some of the projects highlighted included Black Power Desk, reaching 70% new audiences, and Watermill Theatre’s Theatre of the Year Award, highlighting the work they tour. Meanwhile, care in and out of the theatre community was highlighted by Hull Truck Theatre’s GP training initiative, producer of the year Wessex Grove in their drive to provide wellness for artists to give them space to do their best work, again by Common Wealth in their protection of their artists, and finally in the celebration of Eugene Ju-Pierre, this year’s Unsung Hero, in his care for each person who walks up to or through his Stage Door. 

Congratulations to all nominees and winners, and here’s to a bountiful year of theatre for all! 

Theatre of the Year 

SPONSORED BY MOORE KINGSTON SMITH 

Royal Court Theatre, London 
Watermill Theatre, Newbury 
Also nominated: 
Almeida Theatre, London 
Nottingham Playhouse 
Soho Theatre, London 
York Theatre Royal 

Fringe Theatre of the Year 

SPONSORED BY ENCORE INSURE 

Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester 
Also nominated: 
Finborough Theatre, London 
Laurels, Whitley Bay 

Producer of the Year 

SPONSORED BY 3 MILLS STUDIOS 

Wessex Grove 
Also nominated: 
KPPL Productions 
Talawa Theatre Company 

Theatre Building of the Year 

SPONSORED BY TAIT 

Soho Theatre Walthamstow 
Also nominated: 
Sadler’s Wells East 
Theatr Clwyd, Mold 

Community Award 

Common/Wealth 
Also nominated: 
Arcola Theatre, London for its Participation department  
ATG Entertainment’s West End Creative Learning projects 
Cardboard Citizens 
Imaginate, Edinburgh for Creative Encounters 
Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester for The Elders 

International Award 

SPONSORED BY CONCORD THEATRICALS 

Foreign Affairs 
Also nominated: 
Six the Musical in Japanese 
The Rite of Spring 

Innovation Award

SPONSORED BY CHARCOALBLUE 

Hull Truck Theatre 
Also nominated: 
Akhila Krishnan, Zoe Spurr and the Royal Shakespeare Company 
National Youth Theatre and Microsoft 

Campaign of the Year 

Black Power Desk  
Also nominated: 
Eastbourne Theatres 
The Devil Wears Prada 

Team of the Year 

Lyric Theatre, Belfast’s Lyric Scene Shop 
Also nominated: 
ATG Entertainment’s Creative Learning team 
British Youth Music Theatre’s marketing team 
 

Unsung Hero 

SPONSORED BY ENCORE 

Eugene Ju-Pierre, Royal Ballet and Opera  

Judges’ Award 

Nick Hern 

The Stage 100 

SPONSORED BY PLANN 

Michael Sheen