“Paddington the Musical” swept the Olivier Awards 2026 on Sunday, claiming seven prizes at the Royal Albert Hall in London, including the Cunard best new musical award for writers Tom Fletcher and Jessica Swale.
Rachel Zegler won best actress in a musical for Jamie Lloyd’s production of “Evita,” while Rosamund Pike took the best actress prize for “Inter Alia” at the National Theatre.
The “Paddington” haul also included best actor in a musical, shared by James Hameed and Arti Shah for their joint portrayal of the beloved bear, and best actress in a supporting role in a musical for Victoria Hamilton-Barritt, with Tom Edden claiming best actor in a supporting role in a musical. Luke Sheppard received the Sir Peter Hall Award for best director, Tom Pye and Ash J. Woodward won best set design, and Gabriella Slade and Tahra Zafar took best costume design – Slade’s second consecutive win in the category after her triumph for “Starlight Express” last year.
Zegler’s win for Lloyd’s “Evita” – a production that generated headlines when she performed a scene from the balcony of the London Palladium last summer – was one of two prizes for that show, with Fabian Aloise receiving the Gillian Lynne Award for best theatre choreographer. Jack Holden won the best actor award for his performance in “Kenrex,” following his U.K. Theatre Award win last year, while Giles Thomas claimed best sound design for the same production, which transferred to London from Sheffield Theatres.
The ceremony, which marked the Olivier Awards’ 50th anniversary, was broadcast in a prime-time slot on BBC Two and is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Society of London Theatre and U.K. Theatre co-CEOs Claire Walker and Hannah Essex said the event was “a showstopping celebration of the best of British theatre.”
FULL LIST OF WINNERS – OLIVIER AWARDS 2026 WITH CUNARD
Cunard Best New Musical
“Paddington the Musical,” music and lyrics by Tom Fletcher, book by Jessica Swale (Savoy Theatre)
Best Musical Revival supported by Piper-Heidsieck
“Into the Woods,” music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by James Lapine (Bridge Theatre)
Best New Play supported by The Londoner
“Punch” by James Graham (Young Vic and Apollo Theatre)
Best Revival
“All My Sons” by Arthur Miller (Wyndham’s Theatre)
Noël Coward Award for Best New Entertainment or Comedy Play
“Oh, Mary!” by Cole Escola (Trafalgar Theatre)
Best Actress
Rosamund Pike, “Inter Alia” (National Theatre – Lyttelton)
Best Actor
Jack Holden, “Kenrex” (The Other Palace)
Best Actress in a Musical
Rachel Zegler, “Evita” (The London Palladium)
Best Actor in a Musical
James Hameed and Arti Shah, “Paddington the Musical” (Savoy Theatre)
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Julie Hesmondhalgh, “Punch” (Young Vic and Apollo Theatre)
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Paapa Essiedu, “All My Sons” (Wyndham’s Theatre)
Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical
Victoria Hamilton-Barritt, “Paddington the Musical” (Savoy Theatre)
Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical
Tom Edden, “Paddington the Musical” (Savoy Theatre)
Sir Peter Hall Award for Best Director
Luke Sheppard, “Paddington the Musical” (Savoy Theatre)
Gillian Lynne Award for Best Theatre Choreographer
Fabian Aloise, “Evita” (The London Palladium)
Best Costume Design
Gabriella Slade (Costume Design) and Tahra Zafar (Paddington Design), “Paddington the Musical” (Savoy Theatre)
Best Set Design supported by Blue-i Theatre Technology
Tom Pye (Set Design) and Ash J Woodward (Video Design), “Paddington the Musical” (Savoy Theatre)
Best Lighting Design
Aideen Malone (Lighting Design) and Roland Horvath (Video Design), “Into the Woods” (Bridge Theatre)
Best Sound Design supported by d&b audiotechnik
Giles Thomas, “Kenrex” (The Other Palace)
Outstanding Musical Contribution
Chris Fenwick (Musical Supervision and Arrangements) and Sean Hayes (Live Piano Performance of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue), “Good Night, Oscar” (Barbican Theatre)
Best Family Show
“The Boy at the Back of the Class,” adapted by Nick Ahad (Rose Theatre)
Best New Production in Affiliate Theatre
“The Glass Menagerie” by Tennessee Williams (The Yard Theatre)
Best New Dance Production
“Into the Hairy” by Sharon Eyal for S-E-D (Sadler’s Wells)
Best New Opera Production supported by TAIT
“Dead Man Walking” by English National Opera (London Coliseum)
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