Mexodus, Prince Faggot Lead 2026 Lucille Lortel Nominations; Read the Full List Here

The nominations for the 41st Annual Lucille Lortel Awards, honoring Off and Off-Off Broadway theatre, were announced April 1. New musical Mexodus led the nominations with nine awards (including Outstanding Musical), while Prince Faggot was the most-nominated play with six recognitions (including Outstanding Play). Current Broadway Rocky Horror Show actors Amber Gray and Harvey Guillén announced the nominees.

The winners will be announced at the 2026 Lucille Lortel Awards May 3 at NYU Skirball at 7 PM. The Lortel  nominating committee saw 98 Off-Broadway shows in the 2025–2026 season, with 41 receiving nominations.

Other nominees for Outstanding Musical include Bigfoot!, My Joy Is Heavy, Night Side Songs, and Saturday Church. Other nominees for Outstanding Play include Cold War Choir Practice, Kyoto, THE MONSTERS, and Mother Russia.

READ: Mexodus Has Been Called 'The Next Hamilton.' Its Creators Don't Mind the Comparison

As previously announced, special honorees this year include Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Mia Katigbak (performer and founder of the National Asian American Theatre Company), and composer and lyricist William Finn, who will be posthumously inducted onto the famed Playwrights’ Sidewalk in front of the Lucille Lortel Theatre in Manhattan's West Village.

See the complete list of Lucille Lortel Award nominees below:

Outstanding Play
Cold War Choir Practice, by Ro Reddick
Kyoto, by Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson
THE MONSTERS, by Ngozi Anyanwu
Mother Russia,by Lauren Yee
Prince Faggot, by Jordan Tannahill

READ: Prince Faggot May Look Like It’s About the Royal Family, But It’s Actually About Queer Joy

Outstanding Musical
BIGFOOT!, book by Amber Ruffin and Kevin Sciretta, lyrics by Amber Ruffin, music by David Schmoll and Amber Ruffin
Mexodus, by Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson
My Joy Is Heavy, by The Bengsons
Night Side Songs, words and music by The Lazours
Saturday Church, book and additional Lyrics by Damon Cardasis and James Ijames, music by Sia, additional music by Honey Dijon

VIDEO: Grey Henson Performs 'Day to Day' From Bigfoot!

Outstanding Revival
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, music and lyrics by William Finn, book by Rachel Sheinkin
Bus Stop, by William Inge
Gruesome Playground Injuries, by Rajiv Joseph
Titus Andronicus, by William Shakespeare
The Weir, by Conor McPherson

Video: Gruesome Playground Injuries Leads Nicholas Braun and Kara Young Discuss Their Most Memorable Work Injuries

Outstanding Solo Show
Hold Me in the Water, written and performed by Ryan J. Haddad
I'm Assuming You Know David Greenspan, by Mona Pirnot and performed by David Greenspan
Nothing Can Take You From The Hand Of God, written by Jen Tullock and Frank Winters, performed by Jen Tullock
Other, written and performed by Ari'el Stachel
The Unknown, by David Cale and performed by Sean Hayes

READ: Sean Hayes Did Not Want to Do a Solo Show; Then Leigh Silverman Sent Him The Unknown

Outstanding Director
Knud Adams, Cold War Choir Practice
Shayok Misha Chowdhury, Prince Faggot
Stephen Daldry and Justin Martin, Kyoto
David Mendizábal, Mexodus
Keenan Tyler Oliphant, Practice

Outstanding Choreographer
Edgar Godineaux and Jared Grimes, Lights Out: Nat "King" Cole
Darrell Grand Moultrie, GODDESS
Darrell Grand Moultrie, Saturday Church
Tony Thomas, Mexodus
Rickey Tripp, THE MONSTERS

READ: Saturday Church Is Preaching a Message of Love and Allyship

Outstanding Lead Performer in a Play
Noah Galvin, The Reservoir
Marin Ireland, Queens
John Krasinski, Angry Alan
Aigner Mizzelle, THE MONSTERS
Okieriete Onaodowan, THE MONSTERS
Susannah Perkins, Antigone (This Play I Read In High School)
Kara Young, Gruesome Playground Injuries

Outstanding Featured Performer in a Play
Jorge Bosch, Kyoto
Felicia Curry, Bowl EP
Crystal Finn, Cold War Choir Practice
David Greenspan, Prince Faggot
Lizan Mitchell, Cold War Choir Practice
Deirdre O'Connell, Glass. Kill. What If If Only. Imp.
David Turner, Mother Russia

READ: Ro Reddick Doesn't Mind If You Laugh During Cold War Choir Practice

Outstanding Lead Performer in a Musical
Abigail Bengson, My Joy Is Heavy
J. Harrison Ghee, Saturday Church
Dulé Hill, Lights Out: Nat "King" Cole
Ruthie Ann Miles, The Seat of Our Pants
Brian Quijada, Mexodus
Nygel D. Robinson, Mexodus
Daniel J. Watts, Lights Out: Nat "King" Cole

READ: After 83 Years and 2 Abandoned Attempts, Thornton Wilder’s The Skin of Our Teeth Is Finally a Musical

Outstanding Featured Performer in a Musical
Nick Rashad Burroughs, GODDESS
Judy Kuhn, The Baker's Wife
Erin Morton, Heathers The Musical
Stephanie Jae Park, Monte Cristo
Caleb Quezon, Saturday Church
Natalie Walker, The Last Bimbo of the Apocalypse
Lynne Wintersteller, About Time

READ: The Cast of The Baker's Wife Is Rediscovering Stephen Schwartz's Musical

Outstanding Ensemble
Initiative — Olivia Rose Barresi, Brandon Burk, Greg Cuellar, Harrison Densmore, Carson Higgins, Andrea Lopez Alvarez, Jamie Sanders, Christopher Dylan White
Night Side Songs — Robin de Jesús, Brooke Ishibashi, Jonathan Raviv, Kris Saint-Louis, Mary Testa
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee — Philippe Arroyo, Autumn Best, Leana Rae Concepcion, Justin Cooley, Lilli Cooper, Jason Kravits, Matt Manuel, Kevin McHale, Jasmine Amy Rogers

READ: After Glee, Kevin McHale Has Found His Bliss By Going Against Type

Outstanding Scenic Design
Miriam Buether, Glass. Kill. What If If Only. Imp.
Afsoon Pajoufar, Cold War Choir Practice
Riw Rakkulchon, Mexodus
Adam Rigg and Anton Volovsek, Bowl EP
David Zinn, Prince Faggot

Outstanding Costume Design
Montana Levi Blanco, Prince Faggot
Enver Chakartash, TARTUFFE
Qween Jean, Saturday Church
Celeste Jennings, minor.ity
Kaye Voyce, The Seat of Our Pants

Outstanding Lighting Design
Isabella Byrd, Glass. Kill. What If If Only. Imp.
Isabella Byrd, Prince Faggot
Mextly Couzin, Mexodus
Cha See, The Unknown
Studio Luna, Marcel on the Train

Outstanding Sound Design
Caroline Eng, The Unknown
Mikhail Fiksel, Mexodus 
Ryan Gamblin, Bowl EP
Drew Levy, The Weir
Bray Poor, Eurydice

Outstanding Projection Design
David Bengali, My Joy Is Heavy
Stefania Bulbarella, Nothing Can Take You From The Hand Of God
Akhila Krishnan, Kyoto
Johnny Moreno, Mexodus
John Narun, Bughouse

HONORARY AWARDS
Lifetime Achievement: Mia Katigbak
Playwrights’ Sidewalk Inductee: William Finn

Productions with multiple nominations:
Mexodus: 9
Prince Faggot: 6
Cold War Choir Practice: 5
Saturday Church: 5
Kyoto: 4
The Monsters: 4
Bowl EP: 3
Glass. Kill. What If If Only. Imp.: 4
Lights Out: Nat "King" Cole: 3
My Joy Is Heavy: 3
The Unknown: 3
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee: 2
Goddess: 2
Gruesome Playground Injuries: 2
Mother Russia: 2
Night Side Songs: 2
Nothing Can Take You From the Hand of God: 2
The Seat of Our Pants: 2
The Weir: 2

The Lortel Awards are produced by the Off-Broadway League and the Lucille Lortel Theatre, with additional support provided by TDF. TodayTix Group is a Red Carpet sponsor, Studio Seaview is a producing sponsor, and AudienceView, Checks & Balances Payroll, Line-Up, and The Pekoe Group are presenting sponsors.

The Off-Broadway League’s Lortel Awards Administration Committee (Jeremy Adams, Alana Canty-Samuel, George Forbes, Joey Monda, Kenneth Naanep, Ralph Peña, Catherine Russell, Michael Sag, Jonathan Whitton, Casey York, and Jeffrey Shubart, Chair) and the Lucille Lortel Theatre (George Forbes, Jeffrey Shubart, Nancy Hurvitz, Alana Canty-Samuel, Maura Le Viness, Karla Liriano, Kathryn McCumber, and Rascher Alcasid) produce the Lortel Awards ceremony. Writer/director Michael Heitzman directs the Lortel Awards. Representatives of the Off-Broadway League, Actors’ Equity Association, Stage Directors & Choreographers Society, United Scenic Artists, the Lucille Lortel Theatre, in addition to theatre journalists, academics and other Off-Broadway professionals, serve on the Voting Committee.

Visit LortelAwards.org. Visit Tickets.nyu.edu for tickets.