Thomas Schumacher Named 2026 Recipient of Harold S. Prince Award

The former Disney Theatricals head will be honored at the Drama Desk Awards in May.

March 31, 2026 By Andrew Gans, Meg Masseron

Thomas Schumacher, former president of Disney Theatrical Productions, has been named the 2026 Harold S. Prince Award honoree and will be celebrated at the 70th Annual Drama Desk Awards, set for May 17 at 7:30 PM at The Town Hall.

The Harold S. Prince Award, first presented to its namesake posthumously, honors an individual whose outstanding contributions to the theatre—onstage or off—reflect a distinguished body of work and a lasting impact on both the industry and its audiences

Schumacher oversaw the development, creation, and execution of The Walt Disney Company’s legitimate stage entertainment around the globe, including Beauty and the Beast, King David, The Lion King, Der Glöckner von Notre Dame, Aida, Mary Poppins, On the Record, TARZAN, High School Musical, The Little Mermaid, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Peter and the Starcatcher, Newsies, Aladdin, Freaky Friday, Shakespeare in Love, Frozen, and Hercules.

“Tom Schumacher’s decades of visionary leadership have left a lasting impact on the New York, American, and global theatre communities,” said Drama Desk Awards Co-Presidents David Barbour and Charles Wright in a joint statement. “Through his work bringing stories to the stage and screen, Tom has created theatrical experiences that transcend generations. His transformational leadership helped revitalize Times Square, redefine what theater can be, influence the education of generations of theatermakers, and expand the global reach of Broadway. The impact of his work on Broadway and beyond make him a truly fitting recipient for this honor, particularly in a year when the Drama Desks are celebrating the legacy of the entire theatre community.”

The Drama Desk Awards honors Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway productions. To be eligible for consideration for Drama Desk Awards this season, productions must open no later than April 26. The nominations will be announced April 29.

As has been the case for the last three ceremonies, all performance categories will be gender-free, including Outstanding Leading Performance in a Play, Outstanding Leading Performance in a Musical, Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play, and Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical. Each of these categories has twice as many nominees as the former gendered categories, and voters will cast two votes for each category. These categories will also have two winners each; a tie may result in more than two winners in a category.

The 2025-26 Nominating Committee comprises Martha Wade Steketee, Linda Armstrong, Daniel Dinero, Peter Filichia, Kenji Fujishima, Playbill's Margaret Hall, and Raven Snook.

Tickets for the upcoming ceremony are on sale by visiting DramaDesks.com.