Full casting announced for the 2026 BEST NEW SONG PRIZE Concert
Mercury Musical Developments and Stiles + Drewe, in partnership with Theatrical Rights Worldwide, have announced the star-studded cast that will perform at this year’s Stiles + Drewe Best New Song Prize, celebrated in concert on 12 October at The Other Palace.
Hosted by Alex Young (Operation Mincemeat, Fun Home), this one-night-only gala concert showcases outstanding musical theatre writing talent, with twelve original songs from the musicals of tomorrow in contention for the Best New Song prize.
A panel of industry judges, including George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, prize co-sponsor Joanne Benjamin, and Jon Robyns, will award the prize for the winning song, with the winner receiving £1000 towards developing their work. An additional prize for Voice, Vision & Potential will be awarded.
The evening will also celebrate new UK musical successes, featuring a selection of songs from the most exciting recent and upcoming new musical productions. The concert is directed by Alex Jackson, with musical direction by Livi van Warmelo.
Cast appearing in the Best New Song Prize concert include:
Roshani Abbey (Operation Mincemeat, Hamilton)
Jessica Aubrey (SIX, Wicked)
Norman Bowman (Brigadoon, Mamma Mia!)
Lewis Cornay (Pride, The SpongeBob Musical)
Morgan Gregory (Hot Mess, The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical)
Ryan Kopel (Dear Evan Hansen, The Addams Family)
Frances McNamee (The Last Ship, Ballad Lines)
Christina Modestou (SIX, Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World)
Joel Montague (Elf the Musical, Hamilton)
Cheeyang Ng (2024 Fred Ebb Award & Jonathan Larson Award recipient)
Nia Stephen (SIX, & Juliet)
Daniel Urch (Phantom Of The Opera)
Alex Young (Operation Mincemeat, Fun Home)
Songs in contention for the Best New Song Prize are:
‘A Sliver of Sunlight’ from Hyacinthus by Trevor K. Band
‘Be Your Own Man’ from Rising by Tom James McGrath & Amy Clare Tasker
‘Earth To Theo’ from Theo In Between by Jordan Li Smith & Gareth Mattey
‘Every Day’ from The Deep End by Paul Grady, Dom Patterson & Kate Peters
‘Father’ from Confessional by James Lark
‘First’ from Sally In The Woods by P Burton-Morgan & James Joshua Otto
‘In The Beginning’ from Legendary by Cheeyang Ng
‘Monster In The Mirror’ from Stigma by Jane Subachus
‘Paris Is Calling’ from Le Pètomane - The Musical by Tim Waters
‘Shadows’ from The Last Lost Boy by Jacob Attwooll & Kyla Stroud
‘Skylines’ from Elbow Deep by Elinor Peregrin
‘There’s More To Me’ from The Most Hated Family In America by Matt Bond & Aveev Issacson
For more info on the 2026 Best New Song Prize concert, please click here.
