Winners announced for THE STAGE AWARDS 2026

The Stage has announced the winners of The Stage Awards 2026, in association with Tysers Live, honouring creativity, talent and dedication on and off the stage.

Now in its 16th year, the awards shine a spotlight on everything from national theatres to hidden gems and the unsung heroes behind the scenes. This year’s ceremony took place on 12 January at the Royal Opera House’s Linbury Theatre, London.

The winners in full are as follows:

Theatre of the Year (sponsored by Moore Kingston Smith)

Royal Court Theatre, London

Watermill Theatre, Newbury

Fringe Theatre of the Year (sponsored by Encore Insure)

Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester

Producer of the Year (sponsored by 3 Mills Studios)

Wessex Grove

Theatre Building of the Year (sponsored by TAIT)

Soho Theatre Walthamstow, London

Community Award

Common/Wealth, Bradford

International Award (sponsored by Concord Theatricals)

Foreign Affairs, London

Innovation Award (sponsored by Charcoalblue)

Hull Truck Theatre

Campaign of the Year

Black Power Desk, Brixton House and Playwell Productions

Team of the Year

Lyric Scene Shop at the Lyric Theatre, Belfast

Unsung Hero (sponsored by Encore)

Eugene Ju-Pierre, Royal Ballet and Opera

Judges’ Award

Nick Hern

The Stage 100 (sponsored by Plann)

Michael Sheen

Summing up this year’s remarkable award winners, The Stage editor Alistair Smith said: “This year’s winners show theatre at its most confident and outward-looking, combining artistic ambition with a clear sense of purpose. From major institutions to independent innovators, they demonstrate how strong leadership, deep community roots and creative risk-taking can deliver real impact on stage and beyond it.”

This year’s ceremony celebrated the very best of British theatre over the past 12 months. Hosts Hilson Agbangbe and Lucy Karczewski, recent winners of The Stage Debut Awards, guided the evening, which featured standout performances from Leesa Tulley and Grace Hodgett Young, both previous winners of Best Performer in a Musical at The Stage Debut Awards. The event brought together an audience of nominees, industry leaders, and distinguished guests for a night of unforgettable moments, energy, and celebration.

Congratulations to all of the winners!