UK Theatre Awards 2026: Nottingham Playhouse leads nominations

Nottingham Playhouse will head to the UK Theatre Awards 2026 with four nominations, the largest tally announced.

The nominations were announced on 17 September, according to details published by WhatsOnStage. The awards, run by industry body UK Theatre for theatre made around the country, are sponsored by Encore.

The ceremony will take place on Monday 12 October at 8 Northumberland Avenue in London. Performer La Voix will host.

Nottingham Playhouse picked up four nominations. Theatr Clwyd in Mold followed with three.

In Best New Play, sponsored by Ecclesiastical Insurance, the nominees are Black Sheep, The Last Stand Of Mrs Mary Whitehouse and The Manningtree Witches.

Best Play Revival, meaning a fresh staging of an older play, will be contested by Our Town, Road and Small Island.

For Best Director, Abigail Graham was nominated for Living. Emma Jordan was nominated for The Human Voice. Tom Littler was nominated for Love's Labour's Lost and Much Ado About Nothing.

In Best Performance in a Musical, the nominees are Hadley Fraser for My Fair Lady, Annette McLaughlin for Follies and Julianne Pundan for Miss Saigon.

Isis Hainsworth was nominated for Best Performance in a Play for Measure for Measure. The Best Musical Production prize is sponsored by Tysers Live.

What makes this stand out is the spread. Two regional houses lead the count. That matters because tours and transfers, meaning productions that move from a regional opening into other theatres, often start in these rooms.

Separately, three theatres have been named as finalists for the 2026 UK's Most Welcoming Theatre Award. They are Nottingham Playhouse, Theatr Clwyd and Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds, according to UK Theatre.

Winners will be announced in London in October. The full list of nominees was published alongside the ceremony details.