Stage Debut Awards 2026: Sadie Sink wins audience vote in London
Sadie Sink took the audience vote at the 2026 Stage Debut Awards in London on 27 September.
The awards recognise performers and creatives making professional and West End debuts across UK theatre. This year's edition was presented in association with Netflix, with the ceremony held at 8 Northumberland Avenue in London. The Stage
Best Performer in a Play went to two winners. Robert Aramayo won for Guess How Much I Love You? at the Royal Court Theatre in London. Zoë Armer won for The Virgins at Soho Theatre in London. WhatsOnStage
The musical performance prizes were also shared. Julianne Pundan won Best Performer in a Musical for Miss Saigon at the Palace Theatre in Manchester and on UK tour. James Spence won for Thespians at the Mercury Theatre in Colchester and on UK tour.
Ava Pickett won Best Creative West End Debut. Pickett had previously jointly won the Best Writer award for 1536, her debut play. That show went on to become a West End hit.
The other creative winners came from new writing, fringe and large-scale houses. Georgie Dettmer won Best Writer for Are You Watching? at the Royal Court Theatre. Tommaso Giacomin won Best Director for The Uncontainable Nausea of Alec Baldwin at the New Diorama Theatre in London.
Natalie Roar won Best Designer for costume design for Les Liaisons Dangereuses at the National Theatre in London. Jordan Luke Gage won Best Composer, Lyricist or Book Writer for book, music and lyrics for Redcliffe at Southwark Playhouse Borough in London.
The shortlists, announced on 20 August, mixed screen names with stage newcomers. Ralph Fiennes and Brendan Gleeson were among the nominees, alongside Noah Jupe, Tom Fletcher and Arti Shah.
What makes this stand out is the range. Winners came from a 400-seat fringe room, subsidised new-writing houses and a touring musical. For fans, this means a first look at names likely to return.
