Ragtime is having a grand ol’ time on the road to the Tony Awards. After romping through the Outer Critic Circle and Drama League Awards in the past week, the revival kept up the momentum with a dominating showing Sunday night at the 70th Annual Drama Desk Awards.
All told, Ragtime tallied five wins: Outstanding Revival of a Musical, Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical for Joshua Henry and Caissie Levy, Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical for Ben Levi Ross, and Outstanding Directing of a Musical for Lear deBessonet.
Schmigadoon! was named Outstanding Musical, The Balusters took home Outstanding Play, and Death of a Salesman scored Outstanding Revival of a Play. Giant‘s John Lithgow and Oedipus‘ Lesley Manville won the prizes for Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play.
Top Winners at 2026 Drama Desk Awards
| Production | Wins |
| Ragtime | 5 |
| Death of a Salesman | 4 |
| Oedipus | 4 |
| Cats: The Jellicle Ball | 3 |
| Mexodus | 3 |
| Joe Turner’s Come and Gone | 2 |
| Kenrex | 2 |
| Schmigadoon! | 2 |
| The Lost Boys | 2 |
Since Broadway and off-Broadway productions compete against one another in combined categories, many Tony hopefuls weren’t in the running. But taken with the other precursors in recent days, Schmigadoon! is solidifying its place atop the Best Musical race at the Tony Awards, while Ragtime and Death of a Salesman look like slam dunks in their respective revival races.
Best Play, however, is more unsettled. The Pulitzer Prize-winning Liberation wasn’t eligible at the Drama Desk or Outer Critics, having competed last year for its off-Broadway run, which allowed The Balusters to claim both awards. Liberation did win at Drama League, however, and is the favorite, per the Gold Derby prediction data, at the Tonys, which will be handed out on June 7.
In the meantime, below are the winners of the 2026 Drama Desk Awards:
Outstanding Play
Caroline, by Preston Max Allen
Cold War Choir Practice, by Ro Reddick
Meet the Cartozians, by Talene Monahon
Prince Faggot, by Jordan Tannahill
[winner] The Balusters, by David Lindsay-Abaire
The Porch on Windy Hill, by Sherry Stregack Lutken, Lisa Helmi Johanson, Morgan Morse, and David M. Lutken
Well, I’ll Let You Go, by Bubba Weiler
Outstanding Musical
Beau the Musical
Mexodus
[winner] Schmigadoon!
The Seat of Our Pants
Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Outstanding Revival of a Play
Becky Shaw
Ceremonies in Dark Old Men
[winner] Death of a Salesman
Los Soles Truncos
Titus Andronicus
You Got Older
Outstanding Revival of a Musical
Amahl and the Night Visitors
Chess
[winner] Ragtime
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
The Baker’s Wife
The Rocky Horror Show
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play
Quincy Tyler Bernstine, Well, I’ll Let You Go
Noah Galvin, The Reservoir
Synnøve Karlsen, Pygmalion
John Krasinski, Angry Alan
Nathan Lane, Death of a Salesman
[winner] John Lithgow, Giant
[winner] Lesley Manville, Oedipus
Laurie Metcalf, Death of a Salesman
Aigner Mizzelle, The Monsters
Patrick Page, Titus Andronicus
Anika Noni Rose, The Balusters
Kara Young, Gruesome Playground Injuries
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical
Nicholas Christopher, Chess
Micaela Diamond, The Seat of Our Pants
Luke Evans, The Rocky Horror Show
[winner] Joshua Henry, Ragtime
Dulé Hill, Lights Out: Nat “King” Cole
Amber Iman, Goddess
[winner] Caissie Levy, Ragtime
Brian Quijada, Mexodus
Nygel D. Robinson, Mexodus
Matt Rodin, Beau the Musical
Sam Tutty, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Brandon Uranowitz, Ragtime
Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play
Caroline Aaron, The Reservoir
Edoardo Benzoni, Are the Bennet Girls Ok?
Maria-Christina Oliveras, The Balusters
Nathan Darrow, (un)conditional
Emily Davis, Well, I’ll Let You Go
West Duchovny, Diversion
[winner] Alden Ehrenreich, Becky Shaw
Linda Emond, Becky Shaw
David Greenspan, Prince Faggot
River Lipe-Smith, Caroline
Lizan Mitchell, Cold War Choir Practice
[winner] Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Richard Thomas, The Balusters
Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical
Chris Blisset, Beau the Musical
Max Clayton, Schmigadoon!
Lilli Cooper, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Stephanie Hsu, The Rocky Horror Show
[winner] Judy Kuhn, The Baker’s Wife
McKenzie Kurtz, Schmigadoon!
Ruthie Ann Miles, The Seat of Our Pants
Erin Morton, Heathers the Musical
Jackson Kanawha Perry, Saturday Church
Jasmine Amy Rogers, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
[winner] Ben Levi Ross, Ragtime
Layton Williams, Titaníque
Outstanding Solo Performance
Savon Bartley, Holes in the Shape of My Father
[winner] Jack Holden, Kenrex
Hailey McAfee, And Her Children
Natalie Palamides, Weer
Julia McDermott, Weather Girl
Josh Sharp, ta-da!
Outstanding Direction of a Play
Jesse Berger, Titus Andronicus
David Cromer, Caroline
Trip Cullman, Becky Shaw
Kenny Leon, The Balusters
[winner] Joe Mantello, Death of a Salesman
Tarell Alvin McCraney and Bijan Sheibani, The Brothers Size
Jack Serio, Well, I’ll Let You Go
Outstanding Direction of a Musical
[winner] Lear deBessonet, Ragtime
Gordon Greenberg, The Baker’s Wife
Danny Mefford, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
David Mendizábal, Mexodus
Josh Rhodes, Beau the Musical
Leigh Silverman, The Seat of Our Pants
Outstanding Choreography (TIE)
[winner] Christopher Gattelli, Schmigadoon!
Edgar Godineaux and Jared Grimes (tap choreography), Lights Out: Nat “King” Cole
Natalie Malotke, Jonathan Platero, and Oksana Platero, Blood/Love
Toran X. Moore, Try/Step/Trip
[winner] Omari Wiles & Arturo Lyons, Cats: The Jellicle Ball
Lauren Yalango-Grant and Christopher Cree Grant, The Lost Boys (includes aerial choreography)
Outstanding Music
The Lazours, Night Side Songs
Ethan Lipton, The Seat of Our Pants
Ethan D. Pakchar & Douglas Lyons, Beau the Musical
Michael Thurber, Goddess
[winner] Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson, Mexodus
Outstanding Lyrics
[winner] Jim Barne & Kit Buchan, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Dahlak Brathwaite, Try/Step/Trip
Ethan Lipton, The Seat of Our Pants
Douglas Lyons, Beau the Musical
Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson, Mexodus
Outstanding Book of a Musical
Dahlak Brathwaite, Try/Step/Trip
Ethan Lipton, The Seat of Our Pants
Douglas Lyons, Beau the Musical
Jesse Malin & Lauren Ludwig, Silver Manhattan
[winner] Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson, Mexodus
Outstanding Orchestrations
Bryan Carter (music supervisor and arranger), The Fear of 13
Daniel Kluger, The Seat of Our Pants
[winner] David M. Lutken, Morgan Morse, Lisa Helmi Johanson, and Sherry Stregack Lutken, The Porch on Windy Hill
John McDaniel, Lights Out: Nat “King” Cole
The Bengsons & Or Matias, My Joy is Heavy
Outstanding Music in a Play
[winner] John Patrick Elliott, Kenrex
Donald Lawrence, Oh Happy Day!
Stan Mathabane (composer) and Munir Zakee (musician), The Brothers Size
Johnathan Moore, The Imaginary Invalid (Molière in the Park)
Ro Reddick, Cold War Choir Practice
Darron L West and Alexander Sovronsky, The Wild Duck
Outstanding Scenic Design of a Play
Harry Feiner, Ceremonies in Dark Old Men
Soutra Gilmour, Waiting for Godot
Tatiana Kahvegian, Meet the Cartozians
[winner] Chloe Lamford, Death of a Salesman
Derek McLane, The Adding Machine
Derek McLane, The Balusters
Outstanding Scenic Design of a Musical
Daniel Allen, Beau the Musical
Dots, The Rocky Horror Show
Rachel Hauck, Cats: The Jellicle Ball
[winner] Dane Laffrey, The Lost Boys
Arnulfo Maldonado, Goddess
Jason Sherwood, The Baker’s Wife
Outstanding Costume Design of a Play
Kindall Almond, Initiative
Enver Chakartash, Meet the Cartozians
Enver Chakartash, Tartuffe (New York Theatre Workshop)
Qween Jean, Oh Happy Day!
Emilio Sosa, The Balusters
[winner] Paul Tazewell, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Outstanding Costume Design of a Musical
[winner] Qween Jean, Cats: The Jellicle Ball
Qween Jean, Saturday Church
David I. Reynoso, The Rocky Horror Show
Kaye Voyce, The Seat of Our Pants
Catherine Zuber, The Baker’s Wife
Outstanding Lighting Design of a Play
Isabella Byrd, Prince Faggot
Jeff Croiter, The Adding Machine
Stacey Derosier, Well, I’ll Let You Go
[winner] Jack Knowles, Death of a Salesman
Kate McGee, without mirrors
Studio Luna (Brandon Sterling Baker), Marcel on the Train
Outstanding Lighting Design of a Musical
Mextly Couzin, Mexodus
Adam Honoré, Amahl and the Night Visitors
Adam Honoré & Donald Holder, Ragtime
Bradley King, The Baker’s Wife
[winner] Jen Schriever and Michael Arden, The Lost Boys
Japhy Weideman, Beau the Musical
Outstanding Sound Design of a Play
Angela Baughman, Initiative
Caroline Eng, The Unknown
[winner] Tom Gibbons, Oedipus
Kieran Lucas, Weather Girl
Nevin Steinberg, Anna Christie
Giles Thomas, Kenrex
Outstanding Sound Design of a Musical
Jordana Abrenica, Beau the Musical
Jason Crystal, The Baker’s Wife
[winner] Mikhail Fiksel, Mexodus (includes looping systems architecture)
Kai Harada, Ragtime
Alex Hawthorn & Drew Levy, Lights Out: Nat “King” Cole
Outstanding Projection and Video Design
David Bengali, My Joy is Heavy
Akhila Krishnan, Kyoto
Johnny Moreno, Mexodus
[winner] Tal Yarden, Oedipus
Outstanding Wig and Hair Design
Alberto “Albee” Alvarado, The Rocky Horror Show
David Brian Brown, The Lost Boys
David Brian Brown and Victoria Tinsman, Fallen Angels
[winner] Nikiya Mathis, Cats: The Jellicle Ball
Robert Pickens, Tartuffe (New York Theatre Workshop)
Outstanding Puppetry
[winner] Axtell Expressions, Amaze
Emily Batsford (creator) and Yuliya Tsukerman (puppet design), Cumulo
Julian Crouch, Goddess
Monkey Boys Productions, The Burning Cauldron of Fiery Fire
Outstanding Fight Choreography
[winner] Gerry Rodriguez, The Monsters
Thomas Schall, The Balusters
Rick Sordelet, Titus Andronicus
Rick Sordelet, Ulster American
Sordelet Inc., The Lost Boys
Outstanding Adaptation
And Her Children, by Rosie Glen-Lambert and Hailey McAfee
Are the Bennet Girls Ok?, by Emily Breeze
[winner] Oedipus, by Robert Icke
Pride & Prejudice, by Abigail Pickard Price, with Sarah Gobran and Matt Pinches
Room 204, by Zusammen Theatre Project (Dennis Flanagan and Anjelica Fellini)
The Imaginary Invalid (Molière in the Park), by Lucie Tiberghien
Outstanding Revue
[winner] About Time
Baile Cangrejero
I Wish My Life Were Like a Musical
Unique Theatrical Experience
Amaze
[winner] Burnout Paradise
Color Theories
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
Rheology
Slanted Floors
Special Awards
Ensemble Awards
Marjorie Prime — Danny Burstein, Christopher Lowell, Cynthia Nixon, and June Squibb
Spread — Daniel Bravo Hernández, Danny Gómez, Ishmael Gonzalez, Jaden Perez, and Luis Vega
Sam Norkin Off-Broadway Award
Xhloe Rice and Natasha Roland for A Letter to Lyndon B Johnson or God and What If They Ate the Baby?
Additional Special Awards
Initiative
Diane Paulus for Masquerade
The William Wolf Award (for contributions to the theater community)
Richard Maltby Jr. and David Shire
The Harold S. Prince Award (for Lifetime Achievement)
Thomas Schumacher
