2026 Tony Awards: West End Hits Lead the Way

The 2026 Tony Award nominations are in, and many of the biggest contenders will already be familiar to West End audiences, with several productions arriving on Broadway after acclaimed London runs and Olivier Award success.

Titaníque sails into the spotlight

Among the Best Musical nominees is Titaníque, the wildly camp musical that imagines Céline Dion aboard the Titanic. After success in Los Angeles, Off-Broadway and the West End, the show won the Olivier Award for Best Entertainment or Comedy Play in 2025 and is now running in both London and New York.

West End favourite Layton Williams has earned a Tony nomination for Featured Actor in a Musical, reprising his Olivier-winning role as the Iceberg on Broadway. The show continues in London through August.

Another standout nominee is Cats: The Jellicle Ball, a bold reimagining of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s classic musical. While this production has no London transfer planned, a new version of Cats opens at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre this summer.

West End transfers dominate the play categories

Two of the most acclaimed plays of the past year, Giant and Oedipus, have carried their Olivier Awards momentum to Broadway.

Giant, which explores a pivotal chapter in Roald Dahl’s life, earned nominations for Best Play and Best Actor for John Lithgow, who won the Olivier Award for the role. The production also received nominations for Aya Cash and director Nicholas Hytner.

Oedipus secured seven nominations, including Best Revival of a Play. Olivier winners Lesley Manville and Mark Strong are both recognised again, alongside nominations for its design and creative team.

Elsewhere, James Graham’s Punch earned a Best Actor nomination for Will Harrison, while Every Brilliant Thing picked up a Best Revival nomination and a Best Actor nod for Daniel Radcliffe.

Tony-winning favourites still playing in London

Several former Tony winners remain West End staples. These include The Phantom of the Opera, The Book of Mormon, and Hamilton, all of which won both Olivier and Tony Awards for Best Musical.

Meanwhile, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child continues its London run after winning both the Olivier and Tony Awards for Best Play. The production will switch from its current two-part format to a one-part version later this year.

Other Tony-winning musicals currently playing in London include Les Misérables, The Lion King, Hadestown, Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Kinky Boots, and Avenue Q.

Key 2026 nominees

Best Musical

• The Lost Boys
• Schmigadoon!
• Titaníque
• Two Strangers (Carry A Cake Across New York)

Best Play

• The Balusters
• Giant
• Liberation
• Little Bear Ridge Road

Best Revival of a Play

• Death of a Salesman
• Becky Shaw
• Every Brilliant Thing
• Fallen Angels
• Oedipus