2025-2026 AWARDS
The New York Drama Critics’ Circle met at the New York offices of Time Out Media on Thursday, April 30, 2026 to determine the winners of its 90th annual awards. In addition to Best Play, the Circle votes on awards for Best Musical, Best Individual Performance and Best Ensemble Performance. The results were as follows:
Best Play: Little Bear Ridge Road (Samuel D. Hunter)
Best Musical: no award
Best Individual Performance: Alden Ehrenreich, Becky Shaw
Best Ensemble Performance: The cast of Death of a Salesman
Special Citations: Lincoln Center Theatre’s revival of Ragtime; Wallaca Shawn and André Gregory for career achievement; costume designer Qween Jean for Cats: The Jellicle Ball, Liberation and Saturday Church
On the first ballot for Best Play, Samuel D. Hunter’s Little Bear Ridge Road earned the most votes, followed by Talene Monahon’s Meet to Cartozians, Robert Icke’s Oedipus and Wallace Shawn’s What We Did in Our Moth Days. A second vote was then taken to determine whether an award would be given at all. Having agreed that one should, the Circle moved forward: Little Bear Ridge Road fell one point short of winning on the third ballot before clinching the award on the fourth.
On the first ballot for Best Musical, Mexodus and Schmigadoon! earned the most votes but no show approached a majority. On the second ballot, divided Circle decided not to award Best Musical this season.
Becky Shaw’s Alden Ehrenreich won 9 out of 22 votes, a strong plurality, on the first ballot for Best Individual Performance. He prevailed on the third ballot, besting runners-up Joshua Henry (Ragtime), Leslie Manville (Oedipus) and John Lithgow (Giant).
On the first ballot for Best Ensemble Performance was divided among many contenders, led by the casts Death of a Salesman, Ragtime, Meet the Cartozians and Joe Turner’s Come and Gone. In a rare fifth-ballot showdown, Death of a Salesman edged out Ragtime by a single vote.
The Circle then voted to award three Special Citations: to the Lincoln Center Theatre revival of Ragtime; to Wallaca Shawn and André Gregory for career achievement; and to costume designer Qween Jean for Cats: The Jellicle Ball, Liberation and Saturday Church.
The awards will be presented in a private ceremony on Thursday, May 7, 2026.
Best Play, first ballot:
David Barbour: Little Bear Ridge Road
David Cote: Little Bear Ridge Road
Joe Dziemianowicz: Meet the Cartozians
Greg Evans: Giant
Adam Feldman: What We Did Before Our Moth Days
Rhoda Feng (proxy): Oedipus
David Finkle: Punch
Elysa Gardner: Little Bear
Robert Hofler: Meet the Cartozians
Sara Holdren (proxy): What We Did Before Our Moth Days
Charles Isherwood: Little Bear Ridge Road
Chris Jones: Little Bear Ridge Road
Soraya Nadia McDonald: Cold War Choir Practice
Jackson McHenry: Jewish Plot
Emily Nussbaum: What We Did Before Our Moth Days
Johnny Oleksinski: Little Bear Ridge Road
Frank Scheck: Little Bear Ridge Road
David Sheward: Prince Faggot
Zachary Stewart: The Honey Trap
Tim Teeman: Well, I’ll Let You Go
Elisabeth Vincentelli: Meet the Cartozians
Matt Windman: Mother Russia
David Barbour:
Little Bear Ridge Road
Meet the Cartozians
Practice
David Cote:
Little Bear Ridge Road
What We Did Before Our Moth Days
Lowcountry
Joe Dziemianowicz:
Meet the Cartozians
Little Bear Ridge Road
The Balusters
Greg Evans:
Little Bear Ridge Road
Giant
Oedipus
Adam Feldman:
What We Did Before Our Moth Days
Little Bear Ridge Road
Well, I’ll Let You Go
Rhoda Feng (proxy):
Oedipus
Prince Faggot
Practice
David Finkle:
Punch
Oedipus
Kenrex
Elysa Gardner:
Little Bear Ridge Road
Giant
Mother Russia
Robert Hofler:
Meet the Cartozians
Mother Russia
Prince Faggot
Sara Holdren (proxy):
What We Did Before Our Moth Days
Meet the Cartozians
Initiative
Charles Isherwood:
Little Bear Ridge Road
Oedipus
Giant
Chris Jones:
Little Bear Ridge Road
Oedipus
Giant
Soraya Nadia McDonald:
Cold War Choir Practice
Prince Faggot
What We Did Before Our Moth Days
Jackson McHenry:
Jewish Plot
Caroline
Cold War Choir Practice
Emily Nussbaum:
Oedipus
What We Did Before Our Moth Days
Meet the Cartozians
Johnny Oleksinski:
Little Bear Ridge Road
Oedipus
Kenrex
Frank Scheck:
Little Bear Ridge Road
Meet the Cartozians
Well, I’ll Let You Go
David Sheward:
Price Faggot
The Balusters
Cold War Choir Practice
Zachary Stewart:
Little Bear Ridge Road
Data
The Honey Trap
Tim Teeman:
Well, I’ll Let You Go
The Baluster
Meet the Cartozians
Elisabeth Vincentelli:
Meet the Cartozians
Little Bear Ridge Road
Mother Russia
Matt Windman:
Mother Russia
The Balusters
Giant
David Barbour:
Little Bear Ridge Road
Meet the Cartozians
Oedipus
David Cote:
Little Bear Ridge Road
What We Did Before Our Moth Days
Meet the Cartozians
Joe Dziemianowicz:
Meet the Cartozians
Little Bear Ridge Road
Oedipus
Greg Evans:
Little Bear Ridge Road
Oedipus
Meet the Cartozians
Adam Feldman:
What We Did Before Our Moth Days
Little Bear Ridge Road
Meet the Cartozians
David Finkle:
Oedipus
Little Bear Ridge Road
What We Did Before Our Moth Days
Elysa Gardner:
Little Bear Ridge Road
Oedipus
Meet the Cartozians
Robert Hofler:
Meet the Cartoizians
Oedipus
Little Bear Ridge Road
Sara Holdren (proxy):
What We Did Before Our Moth Days
Meet the Cartozians
Charles Isherwood:
Little Bear Ridge Road
Oedipus
Meet the Cartozians
Chris Jones:
Little Bear Ridge Road
Oedipus
What We Did Before Our Moth Days
Soraya Nadia McDonald:
Oedipus
What We Did Before Our Moth Days
Meet the Cartozians
Jackson McHenry:
What We Did Before Our Moth Days
Meet the Cartozians
Little Bear Ridge Road
Emily Nussbaum:
Oedipus
What We Did Before Our Moth Days
Meet the Cartozians
Johnny Oleksinski:
Little Bear Ridge Road
Oedipus
What We Did Before Our Moth Days
Frank Scheck:
Little Bear Ridge Road
Meet the Cartozians
What We Did Before Our Moth Days
David Sheward:
Little Bear Ridge Road
Meet the Cartozians
Oedipus
Zachary Stewart:
Little Bear Ridge Road
Oedipus
Meet the Cartozians
Tim Teeman:
Oedipus
Meet the Cartozians
Little Bear Ridge Road
Elisabeth Vincentelli:
Meet the Cartozians
Little Bear Ridge Road
Oedipus
Matt Windman:
Oedipus
Little Bear Ridge Road
Meet the Cartozians
David Barbour: Mexodus
David Cote: No Singing in the Navy
Joe Dziemianowicz: Mexodus
Greg Evans: The Lost Boys
Adam Feldman: Schmigadoon!
Rhoda Feng (proxy): Mexodus
David Finkle: Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Elysa Gardner: Saturday Church
Robert Hofler: Mexodus
Sara Holdren (proxy): none
Charles Isherwood: none
Chris Jones: The Lost Boys
Soraya Nadia McDonald: none
Jackson McHenry: Night Side Songs
Emily Nussbaum: Schmigadoon!
Johnny Oleksinski: The Lost Boys
Frank Scheck: Mexodus
David Sheward: Schmigadoon!
Zachary Stewart: Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Tim Teeman: Schmigadoon!
Elisabeth Vincentelli: Schmigadoon!
Matt Windman: Mexodus
Best Individual Performance, first ballot:
David Barbour: Lesley Manville in Oedipus
David Cote: Alden Ehrenreich in Becky Shaw
Joe Dziemianowicz: Alden Ehrenreich in Becky Shaw
Greg Evans: Alden Ehernreich in Becky Shaw
Adam Feldman: Joshua Henry in Ragtime
Rhoda Feng (proxy): Nathan Lane in Death of a Salesman
David Finkle: Lesley Manville in Oedipus
Elysa Gardner: John Lithgow in Giant
Robert Hofler: Alden Ehrenreich in Becky Shaw
Sara Holdren (proxy): Alden Ehrenreich in Becky Shaw
Charles Isherwood: Lesley Manville in Oedipus
Chris Jones: Alden Ehrenreich in Becky Shaw
Soraya Nadia McDonald: Joshua Henry in Ragtime
Jackson McHenry: Joshua Henry in Ragtime
Emily Nussbaum: Lesley Manville in Oedipus
Johnny Oleksinski: Alden Ehrenreich in Becky Shaw
Frank Scheck: Alden Ehrenreich in Becky Shaw
David Sheward: Quincey Tyler Bernstein in Well, I’ll Let You Go
Zachary Stewart: Alden Ehrenreich in Becky Shaw
Tim Teeman: Joshua Henry in Ragtime
Elisabeth Vincentelli: Natalie Palmides in Weer
Matt Windman: Nathan Lane in Death of a Salesman
Best Individual Performance, third ballot:
David Barbour:
Lesley Manville in Oedipus
John Lithgow in Giant
Joshua Henry in Ragtime
David Cote:
Alden Ehren in Becky Shaw
Lesley Manville in Oedipus
Joshua Henry in Ragtime
Joe Dziemianowicz:
Alden Ehrenreich in Becky Shaw
Joshua Henry in Ragtime
Sam Tutty in Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Greg Evans:
Alden Ehrenreich in Becky Shaw
John Lithgow in Giant
Laurie Metcalf in Death of a Salesman
Adam Feldman:
Joshua Henry in Ragtime
Laurie Metcalf in Death of a Salesman
Quincy Tyler Bernstine in Well, I’ll Let You Go
Rhoda Feng (proxy):
Laurie Metcalf in Little Bear Ridge Road
Laurie Metcalf in Death of a Salesman
Nathan Lane in Death of a Salesman
David Finkle:
Lesley Manville in Oedipus
Alden Ehrenreich in Becky Shaw
John Lithgow in Giant
Elysa Gardner:
John Lithgow in Giant
Lesley Manville in Oedipus
River Lipe-Smith in Caroline
Robert Hofler:
Alden Ehrenreich in Becky Shaw
John Lithgow in Giant
Laurie Metcalf in Little Bear Ridge Road
Sara Holdren (proxy):
Alden Ehrenreich in Becky Shaw
Rose Byrne in Fallen Angels
John Lithgow in Giant
Charles Isherwood:
Lesley Manville in Oedipus
Laurie Metcalf Little Bear Ridge Road
Ruben Santiago-Hudson in Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Chris Jones:
Alden Ehrenreich in Becky Shaw
Laurie Metcalf in Little Bear Ridge Road
Daniel Radcliffe in Every Brilliant Thing
Soraya Nadia McDonald:
Joshua Henry in Ragtime
Lesley Manville in Oedipus
Alden Ehrenreich in Becky Shaw
Jackson McHenry:
Joshua Henry in Ragtime
Alden Ehrenreich in Becky Shaw
Natalie Palamides in Weer
Emily Nussbaum:
Lesley Manville in Oedipus
Alden Ehrenreich in Becky Shaw
John Lithgow in Giant
Johnny Oleksinski:
Alden Ehrenreich in Becky Shaw
Laurie Metcalf in Death of a Salesman
Nathan Lane in Death of a Salesman
Frank Scheck:
Alden Ehrenreich in Becky Shaw
Daniel Radcliffe in Every Brilliant Thing
Joshua Henry in Ragtime
David Sheward:
Quincy Tyler Bernstine in Well, I’ll Let You Go
John Lithgow in Giant
Maria Dizzia in What We Did Before Our Moth Days
Zachary Stewart:
Joshua Henry in Ragtime
Alden Ehrenreich in Becky Shaw
Lesley Manville in Oedipus
Tim Teeman:
Joshua Henry in Ragtime
Alden Ehrenreich in Becky Shaw
Quincy Tyler Bernstine in Well, I’ll Let You Go
Elisabeth Vincentelli:
Natalie Palamides in Weer
Alden Ehrenreich in Becky Shaw
Quincy Tyler Bernstine in Well, I’ll Let You Go
Matt Windman:
Nathan Lane in Death of a Salesman
John Lithgow in Giant
Joshua Henry in Ragtime
Best Ensemble Performance, first ballot:
David Barbour: Meet the Cartozians
David Cote: Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Joe Dziemianowicz: Schmigadoon!
Greg Evans: The Lost Boys
Adam Feldman: Death of a Salesman
Rhoda Feng (proxy): Meet the Cartozians
David Finkle: Ragtime
Elysa Gardner: Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Robert Hofler: Meet the Cartozians
Sara Holdren (proxy): Ivanov
Charles Isherwood: Death of a Salesman
Chris Jones: Death of a Salesman
Soraya Nadia McDonald: Ragtime
Jackson McHenry: Initiative
Emily Nussbaum: Are the Bennet Sisters OK?
Johnny Oleksinski: Marjorie Prime
Frank Scheck: Death of a Salesman
David Sheward: Meet the Cartozians
Zachary Stewart: Burnout Paradise
Tim Teeman: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Elisabeth Vincentelli: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Matt Windman: Ragtime
Best Ensemble Performance, third ballot:
David Barbour:
Meet the Cartozians
Death of a Salesman
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
David Cote:
Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Ragtime
Death of a Salesman
Joe Dziemianowicz:
Schmigadoon!
Meet the Cartozians
The Balusters
Greg Evans:
Death of a Salesman
Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Marjorie Prime
Adam Feldman:
Death of a Salesman
Marjorie Prime
Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Rhoda Feng (proxy):
Meet the Cartozians
Cats: The Jellicle Ball
Burnout Paradise
David Finkle:
Ragtime
Death of a Salesman
Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Elysa Gardner:
Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Marjorie Prime
The Wild Duck
Robert Hofler:
Meet the Cartozians
Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Mother Russia
Sara Holdren (proxy):
Ivanov
What We Did Before Our Moth Days
Death of a Salesman
Charles Isherwood:
Death of a Salesman
Ragtime
Oedipus
Chris Jones:
Death of a Salesman
Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Becky Shaw
Soraya Nadia McDonald:
Ragtime
Marjorie Prime
Becky Shaw
Jackson McHenry:
Initiative
Meet the Cartozians
Burnout Paradise
Emily Nussbaum:
Death of a Salesman
Meet the Cartozians
Are the Bennet Sisters OK?
Johnny Oleksinski:
Marjorie Prime
Ragtime
The Balusters
Frank Scheck:
Death of a Salesman
Meet the Cartozians
The Balusters
David Sheward:
Meet the Cartozians
Dog Day Afternoon
Well, I’ll Let You Go
Zachary Stewart:
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Joe Turners’s Come and Gone
Death of a Salesman
Tim Teeman:
Well, I’ll Let You Go
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Ragtime
Elisabeth Vincentelli:
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Schmigadoon!
Meet the Cartozians
Matt Windman:
Ragtime
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Death of a Salesman
Best Ensemble Performance, fourth ballot:
David Barbour:
Meet the Cartozians
Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Death of a Salesman
David Cote:
Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Death of a Salesman
Meet the Cartozians
Joe Dziemianowicz:
Meet the Cartozians
Ragtime
Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Greg Evans:
Death of a Salesman
Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Ragtime
Adam Feldman:
Death of a Salesman
Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Ragtime
David Finkle:
Ragtime
Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Death of a Salesman
Elysa Gardner:
Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Meet the Cartozians
Death of a Salesman
Robert Hofler:
Meet the Cartozians
Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Ragtime
Charles Isherwood:
Death of a Salesman
Ragtime
Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Chris Jones:
Death of a Salesman
Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Ragitme
Soraya Nadia McDonald:
Ragtime
Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Meet the Cartozians
Jackson McHenry:
Meet the Cartozians
Ragtime
Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Emily Nussbaum:
Death of a Salesman
Meet the Cartozians
Ragtime
Johnny Oleksinski:
Ragtime
Death of a Salesman
Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Frank Scheck:
Death of a Salesman
Meet the Cartozians
Ragtime
David Sheward:
Meet the Cartozians
Death of a Salesman
Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Zachary Stewart:
Ragtime
Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Death of a Salesman
Tim Teeman:
Ragtime
Meet the Cartozians
Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Elisabeth Vincentelli:
Abstain
Matt Windman:
Ragtime
Death of a Salesman
Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
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