Mexodus Leads 2026 Lucille Lortel Award Nominations With 9 Nods

The nominations for the 41st Annual Lucille Lortel Awards were announced this week, recognizing the best of Off-Broadway from the past season. The Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson collaboration Mexodus dominated the field with 9 nominations, including Outstanding Musical, Director, Choreographer, and lead performances for both of its creators.

Close behind, Jordan Tannahill's Prince Faggot, which transferred from Soho Rep to Playwrights Horizons, picked up 6 nominations including Outstanding Play and Director (Shayok Misha Chowdhury). Two shows tied with 5 nominations apiece: Ro Reddick's Cold War Choir Practice (a co-production from MCC Theater, Clubbed Thumb, and Page 73) and Saturday Church, the New York Theatre Workshop musical with songs by Sia.

The Lincoln Center Theater production of Kyoto, by Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson, and Manhattan Theatre Club's THE MONSTERS by Ngozi Anyanwu (a co-production with Two River Theater) each landed 4 nominations.

The 41st Annual Lucille Lortel Awards Ceremony
Sunday, May 3, 2026 at 7:00 PM
NYU Skirball | 566 LaGuardia Place, NYC
Directed by Michael Heitzman
Tickets available through NYU Skirball
Produced by the Off-Broadway League and the Lucille Lortel Theatre, with support from TDF

Standout Categories

The Outstanding Play race is one of the strongest in years, with all five nominees coming from major nonprofit institutions. Lauren Yee's Mother Russia at Signature Theatre Company rounds out the category alongside Cold War Choir Practice, Kyoto, THE MONSTERS, and Prince Faggot.

Outstanding Musical features a remarkably diverse slate: BIGFOOT! with a book and score by Amber Ruffin (alongside Kevin Sciretta and David Schmoll); Mexodus; The Bengsons' My Joy Is Heavy at NYTW; Lincoln Center Theater/LCT3's Night Side Songs by The Lazours; and Saturday Church.

The Outstanding Solo Show category includes some of the season's most personal work, headlined by Sean Hayes performing David Cale's The Unknown and Ari'el Stachel's Other.

Honorary Awards

Mia Katigbak, the founding artistic producing director of National Asian American Theatre Company (NAATCO), will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award. The late William Finn, whose work includes Falsettos and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (itself a 2026 Outstanding Revival nominee), will be inducted into the Playwrights' Sidewalk.

Still Playing

Many of this year's nominated productions are still running at the time of nominations. If you want to see the contenders before May 3, the following nominated shows are currently playing on Off-Broadway:

• Antigone (This Play I Read in High School) at The Public Theater

• BIGFOOT! at New York City Center

• Goddess at The Public Theater

• Heathers: The Musical at New World Stages

• Mexodus at the Daryl Roth Theatre

• My Joy is Heavy at New York Theatre Workshop

• The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at New World Stages

• The Unknown at Studio Seaview

• Titus Andronicus at The Pershing Square Signature Center

Complete List of 2026 Lucille Lortel Award Nominees

Outstanding Play

• Cold War Choir Practice by Ro Reddick (MCC Theater, Clubbed Thumb, Page 73)

• Kyoto by Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson (Lincoln Center Theater)

• THE MONSTERS by Ngozi Anyanwu (Manhattan Theatre Club, Two River Theater)

• Mother Russia by Lauren Yee (Signature Theatre Company)

• Prince Faggot by Jordan Tannahill (Playwrights Horizons, Soho Rep)

Outstanding Musical

• BIGFOOT!

• Mexodus

• My Joy Is Heavy (New York Theatre Workshop)

• Night Side Songs (Lincoln Center Theater/LCT3)

• Saturday Church (New York Theatre Workshop)

Outstanding Revival

• The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

• Bus Stop

• Gruesome Playground Injuries

• Titus Andronicus

• The Weir

Outstanding Solo Show

• Hold Me in the Water by Ryan J. Haddad

• I'm Assuming You Know David Greenspan (written by Mona Pirnot)

• Nothing Can Take You From The Hand Of God (Jen Tullock and Frank Winters)

• Other by Ari'el Stachel

• The Unknown (David Cale, performed by Sean Hayes)

Outstanding Director

• Knud Adams, Cold War Choir Practice

• Shayok Misha Chowdhury, Prince Faggot

• Stephen Daldry and Justin Martin, Kyoto

• David Mendizábal, Mexodus

• Keenan Tyler Oliphant, Practice

Outstanding Choreographer

• Edgar Godineaux and Jared Grimes, Lights Out: Nat "King" Cole

• Darrell Grand Moultrie, GODDESS and Saturday Church

• Tony Thomas, Mexodus

• Rickey Tripp, THE MONSTERS

Outstanding Lead Performer in a Play

• Noah Galvin, The Reservoir

• Marin Ireland, Queens

• John Krasinski, Angry Alan

• Aigner Mizzelle, THE MONSTERS

• Okieriete Onaodowan, THE MONSTERS

• Susannah Perkins, Antigone (This Play I Read In High School)

• Kara Young, Gruesome Playground Injuries

Outstanding Featured Performer in a Play

• Jorge Bosch, Kyoto

• Felicia Curry, Bowl EP

• Crystal Finn, Cold War Choir Practice

• David Greenspan, Prince Faggot

• Lizan Mitchell, Cold War Choir Practice

• Deirdre O'Connell, Glass. Kill. What If If Only. Imp.

• David Turner, Mother Russia

Outstanding Lead Performer in a Musical

• Abigail Bengson, My Joy Is Heavy

• J. Harrison Ghee, Saturday Church

• Dulé Hill, Lights Out: Nat "King" Cole

• Ruthie Ann Miles, The Seat of Our Pants

• Brian Quijada, Mexodus

• Nygel D. Robinson, Mexodus

• Daniel J. Watts, Lights Out: Nat "King" Cole

Outstanding Featured Performer in a Musical

• Nick Rashad Burroughs, GODDESS

• Judy Kuhn, The Baker's Wife

• Erin Morton, Heathers The Musical

• Stephanie Jae Park, Monte Cristo

• Caleb Quezon, Saturday Church

• Natalie Walker, The Last Bimbo of the Apocalypse

• Lynne Wintersteller, About Time

Outstanding Scenic Design

• Miriam Buether, Glass. Kill. What If If Only. Imp.

• Afsoon Pajoufar, Cold War Choir Practice

• Riw Rakkulchon, Mexodus

• Adam Rigg and Anton Volovsek, Bowl EP

• David Zinn, Prince Faggot

Outstanding Costume Design

• Montana Levi Blanco, Prince Faggot

• Enver Chakartash, TARTUFFE

• Qween Jean, Saturday Church

• Celeste Jennings, minor.ity

• Kaye Voyce, The Seat of Our Pants

Outstanding Lighting Design

• Isabella Byrd, Glass. Kill. What If If Only. Imp.

• Isabella Byrd, Prince Faggot

• Mextly Couzin, Mexodus

• Cha See, The Unknown

• Studio Luna, Marcel on the Train

Outstanding Sound Design

• Caroline Eng, The Unknown

• Mikhail Fiksel, Mexodus

• Ryan Gamblin, Bowl EP

• Drew Levy, The Weir

• Bray Poor, Eurydice

Outstanding Projection Design

• David Bengali, My Joy Is Heavy

• Stefania Bulbarella, Nothing Can Take You From The Hand Of God

• Akhila Krishnan, Kyoto

• Johnny Moreno, Mexodus

• John Narun, Bughouse

Outstanding Ensemble

• Initiative

• Night Side Songs

• The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Lifetime Achievement Award

• Mia Katigbak

Playwrights' Sidewalk Inductee

• William Finn