Rachel Zegler and Paapa Essiedu Triumph at Olivier Awards as Paddington the Musical Claims Seven Wins

The Olivier Awards, the U.K.’s equivalent of the Tony Awards, celebrated the pinnacle of theatrical talent at a ceremony held in London on Sunday. The event, hosted by Nick Mohammed, known for his roles in The Traitors and Ted Lasso, showcased the vibrant landscape of British theater.

Paddington the Musical Dominates

The evening was notably marked by the success of Paddington the Musical, which garnered an impressive seven awards, including Best New Musical. The production, currently staged at the Savoy Theatre in London’s West End, also earned accolades for Best Actor, awarded to James Hameed and Arti Shah, who portray the beloved bear’s voice and suit, respectively. Other wins for the musical included Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Director, Best Set Design, and Best Costume Design.

Tom Fletcher, a member of the band McFly and composer for Paddington the Musical, expressed gratitude while accepting the award for Best New Musical. He emphasized the show’s theme of kindness, stating, “We tried to make a show that is all about celebrating kindness… and to be part of this group of people that is putting that out into the world at this time feels so special, thank you so much.”

Rachel Zegler Shines in Evita

Rachel Zegler, known for her role in Snow White, received the award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance as Eva Perón in Jamie Lloyd’s production of Evita. Zegler captivated audiences by performing live from the London Palladium balcony, engaging passersby throughout the year. During her acceptance speech, she expressed her appreciation for London, saying, “Thank you so much to the city of London for making me feel so welcome here, I never could’ve imagined it. It was the honour of a lifetime singing to the people on Argyll Street eight times a week, I can’t believe I got so lucky to sing in front of thousands of you.”

Notable Wins and Highlights

Rosamund Pike also took home an award for her role in the legal drama Inter Alia. Meanwhile, Paapa Essiedu, recognized for his performance in All My Sons, won Best Supporting Actor. His production also received the award for Best Revival. Bryan Cranston, nominated for Best Actor for his role in All My Sons, lost to Jack Holden, who won for his performance in Kenrex.

The full list of winners from the 2026 Olivier Awards is as follows:

Best Revival

• All My Sons (Winner)
• Arcadia
• Much Ado About Nothing
• The Seagull

Best Musical Revival

• Into The Woods (Winner)
• American Psycho
• Evita
• The Producers

Best New Play

• Punch (Winner)
• 1536
• Inter Alia
• Kenrex

Best New Musical

• Paddington the Musical (Winner)
• Here We Are
• Shucked
• The Unlikely Pilgrimage Of Harold Fry

Best Actress

• Rosamund Pike, Inter Alia (Winner)
• Cate Blanchett, The Seagull
• Marianne Jean-Baptiste, All My Sons
• Julia McDermott, Weather Girl
• Rosie Sheehy, Guess How Much I Love You?

Best Actor

• Jack Holden, Kenrex (Winner)
• Bryan Cranston, All My Sons
• Tom Hiddleston, Much Ado About Nothing
• Sean Hayes, Good Night, Oscar
• David Shields, Punch

Best Actress in a Musical

• Rachel Zegler, Evita (Winner)
• Katie Brayben, Into The Woods
• Danielle Fiamanya & Georgina Onuorah, Brigadoon
• Jane Krakowski, Here We Are
• Jenna Russell, The Unlikely Pilgrimage Of Harold Fry

Best Actor in a Musical

• James Hameed & Arti Shah, Paddington the Musical (Winner)
• Marc Antolin, The Producers
• Andy Nyman, The Producers
• Jamie Parker, Into The Woods
• Diego Andres Rodriguez, Evita

Best Supporting Actor

• Paapa Essiedu, All My Sons (Winner)
• Hammed Animashaun, Dealer’s Choice
• Zachary Hart, The Seagull
• Zachary Hart, Stereophonic
• Giles Terera, Oh, Mary!

Best Supporting Actress

• Julie Hesmondhalgh, Punch (Winner)
• Isis Hainsworth, Arcadia
• Lucy Karczewski, Stereophonic
• Hayley Squires, All My Sons
• Sophie Thompson, When We Are Married

Best Supporting Actor in a Musical

• Tom Edden, Paddington the Musical (Winner)
• Trevor Ashley, The Producers
• Corbin Bleu, The Great Gatsby
• Jo Foster, Into The Woods
• Oliver Savile, Into The Woods

Best Supporting Actress in a Musical

• Amy Booth-Steel, Paddington the Musical (Winner)
• Tracie Bennett, Here We Are
• Kate Fleetwood, Into The Woods
• Victoria Hamilton-Barritt, Paddington the Musical
• Georgina Onuorah, Shucked

Best Director

• Luke Sheppard, Paddington the Musical (Winner)
• Jordan Fein, Into The Woods
• Ed Stambollouian, Kenrex
• Lyndsey Turner, 1536
• Ivo van Hove, All My Sons

Best New Entertainment or Comedy Play

• Oh, Mary! (Winner)
• The Comedy About Spies
• Every Brilliant Thing
• Paranormal Activity

Best New Dance Production

• Into The Hairy (Winner)
• Mimi’s Shebeen
• Random Taranto
• She’s Auspicious

Best New Production in Affiliate Theatre

• The Glass Menagerie (Winner)
• Ben And Imo
• The Ministry Of Lesbian Affairs
• Miss Myrtle’s Garden
• The Shitheads

Best Family Show

• The Boy At The Back Of The Class (Winner)
• The Boy With Wings
• The Firework Maker’s Daughter
• The Three Little Pigs

Best New Opera Production

• Dead Man Walking (Winner)
• The Makropulos Case
• Tosca
• Die Walküre

Best Sound Design

• Giles Thomas, Kenrex (Winner)
• Adam Fisher, Into The Woods
• Gareth Owen, Paddington the Musical
• Ryan Rumery, Stereophonic

Outstanding Musical Contribution

• Chris Fenwick & Sean Hayes, Good Night, Oscar (Winner)
• Matt Brind, Paddington the Musical
• Will Butler & Justin Craig, Stereophonic
• John Patrick Elliott, Kenrex

Best Lighting Design

• Aideen Malone & Roland Horvath, Into The Woods (Winner)
• Robbie Butler, Punch
• Jon Clark, Evita
• Joshua Pharo, Kenrex

Best Set Design

• Tom Pye & Ash J Woodward, Paddington the Musical (Winner)
• Paul Tate dePoo III, The Great Gatsby
• Tom Scutt, Into The Woods
• David Zinn, Stereophonic

Best Costume Design

• Gabriella Slade & Tahra Zafar, Paddington the Musical (Winner)
• Enver Chakartash, Stereophonic
• Linda Cho, The Great Gatsby
• Tom Scutt, Into The Woods

Best Theatre Choreographer

• Fabian Aloise, Evita (Winner)
• Ellen Kane, Paddington the Musical
• Drew McOnie, Brigadoon
• Lynne Page, American Psycho

As reported by www.hollywoodreporter.com.

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Published on 2026-04-13 12:24:00 • By FAME Delivered News Desk