Austin Theatre Critics Announce 2026 Award Nominees

Broadway + NYC

Broadway

Off-Broadway

Off-Off Broadway

Cabaret

Dance

Opera

Classical Music

Eastern

Central

Western

West End

WEST END

UK Regional

International

Canada

Australia / New Zealand

Europe

Asia

Latin America

Africa / Middle East

Entertainment

TV/Movies

Music

The awards ceremony will be open to the public, with reserved tickets. June 8th, 2026, at 7:00 PM at the State Theatre.

POPULAR

Get all the top news & discounts for Austin & beyond.

The 2025–2026 Austin theatre season was bold, adventurous, thought-provoking, and funny as heck. I haven’t cried in public as much as I did this past season!

Productions took audiences on an emotional rollercoaster that jumped from sweeping musical heartbreak to painfully intimate relationship dramas, from glitter-soaked rock theatrics to family classics filled with flying nannies and yellow brick roads. Original local works brought ghosts, paranoia, absurdism, existential dread, and emotional wreckage to Austin stages, often within the same show. And somewhere in the middle of all that were horny plants, spelling bees, Shakespearean power struggles, murderous family dinners, teenage anxiety spirals, witches, and at least one séance.

Classic works returned reimagined through contemporary lenses, while new local productions proved once again that some of the most exciting theatre in Austin is still being built from the ground up by artists willing to take risks. Emerging companies joined a season that welcomed both old friends and bold new voices, creating a year of theatre that felt ambitious, eclectic, and unmistakably Austin.

Austin Theatre is thriving, and I suspect this is only the appetizer.

Here are the 2025–2026 Austin Theatre Critics Awards nominees:

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Play

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Musical

Outstanding Sound Design

Outstanding Lighting Design

Outstanding Costume Design

Outstanding Scenic Design

Outstanding Ensemble

Outstanding Original Script

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical

Outstanding Movement Direction

Outstanding Music Direction

Outstanding Director of a Play

Outstanding Director of a Musical

Outstanding Visiting Tour

Outstanding Production of a Play

Outstanding Production of a Musical

This year, the Austin Theatre Critics Awards ceremony will be held at the historic State Theatre at 7 p.m. on June 8, 2026 . The event is open to all and welcomes theatre fans and creatives alike to join in the celebration!

The Austin Theatre Critics Awards were revamped last season with the support of ATX Theatre, a nonprofit organization that links together the Austin area’s theatrical producers, artists, and audiences.

Join all your favorite theatre makers and critics at the State Theatre on June 8th!

Videos

POPULAR

Sign up for announcements, and exclusive discounts on tickets to your favorite shows!

© 2026 - Copyright Wisdom Digital Media , all rights reserved. Privacy Policy

_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/austin/article/Nominations-Announced-For-The-2026-Austin-Theatre-Critics-Awards-20260514)._