Drama Desk Nominations Hint at Potential 2026 Tony Award Contenders

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The 70th annual Drama Desk Awards will take place on Sunday, May 17, 2026.

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Earlier this week, Raúl Esparza and Helen J Shen announced the nominations for the 70th Annual Drama Desk Awards, which will be held on Monday, May 17. What does the news mean for the rest of awards season? Does love from the Drama Desk usually mean that a Tony nomination will follow?

Below, BroadwayWorld investigates how many Drama Desk nominees of the past were subsequently nominated for Tony Awards. Additionally, we calculated the percentage of eligible nominees (excluding off-Broadway nominees) who earned Tony nominations in the past ten years. Check out the chances that this year's Drama Desk nominees have at a Tony nod below!

View a full list of the 2026 nominees and check out a full breakdown of the 2025/26 Broadway season .

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The Tony Awards Administration Committee announced that André Bishop, Jules Fisher, and James Lapine will each receive the 2026 Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre.

Nominations for the 2026 Chita Rivera Awards have been announced, which were chosen among shows and films that opened during the 2025-2026 season. Check out the full list of nominees here!

The Dramatists Guild of America celebrated its 2026 Awards on Monday, April 27, 2026, in New York City, honoring a remarkable group of playwrights, composers, lyricists, librettists, theater artists, and advocates whose work continues to shape the American theatre. Check out photos here.

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_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/What-Do-the-Drama-Desk-Awards-Nominations-Mean-for-the-2026-Tony-Awards-20260501)._