GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics’ theater wing has marked the start of Pride Month by announcing the winners for its 4th Annual Dorian Theater Awards, celebrating the best in Broadway and Off-Broadway for the 2025-2026 season from mainstream to LGBTQ+.
Off-Broadway sensation Prince Faggot reigned over the competition with six wins, the most of any production this season. While the Lincoln Center Theater revival of Ragtime earned three awards, the most of any Broadway production.
“We are thrilled to kick off Pride Month by celebrating a season that uplifted queer voices,” comments GALECA theater wing co-chair Sam Eckmann. “Whether it was a tender love story within Schmigadoon! or mainstream audience members discovering the fabulous world of Ballroom through Cats: The Jellicle Ball, New York’s theater scene has consistently made us proud.”
GALECA voters fell hard for Jordan Tannahill’s provocative queer play Prince Faggot. The show won Outstanding Off-Broadway Play, Outstanding Off-Broadway LGBTQ Production, Outstanding Writing for an Off-Broadway Production, Outstanding Lead Performance in an Off-Broadway Production for John McCrea, and Outstanding Featured Performance in an Off-Broadway Production for David Greenspan.
Ragtime, the Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty musical with direction from Lincoln Center Theatre artistic director Lear deBessonet, topped the Broadway categories with three victories: Outstanding Broadway Musical Revival, Outstanding Broadway Ensemble, and Outstanding Lead Performance in a Broadway Musical for Joshua Henry.
Other top Broadway winners include Schmigadoon!, which claimed Outstanding Broadway Musical and Outstanding Book of a Musical for writer Cinco Paul. The Balusters and Giant tied for Outstanding Broadway Play. The Balusters playwright David Lindsay-Abaire won Outstanding Script of a Broadway Play, while Giant leading man John Lithgow won Outstanding Lead Performance in a Broadway Play. Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, starring Nathan Lane and Laurie Metcalf, won Outstanding Broadway Play Revival.
Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show, helmed by Dorian Theater Award nominee Sam Pinkleton, was awarded Outstanding LGBTQ Broadway Production. This award honors exceptional theatrical work that spotlights LGBTQ stories and themes.
Cats: The Jellicle Ball and Titaníque were ineligible for top production categories after winning Outstanding Off-Broadway Production in prior seasons, but voters eagerly recognized their 2026 Broadway runs where they were eligible. Titaníque newcomer Layton Williams won Outstanding Featured Performance in a Broadway Musical. Cats: The Jellicle Ball received the Broadway Showstopper Award for the musical number “Skimbleshanks The Railway Cat,” which has been reimagined as an energetic voguing performance led by Emma Sofia.
Qween Jean was named LGBTQ Theater Artist of the Season. The costume designer, trans rights activist and community leader has created standout looks all season long, having designed the costumes for Cats: The Jellicle Ball, Liberation, Saturday Church, Angry Alan, and Oh Happy Day!
The Dorian’s special LGBTQ Theater Trailblazer award was given to Junior LaBeija. A member of the House of LaBeija for over 50 years, LaBeija is a Ballroom Icon who served as master of ceremonies for the annual “Paris is Burning Ball,” as captured in the classic documentary Paris Is Burning. Now, LaBeija is proving to be a master storyteller in his role as Gus the Theatre Cat in Cats: The Jellicle Ball, where he ensures that queer history is accorded reverence on Broadway.
Full list of 2026 Dorian Theater Awards winners:
Outstanding Broadway Musical
The Lost Boys
*Schmigadoon!*
Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Outstanding Broadway Play
*The Balusters (tie)*
*Giant (tie)*
Little Bear Ridge Road
Punch
Outstanding Broadway Musical Revival
Chess
*Ragtime*
Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show
Outstanding Broadway Play Revival
*Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman*
Becky Shaw
Fallen Angels
Marjorie Prime
Oedipus
Outstanding LGBTQ Broadway Production
Little Bear Ridge Road
*Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show*
Schmigadoon!
The Lost Boys
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Broadway Musical
Sara Chase, Schmigadoon!
Kristin Chenoweth, The Queen of Versailles
Nicholas Christopher, Chess
Luke Evans, Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show
*Joshua Henry, Ragtime*
Stephanie Hsu, Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show
Caissie Levy, Ragtime
Sam Tutty, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Brandon Uranowitz, Ragtime
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Broadway Play
Rose Byrne, Fallen Angels
Carrie Coon, Bug
Will Harrison, Punch
Nathan Lane, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman
*John Lithgow, Giant*
Lesley Manville, Oedipus
Laurie Metcalf, Little Bear Ridge Road
Kelli O’Hara, Fallen Angels
Daniel Radcliffe, Every Brilliant Thing
Mark Strong, Oedipus
Outstanding Featured Performance in a Broadway Musical
Melissa Barrera, Titaníque
Shoshana Bean, The Lost Boys
Ali Louis Bourzgui, The Lost Boys
Max Clayton, Schmigadoon!
Rachel Dratch, Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show
Ana Gasteyer, Schmigadoon!
Leiomy, Cats: The Jellicle Ball
Ben Levi Ross, Ragtime
Benjamin Pajak, The Lost Boys
*Layton Williams, Titaníque*
Outstanding Featured Performance in a Broadway Play
Christopher Abbott, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman
Marylouise Burke, The Balusters
Danny Burstein, Marjorie Prime
*Alden Ehrenreich, Becky Shaw*
Linda Emond, Becky Shaw
Jessica Hecht, Dog Day Afternoon
Laurie Metcalf, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman
Cynthia Nixon, Marjorie Prime
Ruben Santiago-Hudson, August Wilson’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
June Squibb, Marjorie Prime
Outstanding Broadway Ensemble
Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman
The Balusters
*Ragtime*
Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show
Schmigadoon!
Outstanding Original Score of a Broadway Production
Death of a Salesman by Caroline Shaw
*The Lost Boys by The Rescues*
Schmigadoon! by Cinco Paul
The Queen of Versailles by Stephen Schwartz
Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) by Jim Barne & Kit Buchan
Outstanding Book of a Broadway Musical
The Lost Boys by David Hornsby and Chris Hoch
*Schmigadoon! by Cinco Paul*
Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) by Jim Barne & Kit Buchan
Outstanding Script of a Broadway Play
*The Balusters by David Lindsay-Abaire*
Giant by Mark Rosenblatt
Little Bear Ridge Road by Samuel D. Hunter.
Punch by James Graham
Outstanding Design of a Broadway Production
Bug
Cats: The Jellicle Ball
*The Lost Boys*
Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show
Schmigadoon!
The Broadway Showstopper Award – to a standout production number or scene
Cats: The Jellicle Ball – “Memory” (“Tempress” Chasity Moore)
*Cats: The Jellicle Ball – “Skimbleshanks the Railway Cat” (Emma Sofia)*
Cats: The Jellicle Ball – “Songs of the Jellicles and the Jellicle Ball” (company)
Chess – “Anthem” (Nicholas Christopher)
Titaníque – “River Deep, Mountain High” (Layton Williams)
Outstanding Off-Broadway Musical
Beau: The Musical
The Last Bimbo of the Apocalypse
*Mexodus*
Saturday Church
The Seat of Our Pants
Outstanding Off-Broadway Play
Are the Bennett Girls Ok?
Bowl EP
Cold War Choir Practice
Meet the Cartozians
*Prince Faggot*
Outstanding Off-Broadway Revival
Bat Boy: The Musical
*Heathers, The Musical (tie)*
Oratorio for Living Things
Twelfth Night (Shakespeare in the Park)
*The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (tie)*
Outstanding LGBTQ Off-Broadway Production
Beau: The Musical
Becoming Eve
Bowl EP
*Prince Faggot*
Saturday Church
ta-da!
Outstanding Lead Performance in an Off-Broadway Production
Bryson Battle, Saturday Church
*Quincy Tyler Bernstine, Well, I’ll Let You Go (tie)*
Alana Raquel Bowers, Cold War Choir Practice
Will Brill, Kramer/Fauci
Tommy Dorfman, Becoming Eve
David Greenspan, I’m Assuming You Know David Greenspan
Ryan J. Haddad, Hold Me in the Water
Marin Ireland, Queens
*John McCrea, Prince Faggot (tie)*
Matt Rodin, Beau: The Musical
Outstanding Featured Performance in an Off-Broadway Production
Caroline Aaron, The Reservoir
Sierra Boggess, Prosperous Fools
Justin Cooley, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
K. Todd Freeman, Prince Faggot
*J. Harrison Ghee, Saturday Church (tie)*
*David Greenspan, Prince Faggot (tie)*
Judy Kuhn, The Baker’s Wife
McKenzie Kurtz, Heathers, The Musical
Casey Likes, Heathers, The Musical
Deirdre O’Connell, Glass. Kill. What If If Only. Imp.
Jasmine Amy Rogers, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
David Turner, Mother Russia
Outstanding Writing for an Off-Broadway Production
Becoming Eve by Emil Weinstein
Bowl EP by Nazareth Hassan
Caroline by Preston Max Allen
Cold War Choir Practice by Ro Reddick
Practice by Nazareth Hassan
*Prince Faggot by Jordan Tannahill*
Outstanding Design for an Off-Broadway Production
Beau: The Musical
Bowl EP
Cold War Choir Practice
*Masquerade*
Prince Faggot
LGBTQ Theater Artist of the Season
Michael Arden
Shayok Misha Chowdhury
Luke Evans
*Qween Jean*
Constantine Rousouli
Brandon Uranowitz
LGBTQ Theater Trailblazer – for a lifelong commitment to creating art that inspires empathy, truth and equity
Michael Arden
*Junior LaBeija*
Nathan Lane
Joe Mantello
Sam Pinkleton
GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics and its Dorian Awards honor the best in film, television, and, under its theater wing, Broadway and Off-Broadway. Nearly 600 members strong, GALECA puts a critical LGBTQ+ eye on entertainment. A nonprofit organization, GALECA also advocates for better pay, access, and respect for entertainment journalists, especially the underrepresented, and mentors and offers college scholarships for the next generation of entertainment journalists.