The UK theater industry gathered at the Royal Opera House’s Linbury Theatre on January 12 to celebrate the 16th annual The Stage Awards. In a ceremony honoring the resilience and creativity of the sector, London’s Royal Court Theatre and Newbury’s Watermill Theatre were named joint winners of the prestigious Theatre of the Year award.
Top Honours for Innovation and Community
For the Royal Court, the win marks a triumphant return to the top spot after 15 years, fueled by a critically acclaimed season under new leadership. The Watermill Theatre continued its winning streak, following a 2024 victory with record-breaking productions of Jesus Christ Superstar and The Lord of the Rings.
Other major winners included:
Theatre Building of the Year: Soho Theatre Walthamstow, praised for transforming a 1930s cinema into a 960-seat community hub.
Producer of the Year: Wessex Grove, recognized for high-profile hits like The Seagull starring Cate Blanchett and their industry-leading work on women's health policies.
Fringe Theatre of the Year: Manchester’s Hope Mill Theatre, celebrating a decade of growth from a small mill to a powerhouse regional producer.
Celebrating the Unsung and the Bold
The awards also highlighted theater’s broader social impact. The Innovation Award went to Hull Truck Theatre for a pioneering program that uses drama techniques to train GPs in empathy and communication. Meanwhile, Brixton House and PlayWell Productions took home Campaign of the Year for Black Power Desk, an initiative that saw 70% of its audience comprised of first-time bookers.
The night’s most emotional moment came with the Unsung Hero award, presented to Eugene Ju-Pierre, the beloved stage door manager of the Royal Ballet and Opera for over 25 years. Additionally, legendary publisher Nick Hern received the Judges’ Award for a half-century of championing new playwrights.
Alistair Smith, editor of The Stage, noted that this year’s winners represent a theater industry that is "confident, outward-looking, and deeply rooted in its community." From Belfast's Lyric Scene Shop to the site-specific political work of Common/Wealth, the 2026 awards prove that British theater remains a world leader in both artistry and social change.
The Winners in full:
Theatre of the Year (Joint Winners): Royal Court Theatre, London & Watermill Theatre, Newbury
Fringe Theatre of the Year: Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester
Producer of the Year: Wessex Grove
Theatre Building of the Year: Soho Theatre Walthamstow, London
Community Award: Common/Wealth, Bradford
International Award: Foreign Affairs, London
Innovation Award: Hull Truck Theatre
Campaign of the Year: Black Power Desk (Brixton House and PlayWell Productions)
Team of the Year: Lyric Scene Shop at the Lyric Theatre, Belfast
Unsung Hero: Eugene Ju-Pierre (Royal Ballet and Opera)
Judges’ Award: Nick Hern
The Stage 100 (Number 1): Michael Sheen
