12 April 2026Steven McIntoshEntertainment reporterGetty ImagesPaddington the Musical won seven Oliviers including best new musical and three acting prizesThe stage musical based on the popular Paddington books and films has dominated the Olivier Awards in the theatre event's 50th year, winning seven prizes in total. The show, which features songs composed by McFly's Tom Fletcher, won best new musical and three acting prizes, plus awards for its direction, costumes and set design.US actress Rachel Zegler was among the night's other big winners, after putting a modern spin on one of theatre's most famous roles in a new production of Evita.Accepting the award for best new musical, Paddington writer Jessica Swale said it had been "such an honour to be trusted with a very special bear", while Fletcher said the company had become "a family"."We tried to make a show that is all about celebrating kindness," he added, "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."Paddington's wins included best actor in a musical, which was awarded jointly to James Hameed, who provides the voice for the bear from the wings, and Arti Shah, an actress born with a form of dwarfism who portrays the bear in costume on stage. Shah thanked the show's cast and crew and paid tribute to her family, telling her young son she was "going to keep making you proud, and keep showing you that being different is a good thing".Scroll down to see the winners list in full.PA MediaL-R: Paddington producers Sonia Friedman (left) and Eliza Lumley (right) with composer Tom Fletcher and writer Jessica SwaleEvita won two prizes including best actress in a musical for Zegler, four years after she won a Golden Globe for rebooting another famous musical character, Maria, in Steven Spielberg's movie remake of West Side Story.In her acceptance speech, Zegler said: "Thank you so much to the city of London for making me feel so welcome here, I never could've imagined it."Zegler made headlines for leaving the stage every night to perform Don't Cry For Me Argentina from the London Palladium's outdoor balcony to passers-by. The stunt, masterminded by director Jamie Lloyd, drew huge crowds to the concourse outside the theatre every night, and Zegler's performance was live streamed on a big screen to the audience inside the theatre."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," Zegler said."It's so beautiful that Jamie Lloyd made such an accessible moment of theatre for people to walk by and witness something really really cool."PA MediaEvita Rachel Zegler won best actress in a musical, while Dame Elaine Paige received the special awardElsewhere, Rosamund Pike won best actress in a play for legal drama Inter Alia, holding off competition from fellow film stars Cate Blanchett and Marianne Jean-Baptiste."I can't believe it," Pike said, accepting her award. "I haven't done any theatre for 14 years, it was a huge, exhilarating risk to come back and be invited by the National Theatre, home of so much wonderful work, to do this special play."A new production of Arthur Miller's All My Sons won two prizes, including best supporting actor for I May Destroy You star Paapa Essiedu.Accepting his award, Essiedu noted that he "never really went to the theatre" growing up, and only gained access to it thanks to a youth talent development programme run by theatre company Frantic Assembly. "I remember being in that room, and even though I didn't have the vocabulary, hadn't been to the theatre, my creativity was still nurtured and valued," he said.He added funding for such programmes "is being cut year on year, and I urge everyone in this room, at home, and at governmental level, to continue funding these organisations to make sure the next generation of theatre-makers have the opportunities that I had".James Graham's play Punch, a true story about a young man who hit and accidentally killed a trainee paramedic in 2011, also won two prizes - best new play and best supporting actress for former Coronation Street star Julie Hesmondhalgh.PA MediaPaapa Essiedu (All My Sons) and Julie Hesmondhalgh (Punch) won supporting actor and actress respectivelyThere were two prizes each for a new production of Stephen Sondheim's Into The Woods, including best musical revival, and Kenrex, a one-man play that explores the 1981 killing of Ken Rex McElroy in 1980s small-town America.Its star Jack Holden held off big-name competition from Bryan Cranston and Tom Hiddleston to be named best actor in a play. "Most people watching this at home won't know who I am, which is quite funny, and being in that esteemed company of nominees is crazy to me, but to have this is even crazier," Holden laughed."But that's the reality of our theatre ecosystem, there are thousands of people working whose names you don't know, who are the backbone of British theatre."PA MediaRosamund Pike was named best actress in a play for her performance in legal drama Inter AliaDame Elaine Paige received the special award in recognition of her six-decade theatre career, which she described as a "pinch-me moment, quite wonderful"."Music and theatre have been the major force in my life, and when I look back, I can hardly believe the journey and the logevity of it all," she said."Those early years were bit parts, chorus lines, lots of rejection... but my dear dad always reminded me that perseverance furthers, that was his motto."She concluded: "[I'm] deeply grateful for every collaboration, every performance, every note that has led me here... thank you for letting me spend a lifetime doing what I love."The Olivier Awards, which have been running since 1976, reward the best UK theatre shows and performances of the last year. This year's event, held at the Royal Albert Hall, was hosted by actor and comedian Nick Mohammed and featured anniversary performances from West End staples Wicked and The Phantom of the Opera. Musical numbers from Paddington, Evita, Into The Woods, The Producers, Shucked and The Unlikely Pilgrimage Of Harold Fry were also performed at the ceremony. The winners in fullGetty ImagesJack Holden took home the best actor prize for his performance in KenrexBest new musicalWINNER: Paddington The MusicalHere We AreShuckedThe Unlikely Pilgrimage Of Harold FryBest new playWINNER: Punch1536Inter AliaKenrexBest revivalWINNER: All My SonsArcadiaMuch Ado About NothingThe SeagullBest musical revivalWINNER: Into The WoodsAmerican PsychoEvitaThe ProducersBest new entertainment or comedy playWINNER: Oh, Mary!The Comedy About SpiesEvery Brilliant ThingParanormal ActivityBest actressWINNER: Rosamund Pike, Inter AliaCate Blanchett, The SeagullMarianne Jean-Baptiste, All My SonsJulia McDermott, Weather GirlRosie Sheehy, Guess How Much I Love You?Best actorWINNER: Jack Holden, KenrexBryan Cranston, All My SonsTom Hiddleston, Much Ado About NothingSean Hayes, Good Night, OscarDavid Shields, PunchBest actress in a musicalWINNER: Rachel Zegler, EvitaKatie Brayben, Into The WoodsDanielle Fiamanya & Georgina Onuorah, BrigadoonJane Krakowski, Here We AreJenna Russell, The Unlikely Pilgrimage Of Harold FryBest actor in a musicalWINNER: James Hameed & Arti Shah, Paddington The MusicalMarc Antolin, The ProducersAndy Nyman, The ProducersJamie Parker, Into The WoodsDiego Andres Rodriguez, EvitaBest supporting actorWINNER: Paapa Essiedu, All My SonsHammed Animashaun, Dealer's ChoiceZachary Hart, The SeagullZachary Hart, StereophonicGiles Terera, Oh, Mary!Best supporting actressWINNER: Julie Hesmondhalgh, PunchIsis Hainsworth, ArcadiaLucy Karczewski, StereophonicHayley Squires, All My SonsSophie Thompson, When We Are MarriedBest supporting actor in a musicalWINNER: Tom Edden, Paddington The MusicalTrevor Ashley, The ProducersCorbin Bleu, The Great Gatsby Jo Foster, Into The WoodsOliver Savile, Into The WoodsBest supporting actress in a musical WINNER: Victoria Hamilton-Barritt, Paddington The MusicalTracie Bennett, Here We AreAmy Booth-Steel, Paddington The MusicalKate Fleetwood, Into The WoodsGeorgina Onuorah, ShuckedBest directorWINNER: Luke Sheppard, Paddington The MusicalJordan Fein, Into The WoodsEd Stambollouian, KenrexLyndsey Turner, 1536Ivo van Hove, All My SonsBest new dance productionWINNER: Into The HairyMimi's ShebeenRandom TarantoShe's AuspiciousBest new production in affiliate theatreWINNER: The Glass MenagerieBen And ImoThe Ministry Of Lesbian AffairsMiss Myrtle's GardenThe ShitheadsBest family showWINNER: The Boy At The Back Of The ClassThe Boy With WingsThe Firework Maker's DaughterThe Three Little PigsBest new opera productionWINNER: Dead Man WalkingThe Makropulos CaseToscaDie WalküreBest sound designWINNER: Giles Thomas, KenrexAdam Fisher, Into The WoodsGareth Owen, Paddington The MusicalRyan Rumery, StereophonicOutstanding musical contributionWINNER: Chris Fenwick & Sean Hayes, Good Night, OscarMatt Brind, Paddington The MusicalWill Butler & Justin Craig, StereophonicJohn Patrick Elliott, KenrexBest lighting designWINNER: Aideen Malone & Roland Horvath, Into The WoodsRobbie Butler, PunchJon Clark, EvitaJoshua Pharo, KenrexBest set designWINNER: Tom Pye & Ash J Woodward, Paddington The MusicalPaul Tate dePoo III, The Great Gatsby - A New MusicalTom Scutt, Into The WoodsDavid Zinn, StereophonicBest costume designWINNER: Gabriella Slade & Tahra Zafar, Paddington The MusicalEnver Chakartash, StereophonicLinda Cho, The Great Gatsby Tom Scutt, Into The WoodsBest theatre choreographerWINNER: Fabian Aloise, EvitaEllen Kane, Paddington The MusicalDrew McOnie, BrigadoonLynne Page, American Psycho