Black British Theatre Awards cancelled for 2026, organisers cite ‘unforeseen circumstances’

The Black British Theatre Awards (BBTAs) have cancelled their October event.

The annual occasion has been widely celebrated as a key moment to champion Black talent on UK stages, with previous winners including Arinzé Kene, Shanay Holmes and Lynette Linton.

In a statement released on social media, the organisers said: “To Our BBTA Community, due to unforeseen circumstances, we have made the difficult decision not to hold the Black British Theatre Awards ceremony in 2026. We know this will be disappointing news for our supporters, partners and the wider theatre community, and it was not a decision we took lightly.

The BBTA has always been more than a one-day event. For the past decade, the BBTA has celebrated and championed the outstanding talent, creativity and achievements of Black British theatre. We remain incredibly proud of everything the awards have achieved and of the community that has grown around them.

While there will not be an awards ceremony this year, our commitment to recognising and celebrating Black British theatre remains unchanged. We are taking this opportunity to look ahead and consider how best to build on the BBTA’s legacy in the years to come. We will share further updates in the coming months. In the meantime, please direct any enquiries to [email protected].

Thank you to everyone for your continued support of the BBTA. We are deeply grateful to our team, partners, artists and audiences, and we look forward to sharing our next chapter with you. The BBTA Team.”