Pantomime Awards 2026: full list of nominees

The UK Pantomime Association has announced the nominations for The Pantomime Awards 2026, now in its fifth year.

The ceremony will take place on Sunday 19 April at Wycombe Swan in High Wycombe, in partnership with Trafalgar Entertainment and ATG Entertainment.

Among those nominated this year are Will Young, who receives a Best Newcomer to Pantomime nod for his appearance in Jack and the Beanstalk at Bristol Hippodrome, alongside fellow nominees in that category Sarah Hadland, George Webster, Jack Hobbs and Jeevan Braich. Helen George is nominated in the Carmen Silvera Award for Best Magical Being for Cinderella at Richmond Theatre, where Charlie Stemp also picks up a nomination for Best Comic and Gary Wilmot for Best Direction.

Full list of nominations

Best Choreography

• Kevan Allen: Sleeping Beauty, The Arts Theatre Cambridge (In-House)
• Claire Cassidy: Sleeping Beauty, Harlow Playhouse (KD Theatre Productions)
• Jevan Howard-Jones: Aladdin, Hall for Cornwall, Truro (Cornwall Playhouse Productions)
• Stephanie MacDonald: Weans in the Wood, Macrobert Arts Centre, Stirling (In-House)
• Sundeep Saini: Jack and the Beanstalk, Watford Palace Theatre (In-House)

Best Lighting (sponsored by Production Light and Sound)

• Rory Beaton: Jack and the Beanstalk, Festival Theatre, Edinburgh (Crossroads Pantomimes)
• Harvey Ebbage: Cinderella, The Woodville, Gravesend (Wicked Productions)
• Nic Farman: Sleeping Beauty, Assembly Hall Theatre, Tunbridge Wells (Little Wolf Entertainment)
• Matt Ladkin: Sleeping Beauty, Wyvern Theatre, Swindon (Imagine Theatre)
• Callum MacDonald: Beauty and the Beast, New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich (In-House)

Carmen Silvera Award for Best Magical Being (sponsored by Barry Burnett)

• Rachel Flynn: Sleeping Beauty, Beacon Arts Centre, Greenock (In-House)
• Helen George: Cinderella, Richmond Theatre, London (Crossroads Pantomimes)
• Jade Hackett: Jack and the Beanstalk, Lyric Hammersmith Theatre, London (In-House)
• Joe McElderry: Aladdin, Newcastle Theatre Royal (Crossroads Pantomimes)
• Oluwalonimi (Nimi) Owoyemi: Beauty and the Beast, Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield (In-House)

Barbara Windsor Award for Best Principal Lead (sponsored by Scott Mitchell)

• Emilie Du Leslay: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Palace Theatre, Mansfield (UK Productions)
• Lewis Kerr: Aladdie, Gaiety Theatre, Ayr (In-House)
• Sario Solomon: Aladdin, Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield (Evolution Productions and Sheffield Theatres)
• Josh Harrison Yellop: The New Adventures of Peter Pan, Thameside Theatre, Grays (Polka Dot Pantomimes)
• Kian Zomorodian: Aladdin, Anvil Arts, Basingstoke (UK Productions)

Best Script

• Ian Adams and Tam Ryan: Sleeping Beauty, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre (In-House)
• David Bown: Jack and the Beanstalk, Harrogate Theatre (In-House)
• Joyce Branagh: Mother Goose and the Golden Egg, South Hill Park Arts Centre, Bracknell (In-House)
• Andrew Pollard: Beauty and the Beast, Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield (In-House)
• Vikki Stone and Tonderai Munyevu: Mama Goose, Stratford East, London (In-House)

Best Secondary Lead

• Ruth Betteridge: Jack and the Beanstalk, Festival Theatre, Malvern (UK Productions)
• Stuart Edgar: The Snow Queen, Perth Theatre (In-House)
• Ross Forbes-Mackenzie: Oor Wee Mammy McGoose, The King’s Kirkcaldy (In-House)
• Lauren Hampton: Robin Hood, New Wimbledon Theatre, London (Crossroads Pantomimes)
• Finlay McKillop: Sleeping Beauty, Gatehouse Theatre, Stafford (Imagine Theatre)

Best Villain (sponsored by Breckman and Company)

• Danny Beard: Sleeping Beauty, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre (In-House)
• Nigel Harman: Jack and the Beanstalk, Aylesbury Waterside Theatre (UK Productions)
• Louise McCarthy: Gallus in Weegieland, Tron Theatre, Glasgow (In-House)
• Steven Serlin: Dick Whittington and his Cat, Gordon Craig Theatre, Stevenage (Jordan Productions)
• Grant Stott: Jack and the Beanstalk, Festival Theatre, Edinburgh (Crossroads Pantomimes)

Best Comic (sponsored by The Twins FX)

• Jez Edwards: Sleeping Beauty, Carriageworks Theatre, Leeds (Paul Holman Associates)
• Max Fulham: The Pantomime Adventures of Peter Pan, Mayflower, Southampton (Crossroads Pantomimes)
• Helen McAlpine: Weans in the Wood, Macrobert Arts Centre, Stirling (In-House)
• Charlie Stemp: Cinderella, Richmond Theatre, London (Crossroads Pantomimes)
• Ben Thornton: Cinderella, Lichfield Garrick (Evolution Productions and Lichfield Garrick)

Best Costumes

• Morgan Brind: Dick Whittington, Derby Arena (Little Wolf Entertainment)
• Stewart J Charlesworth: Robin Hood and his Merry Men, Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham (In-House)
• Katie Lias: Jack and the Beanstalk, Salisbury Playhouse (Wiltshire Creative)
• James MacIver: Sleeping Beauty, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry (Belgrade Theatre and Imagine Theatre)
• Jasmine Swan: Mother Goose, Mercury Theatre, Colchester (In-House)

Stanley Baxter Award for Best Dame (sponsored by John Good)

• Matt Crosby: Sleeping Beauty, The Arts Theatre Cambridge (In-House)
• Steve Elias: Snow White, Lyric Theatre, Carmarthen (Theatrau Sir Gâr & Imagine Theatre)
• Simon Nock: Aladdin, City Varieties Music Hall, Leeds (In-House)
• Edward Rowe: Aladdin, Hall for Cornwall, Truro (Cornwall Playhouse Productions)
• Allan Stewart: Jack and the Beanstalk, Festival Theatre, Edinburgh (Crossroads Pantomimes)

Best Direction

• Suzi Budd: Oor Wee Mammy McGoose, The King’s Kirkcaldy (In-House)
• Sally Reid: Gallus in Weegieland, Tron Theatre, Glasgow (In-House)
• Clive Rowe: Cinderella, Hackney Empire, London (In-House)
• Flik Swan: Sleeping Beauty, Princess Theatre, Torquay (Jordan Productions)
• Gary Wilmot: Cinderella, Richmond Theatre, London (Crossroads Pantomimes)

Best Ensemble

• Sophie Baker, Gustave Die, Nicholas Leon Jones, Megan Little, Flyn Mullins, Jarryd Nurden, Callum Quinnen, Holly Skiggs, Ellie-May Wilson and Taela Yeomans-Brown: Robin Hood, Birmingham Hippodrome (Crossroads Pantomimes)
• Lyndan Barclay, Bebe Fox, Rhiannon Mackay and Sam Scott: The Adventures of Peter Pan, Devonshire Park Theatre, Eastbourne (Jordan Productions)
• Lianha Cooke, Gemma Davis, Chloe Davies, Olly Gooch, Thomas Marc Toombs, Richard Womersley, Erin Harrison and Finlay Tozer: Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Tivoli Theatre, Wimborne (Made to Measure Productions)
• Jessica Donnelly and Aidan MacColl: Gallus in Weegieland, Tron Theatre, Glasgow (In-House)
• Ellie Greenway, Connor McGwyre, Hermani Harry and Ben Maddison: Mother Goose, The Courtyard, Hereford (In-House)

Best Contribution to Music

• Tom Benjamin and Rebekah Hughes: Aladdin, City Varieties Music Hall, Leeds (In-House)
• Steve Clark and Shaun Critten: Cinderella, Venue Cymru, Llandudno (Imagine Theatre)
• James Harrison: Aladdin, Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield (Evolution Productions and Sheffield Theatres)
• Richard Healey: Aladdin, Hall for Cornwall, Truro (Cornwall Playhouse Productions)
• Paul Leno-Putt: Sleeping Beauty, Royal Hippodrome Theatre, Eastbourne (In-House)

Best Set (sponsored by Blue-i Theatre Technology)

• Emily Bestow: Peter Pan: A New Pantomime Adventure, Greenwich Theatre, London (In-House)
• Morgan Brind: Dick Whittington, Derby Arena (Little Wolf Entertainment)
• Kenny Miller: Gallus in Weegieland, Tron Theatre, Glasgow (In-House)
• Jasmine Swan: Mother Goose, Mercury Theatre, Colchester (In-House)
• Karen Tennent: Weans in the Wood, Macrobert Arts Centre, Stirling (In-House)

Best Sisters

• Luke Adamson and Matthew Siveter: Cinderella, Loughborough Town Hall (Little Wolf Entertainment)
• Kat B and George Heyworth: Cinderella, Hackney Empire, London (In-House)
• Celia Cruwys-Finnigan and Alice McKenna: Cinderella, Theatr Clwyd, Mold (In-House)
• Harrison MacNeill and Leo MacNeill: Cinderella, Eastwood Park, Giffnock (Spillers Pantomimes)
• Hannah Roberts and Fran Cottington (aka Han and Fran): Cinderella, Venue Cymru, Llandudno (Imagine Theatre)

Best Sound (sponsored by Orbital Sound)

• Mike Beer: Cinderella, Theatr Clwyd, Mold (In-House)
• Andy Graham: Cinderella, Cast, Doncaster (In-House)
• David Hart: Jack and the Beanstalk, Aylesbury Waterside Theatre (UK Productions)
• Conrad Kemp: Dick Whittington, St Helens Theatre Royal (Regal Entertainment)
• Nico Menghini: Dick Whittington, Lighthouse, Poole (In-House)

Best Supporting Artist

• Ada Campe: Growled: Beauty and the Beast continues…, Royal Vauxhall Tavern, London (In-House)
• Joe Feeney: Cinderella, Lichfield Garrick (Evolution Productions and Lichfield Garrick)
• Will Jennings: Robin Hood, The Capitol, Horsham (Horsham District Council)
• Dean Raymond: Beauty and the Beast, Theatr Colwyn, Colwyn Bay (Magic Light Productions)
• Pavanveer Sagoo: Jack and the Beanstalk, King’s Head Theatre, London (King’s Head Theatre Productions and James Quaife for Luminous Entertainment Group in association with Joly Black)

Best Newcomer to Pantomime

• Jeevan Braich: Cinderella, Norwich Theatre Royal (In-House)
• Sarah Hadland: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury (Evolution Productions and the Marlowe Theatre)
• Jack ‘Hobbit’ Hobbs: Dick Whittington, De Montfort Hall, Leicester (Imagine Theatre and De Montfort Hall)
• George Webster: The All New Adventures of Peter Pan, Royal & Derngate, Northampton (Evolution Productions and Royal & Derngate)
• Will Young: Jack and the Beanstalk, Bristol Hippodrome (Crossroads Pantomimes)

Best Newcomer to Industry

• Emily Falkner: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Rotherham Civic Theatre (Blue Genie Entertainment)
• Amy Lyons: Sleeping Beauty, Swan Theatre, Worcester (Worcester Repertory Company)
• Ella McLaughlin: The New Adventures of Peter Pan, Thameside Theatre, Grays (Polka Dot Pantomimes)
• Caitlin O’Shea: Sleeping Beauty, Central Theatre, Chatham (Jordan Productions)
• Christopher Patten-Walker: Mother Goose and the Golden Egg, South Hill Park Arts Centre, Bracknell (In-House)

Best Pantomime (Under 550 Seats) (sponsored by KB Event)

• Dick Whittington and his Cat, Gordon Craig Theatre, Stevenage (Jordan Productions)
• Mama Goose, Stratford East, London (In-House)
• Rumpelstiltskin, Contact Theatre, Manchester (The Big Tiny)
• Sleeping Beauty, Harlow Playhouse (KD Theatre Productions)
• Weans in the Wood, Macrobert Arts Centre, Stirling (In-House)

Best Pantomime (550 to 950 Seats) (sponsored by Showtime, part of Howden)

• Cinderella, Theatr Clwyd, Mold (In-House)
• Dick Whittington, Lighthouse, Poole (In-House)
• Dick Whittington, St Helens Theatre Royal (Regal Entertainment)
• Sleeping Beauty, The Arts Theatre Cambridge (In-House)
• Snow White, Eden Court, Inverness (Imagine Theatre and Eden Court)

Best Pantomime (Over 950 Seats) (sponsored by Unusual Rigging)

• Aladdin, Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield (Evolution Productions and Sheffield Theatres)
• Jack and the Beanstalk, Aylesbury Waterside Theatre (UK Productions)
• Jack and the Beanstalk, Festival Theatre, Edinburgh (Crossroads Pantomimes)
• Sleeping Beauty, Assembly Hall Theatre, Tunbridge Wells (Little Wolf Entertainment)
• Sleeping Beauty, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre (In-House)