2026 Broadway.com Audience Choice Awards Celebrate Broadway’s Most-Loved Performances – front mezz junkies, Theater News

Frontmezzjunkies reports: Lea Michele, Daniel Radcliffe, and Sam Tutty lead a fan-voted celebration of the season’s most beloved performances

By Ross

There is something especially joyful about awards decided entirely by the people who fill the theatres night after night, return to cast recordings, and keep these productions alive long after the curtain falls. The annual Broadway.com Audience Choice Awards remain one of the few major honours determined exclusively by theatre fans, offering a snapshot of the performances and productions that inspired the strongest personal connections throughout the Broadway season.

This year’s winners reflect a season filled with star turns, crowd-pleasing revivals, and a number of breakout performances that clearly captured the public’s imagination. The revival of Chess emerged as the most decorated production, earning four awards, including Favorite Musical Revival, and three wins for Lea Michele, whose celebrated return to Broadway made her the most-awarded performer of the year. The Lost Boys took home Favorite New Musical, while Dog Day Afternoon was named Favorite New Play. In the acting categories, Daniel Radcliffe earned top play honours for Every Brilliant Thing, Joshua Henry was recognized for Ragtime, and Sam Tutty won two fan-voted awards for Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York). Hadestown also continued its remarkable popularity, winning Favorite Long-Running Show and Favorite Tour.

What makes these awards particularly meaningful is the direct enthusiasm behind every vote. Reading through the winners makes clear just how personal theatre can be, and how deeply audiences invest in the artists and stories that move them. Whether celebrating long-awaited Broadway returns, surprising breakout performances, or shows that have built passionate followings, the 2026 Broadway.com Audience Choice Awards offer a vivid portrait of the productions that audiences carried with them long after leaving the theatre.

The full list of winners follows below.

Favorite New Musical
The Lost Boys

Favorite New Play
Dog Day Afternoon

Favorite Musical Revival
Chess

Favorite Play Revival
Death of a Salesman

Favorite Long-Running Show
Hadestown

Favorite Tour
Hadestown

Favorite Leading Actor in a Musical
Joshua Henry, Ragtime

Favorite Leading Actress in a Musical
Lea Michele, Chess

Favorite Leading Actor in a Play
Daniel Radcliffe, Every Brilliant Thing

Favorite Leading Actress in a Play
Ayo Edibiri, Proof

Favorite Featured Actor in a Musical
Jim Parsons, Titanique

Favorite Featured Actress in a Musical
Shoshana Bean, The Lost Boys

Favorite Featured Actor in a Play
Christopher Abbott, Death of a Salesman

Favorite Featured Actress in a Play
Laurie Metcalf, Death of a Salesman

Favorite Diva Performance
Lea Michele, Chess

Favorite Funny Performance
Sam Tutty, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)

Favorite Onstage Pair
Christiani Pitts & Sam Tutty, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)

Favorite Breakthrough Performance (Male)
Luke Evans, The Rocky Horror Show

Favorite Breakthrough Performance (Female)
Juliette Lewis, The Rocky Horror Show

Favorite Replacement (Male)
Jack Wolfe, Hadestown

Favorite Replacement (Female)
Whitney Leavitt, Chicago

Favorite New Song
“New York,” Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)

Favorite Performance of the Year (Musical)
Lea Michele, Chess

Favorite Performance of the Year (Play)
Daniel Radcliffe, Every Brilliant Thing

SHOWS WITH MULTIPLE WINS
Chess – 4
Death of a Salesman – 3
Hadestown – 3
Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) – 3
Every Brilliant Thing – 2
The Lost Boys – 2
The Rocky Horror Show – 2
Chicago – 1
Dog Day Afternoon – 1
Proof – 1
Ragtime – 1
Titanique – 1

PERFORMERS WITH MULTIPLE WINS
Lea Michele, Chess – 3
Daniel Radcliffe, Every Brilliant Thing – 2
Sam Tutty, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) – 2