Rachel Zegler and Paapa Essiedu Win Olivier Awards, But Paddington the Musical Owns the Night

It may have been a night to remember for Rachel Zegler at London’s prestigious Olivier Awards on Sunday, but a certain marmalade-loving bear owned the evening.

The U.K. equivalent of the Tony Awards, celebrating the best and brightest talent leading the country’s vibrant theater scene, crowned its winners at a ceremony broadcast by the BBC and hosted byThe TraitorsandTed Lassostar Nick Mohammed.

The new smash-hit production of Paddington the Musical stole the show with seven prizes in total, including best actor for performers James Hameed and Arti Shah, who operate the beloved bear’s voice (Hameed) and suit (Shah). The musical, currently running at the Savoy Theatre on London’s West End, also nabbed Oliviers for best new musical, best supporting actor and actress, best director, best set design, and best costume design.

McFly singer Tom Fletcher, who composed songs for Paddington the Musical, said while accepting the best new musical award: “We tried to make a show that is all about celebrating kindness… 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.”

Elsewhere, Snow White star Zegler won best actress in a musical for her viral turn in Jamie Lloyd’sEvita, playing Argentinian first ladyEva Perón. She stirred the city by performing live to passersby on the London Palladium balcony every night last year. “Thank you so much to the city of London for making me feel so welcome here, I never could’ve imagined it,” Zegler said as she took to the stage. “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.”

Rosamund Pike also won for her performance in legal drama Inter Alia, and while Harry Potter‘s Paapa Essiedu took home best supporting actor for All My Sons —a show which also won best revival —U.S. star Bryan Cranston lost best actor to Jack Holden’s Kenrex outing.

Take a look at the full winners list from the 2026 Olivier Awards below.

Best revival

All My Sons (WINNER)
Arcadia
Much Ado About Nothing
The Seagull

Best musical revival

American Psycho
Evita
Into The Woods (WINNER)
The Producers

Best new play

1536
Inter Alia
Kenrex
Punch (WINNER)

Best new musical

Here We Are
Paddington The Musical (WINNER)
Shucked
The Unlikely Pilgrimage Of Harold Fry

Best actress

Cate Blanchett, The Seagull
Marianne Jean-Baptiste, All My Sons
Julia McDermott, Weather Girl
Rosamund Pike, Inter Alia (WINNER)
Rosie Sheehy, Guess How Much I Love You?

Best actor

Bryan Cranston, All My Sons
Tom Hiddleston, Much Ado About Nothing
Sean Hayes, Good Night, Oscar
Jack Holden, Kenrex (WINNER)
David Shields, Punch

Best actress in a musical

Katie Brayben, Into The Woods
Danielle Fiamanya & Georgina Onuorah, Brigadoon
Jane Krakowski, Here We Are
Jenna Russell, The Unlikely Pilgrimage Of Harold Fry
Rachel Zegler, Evita (WINNER)

Best actor in a musical

Marc Antolin, The Producers
James Hameed & Arti Shah, Paddington The Musical (WINNER)
Andy Nyman, The Producers
Jamie Parker, Into The Woods
Diego Andres Rodriguez, Evita

Best supporting actor

Hammed Animashaun, Dealer’s Choice
Paapa Essiedu, All My Sons (WINNER)
Zachary Hart, The Seagull
Zachary Hart, Stereophonic
Giles Terera, Oh, Mary!

Best supporting actress

Isis Hainsworth, Arcadia
Julie Hesmondhalgh, Punch (WINNER)
Lucy Karczewski, Stereophonic
Hayley Squires, All My Sons
Sophie Thompson, When We Are Married

Best supporting actor in a musical

Trevor Ashley, The Producers
Corbin Bleu, The Great Gatsby
Tom Edden, Paddington The Musical (WINNER)
Jo Foster, Into The Woods
Oliver Savile, Into The Woods

Best supporting actress in a musical

Tracie Bennett, Here We Are
Amy Booth-Steel, Paddington The Musical (WINNER)
Kate Fleetwood, Into The Woods
Victoria Hamilton-Barritt, Paddington The Musical
Georgina Onuorah, Shucked

Best director

Jordan Fein, Into The Woods
Luke Sheppard, Paddington The Musical (WINNER)
Ed Stambollouian, Kenrex
Lyndsey Turner, 1536
Ivo van Hove, All My Sons

Best new entertainment or comedy play

The Comedy About Spies
Every Brilliant Thing
Oh, Mary! (WINNER)
Paranormal Activity

Best new dance production

Into The Hairy (WINNER)
Mimi’s Shebeen
Random Taranto
She’s Auspicious

Best new production in affiliate theatre

Ben And Imo
The Glass Menagerie (WINNER)
The Ministry Of Lesbian Affairs
Miss Myrtle’s Garden
The Shitheads

Best family show

The Boy At The Back Of The Class (WINNER)
The Boy With Wings
The Firework Maker’s Daughter
The Three Little Pigs

Best new opera production

Dead Man Walking (WINNER)
The Makropulos Case
Tosca
Die Walküre

Best sound design

Adam Fisher, Into The Woods
Gareth Owen, Paddington The Musical
Ryan Rumery, Stereophonic
Giles Thomas, Kenrex (WINNER)

Outstanding musical contribution

Matt Brind, Paddington The Musical
Will Butler & Justin Craig, Stereophonic
John Patrick Elliott, Kenrex
Chris Fenwick & Sean Hayes, Good Night, Oscar (WINNER)

Best lighting design

Robbie Butler, Punch
Jon Clark, Evita
Aideen Malone & Roland Horvath, Into The Woods (WINNER)
Joshua Pharo, Kenrex

Best set design

Paul Tate dePoo III, The Great Gatsby
Tom Pye & Ash J Woodward, Paddington The Musical (WINNER)
Tom Scutt, Into The Woods
David Zinn, Stereophonic

Best costume design

Enver Chakartash, Stereophonic
Linda Cho, The Great Gatsby
Tom Scutt, Into The Woods
Gabriella Slade & Tahra Zafar, Paddington The Musical (WINNER)

Best theatre choreographer

Fabian Aloise, Evita (WINNER)
Ellen Kane, Paddington The Musical
Drew McOnie, Brigadoon
Lynne Page, American Psycho