Olivier Awards 2026 Winners: Rachel Zegler and Rosamund Pike scoop high gongs whereas Paddington The Musical dominates the evening with a whopping seven awards

Rachel Zegler and Rosmund Pike led the winners at the 2026 Olivier Awards at London’s Royal Albert Hall on Sunday.

While Zegler, 24, bagged Best Actress In A Musical for Evita and Pike, 47, scooped Best Actress for Inter Alia, Paddington The Musical dominated the evening winning a whopping seven awards.

The smash-hit musical – which is adapted from the books by Michael Bond and the hit films – won in seven categories from 11 nominations including best new musical, best actor in a musical and best actor and actress in a supporting role. 

It follows the adventures of the marmalade-loving bear from Peru, starring a life-like puppet of Paddington, and also picked up the prize for best costume design, best set design and the Sir Peter Hall award for best director.

Paddington, currently on at the Savoy Theatre in London, features music written by McFly star Tom Fletcher and its book was written by playwright Jessica Swale.

During the acceptance speech for best new musical, Fletcher praised the production for ‘celebrating kindness’, and said it felt ‘so special’ to be a part of it.

Producer Eliza Lumley acknowledged Bond’s daughter Karen Jankel in her speech, saying: ‘Karen, your father wrote a character who not only reminds us to be kind, but also reminds us to have empathy for stories that are other than our own – which, after all, is the superpower of theatre itself.’

Zegler, who plated Eva Perón in the musical at London’s Palladium, returned to the Olivier stage to pick up her trophy after performing Evita’s iconic song Don’t Cry For Me Argentina. 

She triumphed over fellow nominees Jenna Russell, Jane Krakowski, Katie Brayben, Danielle Fiamanya and Georgina Onuorah.

While accepting her prize, she called it a ‘tremendous honour’ and thanked London for ‘making me feel so welcome here’, adding: ‘This is really, really quite amazing. Thank you so much, everybody in this room.

‘It was the honour of a lifetime, singing to the people on Argyll Street eight times a week.’

Meanwhile Pike praised live performance and theatre as her ‘first love’ and described theatre as her ‘homecoming’ during her acceptance speech. 

She took to the stage to pick up the prize for her role in Inter Alia at the National Theatre, which marked her return to the stage after almost 14 years.

Pike, who is best known for her screen roles including Die Another Day and Gone Girl, called her theatrical return a ‘huge, exhilarating risk’.

She said: ‘This is by far the most nerve-wracking performance I will make in the next few weeks.

‘It is one thing to stand on stage and do 100 minutes of somebody else’s beautifully written words. It is quite another thing to be relying on my own words’.

Before adding: ‘I haven’t done any theatre for 14 years. It was a huge risk, an exhilarating risk, to come back and be invited by the National Theatre – the home of so much great, wonderful work – to do this special play.’

Pike was up for the prize against nominees including Hollywood stars Cate Blanchett, as well as Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Julia McDermott and Rosie Sheehy. 

Inter Alia sees the actress star as Jessica Parks, a trailblazing London crown court judge who is determined to change a system she knows isn’t always just, as she balances balances motherhood, friendship and the notion of ‘having it all‘. 

Pike will also make her Broadway debut later this year, as Inter Alia heads to New York following its success in London.

Punch won Best New Play, while All My Sons was named Best Revival and Oh Mary! scooped Best Comedy Play. 

Into the Woods, which had a staggering 11 nominations, secured Best Lighting Design and Best Musical Revival. 

Jack Holden was awarded Best Actor for his multi-role performance in Kenrex, a one-man crime thriller in a win for independent theatre.

The little known actor beat the likes of A-listers Bryan Cranston, Sean Hayes, Tom Hiddleston and David Shields.

Meanwhile former Coronation Street star Julie Hesmondhalgh secured Best Actress In A Supporting Role for Punch at the Young Vic & Apollo theatre. 

Paapa Essiedu secured a win for Best Actor In A Supporting Role for All My Sons at Wyndham’s theatre. 

In his speech he urged the continued funding of organisations which help the ‘next generation’ who have limited access to theatre.

Essiedu, who will star as Professor Severus Snape in the upcoming Harry Potter series remake, said he only had access to the theatre growing up because of theatre production company Frantic Assembly, which helps young people who have limited theatre exposure.

During his acceptance speech at the Royal Albert Hall on Sunday, Essiedu said: ‘I remember being in that room, and even though I didn’t have the language, I didn’t have the vocabulary, hadn’t been to the theatres, my creativity was still celebrated, nurtured, and valued. And that gave me access to being in this room with people like you today.

‘And they are amazing organisations all over the country, like the Ignition, like Intermission, New Theatre, like the National Youth Theatre, like Open Door Theatre, which are doing such brilliant work, but as we all know, their funding has been cut year on year on year.’

The actor added: ‘I urge everyone in this room, everyone watching at home, and everyone at governmental level, to continue funding these organisations to make sure that the next generation of theatre makers had the opportunities that I had.’

Essiedu is best known for his roles on both stage and screen including in Hamlet, and TV series Gangs Of London and I May Destroy You.

In his speech, Essiedu added: ‘Growing up I never really went to the theatre, I didn’t go to youth theatre, to be honest I hadn’t heard of the Olivers and I didn’t have access to it.

‘I only got access to the theatre because of the Frantic Assembly and their Ignition which is specifically aimed towards young people from backgrounds who do not have previous acting or theatre experience.’

The Queen has paid tribute to Dame Elaine Paige, saying the singer has brought ‘huge joy to untold numbers of people’ as she was honoured with the special recognition award. 

Dame Elaine, who has starred in musicals including Cats and Evita in a career spanning decades, was presented with the 2026 Special Award at the ceremony by Lord Andrew Lloyd-Webber who called her his ‘oldest friend’ and ‘the First Lady of musical theatres’.

In a message from Camilla read by the composer, she said: ‘I was delighted to learn you were to receive this year’s Special Award of the Oliviers 2026.

‘I can think of no more fitting recipient. Over the decades of your career, your talent, commitment and generosity of spirit have made you a truly defining figure in musical theatre.

‘You have quite simply brought huge joy to untold numbers of people across the globe, and we are all in your debt. I do hope that you have a wonderful evening.’

Speaking on stage, Dame Elaine, who presents a musicals show on BBC Radio 2 on Sundays, said accepting the award was a ‘bit of a pinch-me moment’.

She said: ‘Music and theatre have been the mainstay, really, well, the major force in my life and when I look back, I really can hardly believe the journey and the longevity of it all, to be honest.

‘And, again, thinking about that, it’s those early years, of course, those bit-parts and chorus lines and lots of rejection and long stretches when the phone doesn’t ring, and that dreadful feeling that we all know – ‘Oh I’m never going to work again’ – and a struggle, really, to keep going and you think to yourself, ‘I don’t know, maybe I should just give the whole thing up’.

‘But then you think to yourself, I don’t know, maybe behind every performer there’s a someone and in my case that someone was my dear dad, who always reminded me that perseverance furthers – that was his motto.

‘And so I’m deeply grateful to him because that piece of advice and encouragement, that’s what kept me going really and those early years, when I think about it now, taught me about resilience and determination and commitment and also a deep appreciation for every single opportunity when it came, and luckily, eventually it did with Evita.

‘Thank you Andrew and Tim, that was the one, that show really did change my life completely.’

She added: ‘I wanted to say to the next generation, may you find your people, your voice and your courage and make sure to ignore anyone that says it can’t be done.

‘And may you perhaps one day stand where I’m standing now, slightly bewildered but deeply grateful for every collaboration, every performance, every note that has led me here.’

Theatre and film stars, including songwriter Sir Tim Rice and actor Hugh Jackman paid tribute to the singer in videos played before she collected her award.

Lyricist Don Black said he had always loved her ‘god-given voice’ and ‘uncontrollable giggle’.