The 2026 Tony Award nominations were announced on May 5th where plenty of actors recieved their first Tony nominations! From Broadway debuts to returning veterans, there is a group of first-time nominees who have put in the work for this honor.
Read the complete list of first-time acting nominees below.
Christopher Abbott
Christopher Abbott received his first Tony nomination for his performance in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman. He is nominated for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play. Abbott made his Broadway debut in The House of Blue Leaves as Ronnie Shaughnessy in 2011.
Ali Louis Bourzgui
Ali Louis Bourzgui is nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical. The Lost Boys marks Bourzgui’s third Broadway show and first Tony nomination. He made his Broadway debut in The Who’s Tommy in 2024.
Marylouise Burke
Marylouise Burke is nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play. She has been in five Broadway productions, both plays and musicals before The Balusters, the Tony-nominated play by David Lindsay-Abaire. Burke made her Broadway debut in the 1996 revival of Inherit the Wind.
Rose Byrne
Rose Byrne received her first Tony Award nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play for her performance in Fallen Angels alongside Kelli O’Hara. This marks her second Broadway show. Byrne made her Broadway debut in the 2014 revival of You Can’t Take it With You.
Aya Cash
For Aya Cash, GIANT marks her Broadway debut and her first Tony Award nomination. Starring opposite John Lithgow, she received a nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play for her performance.
Sara Chase
Schmigadoon! is Sara Chase’s third Broadway show and she is nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical for her performance as Melissa Gimble. Chase made her Broadway debut in the 2013 comedy musical, First Date.
Nicholas Christopher
Nicholas Christopher’s nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical in Chess has been a long time coming. You may have seen Nicholas Christopher in shows like Miss Saigon, Sweeney Todd, or Hamilton. He made his Broadway debut in Motown The Musical.
Hannah Cruz
Hannah Cruz got her first Tony Award nomination for her performance as Svetlana Sergievsky in Chess. She is nominated in the Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical category. Cruz made her Broadway debut originating the role of Inez Milholland in Suffs in 2024.
Brandon J. Dirden
Waiting for Godot marks Brandon J. Dirden’s eighth Broadway show, previous productions include the 2022 revival of Take Me Out, Enron, and his Broadway debut in Prelude to a Kiss in 2007. Dirden is nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in Featured Role in a Play for his work in Jamie Lloyd’s Waiting for Godot.
Alden Ehrenreich
Alden Ehrenreich was most recently seen on the silver screen in the movie Weapons. He hit the stage making his Broadway debut in Becky Shaw. Ehrenreich is nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play for his performance as Max.
Luke Evans
Luke Evans is starring as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the 2026 revival of The Rocky Horror Show. This show marks his Broadway debut and his first Tony Award nomination. Evans is nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical.
Susannah Flood
Liberation is Susannah Flood’s third Broadway show. She is nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play for her portrayal of Lizzie in Liberation. Flood made her Broadway debut in the 2016 revival of The Cherry Orchard.
Ana Gasteyer
Ana Gasteyer has been in six Broadway shows including The Rocky Horror Show (2001), Wicked (2006), and Once Upon a Mattress (2024). Gasteyer is currently playing Mildred Layton in Schmigadoon!, which earned her a Tony Nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical.
Will Harrison
Will Harrison made his Broadway debut as Jacob in Punch, earning him a Tony nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play. Harrison is well known for his television and film projects like A Complete Unknown and Daisy Jones and the Six.
Stephanie Hsu
Academy Award nominee Stephanie Hsu is currently starring in The Rocky Horror Show as Janet Weiss. Her performance earned her a nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical. Hsu is no stranger to the stage—this revival of The Rocky Horror Show marks her third Broadway show.
Caissie Levy
Caissie Levy is an Olivier and Grammy-nominated veteran with three West End shows and nine Broadway shows, including Ragtime. Levy’s performance as Mother earned her a nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical. She made her Broadway debut in Wicked and has starred in shows like Hair, Les Misérables, and Frozen.
Nichelle Lewis
Nichelle Lewis made her Broadway debut in the 2024 revival of The Wiz as Dorothy. Ragtime is her second Broadway show and her performance earned her a nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical.
Lesley Manville
The Olivier Award-winning Oedipus transferred to Broadway marking Award-Winning Actress Lesley Manville’s Broadway Debut. Manville earned a nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play. She starred opposite Mark Strong, who also earned an individual Tony Nomination.
Marla Mindelle
Titanique co-author and star Marla Mindelle earned a nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical. Mindelle made her Broadway debut in South Pacific and has appeared in other productions such as Sister Act and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella.
Christiani Pitts
Christiani Pitts earned a nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical for her work in Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York). Pitts made her Broadway debut in A Bronx Tale The Musical and also appeared in King Kong on Broadway.
Ben Levi Ross
Ben Levi Ross is nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical for his work in Ragtime. Ross made his Broadway debut in Dear Evan Hansen and was also in the first national tour.
June Squibb
June Squibb made history as the oldest Tony Awards acting nominee. At the age of 96, she is nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play for her performance in Marjorie Prime. Squibb’s Marjorie Prime co-star, Danny Burstein was also nominated for an individual award for his performance.
Sam Tutty
Sam Tutty made his Broadway debut in Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) and earned a nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical. His journey with this show started very early on as he was in the Off-West End and West End productions of the show.
Layton Williams
Layton Williams is making his Broadway debut in Titanique. Williams won an Olivier Award for his performance in Titanique and is now nominated for the Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role.
