Wilmington Theater Awards set for Wednesday night at Thalian Hall

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Winners of the 2026 Wilmington Theater Awards will be announced Wednesday evening, recognizing achievements across the region’s stage community.

The annual awards, organized by the Arts Council of Wilmington and New Hanover County, highlight performances and productions from 17 theater companies throughout the area.

This year, Opera House Theatre Company’s production of “Cabaret” leads all shows with 11 nominations. Big Dawg Productions’ “Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors” is the most-nominated play, receiving eight nominations.

Among organizations, Opera House Theatre Company earned the most nominations overall with 31, followed by Thalian Association Community Theatre with 28. That total includes seven shared nominations with the arts councils of Pender and New Hanover counties for the collaborative production of “Home.”

Several artists received multiple nominations. Brian Whitted earned three nominations in the music direction category for his work on “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” “Cabaret,” and “Hairspray.” Logan Hayes also received three nominations for directing and co-choreographing “Legally Blonde,” as well as for lighting design on “The Rocky Horror Show.”

Winners will be announced during a ceremony at Thalian Hall Center for the Performing Arts. Organizers say the awards are determined through a combination of public voting, input from theater companies and a nominating committee. Public voting closed in February.

More information here.