Shortlist for the CATS Awards 2026

Celebrating Extraordinary Achievements

The 2026 CATS winners will be announced at the Citizens Theatre, Glasgow on Sunday June 21. Special guest to be announced soon.

Here are the nominees of the Critics’ Awards for Theatre in Scotland 2026.

Outstanding Pantomime

Aladdie

Gaiety Theatre, Ayr

Image © Tommy Ga-Ken Wan

Outstanding Performance

Two Winners

Lærke Schjærff Engelbrecht,

What I’m Here For
Vanishing Point/Teater Katapult

Image © Tommy Ga Ken

sponsored by

Best Ensemble

Stand & Deliver: The Lee Jeans Sit-In

National Theatre of Scotland/Tron Theatre

Image © Mihaela Bodlovic

sponsored by

Best Director

Lucy Ireland and Jim Manganello

Arlington
Shotput

Image © Brian Hartley

Best Design

Arlington

Anna Yates (set/costume), Emma Jones (light design) and Rob Willoughby (video design)
Shotput

Image © Brian Hartley

sponsored by

Best Music & Sound

The High Life

National Theatre of Scotland/Dundee Rep

Image © Tommy Ga Ken Wan

Best Technical Presentation

Arlington

Shotput

Image © Brian Hartley

sponsored by

Best Production for Children and Young People

Beauty and the Beast

sponsored by

Best New Play

Séan O’Neil

Best Production

She’s Behind You!

Sponsors

As well as the category sponsors listed above, the CATS Awards are also generously supported by:

The CATS judging panel for the 2026 Awards comprised: Mary Brennan (The Herald), Mark Brown (Sunday National and the Daily Telegraph), Anna Burnside (Across the Arts/Corr Blimey!), Dominic Corr (Corr Blimey!), Thom Dibdin (AllEdinburghTheatre.com), Mark Fisher (The Guardian), Fergus Morgan (The Stage), Joyce McMillan (The Scotsman), Neil Cooper (The Herald), David Pollock (freelance reviewer), Allan Radcliffe (The Times), Hugh Simpson (AllEdinburghTheatre.com) and Simon Thompson (WhatsOnStage).