A scorching operatic retelling of an ancient myth and an autobiographical play about an age-old family secret emerged as the big winners at the 2026 Dora Awards on Monday night, celebrating the best of Toronto theatre, dance and opera from the previous season.
The Canadian Opera Company revival of Christoph Willibald Gluck’s “Orfeo ed Euridice,” based on the tragic Greek myth of the same name, claimed four Doras in the opera division, including for outstanding production and outstanding performance by an individual, which went to Iestyn Davies for his starring turn as Orfeo.
Andrew Kushnir’s “The Division” also won four prizes, including for outstanding new play and outstanding production in the independent theatre division (recognizing shows that were presented in smaller venues or with budgets of less than $125,000). The play, which ran at Crow’s Theatre earlier this spring, recounts Kushnir’s journey to Ukraine to learn more about his grandfather’s past as a soldier in a Nazi unit during the Second World War.
The Doras were presented at a ceremony hosted by actor Amaka Umeh at Meridian Hall in downtown Toronto. In all, 45 awards were presented across seven divisions, broken down into various disciplines.
Unlike previous editions of the Doras, no single show dominated the evening, with jurors instead largely opting to spread the awards among a wide variety of productions.
In the musical theatre division, Dave Malloy’s “Octet,” an a cappella chamber work about a group of internet addicts, claimed three prizes, including for outstanding production and outstanding performance by an ensemble. It was followed closely behind “Narnia,” which won two Doras for outstanding new musical and outstanding creative direction. And actor Kaylee Harwood won the sole prize for the bluegrass musical “Bright Star,” written by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell.
“Through the Eyes of God,” a solo play about a young mother’s devotion to her daughter, won the Dora for outstanding production in the general theatre division, which recognizes larger shows not eligible in the independent theatre category. Anusree Roy’s drama was the only work to earn more than one prize in the hotly contested division, which saw the Dora for outstanding new play go to Nicolas Billon’s “The Neighbours” and the award for outstanding performance by an individual handed to Sophia Walker for “Slave Play.”
In the theatre for young audiences division, Sandra Laronde’s “She Holds Up the Stars” led the way with three wins, including for outstanding new play and outstanding achievement in design. However, the coveted prize for outstanding production, for which Laronde’s show was also nominated, instead went to “Love You Forever … And More Munsch.”
The dance division, meanwhile, saw three productions — “Make Banana Cry,” “ZAYO” and “Reverence (Adieu Mixed Programme)” — each earn two Doras apiece.
The Dora’s Jon Kaplan Audience Choice Award was handed to the Shifting Ground Collective production of “The Drowsy Chaperone,” which was nominated for three Doras in the musical theatre division.
Mirvish, Canada’s largest commercial theatre producer, was not eligible for the awards after it withdrew in 2023 from the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts, which administers the Doras.
The ceremony marks the culmination of the 2025-26 Toronto theatre season, and comes after the Toronto Theatre Critics’ Awards were distributed earlier this spring, which also saw “Through the Eyes of God” and “Octet” both win big.
