Stiles + Drewe Best New Song Prize 2026 finalists

Mercury Musical Developments (MMD) and Stiles and Drewe have announced the finalists in the running for 2026’s Stiles + Drewe Best New Song Prize.

Awarded on an annual basis to a member of MMD – the UK’s largest membership organisation dedicated to developing new musical theatre writing – the winner of this year’s award will be revealed at the end of a star-studded concert performance at The Other Palace in London on 12 October.

Established and overseen by acclaimed writing duo George Stiles and Anthony Drewe (Identical, Honk!, Mary Poppins), the Song Prize showcases 12 new songs from the musicals of tomorrow during a celebration concert featuring a cast of West End performers. The concert will be directed by Alex Jackson, with musical direction from Livi van Warmelo. The host and cast for this year’s event will be announced at a later date.

A panel of industry judges, including George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, will award the prize and the winner will receive £1,000 towards developing their work.

The 2026 nominees are:

‘A Sliver of Sunlight’ from Hyacinthus by Trevor K Band

‘Be Your Own Man’ from Rising by Amy Clare Tasker and Tom James McGrath

‘Earth To Theo’ from Theo In Between by Gareth Mattey and Jordan Li Smith

‘Every Day’ from The Deep End by Dom Patterson, Kate Peters and Paul Grady

‘Father’ from Confessional by James Lark

‘First’ from Sally in the Woods by James Joshua Otto and P Burton-Morgan

‘In The Beginning’ from Legendary by Cheeyang Ng

‘Monster in the Mirror’ from Stigma by Jane Subachus

‘Paris is Calling’ from Le Pètomane – The Musical by Tim Waters

‘Shadows’ from The Last Lost Boy by Jacob Attwooll and Kyla Stroud

‘Skylines’ from Elbow Deep by Elinor Peregrine

‘There’s More to Me’ from The Most Hated Family In America by Aveev Issacson and Matt Bond