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  "description": "Dance Nation, Octet and Through the Eyes of God receive multiple nods, while theatre icons like Tom Rooney and Clare Coulter get snubbed",
  "path": "/dora-awards-2026-nominations-snubs-and-surprises/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-06-01T15:30:28.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.goaheadsumi.com",
  "tags": [
    "Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts",
    "here",
    "Top 10 artists of 2025",
    "Toronto Theatre Critics Awards",
    "Subscribe now"
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  "textContent": "**_Dance Nation_** , **_Rogers v. Rogers_** , **_Le malentendu (The Misunderstanding)_** , **_Through the Eyes of God_** , **_The Green Line_** and **_Octet_** are among the most-nominated shows at this year’s **Dora Mavor Moore Awards** , announced at a live press conference this morning at the Elgin Theatre.\n\nThe ceremony, recognizing a full year of summer-to-spring productions, will take place on **June 29 at Meridian Hall** , hosted by actor **Amaka Umeh** , who incidentally was nominated for two Doras in the acting ensembles for **_Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary_** and **_Narnia_**.\n\nWhile the awards, administered by the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts, or TAPA, are voted on by various Dora juries, the general public can vote on **Jon Kaplan Audience Choice Award** for their favourite production, named after the late great theatre writer and my much-missed colleague and friend at  _NOW Magazine._ You can vote here until until Monday, June 22. The winner will be announced at the awards ceremony.\n\nIn all, the jurors selected some worthy shows this year. Keep in mind that Mirvish Productions is not part of TAPA, which explains why shows like **_& Juliet_**, **_Kimberly Akimbo_** and **_Tell Tale Harbour_** are not on this list, which you can find at the end of the article.\n\nHere, with a focus on theatre, are some Dora nomination surprises and snubs:\n\nbahia watson (right, with Dan Mousseau) received two nominations, one for __Summer and Smoke__ and one for __The Welkin. Photo by Dahlia Katz__\n\n## Surprise: bahia watson x2\n\nWatson made my list of the Top 10 artists of 2025 for her impressive and very different performances in **_The Welkin_** and **_The Comeuppance_**. The General Theatre Dora jurors singled out her work for the former and for her sensitive performance in this year’s **_Summer and Smoke_**.\n\nThe General Theatre division acting category — as per recent awards, ungendered and not specified by lead or supporting — was filled with some great choices: **Amanda Cordner** (**_How to Catch Creation_**), **Béatrice René-Décarie** (**_Le malentendu (The Misunderstanding)_**), **Gabriella Sundar Singh** (**_Through the Eyes of God_**), **Michelle Monteith** , especially notable because she doesn’t have many lines in **_Red Like Fruit_** , **Ordena Stephens-Thompson** (**_The Neighbours_**) and **Sophia Walker** (**_Slave Play_**).\n\nSundar Singh and Walker were both recognized recently by the Toronto Theatre Critics Awards in the categories of Best Solo Performance in a Play or Musical and Best Lead Performance in a Play.\n\nThat said, there were some notable omissions, including...\n\nThe great Clare Coulter’s performance in __Queen Maeve__ went unrecognized. __Photo by Jae Yang__\n\n## Snubs: veteran actors Tom Rooney and Clare Coulter, and more\n\nI figured Rooney’s bravura performance in the otherwise much-nominated _Rogers v. Rogers_ would have been acknowledged. Likewise, Coulter’s layered and deeply-felt performance in **_Queen Maeve_** , a play that was largely ignored by the jurors.\n\nOther omissions include **Tony Nappo** for _The Neighbours_ (he was as essential and as powerful as Stephens-Thompson) and **Hailey Gillis** and **Gray Powell** from the completely shut-out **_A Doll’s House_**.\n\n## Surprise: Two actors can be an ensemble\n\n**Maev Beaty** and **Liisa Repo-Martell** delivered exquisite work in **_You, Always_** , but was either a lead? Not really. I suppose they were co-leads. They were submitted as an ensemble by producer **Canadian Stage** , and the Dora jurors checked their boxes in that category, where they’re joined by the terrific ensembles for **_Bremen Town_** , **_Enormity, Girl and the Earthquake in Her Lungs_** , **_Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary_** and **_The Welkin_**.\n\n### This post is for subscribers only\n\nBecome a member to get access to all content\n\nSubscribe now",
  "title": "Dora Awards 2026 nominations: snubs and surprises",
  "updatedAt": "2026-06-03T12:43:27.073Z"
}