Waleed Akhtar named seventh Hermitage Major Theater Award winner, with $35,000 commission for new play

UK playwright Waleed Akhtar has been named the seventh winner of the US Hermitage Major Theater Award, announced 5 November 2026. The prize includes a $35,000 commission to write a new play, a dark comedy about an artist whose career is celebrated in a London gallery retrospective. A developmental workshop in London is anticipated for autumn 2028.