Cynthia Erivo will be honoured at American Ballet Theatre's 2026 Fall Gala, themed "Angels and Demons," taking place on Thursday 29 October at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York. The award recognises the actress and singer, a Grammy, Daytime Emmy and Tony winner and three-time Oscar nominee, whose acclaim has grown further through her role as Elphaba in the Wicked films. Artistic director Susan Jaffe praised Erivo's "extraordinary ability to transform themselves through performance," calling her a fitting honouree for the company.

Erivo's ties to American Ballet Theatre date back to May 2020, when she performed an a cappella rendition of "America the Beautiful" for the company's first digital gala during the pandemic. This year's gala programme, curated by Jaffe, will include excerpts from Coppélia, Swan Lake, La Sylphide and Sylvia, alongside works by Frederick Ashton, Michel Fokine and Agnes de Mille, followed by dinner and dancing. The event is the company's premier annual fundraiser, led by three mother-and-daughter chair pairs, and comes as Erivo also awaits the outcome of two Primetime Emmy nominations tied to her hosting of the 2025 Tony Awards and Wicked: One Wonderful Night.