Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical

Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical
Awarded for	Outstanding Musical
Location	New York City
Country	United States
Presented by	Drama Desk
First award	1975
Currently held by	Dead Outlaw (2024)
Website	dramadesk.org

The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical is an annual award presented by Drama Desk in recognition of achievements in theatre across collective Broadway, off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway productions in New York City.

Winners and nominees

1970s

Year	Musical	Book	Music	Lyrics
1975
	The Wiz	William F. Brown	Charlie Smalls
	Goodtime Charley	Sidney Michaels	Larry Grossman	Hal Hackady
	In Gay Company	Fred Silver
	The Lieutenant	Gene Curty, Nitra Scharfman and Chuck Strand
1976
	A Chorus Line	James Kirkwood	Marvin Hamlisch	Edward Kleban
	Pacific Overtures	John Weidman	Stephen Sondheim
	The Robber Bridegroom	Alfred Uhry	Robert Waldman	Alfred Uhry
1977
	Annie	Thomas Meehan	Charles Strouse	Martin Charnin
	Happy End	Elisabeth Hauptmann	Kurt Weill	Bertolt Brecht
	I Love My Wife	Michael Stewart	Cy Coleman	Michael Stewart
	The King and I	Oscar Hammerstein II	Richard Rodgers	Oscar Hammerstein II
	Porgy and Bess	DuBose Heyward	George Gershwin	DuBose Heyward and Ira Gershwin
	The Robber Bridegroom	Alfred Uhry	Robert Waldman	Alfred Uhry
1978
	Ain't Misbehavin'	N/A	Thomas "Fats" Waller	Various
	The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas	Larry L. King and Peter Masterson	Carol Hall
	Dancin'	—	Various
	Runaways	Elizabeth Swados
	Working	Stephen Schwartz and Nina Faso	Various
1979
	Sweeney Todd	Hugh Wheeler	Stephen Sondheim
	Eubie!	—	Eubie Blake	Various
	They're Playing Our Song	Neil Simon	Marvin Hamlisch	Carole Bayer Sager
	The Umbrellas of Cherbourg	Jacques Demy	Michel Legrand	Sheldon Harnick

1980s

Year	Musical	Book	Music	Lyrics
1980
	Evita	Tim Rice	Andrew Lloyd Webber	Tim Rice
	The 1940's Radio Hour	Walton Jones	Various
	Barnum	Mark Bramble	Cy Coleman	Michael Stewart
	Sidewalkin'	Jake Holmes
	Tintypes	Mel Marvin and Gary Pearle	Various
1981
	The Pirates of Penzance	W. S. Gilbert	Arthur Sullivan	W. S. Gilbert
	42nd Street	Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble	Harry Warren	Al Dubin
	Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music	—	Various
1982
	Nine	Arthur Kopit	Maury Yeston
	Dreamgirls	Tom Eyen	Henry Krieger	Tom Eyen
	Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat	Tim Rice	Andrew Lloyd Webber	Tim Rice
	Pump Boys and Dinettes	Pump Boys and Dinettes
1983
	Little Shop of Horrors	Howard Ashman	Alan Menken	Howard Ashman
	My One and Only	Peter Stone and Timothy S. Mayer	George Gershwin	Ira Gershwin
1984
	Sunday in the Park with George	James Lapine	Stephen Sondheim
	Baby	Sybille Pearson	David Shire	Richard Maltby, Jr.
	The Rink	Terrence McNally	John Kander	Fred Ebb
	Taking My Turn	Robert H. Livingston	Gary William Friedman	Will Holt
1985
	—
1986
	The Mystery of Edwin Drood	Rupert Holmes
	Big Deal	Bob Fosse	Various
	Goblin Market	Polly Pen and Peggy Harmon	Polly Pen	Polly Pen and Peggy Harmon
	Personals	Alan Merken	Stephen Schwartz	Alan Merken
1987
	Les Misérables	Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil	Claude-Michel Schönberg	Herbert Kretzmer
	Me and My Girl	L. Arthur Rose and Douglas Furber	Noel Gay	L. Arthur Rose and Douglas Furber
	Olympus on My Mind	Barry Harman	Grant Sturiale	Barry Harman
	Starlight Express	—	Andrew Lloyd Webber	Richard Stilgoe
1988
	Into the Woods	James Lapine	Stephen Sondheim
	The Phantom of the Opera	Richard Stilgoe and Andrew Lloyd Webber	Andrew Lloyd Webber	Charles Hart
1989
	Jerome Robbins' Broadway	N/A	Various
	Black and Blue	Claudio Segovia and Héctor Orezzoli	Various

1990s

Year	Musical	Book	Music	Lyrics
1990
	City of Angels	Larry Gelbart	Cy Coleman	David Zippel
	Aspects of Love	Andrew Lloyd Webber		Don Black and Charles Hart
1991
	The Will Rogers Follies	Peter Stone	Cy Coleman	Betty Comden and Adolph Green
	Assassins	John Weidman	Stephen Sondheim
	The Secret Garden	Marsha Norman	Lucy Simon	Marsha Norman
1992
	Crazy for You	Ken Ludwig	George Gershwin	Ira Gershwin
	Jelly's Last Jam	George C. Wolfe	Jelly Roll Morton	Susan Birkenhead
1993
	Kiss of the Spider Woman	Terrence McNally	John Kander	Fred Ebb
	Ruthless!	Joel Paley	Marvin Laird	Joel Paley
	The Who's Tommy	Pete Townshend and Des McAnuff	Pete Townshend
	Wings	Arthur Perlman	Jeffrey Lunden	Arthur Perlman
1994
	Passion	James Lapine	Stephen Sondheim
	Beauty and the Beast	Linda Woolverton	Alan Menken	Howard Ashman and Tim Rice
	Hello Again	Michael John LaChiusa
1995
	Show Boat	Oscar Hammerstein II	Jerome Kern	Oscar Hammerstein II and P.G. Wodehouse
	A Christmas Carol	—	Alan Menken	Lynn Ahrens
	How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying	Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock and Willie Gilbert	Frank Loesser
	Merrily We Roll Along	George Furth	Stephen Sondheim
	Sunset Boulevard	Christopher Hampton and Don Black	Andrew Lloyd Webber	Don Black
1996
	Rent	Jonathan Larson
	Big: the musical	John Weidman	David Shire	Richard Maltby, Jr.
	Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk	Reg E. Gaines	Daryl Waters, Zane Mark and Ann Duquesnay	Reg E. Gaines, George C. Wolfe and Ann Duquesnay
	Chronicle of a Death Foretold	Graciela Daniele and Jim Lewis	Bob Telson	Graciela Daniele, Jim Lewis and Michael John LaChiusa
1997
	The Life	Cy Coleman, David Newman and Ira Gasman	Cy Coleman	Ira Gasman
	Steel Pier	David Thompson	John Kander	Fred Ebb
	Violet	Brian Crawley	Jeanine Tesori	Brian Crawley
1998
	Ragtime	Terrence McNally	Stephen Flaherty	Lynn Ahrens
	Forever Tango	—	Various
	Hedwig and the Angry Inch	John Cameron Mitchell	Stephen Trask
	High Society	Arthur Kopit	Cole Porter	Cole Porter and Susan Birkenhead
	The Lion King	Roger Allers and Irene Mecchi	Elton John	Tim Rice
1999
	Parade	Alfred Uhry	Jason Robert Brown
	A New Brain	William Finn and James Lapine	William Finn
	The Civil War	Gregory Boyd and Frank Wildhorn	Frank Wildhorn	Jack Murphy

2000s

Year	Musical	Book	Music	Lyrics
2000
	Contact	John Weidman	Various
	James Joyce's The Dead	Richard Nelson	Shaun Davey	Richard Nelson and Shaun Davey
	Saturday Night	Julius J. Epstein and Philip G. Epstein	Stephen Sondheim
	Swing!	Paul Kelley	Various
	The Wild Party	Andrew Lippa
2001
	The Producers	Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan	Mel Brooks
	Bat Boy: The Musical	Keythe Farley and Brian Flemming	Laurence O'Keefe
	Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin	Kristen Childs
	The Full Monty	Terrence McNally	David Yazbek
	Urinetown	Greg Kotis	Mark Hollman	Greg Kotis and Mark Hollman
2002
	Thoroughly Modern Millie	Richard Morris and Dick Scanlan	Jeanine Tesori	Dick Scanlan
	The Last Five Years	Jason Robert Brown
	Sweet Smell of Success	John Guare	Marvin Hamlisch	Craig Carnelia
	Tick, Tick... BOOM!	Jonathan Larson and David Auburn	Jonathan Larson
2003
	Hairspray	Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan	Marc Shaiman	Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman
	A Man of No Importance	Terrence McNally	Stephen Flaherty	Lynn Ahrens
	Amour	Didier Van Cauwelaert and Jeremy Sams	Michel Legrand	Jeremy Sams
	Avenue Q	Jeff Whitty	Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx
	Movin' Out	Twyla Tharp	Billy Joel
	Zanna, Don't!	Tim Acito and Alexander Dinelaris	Tim Acito	Tim Acito and Alexander Dinelaris
2004
	Wicked	Winnie Holzman	Stephen Schwartz
	Caroline, or Change	Tony Kushner	Jeanine Tesori	Tony Kushner
	Johnny Guitar	Nicholas van Hoogstraten	Martin Silvestri and Joel Higgins	Joel Higgins
	The Musical of Musicals	Joanne Bogart and Eric Rockwell	Eric Rockwell	Joanne Bogart
2005
	Monty Python's Spamalot	Eric Idle	John Du Prez and Eric Idle	Eric Idle
	The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee	Rachel Sheinkin	William Finn
	Altar Boyz	Kevin Del Aguila	Gary Adler and Michael Patrick Walker
	Dirty Rotten Scoundrels	Jeffrey Lane	David Yazbek
	The Light in the Piazza	Craig Lucas	Adam Guettel
2006
	The Drowsy Chaperone	Bob Martin and Don McKellar	Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison
	Grey Gardens	Doug Wright	Scott Frankel	Michael Korie
	Jersey Boys	Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice	Bob Gaudio and Bob Crewe
	See What I Wanna See	Michael John LaChiusa
	Thrill Me	Stephen Dolginoff
	The Wedding Singer	Tim Herlihy and Chad Beguelin	Matthew Sklar	Chad Beguelin
2007
	Spring Awakening	Steven Sater	Duncan Sheik	Steven Sater
	Curtains	Rupert Holmes	John Kander	Fred Ebb
	In the Heights	Quiara Alegría Hudes	Lin-Manuel Miranda
	Legally Blonde	Heather Hach	Nell Benjamin and Laurence O'Keefe
	LoveMusik	Alfred Uhry	Kurt Weill	Various
	Mary Poppins	Julian Fellowes	Robert B. Sherman, Richard M. Sherman, George Stiles and Anthony Drewe
2008
	Passing Strange	Stew	Stew and Heidi Rodewald	Stew
	A Catered Affair	Harvey Fierstein	John Bucchino
	Adding Machine	Jason Loewith and Joshua Schmidt	Joshua Schmidt	Jason Loewith and Joshua Schmidt
	The Glorious Ones	Lynn Ahrens	Stephen Flaherty	Lynn Ahrens
	The Slug Bearers of Kayrol Island	Ben Katchor	Mark Mulcahy	Ben Katchor
	Xanadu	Douglas Carter Beane	Jeff Lynne and John Farrar
2009
	Billy Elliot the Musical	Lee Hall	Elton John	Lee Hall
	9 to 5	Patricia Resnick	Dolly Parton
	Fela!	Bill T. Jones and Jim Lewis	Fela Kuti
	Liza's at the Palace...	Ron Lewis	Various
	Shrek the Musical	David Lindsay-Abaire	Jeanine Tesori	David Lindsay-Abaire
	The Story of My Life	Brian Hill	Neil Bartram

2010s

Year	Musical	Book	Music	Lyrics
2010
	Memphis	Joe DiPietro	David Bryan	Joe DiPietro and David Bryan
	The Addams Family	Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice	Andrew Lippa
	American Idiot	Michael Mayer and Billie Joe Armstrong	Green Day	Billie Joe Armstrong
	Everyday Rapture	Dick Scanlan and Sherie Rene Scott	Various
	The Scottsboro Boys	David Thompson	John Kander and Fred Ebb
	Yank!	David Zellnik	Joseph Zellnik	David Zellnik
2011
	The Book of Mormon	Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone
	In Transit	Kristen Anderson-Lopez, James-Allen Ford, Russ Kaplan and Sara Wordsworth
	The Kid	Michael Zam	Andy Monroe	Jack Lechner
	Priscilla, Queen of the Desert	Stephan Elliott and Allan Scott	Various
	See Rock City & Other Destinations	Adam Mathias	Brad Alexander	Adam Mathias
	Sister Act	Cheri Steinkellner, Bill Steinkellner and Douglas Carter Beane	Alan Menken	Glenn Slater
2012
	Once	Enda Walsh	Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová
	Bonnie & Clyde	Ivan Menchell	Frank Wildhorn	Don Black
	Death Takes a Holiday	Peter Stone and Thomas Meehan	Maury Yeston
	Leap of Faith	Janus Cercone and Glenn Slater	Alan Menken	Glenn Slater
	Newsies	Harvey Fierstein	Alan Menken	Jack Feldman
	Nice Work If You Can Get It	Joe DiPietro	George and Ira Gershwin
	Queen of the Mist	Michael John LaChiusa
2013
	Matilda the Musical	Dennis Kelly	Tim Minchin
	A Christmas Story: The Musical	Joseph Robinette	Benj Pasek and Justin Paul
	Giant	Sybille Pearson	Michael John LaChiusa
	Hands on a Hardbody	Doug Wright	Amanda Green and Trey Anastasio	Amanda Green
	Here Lies Love	—	David Byrne and Fatboy Slim
	Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812	Dave Malloy
	The Other Josh Cohen	David Rossmer and Steve Rosen
2014
	A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder	Robert L. Freedman	Steven Lutvak	Robert L. Freedman and Steven Lutvak
	Aladdin	Chad Beguelin	Alan Menken	Chad Beguelin, Howard Ashman and Tim Rice
	Beautiful: The Carole King Musical	Douglas McGrath	Various
	The Bridges of Madison County	Marsha Norman	Jason Robert Brown
	Fun Home	Lisa Kron	Jeanine Tesori	Lisa Kron
	Love's Labour's Lost	Alex Timbers	Michael Friedman
	Rocky the Musical	Thomas Meehan	Stephen Flaherty	Lynn Ahrens
2015
	Hamilton	Lin-Manuel Miranda
	An American in Paris	Craig Lucas	George Gershwin	Ira Gershwin
	Fly By Night	Will Connolly, Michael Mitnick and Kim Rosenstock
	Pretty Filthy	Bess Wohl	Michael Friedman
	Something Rotten!	Karey Kirkpatrick and John O'Farrell	Karey Kirkpatrick and Wayne Kirkpatrick
	The Visit	Terrence McNally	John Kander	Fred Ebb
2016
	Shuffle Along	George C. Wolfe	Eubie Blake and Noble Sissle
	First Daughter Suite	Michael John LaChiusa
	Daddy Long Legs	John Caird	Paul Gordon
	School of Rock	Julian Fellowes	Andrew Lloyd Webber	Glenn Slater
	Waitress	Jessie Nelson	Sara Bareilles
2017
	Come from Away	Irene Sankoff and David Hein
	Anastasia	Terrence McNally	Stephen Flaherty	Lynn Ahrens
	The Band's Visit	Itamar Moses	David Yazbek
	Hadestown	Anaïs Mitchell
	The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical	Joe Tracz	Rob Rokicki
2018
	SpongeBob SquarePants	Kyle Jarrow	Various
	Desperate Measures	Peter Kellogg	David Friedman	Peter Kellogg
	KPOP	Jason Kim	Helen Park and Max Vernon
	Mean Girls	Tina Fey	Jeff Richmond	Nell Benjamin
	Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story	Hannah Moscovitch	Ben Caplan and Christian Barry
2019
	The Prom	Bob Martin and Chad Beguelin	Matthew Sklar	Chad Beguelin
	Be More Chill	Joe Tracz	Joe Iconis
	The Hello Girls	Peter Mills and Cara Reichel	Peter Mills
	Rags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future	Andrew R. Butler
	Tootsie	Robert Horn	David Yazbek

2020s

Year	Musical	Book	Music	Lyrics
2020
	A Strange Loop	Michael R. Jackson
	Octet	Dave Malloy
	The Secret Life of Bees	Lynn Nottage	Duncan Sheik	Susan Birkenhead
	Soft Power	David Henry Hwang	Jeanine Tesori	David Henry Hwang and Jeanine Tesori
	The Wrong Man	Ross Golan
2021	No awards: New York theatres shuttered, March 2020 to September 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City
2022
	Kimberly Akimbo	David Lindsay-Abaire	Jeanine Tesori	David Lindsay-Abaire
	The Hang	Taylor Mac	Matt Ray	Taylor Mac
	Harmony: A New Musical	Bruce Sussman	Barry Manilow	Bruce Sussman
	Intimate Apparel	Lynn Nottage	Ricky Ian Gordon	Lynn Nottage
	Six	Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss
2023
	Some Like It Hot	Matthew López & Amber Ruffin	Marc Shaiman	Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman
	& Juliet	David West Read	Max Martin and various others
	Between the Lines	Timothy Allen McDonald	Elyssa Samsel and Kate Anderson
	F*ck7thGrade	Liza Birkenmeier	Jill Sobule
	Shucked	Robert Horn	Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally
	White Girl in Danger	Michael R. Jackson
2024	Dead Outlaw	Itamar Moses	David Yazbek and Erik Della Penna
	Illinoise	Justin Peck and Jackie Sibblies Drury	Sufjan Stevens
	Lizard Boy	Justin Huertas
	Teeth	Michael R. Jackson and Anna K. Jacobs
	The Connector	Jonathan Marc Sherman	Jason Robert Brown
	The Outsiders	Adam Rapp and Justin Levine	Jonathan Clay, Zach Chance, and Justin Levine
2025	Boop! The Musical	Bob Martin	David Foster	Susan Birkenhead
	Death Becomes Her	Marco Pennette	Julia Mattison and Noel Carey
	Just in Time	Warren Leight and Isaac Oliver	various artists
	Maybe Happy Ending	Will Aronson and Hue Park	Will Aronson	Will Aronson and Hue Park
	Music City	Peter Zinn	J. T. Harding

See also

• Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical
• Tony Award for Best Musical