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Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical

FieldValue
nameDrama Desk Award
for Outstanding Book of a Musical
awarded_forOutstanding Book of a Musical
presenterDrama Desk
locationNew York City
countryUnited States
year1969
holderWill Aronson and Hue Park for *Maybe Happy Ending* (2025)
website

for Outstanding Book of a Musical The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a 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. It was first presented at the 1969 ceremony, under the shorter name Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book, changing to its current name as of the 1988 ceremony.

For two years, in addition to the award for Outstanding Book, an award was presented to the writers of the Drama Desk Award for Most Promising Book. In 1972, that award went to Melvin Van Peebles for Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death, while the 1973 award went to Ron House and Diz White for El Grande de Coco-Cola.

Winners and nominees

;Key

1960s

YearWriterProductionRef.1969
**Peter Stone*****[1776](1776-musical)* **

1970s

YearWriterProductionRef.1970197119721973197419751976197719781979
**George Furth*****Company* **
**Burt Shevelove*****No, No, Nanette***
**John Guare and Mel Shapiro*****Two Gentlemen of Verona* **
**Hugh Wheeler*****A Little Night Music* **
**Hugh Wheeler*****Candide* **
colspan="3"
**James Kirkwood Jr. and Nicholas Dante*****A Chorus Line* **
Alfred Uhry*The Robber Bridegroom*
John Weidman*Pacific Overtures*
**Thomas Meehan*****Annie* **
colspan="3"
**Hugh Wheeler*****Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street* **

1980s

YearWriterProductionRef.1980–1983198419851986198719881989
colspan="3"
**James Lapine*****Sunday in the Park with George* **
Harvey Fierstein*La Cage aux Folles*
Garry Trudeau*Doonesbury*
**Jerry Colker*****Three Guys Naked from the Waist Down***
**Rupert Holmes*****The Mystery of Edwin Drood* **
Marta Kauffman, Seth Friedman and David Crane*Personals*
Warren Leight*Mayor*
**L. Arthur Rose, Douglas Furber, Stephen Fry and Mike Ockrent*****Me and My Girl* **
Barry Harman*Olympus on My Mind*
**James Lapine*****Into the Woods* **
colspan="3"

1990s

YearWriterProductionRef.1990199119921993199419951996199719981999
**Larry Gelbart*****City of Angels* **
**Marsha Norman*****The Secret Garden* **
John Weidman*Assassins*
**George C. Wolfe*****Jelly's Last Jam***
colspan="3"
**James Lapine*****Passion* **
Michael John LaChiusa*Hello Again*
colspan="3"
**Jonathan Larson*****Rent* **
Graciela Daniele and Jim Lewis*Chronicle of a Death Foretold*
Laurence Klavan*Bed and Sofa*
Tina Landau*Floyd Collins*
John Weidman*Big: the musical*
colspan="2"
**Terrence McNally*****Ragtime* **
**Alfred Uhry*****Parade* **
William Finn and James Lapine*A New Brain*

2000s

YearWriterProductionRef.2000200120022003200420052006200720082009
colspan="3"
**Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan*****The Producers* **
Kirsten Childs*The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin*
Keythe Farley and Brian Flemming*Bat Boy: The Musical*
Greg Kotis*Urinetown*
Terrence McNally*The Full Monty*
**John Lahr and Elaine Stritch*****Elaine Stritch at Liberty***
John Guare*Sweet Smell of Success*
Jonathan Larson and David Auburn*Tick, Tick... BOOM!*
Richard Morris and Dick Scanlan*Thoroughly Modern Millie*
**Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan*****Hairspray* **
Tim Acito and Alexander Dinelaris*Zanna, Don't!*
Terrence McNally*A Man of No Importance*
Jeremy Sams and Didier Van Cauwelaert*Amour*
Jeff Whitty*Avenue Q*
**Winnie Holzman*****Wicked* **
Tony Kushner*Caroline, or Change*
**Rachel Sheinkin*****The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee* **
Nell Benjamin and Laurence O'Keefe*Cam Jansen*
Kevin Del Aguila*Altar Boyz*
Mark Harelik*The Immigrant*
Eric Idle*Monty Python's Spamalot*
Jeffrey Lane*Dirty Rotten Scoundrels*
**Bob Martin and Don McKellar*****The Drowsy Chaperone* **
Rick Elice and Marshall Brickman*Jersey Boys*
Doug Wright*Grey Gardens*
**Rupert Holmes and Peter Stone*****Curtains* **
Scott Brown and Anthony King*Gutenberg! The Musical!*
Julian Fellowes*Mary Poppins*
Heather Hach*Legally Blonde*
Steven Sater*Spring Awakening*
Alfred Uhry*LoveMusik*
**Douglas Carter Beane*****Xanadu* **
Harvey Fierstein*A Catered Affair*
Ben Katchor*The Slug Bearers of Kayrol Island*
Jason Loewith and Joshua Schmidt*Adding Machine*
Stew*Passing Strange*
Eric H. Weinberger*Wanda's World*
**Lee Hall*****Billy Elliot the Musical* **
Steven Cosson and Jim Lewis*This Beautiful City*
Joe DiPietro*The Toxic Avenger*
Brian Hill*The Story of My Life*
David Lindsay-Abaire*Shrek the Musical*
Patricia Resnick*[9 to 5](9-to-5-musical)*

2010s

YearWriterProductionRef.2010201120122013201420152016201720182019
**Alex Timbers*****Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson* **
Joe DiPietro*Memphis*
Joe Iconis*Bloodsong of Love*
Dick Scanlan and Sherie Rene Scott*Everyday Rapture*
David Thompson*The Scottsboro Boys*
David Zellnik*Yank!*
**Adam Mathias*****See Rock City and Other Destinations***
Kristen Anderson-Lopez, James-Allen Ford, Russ Kaplan and Sara Wordsworth*In Transit*
Iris Rainer Dart*The People in the Picture*
Stephan Elliott and Allan Scott*Priscilla, Queen of the Desert*
Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone*The Book of Mormon*
Michael Zam*The Kid*
**Joe DiPietro*****Nice Work If You Can Get It* **
Douglas Carter Beane*Lysistrata Jones*
Janus Cercone and Warren Leight*Leap of Faith*
Joy Gregory*The Shaggs: Philosophy of the World*
Michael John LaChiusa*Queen of the Mist*
Thomas Meehan and Peter Stone*Death Takes a Holiday*
**Dennis Kelly*****Matilda the Musical* **
Sybille Pearson*Giant*
Joseph Robinette*A Christmas Story: The Musical*
David Rossmer and Steve Rosen*The Other Josh Cohen*
Jeff Whitty*Bring It On: The Musical*
Doug Wright*Hands on a Hardbody*
**Robert L. Freedman*****A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder* **
Chad Beguelin*Aladdin*
Joe Kinosian and Kellen Blair*Murder for Two*
Lisa Kron*Fun Home*
Douglas McGrath*Beautiful: The Carole King Musical*
Marsha Norman*The Bridges of Madison County*
**Lin-Manuel Miranda*****Hamilton* **
Hunter Bell and Lee Overtree*Found*
Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell*Something Rotten!*
Craig Lucas*An American in Paris*
Terrence McNally*The Visit*
Kim Rosenstock, Will Connolly, and Michael Mitnick*Fly by Night*
**John Caird*****Daddy Long Legs***
Michael John LaChiusa*First Daughter Suite*
Jessie Nelson*Waitress*
**Irene Sankoff and David Hein*****Come from Away* **
Terrence McNally*Anastasia*
Itamar Moses*The Band's Visit*
Richard Oberacker and Rob Taylor*Bandstand*
Joe Tracz*The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical*
**Tina Fey*****Mean Girls* **
Kyle Jarrow*SpongeBob SquarePants*
Peter Kellogg*Desperate Measures*
Hannah Moscovitch*Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story*
**Robert Horn*****Tootsie***
Scott Brown and Anthony King*Beetlejuice*
Andrew R. Butler*Rags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future*
Bob Martin and Chad Beguelin*The Prom*
Dominique Morisseau*Ain't Too Proud*

2020s

YearWriterProductionRef.202020212022202320242025
**Michael R. Jackson*****A Strange Loop***
David Henry Hwang*Soft Power*
Dave Malloy*Octet*
Lynn Nottage*The Secret Life of Bees*
Mark Saltzman*Romeo & Bernadette*
Dick Scanlan*The Unsinkable Molly Brown*
*No awards: New York theatres shuttered, March 2020 to September 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City*}}
**Bruce Sussman*****Harmony: A New Musical***
Billy Crystal, Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel*Mr. Saturday Night*
Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss*Six*
Lynn Nottage*Intimate Apparel*
**Matthew López and Amber Ruffin*****Some Like It Hot***
Jonathan Hogue*Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical*
Robert Horn*Shucked*
Marla Mindelle, Constantine Rousouli, and Tye Blue*Titanique*
David West Read*& Juliet*
**Itamar Moses***** Dead Outlaw***
Justin Huertas*Lizard Boy: The Musical*
Michael R. Jackson and Anna K. Jacobs* Teeth*
Michael John LaChiusa*The Gardens of Anuncia*
Rebekah Green Melocik*How to Dance in Ohio*
**Will Aronson and Hue Park***Maybe Happy Ending*
David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson, and Zoë Roberts*Operation Mincemeat*
Warren Leight and Isaac Oliver*Just in Time*
Bob Martin*Boop! The Musical*
Marla Mindelle and Jonathan Parks-Ramage*The Big Gay Jamboree*
Marco Pennette*Death Becomes Her*

Multiple wins

; 3 wins

  • James Lapine
  • Thomas Meehan
  • Hugh Wheeler

; 2 wins

  • Rupert Holmes

Multiple nominations

; 5 nominations

  • Terrence McNally

; 4 nominations

  • James Lapine
  • Thomas Meehan

; 3 nominations

  • Joe DiPietro
  • Michael John LaChiusa
  • Warren Leight
  • Bob Martin
  • Dick Scanlan
  • John Weidman
  • Hugh Wheeler
  • Alfred Uhry
  • Peter Stone

; 2 nominations

  • Douglas Carter Beane
  • Chad Beguelin
  • Scott Brown
  • Harvey Fierstein
  • John Guare
  • Rupert Holmes
  • Robert Horn
  • Anthony King
  • Jonathan Larson
  • Jim Lewis
  • Marla Mindelle
  • Marsha Norman
  • Lynn Nottage
  • Jeff Whitty
  • Doug Wright

References

References

  1. "1969 Awards – Nominees and Recipients".
  2. "1970 Awards – Nominees and Recipients".
  3. "1971 Awards – Nominees and Recipients".
  4. "1972 Awards – Nominees and Recipients".
  5. "1973 Awards – Nominees and Recipients".
  6. "1974 Awards – Nominees and Recipients".
  7. "1976 Awards – Nominees and Recipients".
  8. "1977 Awards – Nominees and Recipients".
  9. (June 2, 1979). "Sweeney and Elephant Man Win Top Drama Desk Awards". The New York Times.
  10. "1979 Awards – Nominees and Recipients".
  11. "1984 Awards – Nominees and Recipients".
  12. "1985 Awards – Nominees and Recipients".
  13. "1986 Awards – Nominees and Recipients".
  14. "1987 Awards – Nominees and Recipients".
  15. "1988 Awards – Nominees and Recipients".
  16. (May 25, 1988). "Into the Woods Wins Award". The New York Times.
  17. "1990 Awards – Nominees and Recipients".
  18. (May 17, 1990). "Drama Desk Awards to Angels and Lesson". The New York Times.
  19. "1991 Awards – Nominees and Recipients".
  20. (13 May 1991). "'Will Rogers' and 'Yonkers' Win Drama Desk Awards". The New York Times.
  21. "1992 Awards – Nominees and Recipients".
  22. "1994 Awards – Nominees and Recipients".
  23. "1996 Awards – Nominees and Recipients".
  24. Robert Viagas. (May 20, 1996). "Drama Desk Awards to Rent, Master Class".
  25. "1998 Awards – Nominees and Recipients".
  26. (May 17, 1998). "Ragtime, Beauty Queen Win Drama Desk Awards".
  27. "1999 Awards – Nominees and Recipients".
  28. (May 9, 1999). "List of 1999 Drama Desk Winners".
  29. (May 9, 1999). "1999 Drama Desk Winners: Not About Nightingales Design Trio".
  30. "2001 Awards – Nominees and Recipients".
  31. Kenneth Jones, Robert Simonson. (May 20, 2001). "2001 Drama Desk Winners Include Producers, Proof and Mnemonic".
  32. "2002 Awards – Nominees and Recipients".
  33. Robert Simonson. (May 20, 2002). "Drama Desk Awards Announced; Goat, Metamorphoses Tie for Best Play, Millie Scores".
  34. "2003 Awards – Nominees and Recipients".
  35. Robert Simonson. (May 1, 2003). "Hairspray Leads 2003 Drama Desk Award Nominations".
  36. (May 19, 2003). "Hairspray Wins 10 Drama Desk Awards". The New York Times.
  37. "2004 Awards – Nominees and Recipients".
  38. (April 29, 2004). "Wicked Leads Drama Desk Nominations". The New York Times.
  39. Andrew Gans, Robert Simonson. (May 16, 2004). "Wicked, Assassins, Henry IV, Wife Win Drama Desk Awards".
  40. "2005 Awards – Nominees and Recipients".
  41. (May 23, 2005). "2005 Drama Desk Award winners announced".
  42. "2006 Awards – Nominees and Recipients".
  43. Andrew Gans. (May 22, 2006). "Drowsy Chaperone and History Boys Big Winners at the 2006 Drama Desk Awards".
  44. "2007 Awards – Nominees and Recipients".
  45. New York Theatre Guide Staff. (May 20, 2007). "Drama Desk Awards 2006–2007 Winners Announced".
  46. Andrew Gans. (May 20, 2007). "52nd Annual Drama Desk Awards Presented May 20".
  47. "2008 Awards – Nominees and Recipients".
  48. (May 19, 2008). "Arts: Drama Desk’s Awards". The New York Times.
  49. New York Theatre Guide Staff. (October 19, 2017). "Drama Desk Awards 2008 Winners Announced".
  50. "2009 Awards – Nominees and Recipients".
  51. (May 17, 2009). "Drama Desk Awards Announced". The New York Times.
  52. Andrew Gans. (May 18, 2009). "Ruined and Billy Elliot Win Top Honors at Drama Desk Awards".
  53. "2010 Awards – Nominees and Recipients".
  54. "2011 Awards – Nominees and Recipients".
  55. Kenneth Jones. (May 24, 2011). "Drama Desk Awards Go to Book of Mormon, Normal Heart, War Horse, Sutton Foster, Norbert Leo Butz".
  56. David Rooney. (May 23, 2011). "Book of Mormon, Anything Goes Top Drama Desk Awards". Variety.
  57. "2012 Awards – Nominees and Recipients".
  58. (June 4, 2012). "Drama Desk Awards". The New York Times.
  59. New York Theatre Guide Staff. (June 3, 2012). "The 57th Annual Drama Desk Awards".
  60. "2013 Awards – Nominees and Recipients".
  61. Michael Paulson. (May 20, 2013). "Matilda Wins Big at Drama Desk Awards". The New York Times.
  62. "2014 Awards – Nominees and Recipients".
  63. New York Theatre Guide Staff. (June 1, 2014). "The 59th Annual Drama Desk Awards".
  64. Jesse Green. (June 1, 2014). "Drama Desk Embraces a Gentleman’s Guide". The New York Times.
  65. "2015 Awards – Nominees and Recipients".
  66. Gordon Cox. (May 31, 2015). "2015 Drama Desk Awards Winners (FULL LIST): 'Hamilton' Takes 7".
  67. "2016 Awards – Nominees and Recipients".
  68. Gordon Cox. (June 5, 2016). "2016 Drama Desk Awards (FULL LIST): 'Shuffle Along,' 'The Humans'".
  69. "2017 Awards – Nominees and Recipients".
  70. Variety Staff. (June 5, 2017). "Drama Desk Awards 2017: Full List of Winners".
  71. "2018 Awards – Nominees and Recipients".
  72. Playbill Staff. (June 3, 2018). "SpongeBob SquarePants Leads 2018 Drama Desk Awards".
  73. "2019 Awards – Nominees and Recipients".
  74. Ruthie Fierberg. (June 2, 2019). "Tootsie, Hadestown, and The Ferryman Lead 2019 Drama Desk Award Winners".
  75. "2020 Awards – Nominees and Recipients".
  76. Dan Meyer. (June 13, 2020). "A Strange Loop, The Inheritance, Moulin Rouge! Win Big at 2020 Drama Desk Awards".
  77. Evans, Greg. (2021-05-05). "Broadway To Reopen Sept. 14, Says Gov. Andrew Cuomo; Broadway League "Cautiously Optimistic"". [[Deadline Hollywood]].
  78. "2022 Awards – Nominees and Recipients".
  79. Chloe Rabinowitz. (June 8, 2022). "COMPANY, SIX & More Win 2022 Drama Desk Awards – See the Full List!".
  80. Gillian Russo. (June 8, 2022). "2022 Drama Desk Award winners announced".
  81. "2023 Awards – Nominees and Recipients".
  82. Logan Culwell-Block. (May 31, 2023). "Some Like It Hot Dominates 2023 Drama Desk Awards; See the Full List of Winners".
  83. (2024-06-10). "Stereophonic Leads 2024 Drama Desk Awards with 7 Wins Including Outstanding Play - Playbill.com".
  84. "2024 Awards – Nominees and Recipients".
  85. Logan Culwell-Block. (June 10, 2024). "Stereophonic Leads 2024 Drama Desk Awards With 7 Wins Including Outstanding Play".
  86. Culwell-Block, Logan. (April 30, 2025). "Boop! Leads 2025 Drama Desk Award Nominations With 11 Nods Including Outstanding Musical; Read the Full List Here".
  87. "2025 Awards – Nominees and Recipients".
  88. Logan Culwell-Block. (June 1, 2025). "Drama Desk Award Winners 2025: The Full List".
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