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Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical

Field	Value
name	Drama Desk Award
for Outstanding Book of a Musical
awarded_for	Outstanding Book of a Musical
presenter	Drama Desk
location	New York City
country	United States
year	1969
holder	Will 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

Year	Writer	Production	Ref.	1969
Peter Stone	*1776*

1970s

Year	Writer	Production	Ref.	1970	1971	1972	1973	1974	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979
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

Year	Writer	Production	Ref.	1980–1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989
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

Year	Writer	Production	Ref.	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999
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

Year	Writer	Production	Ref.	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009
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

2010s

Year	Writer	Production	Ref.	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019
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

Year	Writer	Production	Ref.	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025
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

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

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