Award
The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music is an annual award presented by Drama Desk in recognition of achievements in the theatre among Broadway, Off Broadway and Off-Off Broadway productions. The award was originally entitled Best Composter , before being renamed to its current title in 1969. The award is often referred to as Outstanding Score of a Musical .
Winners and nominees [ edit ] Year Composer Production 1970 Stephen Sondheim Company Kurt Weill Mahagonny 1971 Stephen Sondheim Follies 1972 Galt MacDermot Two Gentlemen of Verona 1973 Stephen Sondheim A Little Night Music 1974 Al Carmines The Faggot 1975 Charlie Smalls The Wiz Gene Curty, Nitra Scharfman & Chuck Strand The Lieutenant Jerry Herman Mack and Mabel Fred Silver In Gay Company 1976 Marvin Hamlisch A Chorus Line Leonard Bernstein 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Bill Heyer & Hank Beebe Tuscaloosa's Calling Me Stephen Sondheim Pacific Overtures 1977 Cy Coleman I Love My Wife Charles Strouse Annie Elizabeth Swados Nightclub Cantata Robert Waldman The Robber Bridegroom 1978 Cy Coleman On the Twentieth Century Carol Hall The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas Elizabeth Swados Runaways 1979 Stephen Sondheim Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street Nancy Ford I'm Getting My Act Together and Taking It on the Road Marvin Hamlisch & Neil Simon They're Playing Our Song Jerome Kass Ballroom Michel Legrand The Umbrellas of Cherbourg
1980s [ edit] Year Composer Production 1980 Andrew Lloyd Webber Evita Cy Coleman Barnum Elizabeth Swados Runaways 1982 Maury Yeston Nine Stephen Sondheim Merrily We Roll Along Jim Wann Pump Boys and Dinettes 1983 Andrew Lloyd Webber Cats Larry Grossman A Doll's Life Gerald Jay Markee Charlotte Sweet Des McAnuff Death of Von Richthofen Alan Menken Little Shop of Horrors 1984 Jerry Herman La Cage aux Folles Galt MacDermot The Human Comedy David Shire Baby Stephen Sondheim Sunday in the Park with George 1985 Larry Grossman Grind Roger Miller Big River Michael Rupert 3 Guys Naked from the Waist Down 1986 Rupert Holmes The Mystery of Edwin Drood Polly Pen Goblin Market Charles Strouse Mayor Andrew Lloyd Webber Song and Dance 1987 Noel Gay Me and My Girl Claude-Michel Schönberg Les Misérables Nick Bicat The Knife Charles Strouse Rags Andrew Lloyd Webber Starlight Express 1988 Andrew Lloyd Webber Phantom of the Opera Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus Chess David Evans Birds of Paradise Hugh Masekela & Mbongeni Ngema Sarafina! Stephen Sondheim Into the Woods
1990s [ edit] Year Composer Production 1990 Cy Coleman City of Angels Chet Forrest, Bob Wright & Maury Yeston Grand Hotel Ástor Piazzolla Dangerous Games David Shire Closer Than Ever Andrew Lloyd Webber Aspects of Love 1991 Cy Coleman The Will Rogers Follies David Bucknam The Waves William Finn Falsettoland Lucy Simon The Secret Garden Stephen Sondheim Assassins 1992 Erik Frandsen, Michael Garin, Robert Hipkins & Paul Lockheart Song of Singapore 1993 Marvin Hamlisch The Goodbye Girl John Kander Kiss of the Spider Woman Jeffrey Lunden Wings 1994 Stephen Sondheim Passion Michael John LaChiusa Hello Again Alan Menken Beauty and the Beast Polly Pen Christina Alberta's Father Tom Waits The Black Rider 1995 N/A 1996 Jonathan Larson Rent 1997 Cy Coleman The Life John Kander Steel Pier Jeanine Tesori Violet 1998 Stephen Flaherty Ragtime Paul Simon The Capeman Stephen Trask Hedwig and the Angry Inch Frank Wildhorn The Scarlet Pimpernel 1999 Jason Robert Brown Parade Cy Coleman Exactly Like You William Finn A New Brain Frank Wildhorn The Civil War
2000s [ edit] Year Composer Production 2000 Andrew Lippa The Wild Party Shaun Davey James Joyce's The Dead Stephen Sondheim Saturday Night 2001 David Yazbek The Full Monty Kirsten Childs The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin Stephen Flaherty Seussical Mark Hollmann Urinetown Ed Kleban A Class Act Laurence O'Keefe Bat Boy: The Musical 2002 Jason Robert Brown The Last Five Years Marvin Hamlisch Sweet Smell of Success Jonathan Larson Tick, Tick... BOOM! Jeanine Tesori Thoroughly Modern Millie 2003 Marc Shaiman Hairspray Tim Acito Zanna, Don't! Stephen Flaherty A Man of No Importance Michel Legrand Amour Robert Lopez & Jeff Marx Avenue Q Anderson Edwards, Keith Glover & Keb' Mo' Thunder Knocking on the Door 2004 Jeanine Tesori Caroline, or Change RaRa Avis & Andrew Yeater Ramayana 2K3 Boy George Taboo Eric Rockwell The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!) Stephen Schwartz Wicked Martin Silvestri & Joel Higgins Johnny Guitar 2005 Adam Guettel The Light in the Piazza Gary Adler & Michael Patrick Walker Altar Boyz Terry Davies Play Without Words William Finn The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Stephen Flaherty Dessa Rose David Yazbek Dirty Rotten Scoundrels 2006 Lisa Lambert & Greg Morrison The Drowsy Chaperone Stephen Dolginoff Thrill Me Scott Frankel Grey Gardens Michael John LaChiusa See What I Wanna See Peter Mills The Pursuit of Persephone Matthew Sklar The Wedding Singer 2007 Duncan Sheik Spring Awakening John Kander Curtains Paul Leschen & Gila Sand Twist: Please, Sir, May I Have Some More? Peter Rodgers Melnick Adrift in Macao Lin-Manuel Miranda In the Heights Laurence O'Keefe & Nell Benjamin Legally Blonde 2008 Heidi Rodewald & Stew Passing Strange John Bucchino A Catered Affair Stephen Flaherty The Glorious Ones Tom Kitt Next to Normal Mark Mulcahy The Slug Bearers of Kayrol Island Joshua Schmidt Adding Machine 2009 Elton John Billy Elliot the Musical Neil Bartram The Story of My Life Zina Goldrich Dear Edwina Dolly Parton 9 to 5 Stephen Sondheim Road Show Jeanine Tesori Shrek the Musical
2010s [ edit] Year Composer Production 2010 David Bryan Memphis Michael Friedman Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson Joe Iconis Bloodsong of Love John Kander & Fred Ebb The Scottsboro Boys Andrew Lippa The Addams Family Joseph Zellnik Yank! 2011 Trey Parker, Robert Lopez & Matt Stone The Book of Mormon Brad Alexander See Rock City & Other Destinations Alan Menken Sister Act Marc Shaiman Catch Me If You Can Mike Stoller & Artie Butler The People in the Picture David Yazbek Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown 2012 Alan Menken Newsies Glen Hansard & Markéta Irglová Once Michael John LaChiusa Queen of the Mist Alan Menken Leap of Faith Frank Wildhorn Bonnie & Clyde Maury Yeston Death Takes a Holiday 2013 David Byrne & Fatboy Slim Here Lies Love Trey Anastasio & Amanda Green Hands on a Hardbody Michael John LaChiusa Giant Dave Malloy Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 Benj Pasek & Justin Paul A Christmas Story: The Musical David Rossmer & Steve Rosen The Other Josh Cohen 2014 Jason Robert Brown The Bridges of Madison County Andrew Lippa Big Fish Steven Lutvak A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder Alan Menken Aladdin Kevin Murphy & Laurence O'Keefe Heathers: The Musical Jeanine Tesori Fun Home 2015 Lin-Manuel Miranda Hamilton Jason Robert Brown Honeymoon in Vegas Michael Friedman The Fortress of Solitude John Kander The Visit Dave Malloy Ghost Quartet Sting The Last Ship 2016 Steve Martin & Edie Brickell Bright Star Sara Bareilles Waitress Michael John LaChiusa First Daughter Suite Andrew Lloyd Webber School of Rock The Lobbyists SeaWife 2017 David Yazbek The Band's Visit Stephen Flaherty Anastasia Dave Malloy Beardo Richard Oberacker Bandstand Irene Sankoff & David Hein Come from Away 2018 David Friedman Desperate Measures The Bengsons The Lucky Ones Ben Caplan & Christian Barry Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story Erin McKeown Miss You Like Hell Helen Park & Max Vernon KPOP 2019 David Yazbek Tootsie Andrew R. Butler Rags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future Joe Iconis Be More Chill Peter Mills The Hello Girls Mark Sonnenblick Midnight at the Never Get Shaina Taub Twelfth Night
2020s [ edit] Year Composer Production 2020 Dave Malloy Octet Ross Golan The Wrong Man Michael R. Jackson A Strange Loop Joshua Rosenblum Einstein’s Dreams Duncan Sheik The Secret Life of Bees Jeanine Tesori Soft Power
Multiple wins [ edit] 5 wins Cy Coleman Stephen Sondheim 3 wins Al Carmines Jason Robert Brown Andrew Lloyd Webber David Yazbek
2 wins
Multiple nominations [ edit] 12 nominations 7 nominations 6 nominations Cy Coleman Stephen Flaherty Alan Menken Jeanine Tesori 5 nominations 4 nominations Jason Robert Brown Michael John LaChiusa Dave Malloy 3 nominations Marvin Hamlisch Andrew Lippa Laurence O'Keefe Charles Strouse Elizabeth Swados Maury Yeston Frank Wildhorn
2 nominations Al Carmines William Finn Michael Friedman Larry Grossman Jerry Herman Joe Iconis Michel Legrand Robert Lopez Galt MacDermot Peter Mills Lin-Manuel Miranda Polly Pen Marc Shaiman Duncan Sheik David Shire
See also [ edit] Tony Award for Best Original Score References [ edit] "Drama Desk Award for Music". Internet Broadway Database . 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-21 . External links [ edit] Drama Desk official website Al Carmines/Burt Bacharach (1969) Stephen Sondheim/Kurt Weill (1970) Stephen Sondheim (1971) Galt MacDermot (1972) Stephen Sondheim (1973) Al Carmines (1974) Charlie Smalls (1975) Marvin Hamlisch (1976) Cy Coleman (1977) Cy Coleman/Carol Hall (1978) Stephen Sondheim (1979) Andrew Lloyd Webber (1980) Maury Yeston (1982) Andrew Lloyd Webber (1983) Jerry Herman (1984) Larry Grossman (1985) Rupert Holmes (1986) Noel Gay/Claude-Michel Schönberg (1987) Andrew Lloyd Webber (1988) Cy Coleman (1990) Cy Coleman (1991) Erik Frandsen, Michael Garin, Paul Lockheart and Robert Hipkins (1992) Marvin Hamlisch (1993) Stephen Sondheim (1994) Jonathan Larson (1996) Cy Coleman (1997) Stephen Flaherty (1998) Jason Robert Brown (1999) Andrew Lippa (2000) David Yazbek (2001) Jason Robert Brown (2002) Marc Shaiman (2003) Jeanine Tesori (2004) Adam Guettel (2005) Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison (2006) Duncan Sheik (2007) Stew and Heidi Rodewald (2008) Elton John (2009) David Bryan (2010) Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone (2011) Alan Menken (2012) David Byrne and Fatboy Slim (2013) Jason Robert Brown (2014) Lin-Manuel Miranda (2015) Steve Martin and Edie Brickell (2016) David Yazbek (2017) David Friedman (2018) David Yazbek (2019) Dave Malloy (2020)
Play Revival of a Play Actor in a Play Actress in a Play Featured Actor in a Play Featured Actress in a Play Director of a Play Music in a Play Musical Revival of a Musical Actor in a Musical Actress in a Musical Featured Actor in a Musical Featured Actress in a Musical Director of a Musical Music Lyrics Book Orchestrations Choreography Scenic Design of a Musical Scenic Design of a Play Costume Design of a Musical Costume Design of a Play Lighting Design for a Musical Lighting Design for a Play Sound Design in a Musical Sound Design in a Play Solo Performance Unique Theatrical Experience Revue Projection Design Director Revival Set Design Costume Design Lighting Design Sound Design
