The Tony Award for Best Play (formally, an Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre) is an annual award given to the best new (non-musical) play on Broadway, as determined by Tony Award voters. There was no award in the Tonys' first year. The award goes to the authors and the producers of the play. Plays that have appeared in previous Broadway productions are instead eligible for Best Revival of a Play.
Award winners Legend:† marks winners of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama
* marks finalists of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama
1940s Year Production Author Producers 1948 Mister Roberts Thomas Heggen and Joshua Logan Leland Hayward 1949 Death of a Salesman † Arthur Miller Kermit Bloomgarden and Walter Fried
1950s Year Production Author Producers 1950 The Cocktail Party T. S. Eliot Gilbert Miller 1951 The Rose Tattoo Tennessee Williams Cheryl Crawford 1952 The Fourposter Jan de Hartog 1953 The Crucible Arthur Miller Kermit Bloomgarden 1954 The Teahouse of the August Moon † John Patrick Maurice Evans and George Schaefer 1955 The Desperate Hours Joseph Hayes Howard Erskine and Joseph Hayes 1956 The Diary of Anne Frank † Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett Kermit Bloomgarden Bus Stop William Inge Robert Whitehead and Roger L. Stevens Cat on a Hot Tin Roof † Tennessee Williams The Playwrights' Company The Chalk Garden Enid Bagnold Irene Mayer Selznick Tiger at the Gates Jean Giraudoux, adapted by Christopher Fry Robert L. Joseph, The Playwrights' Company and Henry M. Margolis 1957 Long Day's Journey into Night † Eugene O'Neill Leigh Connell, Theodore Mann and José Quintero The Potting Shed Graham Greene Carmen Capalbo and Stanley Chase Separate Tables Terence Rattigan The Producers Theatre and Hecht-Lancaster The Waltz of the Toreadors Jean Anouilh, translated by Lucienne Hill The Producers Theatre and Robert Whitehead 1958 Sunrise at Campobello Dore Schary Lawrence Langner, Theresa Helburn, Armina Marshall and Dore Schary The Dark at the Top of the Stairs William Inge Saint Subber and Elia Kazan Look Back in Anger John Osborne David Merrick Look Homeward, Angel † Ketti Frings Kermit Bloomgarden and Theatre 200 Inc. Romanoff and Juliet Peter Ustinov David Merrick The Rope Dancers Morton Wishengrad The Playwrights' Company and Gilbert Miller Time Remembered Jean Anouilh, English version by Patricia Moyes The Playwrights' Company in association with Milton Sperling Two for the Seesaw William Gibson Fred Coe 1959 J.B. † Archibald MacLeish Alfred de Liagre Jr. The Disenchanted Harvey Breit and Budd Schulberg William Darrid and Eleanor Saidenberg Epitaph for George Dillon John Osborne and Anthony Creighton David Merrick and Joshua Logan A Touch of the Poet Eugene O'Neill The Producers Theatre, Robert Whitehead and Roger L. Stevens The Visit Friedrich Dürrenmatt, adapted by Maurice Valency The Producers Theatre
1960s Year Production Author Producers 1960 The Miracle Worker William Gibson Fred Coe The Best Man Gore Vidal The Playwrights' Company A Raisin in the Sun Lorraine Hansberry Philip Rose and David J. Cogan The Tenth Man Paddy Chayefsky Saint Subber and Arthur Cantor Toys in the Attic Lillian Hellman Kermit Bloomgarden 1961 Becket Jean Anouilh, translated by Lucienne Hill David Merrick All the Way Home † Tad Mosel Fred Coe in association with Arthur Cantor The Devil's Advocate Dore Schary Dore Schary The Hostage Brendan Behan Leonard S. Field and Caroline Burke Swann 1962 A Man for All Seasons Robert Bolt Robert Whitehead and Roger L. Stevens The Caretaker Harold Pinter Roger L. Stevens, Frederick Brisson and Gilbert Miller Gideon Paddy Chayefsky Fred Coe and Arthur Cantor The Night of the Iguana Tennessee Williams Charles Bowden and Viola Rubber 1963 Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Edward Albee Theatre 1963, Richard Barr and Clinton Wilder Mother Courage and Her Children Bertolt Brecht, adapted by Eric Bentley Cheryl Crawford and Jerome Robbins Tchin-Tchin Sidney Michaels David Merrick A Thousand Clowns Herb Gardner Fred Coe and Arthur Cantor 1964 Luther John Osborne David Merrick The Ballad of the Sad Cafe Edward Albee Lewis Allen and Ben Edwards Barefoot in the Park Neil Simon Saint Subber Dylan Sidney Michaels George W. George and Frank Granat 1965 The Subject Was Roses † Frank D. Gilroy Edgar Lansbury Luv Murray Schisgal Clair Nichtern The Odd Couple Neil Simon Saint Subber Tiny Alice Edward Albee Theatre 1965, Richard Barr and Clinton Wilder 1966 Marat/Sade Peter Weiss, English version by Geoffrey Skelton David Merrick Arts Foundation Inadmissible Evidence John Osborne David Merrick Arts Foundation Philadelphia, Here I Come! Brian Friel The Right Honourable Gentleman Michael Dyne Peter Cookson, Amy Lynn and Walter Schwimmer 1967 The Homecoming Harold Pinter Alexander H. Cohen Black Comedy Peter Shaffer Alexander H. Cohen A Delicate Balance † Edward Albee Theatre 1967, Richard Barr and Clinton Wilder The Killing of Sister George Frank Marcus Helen Bonfils and Morton Gottlieb 1968 Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead Tom Stoppard David Merrick Arts Foundation Joe Egg Peter Nichols Joseph Cates and Henry Fownes Plaza Suite Neil Simon Saint Subber The Price Arthur Miller Robert Whitehead 1969 The Great White Hope † Howard Sackler Herman Levin Hadrian VII Peter Luke Lester Osterman Productions, Bill Freedman and Charles Kasher Lovers Brian Friel Helen Bonfils and Morton Gottlieb The Man in the Glass Booth Robert Shaw Glasshouse Productions and Peter Bridge, Ivor David Balding Associates Ltd. and Edward M. Meyers with Leslie Ogden
1970s Year Production Author Producers 1970 Borstal Boy Frank McMahon Michael McAloney and Burton C. Kaiser Child's Play Robert Marasco David Merrick Indians Arthur Kopit Lyn Austin, Oliver Smith, Joel Schenker and Roger L. Stevens The Last of the Red Hot Lovers Neil Simon Saint Subber 1971 Sleuth Anthony Shaffer Helen Bonfils, Morton Gottlieb and Michael White Home David Storey Alexander H. Cohen The Philanthropist Christopher Hampton David Merrick Story Theatre Paul Sills Zev Buffman 1972 Sticks and Bones David Rabe New York Shakespeare Festival and Joseph Papp Old Times Harold Pinter Roger L. Stevens The Prisoner of Second Avenue Neil Simon Saint Subber Vivat! Vivat Regina! Robert Bolt David Merrick and Arthur Cantor 1973 That Championship Season † Jason Miller New York Shakespeare Festival and Joseph Papp Butley Simon Gray Lester Osterman and Richard Horner The Changing Room David Storey Charles Bowden, Lee Reynolds and Isobel Robins The Sunshine Boys Neil Simon Emanuel Azenberg and Eugene V. Wolsk 1974 The River Niger Joseph A. Walker Negro Ensemble Company Inc. The Au Pair Man Hugh Leonard Joseph Papp In the Boom Boom Room David Rabe Ulysses in Nighttown Marjorie Barkentin Alexander H. Cohen and Bernard Delfont 1975 Equus Peter Shaffer Kermit Bloomgarden and Doris Abrahams The National Health Peter Nichols Circle in the Square Same Time, Next Year Bernard Slade Morton Gottlieb Seascape † Edward Albee Richard Barr, Charles Woodward and Clinton Wilder Short Eyes Miguel Pinero Joseph Papp and New York Shakespeare Festival Sizwe Banzi Is Dead / The Island Athol Fugard, John Kani and Winston Ntshona Hillard Elkins, Lester Osterman Productions, Bernard Delfont and Michael White 1976 Travesties Tom Stoppard David Merrick, Doris Abrahams and Burry Fredrik in association with S. Spencer Davids and Eddie Kulukundis The First Breeze of Summer Leslie Lee Negro Ensemble Company Inc. Knock Knock Jules Feiffer Harry Rigby and Terry Allen Kramer Lamppost Reunion Louis La Russo Joe Garofalo 1977 The Shadow Box Michael Cristofer Allan Francis, Ken Marsolais, Lester Osterman and Leonard Soloway For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf Ntozake Shange Joseph Papp Otherwise Engaged Simon Gray Michael Codron, Frank Milton and James M. Nederlander Streamers David Rabe Joseph Papp 1978 Da Hugh Leonard Lester Osterman, Marilyn Strauss and Marc Howard Chapter Two Neil Simon Emanuel Azenberg Deathtrap Ira Levin Alfred De Liagre Jr. and Roger L. Stevens The Gin Game † Donald L. Coburn The Shubert Organization, Hume Cronyn and Mike Nichols 1979 The Elephant Man Bernard Pomerance Richmond Crinkley, Elizabeth Ireland McCann and Nelle Nugent Bedroom Farce Alan Ayckbourn Robert Whitehead, Roger L. Stevens, George W. George and Frank Milton Whose Life Is It Anyway? Brian Clark Emanuel Azenberg, James Nederlander and Ray Cooney Wings Arthur Kopit John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
1980s