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 George Furth Company | |- ! rowspan="2" align="center"| 1971 |- style="background:#DCEEFF | Burt Shevelove| No, No, Nanette 1972 John Guare and Mel Shapiro Two Gentlemen of Verona 1973 Hugh Wheeler ''A Little Night Music | |- ! rowspan="2" align="center"| 1974 |- style="background:#DCEEFF | Hugh Wheeler| Candide | |- ! align="center"| 1975 | colspan="3" |- ! rowspan="4" align="center"| 1976 |- style="background:#DCEEFF | James Kirkwood Jr. and Nicholas Dante| A Chorus Line |rowspan=3| |- | Alfred Uhry | The Robber Bridegroom |- | John Weidman | Pacific Overtures |- ! rowspan="2" align="center"| 1977 |- style="background:#DCEEFF | Thomas Meehan| Annie | |- ! align="center"| 1978 | colspan="3" |- ! rowspan="2" align="center"| 1979 |- style="background:#DCEEFF | Hugh Wheeler| Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street''
1980s Year Writer Production Ref. 1980–1983 colspan="3" 1984 James Lapine Sunday in the Park with George |rowspan=3| |- | Harvey Fierstein | La Cage aux Folles |- | Garry Trudeau | Doonesbury |- ! rowspan="2" align="center"| 1985 |- style="background:#DCEEFF | Jerry Colker| Three Guys Naked from the Waist Down 1986 Rupert Holmes The Mystery of Edwin Drood Marta Kauffman, Seth Friedman and David Crane Personals Warren Leight Mayor 1987 L. Arthur Rose, Douglas Furber, Stephen Fry and Mike Ockrent ''Me and My Girl |rowspan=2| |- | Barry Harman | Olympus on My Mind |- ! rowspan="2" align="center"| 1988 |- style="background:#DCEEFF | James Lapine| Into the Woods'' 1989 colspan="3"
1990s Year Writer Production Ref. 1990 Larry Gelbart City of Angels | |- ! rowspan="3" align="center"| 1991 |- style="background:#DCEEFF | Marsha Norman| The Secret Garden |rowspan=2| |- | John Weidman | Assassins |- ! rowspan="2" align="center"| 1992 |- style="background:#DCEEFF | George C. Wolfe| Jelly's Last Jam 1993 colspan="3" 1994 James Lapine Passion Michael John LaChiusa Hello Again 1995 colspan="3" 1996 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 1997 colspan="2" 1998 Terrence McNally Ragtime 1999 Alfred Uhry Parade William Finn and James Lapine A New Brain
2000s Year Writer Production Ref. 2000 colspan="3" 2001 Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan The Producers |rowspan=5| |- | 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 |- ! rowspan="5" align="center"| 2002 |- style="background:#DCEEFF | 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 2003 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 2004 Winnie Holzman Wicked Tony Kushner Caroline, or Change 2005 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 2006 Bob Martin and Don McKellar The Drowsy Chaperone Rick Elice and Marshall Brickman Jersey Boys Doug Wright Grey Gardens 2007 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 2008 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 2009 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 Alex Timbers Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson |rowspan=6| |- | Joe DiPietro | Memphis |- | Joe Iconis | Bloodsong of Love |- | Dick Scanlan and Sherie Rene Scott | Everyday Rapture |- | David Thompson | The Scottsboro Boys |- | David Zellnik | Yank! |- ! rowspan="7" align="center"| 2011 |- style="background:#DCEEFF | 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 2012 Joe DiPietro Nice Work If You Can Get It |rowspan=6 align=center|
| 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 |- ! rowspan="7" align="center"| 2013 |- style="background:#DCEEFF | Dennis Kelly| Matilda the Musical |rowspan=6| |- | 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 |- ! rowspan="7" align="center"| 2014 |- style="background:#DCEEFF | Robert L. Freedman| A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder |rowspan=6 align=center|
| 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 |- ! rowspan="7" align="center"| 2015 |- style="background:#DCEEFF | Lin-Manuel Miranda| Hamilton |rowspan=6| |- | 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 |- ! rowspan="4" align="center"| 2016 |- style="background:#DCEEFF | John Caird| Daddy Long Legs Michael John LaChiusa First Daughter Suite Jessie Nelson Waitress 2017Irene Sankoff and David HeinCome from Away |rowspan=5| |- |Terrence McNally |Anastasia |- |Itamar Moses |The Band's Visit |- |Richard Oberacker and Rob Taylor |Bandstand |- |Joe Tracz |The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical |- ! rowspan="5" |2018 |- style="background:#DCEEFF |Tina Fey|Mean Girls |rowspan=4| |- |Kyle Jarrow |SpongeBob SquarePants |- |Peter Kellogg |Desperate Measures |- |Hannah Moscovitch |Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story |- ! rowspan="6" |2019 |- style="background:#DCEEFF |Robert Horn|TootsieScott Brown and Anthony KingBeetlejuice Andrew R. ButlerRags Parkland Sings the Songs of the FutureBob Martin and Chad BeguelinThe Prom Dominique MorisseauAin't Too Proud
2020s Year Writer Production Ref. 2020 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 2021 colspan="3" 2022 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 2023 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 & Juliet2024 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 2025 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 Her2026Brian Quijada and Nygel D. RobinsonMexodusEthan LiptonThe Seat of Our PantsDouglas LyonsBeau the MusicalJesse Malin and Lauren LudwigSilver ManhattanDahlak BrathwaiteTry/Step/Trip
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
See also
Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical
References