The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Performance in 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.
From 1955 to 1974, acting awards were given only for lead performances, without making distinctions between roles in plays and musicals, nor between actors and actresses. From 1975 to 2022, acting awards were presented in eight categories: separate categories by gender; further divided by lead or featured performer; producing four acting awards each for plays and musicals.
In 2023, the Drama Desk organization announced that, starting with that year's awards, the eight acting categories had been retired and replaced with four gender neutral categories with twice the winners and nominees: separate categories by lead or featured performer; producing two acting categories each for plays and musicals. The former awards for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical and Featured Actress in a Musical were merged to create this Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical category.
Winners and nominees Key
2020s YearActorTitleCharacterRef.2023Kevin Del AguilaSome Like It HotOsgood Fielding IIIAlex NewellShuckedLuluKevin CahoonShuckedPeanutRobyn HurderA Beautiful NoiseMarcia MurpheyMark JacobyA Beautiful NoiseNeil Diamond (Now)Tarra Conner JonesWhite Girl in DangerNell GibbsJulia LesterInto the WoodsLittle Red Riding HoodDaniel RadcliffeMerrily We Roll AlongCharley KringasPhillipa SooInto the WoodsCinderellaMare WinninghamA Man of No ImportanceLilly Byrne2024Kecia LewisHell's KitchenMiss Liza JaneBebe NeuwirthCabaretFräulein SchneiderShoshana BeanHell's KitchenJerseyNatalie Venetia BelconBuena Vista Social ClubOmara PortuondoDorian HarewoodThe NotebookOlder Noah CalhounLeslie Rodriguez KritzerSpamalotLady of the LakeSteven PasqualeTeethPastor Bill O'KeefeMaryann PlunkettThe NotebookOlder Allison "Allie" CalhounThom SesmaDead OutlawThomas NoguchiEmily SkinnerSuffsAlva Belmont / Phoebe Burn 2025Brooks Ashmanskas Smash Nigel Jak Malone Operation Mincemeat Hester Leggatt & others Michael Urie Once Upon a Mattress Prince Dauntless Nicholas Barasch Pirates! The Penzance Musical Frederic André De Shields Cats: "The Jellicle Ball" Old Deuteronomy John El-Jor We Live in Cairo Karim Jason Gotay Floyd Collins Homer Collins Gracie Lawrence Just in Time Connie Francis Lesli Margherita Gypsy Tessie Tura Zachary Noah Piser See What I Wanna See The Janitor and A Priest Jenny Lee Stern Forbidden Broadway: Merrily We Stole a Song Performer Natalie Walker The Big Gay Jamboree Flora2026Judy KuhnThe Baker's WifeDeniseBen Levi RossRagtimeYounger BrotherChris BlissetBeau the MusicalBeauMax ClaytonSchmigadoon!Danny BaileyLilli CooperThe 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling BeeRona Lisa PerettiStephanie HsuThe Rocky Horror ShowJanetMcKenzie KurtzSchmigadoon!BetsyRuthie Ann MilesThe Seat of Our PantsMrs. AntrobusErin MortonHeathers: The MusicalMartha DunnstockJackson Kanawha PerrySaturday ChurchRaymondJasmine Amy RogersThe 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling BeeOlive OstrovskyLayton WilliamsTitaniqueThe Seaman/Iceberg
References