The Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical has been given since 1960. Before 1960 there was only one award for both play direction and musical direction, then in 1960 the award was split into two categories: Dramatic and Musical.
Winners and nominees 1950s
Year Production Director 1950 South Pacific Joshua Logan 1951 Guys and Dolls George S. Kaufman 1958 My Fair Lady Moss Hart
1960s Year Production Director 1960 Fiorello! George Abbott Destry Rides Again Michael Kidd Gypsy Jerome Robbins The Sound of Music Vincent J. Donehue Take Me Along Peter Glenville 1961 Bye Bye Birdie Gower Champion Do Re Mi Garson Kanin Irma La Douce Peter Brook 1962 How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying Abe Burrows All American Joshua Logan Carnival! Gower Champion No Strings Joe Layton 1963 A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum George Abbott Brigadoon John Fearnley Little Me Cy Feuer and Bob Fosse Oliver! Peter Coe 1964 Hello, Dolly! Gower Champion 110 in the Shade Joseph Anthony High Spirits Noël Coward She Loves Me Harold Prince 1965 Fiddler on the Roof Jerome Robbins Half a Sixpence Gene Saks Oh, What a Lovely War! Joan Littlewood The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd Anthony Newley 1966 Man of La Mancha Albert Marre Mame Gene Saks Skyscraper Cy Feuer Sweet Charity Bob Fosse 1967 Cabaret Harold Prince Annie Get Your Gun Jack Sydow The Apple Tree Mike Nichols I Do! I Do! Gower Champion 1968 The Happy Time Gower Champion Hallelujah, Baby! Burt Shevelove How Now, Dow Jones George Abbott Illya Darling Jules Dassin 1969 1776 Peter Hunt Hair Tom O'Horgan Promises, Promises Robert Moore Zorba Harold Prince
1970s Year Production Director 1970 Applause Ron Field Coco Michael Benthall Purlie Philip Rose 1971 Company Harold Prince The Me Nobody Knows Robert H. Livingston No, No, Nanette Burt Shevelove The Rothschilds Michael Kidd 1972 Follies Harold Prince and Michael Bennett Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death Gilbert Moses A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum Burt Shevelove Two Gentlemen of Verona Mel Shapiro 1973 Pippin Bob Fosse Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope Vinnette Carroll A Little Night Music Harold Prince Sugar Gower Champion 1974 Candide Harold Prince Over Here! Tom Moore Raisin Donald McKayle Seesaw Michael Bennett 1975 The Wiz Geoffrey Holder Gypsy Arthur Laurents Mack & Mabel Gower Champion The Magic Show Grover Dale 1976 A Chorus Line Michael Bennett Chicago Bob Fosse Pacific Overtures Harold Prince Very Good Eddie Bill Gile 1977 I Love My Wife Gene Saks Annie Martin Charnin Porgy and Bess Jack O'Brien Your Arms Too Short to Box with God Vinnette Carroll 1978 Ain't Misbehavin' Richard Maltby Jr. Dancin' Bob Fosse On the Twentieth Century Harold Prince Runaways Elizabeth Swados 1979 Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street Harold Prince Ballroom Michael Bennett The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas Peter Masterson and Tommy Tune They're Playing Our Song Robert Moore
1980s Year Production Director 1980 Evita Harold Prince Barnum Joe Layton A Day in Hollywood / A Night in the Ukraine Tommy Tune Sugar Babies Ernie Flatt and Rudy Tronto 1981 The Pirates of Penzance Wilford Leach 42nd Street Gower Champion Sophisticated Ladies Michael Smuin Woman of the Year Robert Moore 1982 Nine Tommy Tune Dreamgirls Michael Bennett The First Martin Charnin Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Tony Tanner 1983 Cats Trevor Nunn Merlin Ivan Reitman My One and Only Tommy Tune and Thommie Walsh Show Boat Michael Kahn 1984 La Cage aux Folles Arthur Laurents Baby Richard Maltby Jr. Sunday in the Park with George James Lapine The Tap Dance Kid Vivian Matalon 1985 Big River Des McAnuff Grind Harold Prince The King and I Mitch Leigh Quilters Barbara Damashek 1986 The Mystery of Edwin Drood Wilford Leach Big Deal Bob Fosse Song and Dance Richard Maltby Jr. Tango Argentino Héctor Orezzoli and Claudio Segovia 1987 Les Misérables John Caird and Trevor Nunn Me and My Girl Mike Ockrent The Mikado Brian Macdonald Starlight Express Trevor Nunn 1988 The Phantom of the Opera Harold Prince Anything Goes Jerry Zaks Into the Woods James Lapine Sarafina! Mbongeni Ngema 1989 Jerome Robbins' Broadway Jerome Robbins Black and Blue Héctor Orezzoli and Claudio Segovia Starmites Larry Carpenter Welcome to the Club Peter Mark Schifter
1990s Year Production Director 1990 Grand Hotel Tommy Tune Aspects of Love Trevor Nunn City of Angels Michael Blakemore Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street Susan H. Schulman 1991 The Will Rogers Follies Tommy Tune Miss Saigon Nicholas Hytner Once on This Island Graciela Daniele Those Were the Days Eleanor Reissa 1992 Guys and Dolls Jerry Zaks Crazy for You Mike Ockrent Falsettos James Lapine Jelly's Last Jam George C. Wolfe 1993 The Who's Tommy Des McAnuff Blood Brothers Bill Kenwright and Bob Tomson The Goodbye Girl Michael Kidd Kiss of the Spider Woman Harold Prince 1994 Carousel Nicholas Hytner Beauty and the Beast Robert Jess Roth Passion James Lapine She Loves Me Scott Ellis 1995 Show Boat Harold Prince How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying Des McAnuff Sunset Boulevard Trevor Nunn Smokey Joe's Cafe Jerry Zaks 1996 Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk George C. Wolfe A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum Jerry Zaks The King and I Christopher Renshaw Rent Michael Greif 1997 Chicago Walter Bobbie Juan Darién Julie Taymor The Life Michael Blakemore Steel Pier Scott Ellis 1998 The Lion King Julie Taymor Cabaret Rob Marshall and Sam Mendes Ragtime Frank Galati 1776 Scott Ellis 1999 Swan Lake Matthew Bourne Fosse Richard Maltby Jr. and Ann Reinking Parade Harold Prince You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown Michael Mayer
2000s Year Production Director 2000 Kiss Me, Kate Michael Blakemore Contact Susan Stroman The Music Man Swing! Lynne Taylor-Corbett 2001 The Producers Susan Stroman 42nd Street Mark Bramble The Full Monty Jack O'Brien The Rocky Horror Show Christopher Ashley 2002 Urinetown John Rando Into the Woods James Lapine Oklahoma! Trevor Nunn Thoroughly Modern Millie Michael Mayer 2003 Hairspray Jack O'Brien La bohème Baz Luhrmann Movin' Out Twyla Tharp Nine David Leveaux 2004 Assassins Joe Mantello Avenue Q Jason Moore Caroline, or Change George C. Wolfe Wonderful Town Kathleen Marshall 2005 Monty Python's Spamalot Mike Nichols Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Jack O'Brien The Light in the Piazza Bartlett Sher The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee James Lapine 2006 Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street John Doyle The Drowsy Chaperone Casey Nicholaw Jersey Boys Des McAnuff The Pajama Game Kathleen Marshall 2007 Spring Awakening Michael Mayer Company John Doyle Curtains Scott Ellis Grey Gardens Michael Greif 2008 Rogers & Hammerstein's South Pacific Bartlett Sher Gypsy Arthur Laurents In the Heights Thomas Kail Sunday in the Park with George Sam Buntrock 2009 Billy Elliot the Musical Stephen Daldry Hair Diane Paulus Next to Normal Michael Greif Rock of Ages Kristin Hanggi
2010s Year Production Director 2010 La Cage aux Folles Terry Johnson Fela! Bill T. Jones Memphis Christopher Ashley Ragtime Marcia Milgrom Dodge 2011 The Book of Mormon Casey Nicholaw and Trey Parker Anything Goes Kathleen Marshall How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying Rob Ashford The Scottsboro Boys Susan Stroman 2012 Once John Tiffany Newsies Jeff Calhoun Nice Work If You Can Get It Kathleen Marshall Porgy and Bess Diane Paulus 2013 Pippin Diane Paulus Kinky Boots Jerry Mitchell Matilda the Musical Matthew Warchus The Mystery of Edwin Drood Scott Ellis 2014 A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder Darko Tresnjak After Midnight Warren Carlyle Hedwig and the Angry Inch Michael Mayer Violet Leigh Silverman 2015 Fun Home Sam Gold An American in Paris Christopher Wheeldon The King and I Bartlett Sher On the Town John Rando Something Rotten! Casey Nicholaw 2016 Hamilton Thomas Kail The Color Purple John Doyle She Loves Me Scott Ellis Shuffle Along, or, the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed George C. Wolfe Spring Awakening Michael Arden 2017 Come from Away Christopher Ashley Dear Evan Hansen Michael Greif Groundhog Day Matthew Warchus Hello, Dolly! Jerry Zaks Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 Rachel Chavkin 2018 The Band's Visit David Cromer Mean Girls Casey Nicholaw My Fair Lady Bartlett Sher Once on This Island Michael Arden SpongeBob SquarePants Tina Landau 2019 Hadestown Rachel Chavkin Ain't Too Proud Des McAnuff Oklahoma! Daniel Fish The Prom Casey Nicholaw Tootsie Scott Ellis
2020s Year Production Director 2020 Moulin Rouge! The Musical Alex Timbers Jagged Little Pill Diane Paulus Tina: The Tina Turner Musical Phyllida Lloyd 2022 Company Marianne Elliott Girl from the North Country Conor McPherson MJ Christopher Wheeldon SIX: The Musical Lucy Moss and Jamie Armitage A Strange Loop Stephen Brackett 2023 Parade Michael Arden Into the Woods Lear deBessonet Kimberly Akimbo Jessica Stone Shucked Jack O'Brien Some Like It Hot Casey Nicholaw 2024 The Outsiders Danya TaymorHell's KitchenMichael Greif Merrily We Roll Along Maria FriedmanSuffs Leigh SilvermanWater for Elephants Jessica Stone 2025Maybe Happy Ending Michael Arden Buena Vista Social Club Saheem AliDead Outlaw David Cromer Death Becomes Her Christopher GattelliSunset Blvd. Jamie Lloyd 2026Cats: The Jellicle Ball Zhailon Levingston and Bill RauchThe Lost Boys Michael Arden Ragtime Lear deBessonetSchmigadoon! Christopher Gattelli Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) Tim Jackson
Multiple wins
8 Wins Harold Prince
3 Wins Gower Champion Tommy Tune
2 Wins George Abbott Michael Arden Michael Bennett Wilford Leach Des McAnuff Trevor Nunn Jerome Robbins
Multiple nominations
16 Nominations Harold Prince
8 Nominations Gower Champion
7 Nominations Scott Ellis
6 Nominations Bob Fosse James Lapine Casey Nicholaw Trevor Nunn Tommy Tune
5 Nominations Michael Arden Michael Bennett Michael Greif Des McAnuff Jack O'Brien Jerry Zaks
4 Nominations Richard Maltby Jr. Kathleen Marshall Michael Mayer Diane Paulus Bartlett Sher Susan Stroman George C. Wolfe
3 Nominations George Abbott Christopher Ashley Michael Blakemore John Doyle Michael Kidd Arthur Laurents Robert Moore Jerome Robbins Gene Saks Burt Shevelove
2 Nominations Lear deBessonet Vinnette Carroll Martin Charnin Rachel Chavkin David Cromer Cy Feuer Christopher Gattelli Nicholas Hytner Thomas Kail Joe Layton Wilford Leach Joshua Logan Mike Nichols Mike Ockrent Hector Orezzoli John Rando Claudio Segovia Leigh Silverman Jessica Stone Julie Taymor Matthew Warchus Christopher Wheeldon
Female winners and nominees Out of 26 women nominated for 41 musicals, only 6 women have won this award for 6 musicals:Clement, Olivia. "Can You Name the 9 Trailblazing Women Who Won Tony Awards for Directing?" Playbill, September 28, 2017
Bold represents winner