Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics

The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics is an annual award presented by Drama Desk in recognition of achievements in musical theatre across collective Broadway, off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway productions in New York City.

Drama Desk Award
for Outstanding Lyrics
Awarded forOutstanding Lyrics
LocationNew York City
CountryUnited States
Presented byDrama Desk
First awarded1969
Currently held byDavid Yazbek and Erik Della Penna for Dead Outlaw (2024)
Websitedramadesk.org (defunct)

Stephen Sondheim holds the record for most wins and nominations for the award, with ten wins out of twelve nominations.

Winners and nominees

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1960s

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Year Lyricist Production
1969
George Haimsohn & Robin Miller Dames at Sea
Fred Ebb Zorba

1970s

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Year Lyricist Production
1970
Stephen Sondheim Company
Bertolt Brecht Mahagonny
1971
Stephen Sondheim Follies
1972
John Guare 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
Edward Kleban & Marvin Hamlisch A Chorus Line
Leonard Bernstein 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Bill Heyer & Hank Beebe Tuscaloosa's Calling Me
Stephen Sondheim Pacific Overtures
1977
Martin Charnin Annie
Alfred Uhry The Robber Bridegroom
1978
Carol Hall The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
Elizabeth Swados Runaways
1979
Stephen Sondheim Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Gretchen Cryer I'm Getting My Act Together and Taking It on the Road

1980s

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Year Lyricist Production
1980
Tim Rice Evita
Steve Brown Strider
1981
1982
Stephen Sondheim Merrily We Roll Along
Maury Yeston Nine
Tom Eyen Dreamgirls
Jim Wann Pump Boys and Dinettes
1983
Howard Ashman Little Shop of Horrors
Michael Colby Charlotte Sweet
T.S. Eliot Cats
Des McAnuff Death of Von Richthofen
1984
Stephen Sondheim Sunday in the Park with George
Jerry Herman La Cage aux Folles
Richard Maltby Jr. Baby
Garry Trudeau Doonesbury
1985
Roger Miller Big River
Jerry Colker 3 Guys Naked from the Waist Down
Ellen Fitzhugh Grind
1986, 1987
1988
Stephen Sondheim Into the Woods
Barry Harman Romance/Romance
1989

1990s

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Year Lyricist Production
1990
David Zippel City of Angels
Richard Maltby Jr. Closer Than Ever
Chet Forrest, Bob Wright & Maury Yeston Grand Hotel
1991
William Finn Falsettoland
Marsha Norman The Secret Garden
Stephen Sondheim Assassins
1992
Susan Birkenhead Jelly's Last Jam
Erik Frandsen, Michael Garin, Robert Hipkins & Paul Lockheart Song of Singapore
1993
Joel Paley Ruthless!
Douglas Bernstein & Denis Markell A Backer's Audition
Arthur Perlman Wings
David Zippel The Goodbye Girl
1994
Stephen Sondheim Passion
Howard Ashman & Tim Rice Beauty and the Beast
Michael John LaChiusa Hello Again
1995
1996
Jonathan Larson Rent
1997
Gerard Alessandrini Forbidden Broadway Strikes Back
Brian Crawley Violet
Mark Waldrop When Pigs Fly
1998
Lynn Ahrens Ragtime
Stephen Trask Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Susan Birkenhead Triumph of Love
1999
Gerard Alessandrini Forbidden Broadway Cleans Up Its Act
Jason Robert Brown Parade
William Finn A New Brain

2000s

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Year Lyricist Production
2000
Stephen Sondheim Saturday Night
Boyd Graham The Big Bang
Jordan Allen-Dutton, Jason Catalano & GQ The Bomb-itty of Errors
Andrew Lippa The Wild Party
2001
Mel Brooks The Producers
Kirsten Childs The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin
Mark Hollmann & Greg Kotis Urinetown
Ed Kleban A Class Act
Laurence O'Keefe Bat Boy: The Musical
David Yazbek The Full Monty
2002
Jason Robert Brown The Last Five Years
Craig Carnelia Sweet Smell of Success
Jonathan Larson Tick, Tick... BOOM!
Kevin Murphy Reefer Madness
Dick Scanlan Thoroughly Modern Millie
Ben Schatz Dragapella Starring The Kinsey Sicks
2003
Marc Shaiman & Scott Wittman Hairspray
Tim Acito & Alexander Dinelaris Zanna, Don't!
Lynn Ahrens A Man of No Importance
Craig Carnelia Imaginary Friends
Robert Lopez & Jeff Marx Avenue Q
Jeremy Sams & Didier van Cauwelaert Amour
2004
Stephen Schwartz Wicked
Joanne Bogart The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!)
Boy George Taboo
Sean Hartley Cupid and Psyche
Joel Higgins Johnny Guitar
2005
Eric Idle Spamalot
Gary Adler & Michael Patrick Walker Altar Boyz
Douglas J. Cohen Children's Letters to God
Rick Crom Newsical
William Finn The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
David Yazbek Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
2006
Lisa Lambert & Greg Morrison The Drowsy Chaperone
Chad Beguelin The Wedding Singer
Mark Campbell Songs from an Unmade Bed
Ryan Cunningham I Love You Because
Michael Korie Grey Gardens
Michael John LaChiusa See What I Wanna See
2007
Steven Sater Spring Awakening
Fred Ebb, Rupert Holmes & John Kander Curtains
Lin-Manuel Miranda In the Heights
Nell Benjamin & Laurence O'Keefe Legally Blonde
Mark Eaton, Elaina Newport & William Strauss Capitol Steps
Marc Shaiman & Scott Wittman Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me
2008
Stew Passing Strange
Lynn Ahrens The Glorious Ones
Mel Brooks Young Frankenstein
John Bucchino A Catered Affair
Ben Katchor The Slug Bearers of Kayrol Island
Jason Loewith & Joshua Schmidt Adding Machine
2009
Stephen Sondheim Road Show
Neil Bartram The Story of My Life
Jason Robert Brown 13
Marcy Heisler Dear Edwina
David Lindsay-Abaire Shrek the Musical
Dolly Parton 9 to 5

2010s

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Year Lyricist Production
2010
Fred Ebb & John Kander The Scottsboro Boys
Rick Crom Newsical
Kevin Del Aguila Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type
Adèle Anderson & Dillie Keane Fascinating Aïda
Andrew Lippa The Addams Family
David Zellnik Yank!
2011
Trey Parker, Robert Lopez & Matt Stone The Book of Mormon
Rick Crom Newsical The Musical – Full Spin Ahead
Jack Lechner The Kid
Adam Mathias See Rock City & Other Destinations
Glenn Slater Sister Act
Marc Shaiman & Scott Wittman Catch Me If You Can
2012
Glen Hansard & Markéta Irglová Once
Don Black Bonnie & Clyde
Jack Feldman Newsies
Joy Gregory & Gunnar Madsen The Shaggs: Philosophy of the World
Michael John LaChiusa Queen of the Mist
Maury Yeston Death Takes a Holiday
2013
Tim Minchin Matilda the Musical
Amanda Green Hands on a Hardbody
Green & Lin-Manuel Miranda Bring It On: The Musical
Michael John LaChiusa Giant
Dave Malloy Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812
Steve Rosen & David Rossmer The Other Josh Cohen
2014
Robert L. Freedman & Steven Lutvak A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
Howard Ashman, Chad Beguelin & Tim Rice Aladdin
Jason Robert Brown The Bridges of Madison County
Michael Friedman Love's Labour's Lost
Michael Korie Far from Heaven
Lisa Kron Fun Home
2015
Lin-Manuel Miranda Hamilton
Jason Robert Brown Honeymoon in Vegas
Fred Ebb The Visit
Michael Friedman The Fortress of Solitude
Karey & Wayne Kirkpatrick Something Rotten!
Benjamin Scheuer The Lion
2016
Benj Pasek & Justin Paul Dear Evan Hansen
Sara Bareilles Waitress
Glenn Slater School of Rock
Michael John LaChiusa First Daughter Suite
2017
David Yazbek The Band's Visit
Gerard Alessandrini Spamilton
GQ & JAQ Othello: The Remix
Michael Korie War Paint
David Hein & Irene Sankoff Come from Away
2018
Peter Kellogg Desperate Measures
Nell Benjamin Mean Girls
Quiara Alegría Hudes & Erin McKeown Miss You Like Hell
Helen Park & Max Vernon KPOP
2019
David Yazbek Tootsie
Chad Beguelin The Prom
Andrew R. Butler Rags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future
Joe Iconis Be More Chill
Peter Mills The Hello Girls

2020s

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Year Lyricist Production
2020
Michael R. Jackson A Strange Loop
Susan Birkenhead The Secret Life of Bees
Adam Gwon Scotland, PA
Joanne Sydney Lessner & Joshua Rosenblum Einstein's Dreams
Dave Malloy Octet
Mark Saltzman Romeo & Bernadette
2021 No awards: New York theatres shuttered, March 2020 to September 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City[1]
2022
Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss Six
Amanda Green Mr. Saturday Night
Taylor Mac The Hang
David Lindsay-Abaire Kimberly Akimbo
Lynn Nottage Intimate Apparel
Shaina Taub Suffs
2023
Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman Some Like It Hot
Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally Shucked
Jonathan Hogue Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical
Michael R. Jackson White Girl in Danger
Adam Schlesinger and Sarah Silverman The Bedwetter
2024[2]
David Yazbek and Erik Della Penna Dead Outlaw
Rachel Bloom, Eli Bolin, and Jack Dolgen Rachel Bloom: Death, Let Me Do My Show
Jason Robert Brown The Connector
Michael R. Jackson Teeth
Jamestown Revival (Jonathan Clay and Zach Chance) and Justin Levine The Outsiders

Multiple wins

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10 wins
2 wins

Multiple nominations

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Evans, Greg (2021-05-05). "Broadway To Reopen Sept. 14, Says Gov. Andrew Cuomo; Broadway League "Cautiously Optimistic"". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 2023-06-02. Retrieved 2023-12-03.
  2. ^ "Stereophonic Leads 2024 Drama Desk Awards with 7 Wins Including Outstanding Play - Playbill.com". 2024-06-10. Retrieved 2024-06-13.