Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical (Drama Desk Award)

Drama Desk Award

The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical is an annual award presented by Drama Desk in recognition of achievements in the theatre among Broadway, Off Broadway and Off-Off Broadway productions. The awards were established in 1955, with the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director being presented to directors of both plays and musicals. The new award categories were later created in the 1975 ceremony. † - indicates the performance won the Tony Award ‡ - indicates the performance was also nominated for the Tony Award

Check all the winners of Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical presented under Drama Desk Award since 1975 .

Videos

Drama Desk Awards 2014

Darko Tresnjak

Honored for : A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder

Nominations 2014 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
Sam Gold	Fun Home
Michael Mayer	Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Bartlett Sher	The Bridges of Madison County
Susan Stroman	Bullets Over Broadway
Alex Timbers	Rocky
Darko Tresnjak	A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder

Diane Paulus

Honored for : Pippin

Nominations 2013 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
Diane Paulus	Pippin
Alex Timbers	Here Lies Love
Emma Rice	The Wild Bride
John Doyle	Passion
Rachel Chavkin	Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812
Andy Blankenbuehler	Bring It On: The Musical
Matthew Warchus	Matilda the Musical

John Tiffany

Honored for : Once

Nominations 2012 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
John Tiffany	Once
Christopher Ashley	Leap of Faith
Jack Cummings III	Queen of the Mist
Doug Hughes	Death Takes a Holiday
Kathleen Marshall	Nice Work If You Can Get It
Eric D. Schaeffer	Follies

Casey Nicholaw, Trey Parker

Honored for : The Book of Mormon

Nominations 2011 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
Rob Ashford	How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Joe Calarco	In Transit
Jack Cummings III	Hello Again
Jack Cummings III	See Rock City & Other Destinations
Kathleen Marshall	Anything Goes
Casey Nicholaw	The Book of Mormon
Trey Parker	The Book of Mormon

Michael Mayer

Honored for : American Idiot

Nominations 2010 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
Michael Mayer	American Idiot
Warren Carlyle	Finian's Rainbow
Marcia Milgrom Dodge	Ragtime
Igor Goldin	Yank!
Terry Johnson	La Cage aux Folles
Susan Stroman	The Scottsboro Boys

Stephen Daldry

Honored for : Billy Elliot: The Musical

Nominations 2009 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
Stuart Ross	Enter Laughing The Musical
Joe Mantello	9 to 5
Diane Paulus	Hair
Walter Bobbie	Irving Berlin's White Christmas
Jason Moore	Shrek the Musical
Stephen Daldry	Billy Elliot: The Musical

Bartlett Sher

Honored for : South Pacific

Nominations 2008 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
Bartlett Sher	South Pacific
Christopher Ashley	Xanadu
Sam Buntrock	Sunday in the Park with George
David Cromer	Adding Machine
John Doyle	A Catered Affair
Bob McGrath	The Slug Bearers of Kayrol Island

Michael Mayer

Honored for : Spring Awakening

Nominations 2007 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
Michael Mayer	Spring Awakening
Thomas Kail	In the Heights
Alex Timbers	Gutenberg! The Musical!
John Doyle	Company
Jerry Mitchell	Legally Blonde: The Musical
Harold Prince	LoveMusik

John Doyle

Honored for : Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Nominations 2006 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
John Doyle	Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Michael Greif	Grey Gardens
Daniele Finzi Pasca	Rain
Des McAnuff	Jersey Boys
Casey Nicholaw	The Drowsy Chaperone
Kathleen Marshall	The Pajama Game

James Lapine

Honored for : The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Nominations 2005 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
James Lapine	The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Matthew Bourne	Play Without Words
Jack Cummings III	The Audience
Mark Dornford-May	The Mysteries
Mike Nichols	Spamalot
Bartlett Sher	The Light in the Piazza

Joe Mantello

Honored for : Wicked

Nominations 2004 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
Joe Mantello	Wicked
Pamela Hunt	The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!)
Joe Mantello	Assassins
Jeff Calhoun	Big River
George C. Wolfe	Caroline, or Change
Kathleen Marshall	Wonderful Town

Jack O'Brien

Honored for : Hairspray

Nominations 2003 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
Jack O'Brien	Hairspray
Joe Mantello	A Man of No Importance
Baz Luhrmann	La Bohème
Twyla Tharp	Movin' Out
David Leveaux	Nine

Michael Mayer

Honored for : Thoroughly Modern Millie

Nominations 2002 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
Michael Mayer	Thoroughly Modern Millie
Scott Schwartz	Tick, Tick... Boom!
George C. Wolfe	Elaine Stritch: At Liberty
James Lapine	Into the Woods
Trevor Nunn	Oklahoma!
Nicholas Hytner	Sweet Smell of Success

Susan Stroman

Honored for : The Producers

Nominations 2001 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
Wilfredo Medina	The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin
Scott Schwartz	Bat Boy: The Musical
Susan Stroman	The Producers
Jack O'Brien	The Full Monty
Christopher Ashley	The Rocky Horror Show
John Rando	Urinetown

Michael Blakemore

Honored for : Kiss Me, Kate

Nominations 2000 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
Michael Blakemore	Kiss Me, Kate
Susan Stroman	Contact","The Music Man
Gabriel Barre	The Wild Party

Matthew Bourne

Honored for : Swan Lake

Nominations 1999 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
Matthew Bourne	Swan Lake
Graciela Daniele	A New Brain
Richard Maltby, Jr.	Fosse
Ann Reinking	Fosse
Harold Prince	Parade
Michael Mayer	You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown

Julie Taymor

Honored for : The Lion King

Nominations 1998 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
Julie Taymor	The Lion King
Scott Ellis	1776
Rob Marshall	Cabaret
Sam Mendes	Cabaret
Frank Galati	Ragtime

Walter Bobbie

Honored for : Chicago

Nominations 1997 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
Walter Bobbie	Chicago
Susan H. Schulman	Violet
Mark Waldrop	Howard Crabtree's When Pigs Fly
Scott Ellis	Steel Pier
Michael Blakemore	The Life

Christopher Renshaw

Honored for : The King and I

Nominations 1996 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
Christopher Renshaw	The King and I
André Ernotte	Bed and Sofa
George C. Wolfe	Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk
Graciela Daniele	Chronicle of a Death Foretold
Michael Greif	Rent
Tina Landau	Floyd Collins

Harold Prince

Honored for : Show Boat

Nominations 1995 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
Christopher Ashley	Das Barbecu
Harold Prince	Show Boat
Trevor Nunn	Sunset Boulevard
Michael Mayer	America Dreaming

Nicholas Hytner

Honored for : Carousel

Nominations 1994 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
Nicholas Hytner	Carousel
Scott Ellis	She Loves Me
Graciela Daniele	Hello Again
James Lapine	Passion
André Ernotte	Christina Alberta's Father

Des McAnuff

Honored for : The Who's Tommy

Nominations 1993 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
Des McAnuff	The Who's Tommy
Michael Leeds	Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh
Michael Maggio	Wings
Joel Paley	Ruthless!

Jerry Zaks

Honored for : Guys and Dolls

Nominations 1992 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
Jerry Zaks	Guys and Dolls
Mike Ockrent	Crazy for You
George C. Wolfe	Jelly's Last Jam
Gerald Gutierrez	The Most Happy Fella

Scott Ellis

Honored for : And the World Goes Round

Nominations 1991 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
Scott Ellis	And the World Goes Round
Lisa Peterson	The Waves
Jerry Zaks	Assassins
Susan H. Schulman	The Secret Garden

Tommy Tune

Honored for : Grand Hotel

Nominations 1990 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
Tommy Tune	Grand Hotel
James Hammerstein	The Sound of Music
Michael Blakemore	City of Angels

Harold Prince

Honored for : The Phantom of the Opera

Nominations 1988 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
Harold Prince	The Phantom of the Opera
Jerry Zaks	Anything Goes
Harold Prince	Cabaret
James Lapine	Into the Woods

Mike Ockrent

Honored for : Me and My Girl

Nominations 1987 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
Mike Ockrent	Me and My Girl
Barry Michael Harman	Olympus On My Mind

Wilford Leach

Honored for : The Mystery of Edwin Drood

Nominations 1986 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
Bob Fosse	Sweet Charity","Big Deal
Wilford Leach	The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Paul Lazarus	Personals
André Ernotte	Goblin Market

James Lapine

Honored for : Sunday in the Park with George

Nominations 1984 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
James Lapine	Sunday in the Park with George
Jacques Levy	Doonesbury
A. J. Antoon	The Rink

George Abbott

Honored for : On Your Toes

Nominations 1983 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
George Abbott	On Your Toes
Howard Ashman	Little Shop of Horrors

Tommy Tune

Honored for : Nine

Nominations 1982 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
Tommy Tune	Nine
Michael Bennett	Dreamgirls
Tony Tanner	Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Wilford Leach

Honored for : The Pirates of Penzance

Nominations 1981 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
Wilford Leach	The Pirates of Penzance
Arthur Faria	Lena Horne: \"The Lady and Her Music\"

Harold Prince

Honored for : Evita

Nominations 1980 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
Gary Pearle	Tintypes
Walton Jones	The 1940's Radio Hour
Joe Layton	Barnum
Harold Prince	Evita

Harold Prince

Honored for : Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Nominations 1979 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
Harold Prince	Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Michael Bennett	Ballroom

Peter Masterson

Honored for : The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas

Nominations 1978 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
Peter Masterson	The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
Tommy Tune	The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
Stephen Schwartz	Working
Elizabeth Swados	Runaways

Tommy Tune

Honored for : The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas

Nominations 1978 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
Peter Masterson	The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
Tommy Tune	The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
Stephen Schwartz	Working
Elizabeth Swados	Runaways

Stephen Schwartz

Honored for : Working

Nominations 1978 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
Peter Masterson	The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
Tommy Tune	The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
Stephen Schwartz	Working
Elizabeth Swados	Runaways

Martin Charnin

Honored for : Annie

Nominations 1977 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
Gerald Freedman	The Robber Bridegroom
Jack O'Brien	Porgy and Bess
Gene Saks	I Love My Wife
Tommy Tune	The Club
Martin Charnin	Annie

Michael Bennett

Honored for : A Chorus Line

Nominations 1976 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
Michael Bennett	A Chorus Line
Jerry Adler	My Fair Lady
Harold Prince	Pacific Overtures
Gerald Freedman	The Robber Bridegroom
Richard Foreman	The Threepenny Opera

Arthur Laurents

Honored for : Gypsy

Nominations 1975 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
Arthur Laurents	Gypsy
Sue Lawless	In Gay Company
Joel Zwick	Dance with Me
Peter H. Hunt	Goodtime Charley
William Martin	The Lieutenant
Geoffrey Holder	The Wiz