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

Drama Desk Award

The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book 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. For two years, in addition to the award for Outstanding Book, an award was presented to the writers of the Most Promising Book. Recipients of this honor were Melvin Van Peebles for Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death in 1972 and Ron House and Diz White for El Grande de Coco-Cola in 1973. † - 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 Book of a Musical presented under Drama Desk Award since 1969 .

Videos

Drama Desk Awards 2014

Robert L. Freedman

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

Nominations 2014 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
Chad Beguelin	Aladdin
Robert L. Freedman	A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder
Joe Kinosian	Murder for Two
Kellen Blair	Murder for Two
Lisa Kron	Fun Home
Douglas McGrath	Beautiful: The Carole King Musical
Marsha Norman	The Bridges of Madison County

Dennis Kelly

Honored for : Matilda the Musical

Nominations 2013 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
Sybille Pearson	Giant
Joseph Robinette	A Christmas Story: The Musical
David Rossmer	The Other Josh Cohen
Steve Rosen	The Other Josh Cohen
Jeff Whitty	Bring It On the Musical
Dennis Kelly	Matilda the Musical
Doug Wright	Hands on a Hardbody

Joe DiPietro

Honored for : Nice Work If You Can Get It

Nominations 2012 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
Joe DiPietro	Nice Work If You Can Get It
Joy Gregory	The Shaggs, Philosophy of the World
Peter Stone	Death Takes a Holiday
Michael John LaChiusa	Queen of the Mist
Thomas Meehan	Death Takes a Holiday
Janus Cercone	Leap of Faith
Warren Leight	Leap of Faith
Douglas Carter Beane	Lysistrata Jones

Adam Mathias

Honored for : See Rock City & Other Destinations

Nominations 2011 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
Kristen Anderson-Lopez	In Transit
James-Allen Ford	In Transit
Sara Wordsworth	In Transit
Russ Kaplan	In Transit
Adam Mathias	See Rock City & Other Destinations
Michael Zam	The Kid
Stephan Elliott	Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
Allan Scott	Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
Robert Lopez	The Book of Mormon
Trey Parker	The Book of Mormon
Matt Stone	The Book of Mormon
Iris Rainer Dart	The People in the Picture

Alex Timbers

Honored for : Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson

Nominations 2010 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
Alex Timbers	Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
Joe Iconis	Bloodsong of Love
David Thompson	The Scottsboro Boys
David Zellnik	Yank!
Dick Scanlan	Everyday Rapture
Sherie Rene Scott	Everyday Rapture
Joe DiPietro	Memphis

Lee Hall

Honored for : Billy Elliot the Musical

Nominations 2009 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
Lee Hall	Billy Elliot the Musical
Jim Lewis	This Beautiful City
Steven Cosson	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

Douglas Carter Beane

Honored for : Xanadu

Nominations 2008 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
Douglas Carter Beane	Xanadu
Ben Katchor	The Slug Bearers of Kayrol Island
Jason Loewith	Adding Machine
Joshua Schmidt	Adding Machine
Eric H. Weinberger	Wanda's World
Harvey Fierstein	A Catered Affair
Stew	Passing Strange

Rupert Holmes, Peter Stone

Honored for : Curtains

Nominations 2007 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
Scott Brown	Gutenberg! The Musical!
Anthony King	Gutenberg! The Musical!
Rupert Holmes	Curtains
Peter Stone	Curtains
Heather Hach	Legally Blonde: The Musical
Alfred Uhry	LoveMusik
Julian Fellowes	Mary Poppins
Steven Sater	Spring Awakening

Bob Martin, Don McKellar

Honored for : The Drowsy Chaperone

Nominations 2006 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
Doug Wright	Grey Gardens
Bob Martin	The Drowsy Chaperone
Don McKellar	The Drowsy Chaperone
Marshall Brickman	Jersey Boys
Rick Elice	Jersey Boys

Rachel Sheinkin

Honored for : The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Nominations 2005 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
Rachel Sheinkin	The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Laurence O'Keefe	Cam Jansen
Nell Benjamin	Cam Jansen
Kevin Del Aguila	Altar Boyz
Mark Harelik	The Immigrant
Jeffrey Lane	Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Eric Idle	Spamalot

Winnie Holzman

Honored for : Wicked

Nominations 2004 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
Winnie Holzman	Wicked
Tony Kushner	Caroline, or Change

Thomas Meehan, Mark O'Donnell

Honored for : Hairspray

Nominations 2003 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
Thomas Meehan	Hairspray
Mark O'Donnell	Hairspray
Tim Acito	Zanna, Don't!
Alexander Dinelaris	Zanna, Don't!
Terrence McNally	A Man of No Importance
Didier Van Cauwelaert	Amour
Jeremy Sams	Amour
Jeff Whitty	Avenue Q

John Lahr, Elaine Stritch

Honored for : Elaine Stritch: At Liberty

Nominations 2002 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
John Lahr	Elaine Stritch: At Liberty
Elaine Stritch	Elaine Stritch: At Liberty
Jonathan Larson	Tick, Tick... Boom!
David Auburn	Tick, Tick... Boom!
John Guare	Sweet Smell of Success
Richard Morris	Thoroughly Modern Millie
Dick Scanlan	Thoroughly Modern Millie

Mel Brooks, Thomas Meehan

Honored for : The Producers

Nominations 2001 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
Mel Brooks	The Producers
Thomas Meehan	The Producers
Kirsten Childs	The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin
Keythe Farley	Bat Boy: The Musical
Brian Flemming	Bat Boy: The Musical
Terrence McNally	The Full Monty
Greg Kotis	Urinetown

Alfred Uhry

Honored for : Parade

Nominations 1999 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
Alfred Uhry	Parade
William Finn	A New Brain
James Lapine	A New Brain

Terrence McNally

Honored for : Ragtime

Nominations 1998 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
Terrence McNally	Ragtime

Jonathan Larson

Honored for : Rent

Nominations 1996 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
Jonathan Larson	Rent
Laurence Klavan	Bed and Sofa
Tina Landau	Floyd Collins
John Weidman	Big: the musical
Graciela Daniele	Chronicle of a Death Foretold
Jim Lewis	Chronicle of a Death Foretold

James Lapine

Honored for : Passion

Nominations 1994 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
James Lapine	Passion
Michael John LaChiusa	Hello Again

George C. Wolfe

Honored for : Jelly's Last Jam

Nominations 1992 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
George C. Wolfe	Jelly's Last Jam

Marsha Norman

Honored for : The Secret Garden

Nominations 1991 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
Marsha Norman	The Secret Garden
John Weidman	Assassins

Larry Gelbart

Honored for : City of Angels

Nominations 1990 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
Larry Gelbart	City of Angels

James Lapine

Honored for : Into the Woods

Nominations 1988 »

Nominee	Nominated Work
James Lapine	Into the Woods