Awards & Winners

Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Solo Performance

Drama Desk Award

The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Solo Performance 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 category was first presented at the 1984 ceremony, when it was known as the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding One-Person Show. The award has been known by its current name since 1999.

Check all the winners of Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Solo Performance presented under Drama Desk Award since 1984 .


John Douglas Thompson

Honored for : Satchmo at the Waldorf

Nominations 2014 »

Nominee Nominated Work
David Barlow This is My Office
Jim Brochu Character Man
Hannah Cabell Grounded
Debra Jo Rupp Becoming Dr. Ruth
Ruben Santiago-Hudson How I Learned What I Learned
John Douglas Thompson Satchmo at the Waldorf

Michael Urie

Honored for : Buyer & Cellar
(Outstanding Solo Performance)

Nominations 2013 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Michael Urie Buyer & Cellar
Outstanding Solo Performance
Joel de la Fuente Hold These Truths
Outstanding Solo Performance
Kathryn Hunter Kafka's Monkey
Outstanding Solo Performance
Julian Sands A Celebration of Harold Pinter
Outstanding Solo Performance
Holland Taylor Ann
Outstanding Solo Performance
Bette Midler I'll Eat You Last: A Chat with Sue Mengers
Outstanding Solo Performance

Cillian Murphy

Honored for : Misterman

Nominations 2012 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Baba Brinkman The Rap Guide to Evolution
Cillian Murphy Misterman
Jeff Key The Eyes of Babylon
Denis O'Hare An Iliad
Suli Holum Chimera
Stephen Spinella An Iliad

John Leguizamo

Honored for : Ghetto Klown
(Outstanding Solo Performance)

Nominations 2011 »

Nominee Nominated Work
John Leguizamo Ghetto Klown
Outstanding Solo Performance
Daniel Beaty Through the Night
Outstanding Solo Performance
Joanna Tope The Promise
Outstanding Solo Performance
Juliette Jeffers Batman and Robin in the Boogie Down
Outstanding Solo Performance
Mike Birbiglia My Girlfriend's Boyfriend
Outstanding Solo Performance
Colin Quinn Colin Quinn: Long Story Short
Outstanding Solo Performance

Jim Brochu

Honored for : Zero Hour

Nominations 2010 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Jim Brochu Zero Hour
Theodore Bikel Sholom Aleichem: Laughter Through Tears
Colman Domingo A Boy and his Soul
Judith Ivey The Lady With All the Answers
Anna Deavere Smith Let Me Down Easy
Carrie Fisher Wishful Drinking

Mike Birbiglia

Honored for : Sleepwalk With Me

Nominations 2009 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Mike Birbiglia Sleepwalk With Me
Outstanding Solo Performance
Campbell Scott The Atheist
Outstanding Solo Performance
Frank Blocker Southern Gothic Novel
Outstanding Solo Performance
Michael Laurence Krapp, 39
Outstanding Solo Performance
Matt Sax Clay
Outstanding Solo Performance
Lorenzo Pisoni Humor Abuse
Outstanding Solo Performance

Lorenzo Pisoni

Honored for : Humor Abuse
(Outstanding Solo Performance)

Nominations 2009 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Mike Birbiglia Sleepwalk With Me
Outstanding Solo Performance
Campbell Scott The Atheist
Outstanding Solo Performance
Frank Blocker Southern Gothic Novel
Outstanding Solo Performance
Michael Laurence Krapp, 39
Outstanding Solo Performance
Matt Sax Clay
Outstanding Solo Performance
Lorenzo Pisoni Humor Abuse
Outstanding Solo Performance

Laurence Fishburne

Honored for : Thurgood
(Outstanding Solo Performance)

Nominations 2008 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Laurence Fishburne Thurgood
Outstanding Solo Performance
Kris Andersson Dixie's Tupperware Party
Outstanding Solo Performance
Stephen Lang Beyond Glory
Outstanding Solo Performance
April Yvette Thompson Liberty City
Outstanding Solo Performance

Vanessa Redgrave

Honored for : The Year of Magical Thinking
(Outstanding Solo Performance)

Nominations 2007 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Vanessa Redgrave The Year of Magical Thinking
Outstanding Solo Performance
Nilaja Sun No Child...
Outstanding Solo Performance
Anna Manahan Sisters
Outstanding Solo Performance
Capathia Jenkins (mis)Understanding Mammy: The Hattie McDaniel Story
Outstanding Solo Performance
Ed Harris Wrecks
Outstanding Solo Performance
Iris Bahr Dai (enough)
Outstanding Solo Performance

Antony Sher

Honored for : Primo

Nominations 2006 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Marga Gomez Los Big Names
Jon Peterson George M. Cohan Tonight!
Janis Stevens Vivien
Michael Winther Songs From An Unmade Bed
Judy Gold 25 Questions for a Jewish Mother
Antony Sher Primo

Billy Crystal

Honored for : 700 Sundays
(Outstanding Solo Performance)

Nominations 2005 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Billy Crystal 700 Sundays
Outstanding Solo Performance
Dave Gorman Dave Gorman's Googlewhack! Adventure
Outstanding Solo Performance
Tim Miller Us
Outstanding Solo Performance
James Urbaniak Thom Pain (based on nothing)
Outstanding Solo Performance
Barry Humphries Dame Edna: Back with a Vengeance!
Outstanding Solo Performance
Jackie Mason Jackie Mason: Freshly Squeezed
Outstanding Solo Performance

Jefferson Mays

Honored for : I Am My Own Wife
(Outstanding Solo Performance)

Nominations 2004 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Jefferson Mays I Am My Own Wife
Outstanding Solo Performance
Barbara Cook Barbara Cook's Broadway!
Outstanding Solo Performance
Will Power Flow
Outstanding Solo Performance
Martin Moran The Tricky Part
Outstanding Solo Performance
Sarah Jones Bridge and Tunnel
Outstanding Solo Performance
Ben Gazzara Nobody Don't Like Yogi
Outstanding Solo Performance

Tovah Feldshuh

Honored for : Golda's Balcony

Nominations 2003 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Ricky Jay Ricky Jay: On the Stem
Priscilla Lopez Class Mother '68
Charlayne Woodard In Real Life
Tovah Feldshuh Golda's Balcony
Barbara Cook Barbara Cook: Mostly Sondheim
Frank Gorshin Say Goodnight, Gracie

Elaine Stritch

Honored for : Elaine Stritch: At Liberty

Nominations 2002 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Elaine Stritch Elaine Stritch: At Liberty
Dave Gorman Are You Dave Gorman?
Charles Nelson Reilly Save it for the Stage: The Life of Reilly
Reno Rebel Without a Pause
T. Ryder Smith Underneath the Lintel

Pamela Gien

Honored for : The Syringa Tree

Nominations 2001 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Eric Bogosian Wake Up and Smell the Coffee
Bette Bourne Resident Alien
Brian d'Arcy James The Good Thief
Pamela Gien The Syringa Tree
Sarah Jones Surface Transit
Ruben Santiago-Hudson Lackawanna Blues

Barry Humphries

Honored for : Dame Edna: The Royal Tour
(Outstanding Solo Performance)

Nominations 2000 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Mark Linn-Baker Chesapeake
Outstanding Solo Performance
Mark Setlock Fully Committed
Outstanding Solo Performance
Marc Wolf Another American: Asking and Telling
Outstanding Solo Performance
Barry Humphries Dame Edna: The Royal Tour
Outstanding Solo Performance
Spalding Gray Morning, Noon and Night
Outstanding Solo Performance
Olympia Dukakis Rose
Outstanding Solo Performance

David Hare

Honored for : Via Dolorosa

Nominations 1999 »

Nominee Nominated Work
David Hare Via Dolorosa
Outstanding Solo Performance
Aviva Jane Carlin Jodie's Body
Outstanding Solo Performance
Alexander H. Cohen Star Billing
Outstanding Solo Performance
Lisa Kron 2.5 Minute Ride
Outstanding Solo Performance
Laurence Luckinbill Clarence Darrow Tonight!
Outstanding Solo Performance
Will Bond Bob
Outstanding Solo Performance

John Leguizamo

Honored for : Freak
(Outstanding Solo/One-Person Show)

Nominations 1998 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Lewis Black Black Humor
Outstanding Solo/One-Person Show
Danny Hoch Jails, Hospitals & Hip-Hop
Outstanding Solo/One-Person Show
John Leguizamo Freak
Outstanding Solo/One-Person Show

Fiona Shaw

Honored for : The Waste Land
(Outstanding One-Person Show)

Nominations 1997 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Fiona Shaw The Waste Land
Outstanding Solo Performance
Roger Guenveur Smith A Huey P. Newton Story
Outstanding Solo Performance
Eve Ensler The Vagina Monologues
Outstanding Solo Performance
Eddie Izzard Eddie Izzard
Outstanding Solo Performance
Julia Sweeney Julia Sweeney's God Said \"Ha!\"
Outstanding Solo Performance

Mary Louise Wilson

Honored for : Full Gallop
(Outstanding One-Person Show)

Nominations 1996 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Mary Louise Wilson Full Gallop
Outstanding One-Person Show
Karen Trott Springhill Singing Disaster
Outstanding One-Person Show
Andrea Martin Nude Nude Totally Nude
Outstanding One-Person Show

James Lecesne

Honored for : Word of Mouth

Nominations 1995 »

Nominee Nominated Work
James Lecesne Word of Mouth
Dan Butler The Only Thing Worse You Could Have Told Me
Danny Hoch Some People
Avi Hoffman Too Jewish?
Lisa Kron 101 Humiliating Stories

Anna Deavere Smith

Honored for : Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992

Nominations 1994 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Anna Deavere Smith Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992
Spalding Gray Gray's Anatomy
Eric Bogosian Pounding Nails in the Floor with my Forehead
Sherry Glaser Family Secrets
Claudia Shear Blown Sideways Through Life

Anna Deavere Smith

Honored for : Fires in the Mirror
(Outstanding Solo Performance)

Nominations 1993 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Anna Deavere Smith Fires in the Mirror
Outstanding Solo Performance
Ron Vawter Roy Cohn/Jack Smith
Outstanding Solo Performance
Lynn Redgrave Shakespeare for My Father
Outstanding Solo Performance
John Leguizamo Spic-O-Rama
Outstanding Solo Performance

Eileen Atkins

Honored for : A Room of One's Own
(Outstanding Solo Performance/One Person Show)

Nominations 1991 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Tracey Ullman The Big Love
Outstanding Solo Performance/One Person Show
Spalding Gray Monster in a Box
Outstanding Solo Performance/One Person Show
Jeffrey Essmann Artificial Reality
Outstanding Solo Performance/One Person Show
Eileen Atkins A Room of One's Own
Outstanding Solo Performance/One Person Show

Robert Morse

Honored for : Tru

Nominations 1990 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Robert Morse Tru
Eric Bogosian Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll
Kathryn Grody A Mom's Life
Mandy Patinkin Mandy Patinkin in Concert: Dress Casual

Barbara Cook

Honored for : Barbara Cook: A Concert for the Theatre

Eric Bogosian

Honored for : Drinking in America

Nominations 1986 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Eric Bogosian Drinking in America
Elisabeth Welch Time to Start Living

Whoopi Goldberg

Honored for : Whoopi Goldberg

Nominations 1985 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Avner the Eccentric Avner The Eccentric
Spalding Gray
Ekkehard Schall An Evening With Ekkehard Schall
Lori Wilner Hannah Senesh
Whoopi Goldberg Whoopi Goldberg
Alec McCowen Kipling

Ian McKellen

Honored for : Ian McKellen: Acting Shakespeare

Nominations 1984 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Edward Duke Jeeves Takes Charge
Billie Whitelaw Rockaby
Kaye Ballard Hey, Ma...Kaye Ballard
Philip Baker Hall Secret Honor
Estelle Parsons Orgasmo Adulto Escapes from the Zoo
Ian McKellen Ian McKellen: Acting Shakespeare