The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics is an annual award presented by the Drama Desk, a committee comprised of New York City theatre critics, writers, and editors. It honors the lyricists of musicals produced on Broadway, off-Broadway, off-off-Broadway, and for legitimate not-for-profit theaters.
Although Tom Jones was honored for his lyrics for The Fantasticks in 1961, it was not until the 15th Annual Drama Desk Awards in 1969 that a specific category for Outstanding Lyrics was created. The first recipient of the award was Fred Ebb for Zorba. The following year there were two winners, Stephen Sondheim for Company and Bertolt Brecht for Mahagonny. In 1973, a single award for music and lyrics was presented to Sondheim for A Little Night Music. The following year, the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Score of a Musical was presented to Al Carmines for The Faggot. In 1975, the award was renamed the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music and Lyrics and was presented to Charlie Smalls for The Wiz, and it was presented as such to Edward Kleban and Marvin Hamlisch for A Chorus Line in 1976. In 1977 it was given its present name.
Additional winners
- 1971: Stephen Sondheim for Follies
- 1972: John Guare for Two Gentlemen of Verona
- 1977: Martin Charnin for Annie
- 1978: Carol Hall for The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
- 1979: Stephen Sondheim for Sweeney Todd
- 1980: Tim Rice for Evita
- 1982: Stephen Sondheim for Merrily We Roll Along
- 1983: Howard Ashman for Little Shop of Horrors
- 1984: Stephen Sondheim for Sunday in the Park with George
- 1985: Roger Miller for Big River
- 1988: Stephen Sondheim for Into the Woods
- 1990: David Zippel for City of Angels
- 1991: William Finn for Falsettoland
- 1992: Susan Birkenhead for Jelly's Last Jam
- 1993: Denis Markell and Douglas Bernstein for A Backer's Audition
- 1994: Stephen Sondheim for Passion
- 1997: Gerard Alessandrini for Forbidden Broadway Strikes Back
- 1998: Lynn Ahrens for Ragtime
- 2000: Stephen Sondheim for Saturday Night
- 2001: Mel Brooks for The Producers
- 2003: Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman for Hairspray
- 2004: Stephen Schwartz for Wicked
- 2005: Eric Idle for Monty Python’s Spamalot
- 2006: Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison for The Drowsy Chaperone
- 2007: Steven Sater for Spring Awakening
- 2008: Stew for Passing Strange
- 2009: Stephen Sondheim for Road Show
External links
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