# Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music

The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music is an annual award presented by Drama Desk in recognition of achievements in musical theatre (distinct from incidental music in plays) across collective Broadway, off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway productions in New York City. The award was originally entitled Best Composer, before being renamed to its current title in 1969. The award is often referred to as Outstanding Score of a Musical.

## Winners and nominees
### 1960s

| Year | Composer | Production |
| 1968 |
| 1968 | Al Carmines | In Circles |
| 1968 | Galt MacDermot | Hair |
| 1969 |
| 1969 | Al Carmines | Peace |
| 1969 | Burt Bacharach | Promises, Promises |

### 1970s

| Year | Composer | Production |
| 1970 |
| 1970 | Stephen Sondheim | Company |
| 1970 | Kurt Weill | Mahagonny |
| 1971 |
| 1971 | Stephen Sondheim | Follies |
| 1972 |
| 1972 | Galt MacDermot | Two Gentlemen of Verona |
| 1973 |
| 1973 | Stephen Sondheim | A Little Night Music |
| 1974 |
| 1974 | Al Carmines | The Faggot |
| 1975 |
| 1975 | Charlie Smalls | The Wiz |
| 1975 | Gene Curty, Nitra Scharfman & Chuck Strand | The Lieutenant |
| 1975 | Jerry Herman | Mack and Mabel |
| 1975 | Fred Silver | In Gay Company |
| 1976 |
| 1976 | Marvin Hamlisch | A Chorus Line |
| 1976 | Leonard Bernstein | 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue |
| 1976 | Bill Heyer & Hank Beebe | Tuscaloosa's Calling Me |
| 1976 | Stephen Sondheim | Pacific Overtures |
| 1977 |
| 1977 | Cy Coleman | I Love My Wife |
| 1977 | Charles Strouse | Annie |
| 1977 | Elizabeth Swados | Nightclub Cantata |
| 1977 | Robert Waldman | The Robber Bridegroom |
| 1978 |
| 1978 | Cy Coleman | On the Twentieth Century |
| 1978 | Carol Hall | The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas |
| 1978 | Elizabeth Swados | Runaways |
| 1979 |
| 1979 | Stephen Sondheim | Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street |
| 1979 | Nancy Ford | I'm Getting My Act Together and Taking It on the Road |
| 1979 | Marvin Hamlisch & Neil Simon | They're Playing Our Song |
| 1979 | Jerome Kass | Ballroom |
| 1979 | Michel Legrand | The Umbrellas of Cherbourg |

### 1980s

| Year | Composer | Production |
| 1980 |
| 1980 | Andrew Lloyd Webber | Evita |
| 1980 | Cy Coleman | Barnum |
| 1980 | Elizabeth Swados | Runaways |
| 1981 | — | — |
| 1982 |
| 1982 | Maury Yeston | Nine |
| 1982 | Stephen Sondheim | Merrily We Roll Along |
| 1982 | Jim Wann | Pump Boys and Dinettes |
| 1983 |
| 1983 | Andrew Lloyd Webber | Cats |
| 1983 | Larry Grossman | A Doll's Life |
| 1983 | Gerald Jay Markee | Charlotte Sweet |
| 1983 | Des McAnuff | Death of Von Richthofen |
| 1983 | Alan Menken | Little Shop of Horrors |
| 1984 |
| 1984 | Jerry Herman | La Cage aux Folles |
| 1984 | Galt MacDermot | The Human Comedy |
| 1984 | David Shire | Baby |
| 1984 | Stephen Sondheim | Sunday in the Park with George |
| 1985 |
| 1985 | Larry Grossman | Grind |
| 1985 | Roger Miller | Big River |
| 1985 | Michael Rupert | 3 Guys Naked from the Waist Down |
| 1986 |
| 1986 | Rupert Holmes | The Mystery of Edwin Drood |
| 1986 | Polly Pen | Goblin Market |
| 1986 | Charles Strouse | Mayor |
| 1986 | Andrew Lloyd Webber | Song and Dance |
| 1987 |
| 1987 | Noel Gay | Me and My Girl |
| 1987 | Claude-Michel Schönberg | Les Misérables |
| 1987 | Nick Bicat | The Knife |
| 1987 | Charles Strouse | Rags |
| 1987 | Andrew Lloyd Webber | Starlight Express |
| 1988 |
| 1988 | Andrew Lloyd Webber | Phantom of the Opera |
| 1988 | Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus | Chess |
| 1988 | David Evans | Birds of Paradise |
| 1988 | Hugh Masekela & Mbongeni Ngema | Sarafina! |
| 1988 | Stephen Sondheim | Into the Woods |
| 1989 | — | — |

### 1990s

| Year | Composer | Production |
| 1990 |
| 1990 | Cy Coleman | City of Angels |
| 1990 | Chet Forrest, Bob Wright & Maury Yeston | Grand Hotel |
| 1990 | Ástor Piazzolla | Dangerous Games |
| 1990 | David Shire | Closer Than Ever |
| 1990 | Andrew Lloyd Webber | Aspects of Love |
| 1991 |
| 1991 | Cy Coleman | The Will Rogers Follies |
| 1991 | David Bucknam | The Waves |
| 1991 | William Finn | Falsettoland |
| 1991 | Lucy Simon | The Secret Garden |
| 1991 | Stephen Sondheim | Assassins |
| 1992 |
| 1992 | Erik Frandsen, Michael Garin, Robert Hipkins & Paul Lockheart | Song of Singapore |
| 1993 |
| 1993 | Marvin Hamlisch | The Goodbye Girl |
| 1993 | John Kander | Kiss of the Spider Woman |
| 1993 | Jeffrey Lunden | Wings |
| 1994 |
| 1994 | Stephen Sondheim | Passion |
| 1994 | Michael John LaChiusa | Hello Again |
| 1994 | Alan Menken | Beauty and the Beast |
| 1994 | Polly Pen | Christina Alberta's Father |
| 1994 | Tom Waits | The Black Rider |
| 1995 | — | — |
| 1996 |
| 1996 | Jonathan Larson | Rent |
| 1997 |
| 1997 | Cy Coleman | The Life |
| 1997 | John Kander | Steel Pier |
| 1997 | Jeanine Tesori | Violet |
| 1998 |
| 1998 | Stephen Flaherty | Ragtime |
| 1998 | Paul Simon | The Capeman |
| 1998 | Stephen Trask | Hedwig and the Angry Inch |
| 1998 | Frank Wildhorn | The Scarlet Pimpernel |
| 1999 |
| 1999 | Jason Robert Brown | Parade |
| 1999 | Cy Coleman | Exactly Like You |
| 1999 | William Finn | A New Brain |
| 1999 | Frank Wildhorn | The Civil War |

### 2000s

| Year | Composer | Production |
| 2000 |
| 2000 | Andrew Lippa | The Wild Party |
| 2000 | Shaun Davey | James Joyce's The Dead |
| 2000 | Stephen Sondheim | Saturday Night |
| 2001 |
| 2001 | David Yazbek | The Full Monty |
| 2001 | Kirsten Childs | The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin |
| 2001 | Stephen Flaherty | Seussical |
| 2001 | Mark Hollmann | Urinetown |
| 2001 | Ed Kleban | A Class Act |
| 2001 | Laurence O'Keefe | Bat Boy: The Musical |
| 2002 |
| 2002 | Jason Robert Brown | The Last Five Years |
| 2002 | Marvin Hamlisch | Sweet Smell of Success |
| 2002 | Jonathan Larson | Tick, Tick... BOOM! |
| 2002 | Jeanine Tesori | Thoroughly Modern Millie |
| 2003 |
| 2003 | Marc Shaiman | Hairspray |
| 2003 | Tim Acito | Zanna, Don't! |
| 2003 | Stephen Flaherty | A Man of No Importance |
| 2003 | Michel Legrand | Amour |
| 2003 | Robert Lopez & Jeff Marx | Avenue Q |
| 2003 | Anderson Edwards, Keith Glover & Keb' Mo' | Thunder Knocking on the Door |
| 2004 |
| 2004 | Jeanine Tesori | Caroline, or Change |
| 2004 | RaRa Avis & Andrew Yeater | Ramayana 2K3 |
| 2004 | Boy George | Taboo |
| 2004 | Eric Rockwell | The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!) |
| 2004 | Stephen Schwartz | Wicked |
| 2004 | Martin Silvestri & Joel Higgins | Johnny Guitar |
| 2005 |
| 2005 | Adam Guettel | The Light in the Piazza |
| 2005 | Gary Adler & Michael Patrick Walker | Altar Boyz |
| 2005 | Terry Davies | Play Without Words |
| 2005 | William Finn | The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee |
| 2005 | Stephen Flaherty | Dessa Rose |
| 2005 | David Yazbek | Dirty Rotten Scoundrels |
| 2006 |
| 2006 | Lisa Lambert & Greg Morrison | The Drowsy Chaperone |
| 2006 | Stephen Dolginoff | Thrill Me |
| 2006 | Scott Frankel | Grey Gardens |
| 2006 | Michael John LaChiusa | See What I Wanna See |
| 2006 | Peter Mills | The Pursuit of Persephone |
| 2006 | Matthew Sklar | The Wedding Singer |
| 2007 |
| 2007 | Duncan Sheik | Spring Awakening |
| 2007 | John Kander | Curtains |
| 2007 | Paul Leschen & Gila Sand | Twist: Please, Sir, May I Have Some More? |
| 2007 | Peter Rodgers Melnick | Adrift in Macao |
| 2007 | Lin-Manuel Miranda | In the Heights |
| 2007 | Laurence O'Keefe & Nell Benjamin | Legally Blonde |
| 2008 |
| 2008 | Heidi Rodewald & Stew | Passing Strange |
| 2008 | John Bucchino | A Catered Affair |
| 2008 | Stephen Flaherty | The Glorious Ones |
| 2008 | Tom Kitt | Next to Normal |
| 2008 | Mark Mulcahy | The Slug Bearers of Kayrol Island |
| 2008 | Joshua Schmidt | Adding Machine |
| 2009 |
| 2009 | Elton John | Billy Elliot the Musical |
| 2009 | Neil Bartram | The Story of My Life |
| 2009 | Zina Goldrich | Dear Edwina |
| 2009 | Dolly Parton | 9 to 5 |
| 2009 | Stephen Sondheim | Road Show |
| 2009 | Jeanine Tesori | Shrek the Musical |

### 2010s

| Year | Composer | Production |
| 2010 |
| 2010 | David Bryan | Memphis |
| 2010 | Michael Friedman | Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson |
| 2010 | Joe Iconis | Bloodsong of Love |
| 2010 | John Kander & Fred Ebb | The Scottsboro Boys |
| 2010 | Andrew Lippa | The Addams Family |
| 2010 | Joseph Zellnik | Yank! |
| 2011 |
| 2011 | Trey Parker, Robert Lopez & Matt Stone | The Book of Mormon |
| 2011 | Brad Alexander | See Rock City & Other Destinations |
| 2011 | Alan Menken | Sister Act |
| 2011 | Marc Shaiman | Catch Me If You Can |
| 2011 | Mike Stoller & Artie Butler | The People in the Picture |
| 2011 | David Yazbek | Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown |
| 2012 |
| 2012 | Alan Menken | Newsies |
| 2012 | Glen Hansard & Markéta Irglová | Once |
| 2012 | Michael John LaChiusa | Queen of the Mist |
| 2012 | Alan Menken | Leap of Faith |
| 2012 | Frank Wildhorn | Bonnie & Clyde |
| 2012 | Maury Yeston | Death Takes a Holiday |
| 2013 |
| 2013 | David Byrne & Fatboy Slim | Here Lies Love |
| 2013 | Trey Anastasio & Amanda Green | Hands on a Hardbody |
| 2013 | Michael John LaChiusa | Giant |
| 2013 | Dave Malloy | Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 |
| 2013 | Benj Pasek & Justin Paul | A Christmas Story: The Musical |
| 2013 | David Rossmer & Steve Rosen | The Other Josh Cohen |
| 2014 |
| 2014 | Jason Robert Brown | The Bridges of Madison County |
| 2014 | Andrew Lippa | Big Fish |
| 2014 | Steven Lutvak | A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder |
| 2014 | Alan Menken | Aladdin |
| 2014 | Kevin Murphy & Laurence O'Keefe | Heathers: The Musical |
| 2014 | Jeanine Tesori | Fun Home |
| 2015 |
| 2015 | Lin-Manuel Miranda | Hamilton |
| 2015 | Jason Robert Brown | Honeymoon in Vegas |
| 2015 | Michael Friedman | The Fortress of Solitude |
| 2015 | John Kander | The Visit |
| 2015 | Dave Malloy | Ghost Quartet |
| 2015 | Sting | The Last Ship |
| 2016 |
| 2016 | Steve Martin & Edie Brickell | Bright Star |
| 2016 | Sara Bareilles | Waitress |
| 2016 | Michael John LaChiusa | First Daughter Suite |
| 2016 | Andrew Lloyd Webber | School of Rock |
| 2016 | The Lobbyists | SeaWife |
| 2017 |
| 2017 | David Yazbek | The Band's Visit |
| 2017 | Stephen Flaherty | Anastasia |
| 2017 | Dave Malloy | Beardo |
| 2017 | Richard Oberacker | Bandstand |
| 2017 | Irene Sankoff & David Hein | Come from Away |
| 2018 |
| 2018 | David Friedman | Desperate Measures |
| 2018 | The Bengsons | The Lucky Ones |
| 2018 | Ben Caplan & Christian Barry | Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story |
| 2018 | Erin McKeown | Miss You Like Hell |
| 2018 | Helen Park & Max Vernon | KPOP |
| 2019 |
| 2019 | David Yazbek | Tootsie |
| 2019 | Andrew R. Butler | Rags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future |
| 2019 | Joe Iconis | Be More Chill |
| 2019 | Peter Mills | The Hello Girls |
| 2019 | Mark Sonnenblick | Midnight at the Never Get |
| 2019 | Shaina Taub | Twelfth Night |

### 2020s

| Year | Composer | Production |
| 2020 |
| 2020 | Dave Malloy | Octet |
| 2020 | Ross Golan | The Wrong Man |
| 2020 | Michael R. Jackson | A Strange Loop |
| 2020 | Joshua Rosenblum | Einstein's Dreams |
| 2020 | Duncan Sheik | The Secret Life of Bees |
| 2020 | Jeanine Tesori | Soft Power |
| 2021 | No awards: New York theatres shuttered, March 2020 to September 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City | No awards: New York theatres shuttered, March 2020 to September 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City |
| 2022 |
| 2022 | Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss | Six |
| 2022 | Jason Howland | Paradise Square |
| 2022 | Matt Ray | The Hang |
| 2022 | Carrie Rodriguez | ¡Americano! |
| 2022 | Jeanine Tesori | Kimberly Akimbo |
| 2023 |
| 2023 | Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally | Shucked |
| 2023 | Michael R. Jackson | White Girl in Danger |
| 2023 | Tom Kitt and AnnMarie Milazzo | Almost Famous |
| 2023 | Elyssa Samsel and Kate Anderson | Between the Lines |
| 2023 | The Kilbanes | Weightless |
| 2024 |
| 2024 | Shaina Taub | Suffs |
| 2024 | Jason Robert Brown | The Connector |
| 2024 | Justin Huertas | Lizard Boy: The Musical |
| 2024 | Jamestown Revival (Jonathan Clay and Zach Chance) and Justin Levine | The Outsiders |
| 2024 | David Yazbek and Erik Della Penna | Dead Outlaw |