The New York Drama Critics' Circle is made up of 23 drama critics from daily newspapers, magazines and wire services based in the New York City metropolitan area. The organization is best known for its annual awards for excellence in theater.Jones, Kenneth
Passing Strange and August: Osage County Win 2007–08 NY Drama Critics Circle Award"
playbill.com, May 12, 2008. Retrieved May 26, 2018.Hetrick, Adam
"NY Drama Critics' Circle Awards Matilda and Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike With Top Honors"
playbill.com, May 3, 2013. Retrieved May 26, 2018. The organization was founded in 1935 at the Algonquin Hotel by a group that included

Brooks Atkinson Justin Brooks Atkinson (November 28, 1894 – January 14, 1984) was an American theater critic. He worked for ''The New York Times'' from 1922 to 1960. In his obituary, the ''Times'' called him "the theater's most influential reviewer of his ...

Walter Winchell Walter Winchell (April 7, 1897 – February 20, 1972) was a syndicated American newspaper gossip columnist and radio news commentator. Originally a vaudeville performer, Winchell began his newspaper career as a Broadway reporter, critic and c ...

, and Robert Benchley. Adam Feldman of ''

Time Out New York ''Time Out'' is a global magazine published by Time Out Group. ''Time Out'' started as a London-only publication in 1968 and has expanded its editorial recommendations to 333 cities in 59 countries worldwide. In 2012, the London edition became ...

'' has been President of the organization since 2005; Zachary Stewart of TheaterMania is currently Vice President, and Helen Shaw of ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. It was founded on February 21, 1925, by Harold Ross and his wife Jane Grant, a reporter for ''The New York T ...

'' serves as Treasurer.

Member affiliations

*'' amNewYork'' *'' The Daily Beast'' *''

Deadline Hollywood ''Deadline Hollywood'', commonly known as ''Deadline'' and also referred to as ''Deadline.com'', is an online news site founded as the news blog ''Deadline Hollywood Daily'' by Nikki Finke in 2006. It is updated several times a day, with en ...

'' *''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

'' *'' Lighting & Sound America'' *'' New York'' *''

New York Daily News The ''Daily News'' is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, New Jersey. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson in New York City as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in Tabloid (newspaper format ...

'' *''

New York Post The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is an American Conservatism in the United States, conservative daily Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates three online sites: NYPost. ...

'' *'' New York Observer'' *''

'' *'' New York Sun'' *TheaterMania *''

'' *'' Variety'' *''

Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...

'' *'' TheWrap''

''The New York Times'' membership history

Although Brooks Atkinson of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' was the first President of the NYDCC, ''Times'' critics are no longer permitted to be members of the group. In 1989, the newspaper's executive editor decreed that their critics could no longer participate in any awards voting. ''Times'' critics remained in the organization as non-voting members until 1997, when the newspaper reversed its policy and allowed its critics to resume voting for the awards. However, in 2003, the newspaper adopted a revised ethics policy that forbade its journalists from membership in an awards-voting body, and its critics withdrew from the NYDCC. , the ''Times''s policy against membership remains in effect.

New York Drama Critics' Circle Awards

The New York Drama Critics' Circle meets twice a year. At the end of each theater season, it votes on the annual New York Drama Critics' Circle Awards, the second oldest playwriting award in the United States (after the

Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prizes () are 23 annual awards given by Columbia University in New York City for achievements in the United States in "journalism, arts and letters". They were established in 1917 by the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made his fo ...

). The main award is for Best Play. Since 1945, the Circle has also given out awards for Best Musical; in 2025, it introduced new awards for Best Individual Performance and Best Ensemble Performance. Special Citations may also be awarded for actors, companies, or work of special merit. The award for Best Play includes a cash prize of $2,500. The awards are presented in a private ceremony. The New York Drama Critics' Circle Award was conceived as an alternative to the Pulitzer Prize, and was initially limited to works by American playwrights. In 1938, the Circle began awarding a second prize, Best Foreign Play, to works of foreign origin. In the 1962–63 season, the Circle changed its rules so that the top winner, Best Play, could be of either American or foreign original, with the option for a secondary play award: If the winner of Best Play was of American origin, the Circle considered giving an award for Best Foreign Play as well; if the Best Play winner was of foreign origin, the Circle considered giving an award for Best American Play. No such secondary awards were given until 1970, after which they became more common. They were formally discontinued in 2025.

Theatre awards and citation winners

Best Play

''A missing year in any section below indicates that the award was not given that year.'' *1936: '' Winterset'' – Maxwell Anderson *1937: '' High Tor'' – Maxwell Anderson *1938: ''

Of Mice and Men ''Of Mice and Men'' is a 1937 novella written by American author John Steinbeck. It describes the experiences of George Milton and Lennie Small, two displaced migrant worker, migrant ranch workers, as they move from place to place in California ...

'' – John Steinbeck *1940: '' The Time of Your Life'' – William Saroyan *1941: '' Watch on the Rhine'' –

Lillian Hellman Lillian Florence Hellman (June 20, 1905 – June 30, 1984) was an American playwright, Prose, prose writer, Memoir, memoirist, and screenwriter known for her success on Broadway as well as her communist views and political activism. She was black ...

*1943: '' The Patriots'' – Sidney Kingsley *1945: '' The Glass Menagerie'' – Tennessee Williams *1947: '' All My Sons'' – Arthur Miller *1948: '' A Streetcar Named Desire'' – Tennessee Williams *1949: '' Death of a Salesman'' – Arthur Miller *1950: '' The Member of the Wedding'' – Carson McCullers *1951: '' Darkness at Noon'' – Sidney Kingsley *1952: '' I Am a Camera'' –

John Van Druten John William Van Druten (1 June 190119 December 1957) was an English playwright and theatre director. He began his career in London, and later moved to America, becoming a U.S. citizen. He was known for his plays of witty and urbane observations ...

*1953: '' Picnic'' – William Inge *1954: '' The Teahouse of the August Moon'' – John Patrick *1955: '' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof'' – Tennessee Williams *1956: '' The Diary of Anne Frank'' – Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett *1957: '' Long Day's Journey into Night'' –

Eugene O'Neill Eugene Gladstone O'Neill (October 16, 1888 – November 27, 1953) was an American playwright. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into the U.S. the drama techniques of Realism (theatre), realism, earlier associated with ...

*1958: '' Look Homeward, Angel'' – Ketti Frings *1959: '' A Raisin in the Sun'' – Lorraine Hansberry *1960: '' Toys in the Attic'' –

*1961: '' All the Way Home'' – Tad Mosel *1962: '' The Night of the Iguana'' – Tennessee Williams *1963: '' Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'' –

Edward Albee Edward Franklin Albee III ( ; March 12, 1928 – September 16, 2016) was an American playwright known for works such as ''The Zoo Story'' (1958), ''The Sandbox (play), The Sandbox'' (1959), ''Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'' (1962), ''A Delicat ...

*1964: '' Luther'' – John Osborne *1965: '' The Subject Was Roses'' – Frank D. Gilroy *1966: '' Marat/Sade'' by Peter Weiss *1967: '' The Homecoming'' –

Harold Pinter Harold Pinter (; 10 October 1930 – 24 December 2008) was a British playwright, screenwriter, director and actor. A List of Nobel laureates in Literature, Nobel Prize winner, Pinter was one of the most influential modern British dramat ...

*1968: '' Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead'' – Tom Stoppard *1969: '' The Great White Hope'' – Howard Sackler *1970: '' Borstal Boy'' – Frank McMahon *1971: ''

Home A home, or domicile, is a space used as a permanent or semi-permanent residence for one or more human occupants, and sometimes various companion animals. Homes provide sheltered spaces, for instance rooms, where domestic activity can be p ...

'' – David Storey *1972: ''

That Championship Season ''That Championship Season'' is a 1972 play by Jason Miller. It was the recipient of the 1973 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the 1973 Tony Award for Best Play. Plot synopsis The setting is 1972 at the Coach's home in Scranton, Pennsylvania. ...

'' – Jason Miller *1973: '' The Changing Room'' – David Storey *1974: '' The Contractors'' – David Storey *1975: '' Equus'' – Peter Shaffer *1976: '' Travesties'' – Tom Stoppard *1977: '' Otherwise Engaged'' – Simon Gray *1978: '' Da'' – Hugh Leonard *1979: '' The Elephant Man'' – Bernard Pomerance *1980: '' Talley's Folly'' – Lanford Wilson *1981: '' A Lesson from Aloes'' –

Athol Fugard Harold Athol Lanigan Fugard (; 11 June 19328 March 2025) was a South African playwright, novelist, actor and director. Widely regarded as South Africa's greatest playwright and acclaimed as "the greatest active playwright in the English-speaki ...

*1982: '' The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (play)'' – David Edgar *1983: '' Brighton Beach Memoirs'' –

Neil Simon Marvin Neil Simon (July 4, 1927 – August 26, 2018) was an American playwright, screenwriter and author. He wrote more than 30 plays and nearly the same number of movie screenplays, mostly film adaptations of his plays. He received three ...

*1984: '' The Real Thing'' – Tom Stoppard *1985: '' Ma Rainey's Black Bottom'' – August Wilson *1986: '' A Lie of the Mind'' – Sam Shepard *1987: '' Fences'' – August Wilson *1988: '' Joe Turner's Come and Gone'' – August Wilson *1989: '' The Heidi Chronicles'' – Wendy Wasserstein *1990: '' The Piano Lesson'' – August Wilson *1991: '' Six Degrees of Separation'' – John Guare *1992: '' Dancing at Lughnasa'' – Brian Friel *1993: '' Angels in America: Millennium Approaches'' –

Tony Kushner Anthony Robert Kushner (born July 16, 1956) is an American author, playwright, and screenwriter. Among his stage work, he is most known for ''Angels in America'', which earned a Pulitzer Prize and a Tony Award, as well as its subsequent acclaime ...

*1994: '' Three Tall Women'' –

*1995: '' Arcadia'' – Tom Stoppard *1996: '' Seven Guitars'' – August Wilson *1997: '' How I Learned to Drive'' – Paula Vogel *1998: '' Art'' – Yasmina Reza *1999: '' Wit'' – Margaret Edson *2000: '' Jitney'' – August Wilson *2001: '' The Invention of Love'' – Tom Stoppard *2002: '' The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?'' –

*2003: '' Take Me Out'' – Richard Greenberg *2004: ''

Intimate Apparel Underwear, underclothing, or undergarments are items of clothing worn beneath outer clothes, usually in direct contact with the skin, although they may comprise more than a single layer. They serve to keep outer clothing from being soiled ...

'' – Lynn Nottage *2005: ''

Doubt Doubt is a mental state in which the mind remains suspended between two or more contradictory propositions, and is certainty, uncertain about them. Doubt on an emotional level is indecision between belief and wikt:disbelief, disbelief. It may i ...

'' – John Patrick Shanley *2006: '' The History Boys'' – Alan Bennett *2007: '' The Coast of Utopia'' – Tom Stoppard *2008: '' August: Osage County'' – Tracy Letts *2009: '' Ruined'' – Lynn Nottage *2010: '' The Orphans' Home Cycle'' – Horton FooteGans, Andrew
"New York Drama Critics' Circle Names 'Orphans' Home Cycle' Best Play"
playbill.com, April 30, 2010. Retrieved May 26, 2018. *2011: '' Good People'' – David Lindsay-Abaire *2012: '' Sons of the Prophet'' – Stephen KaramJones, Kenneth
"Andrew Garfield, John Guare, Lin-Manuel Miranda Present NY Drama Critics' Circle Awards May 14"
playbill.com, May 14, 2012. Retrieved May 26, 2018. *2013: ''

Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike ''Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike'' is a comedy play written by Christopher Durang. The story revolves around the relationships of three middle-aged single siblings, two of whom live together, and takes place during a visit by the third, ...

'' – Christopher Durang *2014: '' The Night Alive'' – Conor McPherson *2015: '' Between Riverside and Crazy'' – Stephen Adly Guirgis *2016: '' The Humans'' – Stephen Karam *2017: ''

Oslo Oslo ( or ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022 ...

'' – J.T. Rogers *2018: '' Mary Jane'' – Amy Herzog *2019: '' The Ferryman'' – Jez Butterworth *2020: '' Heroes of the Fourth Turning'' – Will Arbery *2022: ''A Case for the Existence of God'' – Samuel D. Hunter *2023: '' Downstate'' – Bruce Norris *2024: '' Stereophonic'' – David Adjmi *2025: '' Purpose'' – Branden Jacobs-Jenkins

Best Musical

*1946: '' Carousel'' –

Richard Rodgers Richard Charles Rodgers (June 28, 1902 – December 30, 1979) was an American Musical composition, composer who worked primarily in musical theater. With 43 Broadway theatre, Broadway musicals and over 900 songs to his credit, Rodgers wa ...

and

Oscar Hammerstein II Oscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II (; July 12, 1895 – August 23, 1960) was an American lyricist, librettist, theatrical producer, and director in musical theater for nearly 40 years. He won eight Tony Awards and two Academy Award ...

*1947: '' Brigadoon'' – Frederick Loewe and Alan Jay Lerner *1949: '' South Pacific'' –

, and Joshua Logan *1950: '' The Consul'' – Gian Carlo Menotti *1951: '' Guys and Dolls'' – Frank Loesser, Abe Burrows and Jo Swerling, *1952: '' Pal Joey'' –

, Lorenz Hart, and John O'Hara *1953: '' Wonderful Town'' – Joseph Fields, Jerome Chodorov, Betty Comden, Adolph Green, and

Leonard Bernstein Leonard Bernstein ( ; born Louis Bernstein; August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, pianist, music educator, author, and humanitarian. Considered to be one of the most important conductors of his time, he was th ...

*1954: '' The Golden Apple (musical)'' – John La Touche and Jerome Moross *1955: '' The Saint of Bleecker Street'' – Gian Carlo Menotti *1956: ''

My Fair Lady ''My Fair Lady'' is a musical theatre, musical with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. The story, based on George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play ''Pygmalion (play), Pygmalion'' and on the Pygmalion (1938 film), 1938 film ...

'' – Frederick Loewe and Alan Jay Lerner *1957: '' The Most Happy Fella'' – Frank Loesser *1958: '' The Music Man'' – Meredith Willson *1959: '' La Plume de Ma Tante'' –

Robert Dhéry Robert Dhéry (; 27 April 1921 – 3 December 2004) (born Robert Léon Henri Fourrey or Robert Foullcy) was a French comedian, actor, director and screenwriter. He was married to actress Colette Brosset, with whom he appeared onstage in ''La Plu ...

, Ross Parker, Francis Blanche, and Gérard Calvi *1960: '' Fiorello!'' – Jerry Bock, Sheldon Harnick, George Abbott and Jerome Weidman *1961: ''

Carnival! ''Carnival'' is a musical theatre, musical, originally produced by David Merrick on Broadway in 1961, with the book by Michael Stewart (playwright), Michael Stewart and music and lyrics by Bob Merrill. The musical is based on the 1953 film ''Lil ...

'' – Michael Stewart and Bob Merrill *1962: '' How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'' – Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock, Willie Gilbert, and Frank Loesser *1964: '' Hello, Dolly!'' – Michael Stewart and Jerry Herman *1965: '' Fiddler on the Roof'' – Jerry Bock, Sheldon Harnick and Joseph Stein *1966: '' Man of La Mancha'' – Dale Wasserman, Mitch Leigh, and Joe Darion *1967: ''

Cabaret Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, casino, hotel, restaurant, or nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or drinking, ...

'' –

John Kander John Harold Kander (born March 18, 1927) is an American composer, known largely for his work in the musical theater. As part of the songwriting team Kander and Ebb (with lyricist Fred Ebb), Kander wrote the scores for 15 musicals, including ''Cab ...

, Fred Ebb, and Joe Masteroff *1968: '' Your Own Thing'' – Donald Driver, Hal Hester, and Danny Apolinar *1969: ''

1776 Events January–February * January 1 – American Revolutionary War – Burning of Norfolk: The town of Norfolk, Virginia is destroyed, by the combined actions of the British Royal Navy and occupying Patriot forces. * January ...

'' – Sherman Edwards and

Peter Stone Peter Stone may refer to: *Pete Stone, Australian footballer in the 1956 Summer Olympics *Peter G. Stone (born 1957), British archaeologist *Peter Stone (cricketer) (born 1938), New Zealand cricketer *Peter Stone (professor) (born 1971), professor ...

*1970: ''

Company A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether Natural person, natural, Juridical person, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members ...

'' –

Stephen Sondheim Stephen Joshua Sondheim (; March22, 1930November26, 2021) was an American composer and lyricist. Regarded as one of the most important figures in 20th-century musical theater, he is credited with reinventing the American musical. He received Lis ...

and George Furth *1971: '' Follies'' –

and

William Goldman William Goldman (August 12, 1931 – November 16, 2018) was an American novelist, playwright, and screenwriter. He first came to prominence in the 1950s as a novelist before turning to screenwriting. Among other accolades, Goldman won two Aca ...

*1972: '' Two Gentlemen of Verona'' – Galt MacDermot, John Guare and Mel Shapiro *1973: '' A Little Night Music'' –

and Hugh Wheeler *1974: ''

Candide ( , ) is a French satire written by Voltaire, a philosopher of the Age of Enlightenment, first published in 1759. The novella has been widely translated, with English versions titled ''Candide: or, All for the Best'' (1759); ''Candide: or, The ...

'' –

, Richard Wilbur, Hugh Wheeler and John La Touche *1975: ''

A Chorus Line ''A Chorus Line'' is a 1975 musical conceived by Michael Bennett with music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban, and a book by James Kirkwood Jr. and Nicholas Dante. Set on the bare stage of a Broadway theater, the musical is cent ...

'' – Marvin Hamlisch, Edward Kleban, James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante *1976: '' Pacific Overtures'' –

, John Weidman and Hugh Wheeler *1977: '' Annie'' –

Charles Strouse Charles Louis Strouse (June 7, 1928 – May 15, 2025) was an American composer and lyricist best known for writing the music to the Broadway musicals ''Bye Bye Birdie'', ''Applause (musical), Applause'', and ''Annie (musical), Annie''. Backgrou ...

, Martin Charnin and Thomas Meehan *1978: '' Ain't Misbehavin''' – Fats Waller and Richard Maltby Jr. *1979: '' Sweeney Todd'' –

and Hugh Wheeler *1980: '' Evita'' – Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice *1983: '' Little Shop of Horrors'' –

Alan Menken Alan Irwin Menken (born July 22, 1949) is an American composer and conductor. Over his career he has received List of awards and nominations received by Alan Menken, numerous accolades including winning eight Academy Awards, a Tony Awards, Tony ...

and Howard Ashman *1984: '' Sunday in the Park with George'' –

and James Lapine *1987: '' Les Misérables'' – Claude-Michel Schönberg, Alain Boublil and Herbert Kretzmer *1988: '' Into the Woods'' –

and James Lapine *1990: '' City of Angels'' – Larry Gelbart,

Cy Coleman Cy Coleman (born Seymour Kaufman; June 14, 1929 – November 18, 2004) was an American composer, songwriter, and jazz pianist. Life and career Coleman was born Seymour Kaufman in New York City, to Ashkenazi, Eastern European Jewish parents, an ...

, and David Zippel *1991: ''

The Will Rogers Follies ''The Will Rogers Follies'' is a Musical theatre, musical with a book by Peter Stone (writer), Peter Stone, lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, and music by Cy Coleman. It focuses on the life and career of humorist and performer Will Rogers, ...

'' –

, Betty Comden, Adolph Green and

*1993: '' Kiss of the Spider Woman'' –

, Fred Ebb, and

Terrence McNally Terrence McNally (November 3, 1938 – March 24, 2020) was an American playwright, librettist, and screenwriter. Described as "the bard of American theater" and "one of the greatest contemporary playwrights the theater world has yet produced," M ...

*1996: '' Rent'' – Jonathan Larson *1997: '' Violet'' – Jeanine Tesori and Brian Crawley *1998: '' The Lion King'' –

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with l ...

, Tim Rice, Roger Allers and Irene Mecchi *1999: '' Parade'' – Jason Robert Brown and Alfred Uhry *2000: '' James Joyce's The Dead'' – Shaun Davey and Richard Nelson *2001: '' The Producers'' –

Mel Brooks Melvin James Brooks (né Kaminsky; born June 28, 1926) is an American actor, comedian, filmmaker, and songwriter. With a career spanning over seven decades, he is known as a writer and director of a variety of successful broad farces and parodie ...

and Thomas Meehan *2003: '' Hairspray'' –

Marc Shaiman Marc Shaiman ( ; born October 22, 1959) is an American composer and lyricist for films, television, and theatre, best known for his collaborations with lyricist and director Scott Wittman, actor Billy Crystal, and director Rob Reiner. Shaiman ha ...

, Scott Wittman, Thomas Meehan and Mark O'Donnell *2006: '' The Drowsy Chaperone'' – Bob Martin,

Don McKellar Don McKellar (born August 17, 1963) is a Canadian actor, writer, playwright, and filmmaker. He was part of a loosely-affiliated group of filmmakers to emerge from Toronto known as the Toronto New Wave. He is known for directing and writing th ...

, Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison *2007: '' Spring Awakening'' –

Duncan Sheik Duncan Sheik (born November 18, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Sheik is known for his 1996 debut single "Barely Breathing", which earned him a Grammy Award nomination for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. He has com ...

and Steven Sater *2008: '' Passing Strange'' –

Stew A stew is a combination of solid food ingredients that have been Cooking, cooked in Soup, liquid and served in the resultant gravy. Ingredients can include any combination of vegetables and may include meat, especially tougher meats suitable for ...

and Heidi Rodewald *2009: '' Billy Elliot the Musical'' –

and Lee Hall *2011: '' The Book of Mormon'' – Trey Parker,

Matt Stone Matthew Richard Stone (born May 26, 1971) is an American actor, animator, writer, producer, and musician. He is best known for co-creating ''South Park'' (since 1997) and ''The Book of Mormon (musical), The Book of Mormon'' (2011) with his cre ...

and Robert Lopez *2012: '' Once'' –

Enda Walsh Enda Walsh (born 1967) is an Irish playwright. Biography Enda Walsh was born in Kilbarrack, North Dublin on 7 February 1967. His father ran a furniture shop and his mother had been an actress. He is the second youngest of six children. Walsh ...

Glen Hansard Glen James Hansard (born 21 April 1970) is an Irish singer-songwriter and musician. Since 1990, he has been the frontman of the Irish rock band The Frames, with whom he has released six studio albums, four of which have charted in the top ten o ...

and Markéta Irglová *2013: ''

Matilda the Musical ''Roald Dahl's Matilda'', also known simply as ''Matilda'' and ''Matilda the Musical'', is a musical with music and lyrics by Tim Minchin and a book by Dennis Kelly. It is based on the 1988 novel '' Matilda'' by Roald Dahl. The musical's narr ...

'' –

Tim Minchin Timothy David Minchin Order of Australia#Levels of membership, AM (born 7 October 1975) is an Australian comedian, actor, writer, musician, poet, composer, and songwriter. Minchin has released six CDs, five DVDs, and live comedy shows that he ...

and Dennis Kelly *2014: '' Fun Home'' – Jeanine Tesori and Lisa Kron *2015: ''

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: * Alexander Hamilton (1755/1757–1804), first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States * ''Hamilton'' (musical), a 2015 Broadway musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda ** ''Hamilton'' (al ...

'' – Lin-Manuel Miranda *2016: '' Shuffle Along, or, the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed'' – George C. Wolfe, Eubie Blake and

Noble Sissle Noble Lee Sissle (July 10, 1889 – December 17, 1975) was an American jazz composer, lyricist, bandleader, singer, and playwright, best known for the Broadway musical ''Shuffle Along'' (1921), and its hit song "I'm Just Wild About Harry". Ea ...

*2017: '' The Band's Visit'' – Itamar Moses and David Yazbek *2019: '' Tootsie'' – David Yazbek and Robert Horn *2020: '' A Strange Loop'' – Michael R. Jackson *2022: '' Kimberly Akimbo'' – David Lindsay-Abaire and Jeanine Tesori *2024: '' Dead Outlaw'' – Itamar Moses, David Yazbek and Erik Della Penna *2025: '' Maybe Happy Ending'' – Will Aronson and Hue Park

Best Foreign Play

*1938: '' Shadow and Substance'' – Paul Vincent Carroll *1939: '' The White Steed'' – Paul Vincent Carroll *1941: '' The Corn Is Green'' – Emlyn Williams *1942: '' Blithe Spirit'' –

Noël Coward Sir Noël Peirce Coward (16 December 189926 March 1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what ''Time (magazine), Time'' called "a sense of personal style, a combination of c ...

*1944: ''Jacobowsky and the Colonel (Jacobowsky und der Oberst)'' – Franz Werfel *1947: '' No Exit'' –

Jean-Paul Sartre Jean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre (, ; ; 21 June 1905 – 15 April 1980) was a French philosopher, playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer, and literary criticism, literary critic, considered a leading figure in 20th ...

*1948: ''

The Winslow Boy ''The Winslow Boy'' is an English play from 1946 by Terence Rattigan based on an incident involving George Archer-Shee in the Edwardian era. The incident took place at the Royal Naval College, Osborne. Background Set against the strict cod ...

'' – Terence Rattigan *1949: '' The Madwoman of Chaillot'' –

Jean Giraudoux Hippolyte Jean Giraudoux (; ; 29 October 1882 – 31 January 1944) was a French novelist, essayist, diplomat and playwright. He is considered among the most important French dramatists of the period between World War I and World War II. His wo ...

*1950: '' The Cocktail Party'' – T. S. Eliot *1951: '' The Lady's Not for Burning'' – Christopher Fry *1952: '' Venus Observed'' – Christopher Fry *1953: '' The Love of Four Colonels'' – Peter Ustinov *1954: '' Ondine'' –

*1955: '' Witness for the Prosecution'' –

Agatha Christie Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, (; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English people, English author known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving ...

*1956: '' Tiger at the Gates'' –

and Christopher Fry *1957: '' The Waltz of the Toreadors'' –

Jean Anouilh Jean Marie Lucien Pierre Anouilh (; ; 23 June 1910 – 3 October 1987) was a French dramatist and screenwriter whose career spanned five decades. Though his work ranged from high drama to absurdist farce, Anouilh is best known for his 1944 play ...

*1958: '' Look Back in Anger'' – John Osborne *1959: '' The Visit'' – Friedrich Dürrenmatt and

Maurice Valency Maurice Valency (22 March 1903 – 28 September 1996) was a playwright, author, critic, and popular professor of Comparative Literature at Columbia University, best known for his award-winning adaptations of plays by Jean Giraudoux and Friedri ...

*1960: '' Five Finger Exercise'' – Peter Shaffer *1961: '' A Taste of Honey'' – Shelagh Delaney *1962: '' A Man for All Seasons'' – Robert Bolt *1972: '' The Screens'' – Jean Genet *1980: '' Betrayal'' –

*1983: '' Plenty'' – David Hare *1986: '' Benefactors'' – Michael Frayn *1987: '' Les Liaisons Dangereuses'' – Christopher Hampton *1988: '' The Road to Mecca'' –

*1989: '' Aristocrats'' – Brian Friel *1990: '' Privates on Parade'' – Peter Nichols *1991: '' Our Country's Good'' – Timberlake Wertenbaker *1993: '' Someone Who'll Watch Over Me'' – Frank McGuinness *1996: '' Molly Sweeney'' – Brian Friel *1997: '' Skylight'' – David Hare *1999: '' Closer'' – Patrick Marber *2000: ''

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

'' – Michael Frayn *2003: ''

Talking Heads Talking Heads were an American Rock music, rock band formed in New York City in 1975.Talking Heads

'' – Alan Bennett *2005: '' The Pillowman'' –

Martin McDonagh Martin Faranan McDonagh ( ; born 26 March 1970) is a British-Irish playwright and filmmaker. He is known for his Absurdism, absurdist Black comedy, dark humour which often challenges the modern theatre aesthetic. He has won List of awards and no ...

*2009: '' Black Watch'' – Gregory Burke *2011: ''

Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...

'' – Jez Butterworth *2012: '' Tribes'' – Nina Raine *2018: '' Hangmen'' –

*2023: '' Leopoldstadt'' – Tom Stoppard

Best American Play

*1970: '' The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds'' – Paul Zindel *1971: '' The House of Blue Leaves'' – John Guare *1973: '' The Hot l Baltimore'' – Lanford Wilson *1974: '' Short Eyes'' – Miguel Piñero *1975: '' The Taking of Miss Janie'' – Ed Bullins *1976: '' Streamers'' – David Rabe *1977: '' American Buffalo'' –

David Mamet David Alan Mamet (; born November 30, 1947) is an American playwright, author, and filmmaker. He won a Pulitzer Prize and received Tony Award, Tony nominations for his plays ''Glengarry Glen Ross'' (1984) and ''Speed-the-Plow'' (1988). He first ...

*1981: '' Crimes of the Heart'' – Beth Henley *1982: '' A Soldier's Play'' – Charles Fuller *1984: '' Glengarry Glen Ross'' –

*1992: '' Two Trains Running'' – August Wilson *1995: '' Love! Valour! Compassion!'' –

*1998: '' Pride's Crossing'' – Tina Howe *2001: '' Proof'' – David Auburn *2007: '' Radio Golf'' – August Wilson *2014: '' All the Way'' – Robert Schenkkan *2019: '' What the Constitution Means to Me'' – Heidi Schreck

Best Individual Performance

*2025: Andrew Scott – '' Vanya''

Best Ensemble Performance

*2025: The cast of Bess Wohl's ''Liberation''

Special Citations

*1952: '' Don Juan in Hell'' –

George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from the 188 ...

*1963: '' Beyond the Fringe'' – Alan Bennett, Peter Cook, Jonathan Miller and Dudley Moore *1964: ''

The Trojan Women ''The Trojan Women'' (, lit. "The Female Trojans") is a tragedy by the Ancient Greece, Greek playwright Euripides, produced in 415 BCE. Also translated as ''The Women of Troy,'' or as its transliterated Greek title ''Troades, The Trojan Women'' ...

'' –

Euripides Euripides () was a Greek tragedy, tragedian of classical Athens. Along with Aeschylus and Sophocles, he is one of the three ancient Greek tragedians for whom any plays have survived in full. Some ancient scholars attributed ninety-five plays to ...

*1966: '' Mark Twain Tonight'' –

Hal Holbrook Harold Rowe Holbrook Jr. (February 17, 1925 – January 23, 2021) was an American actor. He first received critical acclaim in 1954 for a one-man stage show that he developed called ''Mark Twain Tonight!'' while studying at Denison University. H ...

*1971: '' Sticks and Bones'' by David Rabe and '' Old Times'' by Harold Pinter *1980: Peter Brook's Le Centre International de Créations Théâtricales at La MaMa *1981:

Lena Horne Lena Mary Calhoun Horne (June 30, 1917 – May 9, 2010) was an American singer, actress, dancer and civil rights activist. Horne's career spanned more than seventy years and covered film, television and theatre. Horne joined the chorus of the C ...

for '' Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music'' and New York Shakespeare Festival's '' The Pirates of Penzance'' *1983: Young Playwrights Festival *1984:

Samuel Beckett Samuel Barclay Beckett (; 13 April 1906 – 22 December 1989) was an Irish writer of novels, plays, short stories, and poems. Writing in both English and French, his literary and theatrical work features bleak, impersonal, and Tragicomedy, tra ...

for the body of his work *1986: '' The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe'' – Lily Tomlin and Jane Wagner *1989: '' Largely New York'' – Bill Irwin *1992: Eileen Atkins – '' A Room of One's Own'' *1994: Anna Deavere Smith – '' Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992'' *1994: Signature Theatre Company's Horton Foote season *1997: ''

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

'' revival —

Encores! Encores! is a Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre, Tony-honored concert series dedicated to reviving United States, American Musical theatre, musicals, usually with their original orchestrations. Presented by New York City Center since 1994, E ...

*1998: ''

'' –

Roundabout Theatre Company The Roundabout Theatre Company is a nonprofit organization, non-profit theatre company based in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, affiliated with the League of Resident Theatres. History The company was founded in 1965 by Gene Feist, Michael Fr ...

*1999: David Hare *2002: Elaine Stritch for '' Elaine Stritch at Liberty'' *2004: Barbara Cook *2006: John Doyle, Sarah Travis and the Broadway revival of '' Sweeney Todd''; Christine Ebersole for '' Grey Gardens'' *2007: '' Journey's End'' Broadway revival *2009: Angela Lansbury;

Matthew Warchus Matthew Warchus (born 24 October 1966) is an English theatre director, playwright, and filmmaker. He has been the Artistic Director of London's The Old Vic since September 2015. Early life and education Warchus grew up in Selby, North Yorkshir ...

and the cast of '' The Norman Conquests''; Gerard Alessandrini for '' Forbidden Broadway'' *2010:

Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 ...

Festival;

Viola Davis Viola Davis ( ; born August 11, 1965) is an American actress and film producer. List of awards and nominations received by Viola Davis, Her accolades include both the Triple Crown of Acting and EGOT. ''Time (magazine), Time'' named her one of ...

; Annie Baker *2011: '' The Normal Heart''; Mark Rylance for ''La Bête'' and ''Jerusalem''; and the direction, design and puppetry of '' War Horse'' *2012: Signature Theatre Company; Mike Nichols *2013: Soho Rep;

New York City Center New York City Center (previously known as the Mecca Temple, City Center of Music and Drama, and the New York City Center 55th Street Theater) is a performing arts center at 131 West 55th Street (Manhattan), 55th Street between Sixth Avenue, Six ...

; John Lee Beatty *2014: The Shakespeare's Globe productions of '' Twelfth Night'' and ''

Richard III Richard III (2 October 1452 – 22 August 1485) was King of England from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the Plantagenet dynasty and its cadet branch the House of York. His defeat and death at the Battle of Boswor ...

''; Richard Nelson and the company of the Apple Family Plays *2015:

Ars Nova ''Ars nova'' ()Fallows, David. (2001). "Ars nova". ''The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'', second edition, edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell. London: Macmillan. refers to a musical style which flourished in the Kingdom of ...

; Bob Crowley *2016: Oskar Eustis; Lois Smith; Ivo van Hove and Jan Versweyveld *2017:

Taylor Mac Taylor Mac Bowyer (born August 24, 1973) is an American actor, playwright, performance artist, director, producer, and singer-songwriter active mainly in New York City. In 2017, Mac was the recipient of a "Genius Grant" from the John D. and Cath ...

for '' A 24-Decade History of Popular Music'', Ruben Santiago-Hudson and the cast of ''Jitney''; Paula Vogel for career achievement as a playwright and mentor *2018: Park Avenue Armory for adventurous theatrical programming; Transport Group; the staging, design and illusions of '' Harry Potter and the Cursed Child'' *2019: Irish Repertory Theatre; Page 73; National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene's revival of '' Fiddler on the Roof (Fidler Afn Dakh)'' *2020:

David Byrne David Byrne (; born May 14, 1952) is an American musician, writer, visual artist, and filmmaker. He was a founding member, principal songwriter, lead singer, and guitarist of the American New wave music, new wave band Talking Heads. Byrne has ...

and the Broadway production of ''

American Utopia ''American Utopia'' is the eighth studio album by Scottish-American Rock music, rock musician David Byrne, released on March 9, 2018 through Todo Mundo and Nonesuch Records. The release is his first solo studio album since 2004's ''Grown Backwar ...

''; Deirdre O'Connell; the New York theater community for perseverance in the face of loss during the COVID-19 pandemic *2022:

Austin Pendleton Austin Campbell Pendleton (born March 27, 1940) is an American actor, playwright, theatre director, and instructor. Pendleton is known as a prolific character actor on the stage and screen, whose six-decade career has included roles in films i ...

; Sanaz Toossi *2023: Broadway revival of '' Parade''; Adrienne Kennedy; La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club *2024: Broadway revivals of '' Merrily We Roll Along'' and '' Purlie Victorious''; Maryann Plunkett and Jay O. Sanders; Heather Christian *2025: Cole Escola for '' Oh, Mary!''; '' Cats: The Jellicle Ball''; David Greenspan

Runners-up

References

Notes

* * * *

External links

New York Drama Critics' Circle official site
{{Authority control American theater awards Awards established in 1935 1935 establishments in New York City

Member affiliations

''The New York Times'' membership history

New York Drama Critics' Circle Awards

Theatre awards and citation winners

Best Play

Best Musical

Best Foreign Play

Best American Play

Best Individual Performance

Best Ensemble Performance

Special Citations

Runners-up

See also

References

Notes

External links