The New York Drama Critics' Circle is made up of 22 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, Walter Winchell, and Robert Benchley. Adam Feldman of '' Time Out New York'' has been President of the organization since 2005; Joe Dziemianowicz is currently Vice President, and Zachary Stewart of TheaterMania serves as Treasurer.

Member affiliations

*'' amNewYork'' *'' The Hollywood Reporter'' *''

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

'' *''

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

'' *'' New York Post'' *'' The New Yorker'' *'' The Star-Ledger'' *TheaterMania *'' Time Out New York'' *'' The Undefeated'' *'' Variety'' *'' Wall Street Journal''

''The New York Times'' membership history

Although Brooks Atkinson of '' The New York Times'' 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 Award

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 theater award in the United States (after the

Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made h ...

). The main award is for Best Play. If the winner of that award is American, the Circle then votes on whether to give an award for Best Foreign Play as well; if the Best Play winner is of foreign origin, the Circle may give out an award for Best American Play. The awards are later presented in a small ceremony. Since 1945, the Circle has also given out awards for Best Musical. 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, and a cash award of $1,000 is given to the playwright who receives the award for Best American or Foreign Play.

Theatre awards and citation winners

Best Play

*1936: '' Winterset'' – Maxwell Anderson *1937: '' High Tor'' – Maxwell Anderson *1938: '' Of Mice and Men'' –

John Steinbeck John Ernst Steinbeck Jr. (; February 27, 1902 – December 20, 1968) was an American writer and the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature winner "for his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humor and keen social ...

*1940: '' The Time of Your Life'' – William Saroyan *1941: '' Watch on the Rhine'' – Lillian Hellman *1943: '' The Patriots'' – Sidney Kingsley *1945: '' The Glass Menagerie'' – Tennessee Williams *1947: ''

All My Sons ''All My Sons'' is a three-act play written in 1946 by Arthur Miller. It opened on Broadway at the Coronet Theatre in New York City on January 29, 1947, closed on November 8, 1949, and ran for 328 performances. It was directed by Elia Kazan (t ...

'' – 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 *1953: ''

Picnic A picnic is a meal taken outdoors ( ''al fresco'') as part of an excursion, especially in scenic surroundings, such as a park, lakeside, or other place affording an interesting view, or else in conjunction with a public event such as preceding ...

'' – William Inge *1954: '' The Teahouse of the August Moon'' – John Patrick *1955: ''

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof ''Cat on a Hot Tin Roof'' is a three-act play written by Tennessee Williams. An adaptation of his 1952 short story "Three Players of a Summer Game", the play was written by him between 1953 and 1955. One of Williams's more famous works and his p ...

'' – Tennessee Williams *1956: ''

The Diary of Anne Frank ''The Diary of a Young Girl'', also known as ''The Diary of Anne Frank'', is a book of the writings from the Dutch-language diary kept by Anne Frank while she was in hiding for two years with her family during the Nazi occupation of the Neth ...

'' – Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett *1957: '' Long Day's Journey into Night'' – Eugene O'Neill *1958: '' Look Homeward, Angel'' – Ketti Frings *1959: '' A Raisin in the Sun'' – Lorraine Hansberry *1960: '' Toys in the Attic'' – Lillian Hellman *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'' (1959), ''Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'' (1962), '' A Delicate Balance'' (1966) ...

*1964: '' Luther'' –

John Osborne John James Osborne (12 December 1929 – 24 December 1994) was an English playwright, screenwriter and actor, known for his prose that criticized established social and political norms. The success of his 1956 play ''Look Back in Anger'' tra ...

*1965: '' The Subject Was Roses'' –

Frank D. Gilroy Frank Daniel Gilroy (October 13, 1925 – September 12, 2015) was an American playwright, screenwriter, and film producer and director. He received the Tony Award for Best Play and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his play ''The Subject Was Roses' ...

*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 Nobel Prize winner, Pinter was one of the most influential modern British dramatists with a writing career that spanne ...

*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 many humans, and sometimes various companion animals. It is a fully or semi sheltered space and can have both interior and exterior aspects to it. H ...

'' – David Storey *1972: '' That Championship Season'' – Jason Miller *1973: '' The Changing Room'' – David Storey *1974: ''

The Contractors ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'' – David Storey *1975: ''

Equus Equus may refer to: * ''Equus'' (genus), a genus of animals including horses, donkeys and zebras * ''Equus'' (play), a play by Peter Shaffer * ''Equus'' (film), a film adaptation of the Peter Shaffer play * Equus (comics), a comic book characte ...

'' – 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 ''A Lesson from Aloes'' is a 1978 play by South African playwright Athol Fugard. Reception In 1994, Alvin Klein of '' The New York Times'' described ''A Lesson from Aloes'' as one of Fugard's major works. In 2009, Don Aucoin of '' The Boston G ...

'' –

Athol Fugard Athol Fugard, Hon. , (born 11 June 1932), is a South African playwright, novelist, actor, and director widely regarded as South Africa's greatest playwright. He is best known for his political and penetrating plays opposing the system of apart ...

*1982: '' The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (play)'' – David Edgar *1983: '' Brighton Beach Memoirs'' – Neil Simon *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 *1994: ''

Three Tall Women ''Three Tall Women'' is a two-act play by Edward Albee, written in 1990, which won the 1994 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Albee's third Pulitzer. Characters * A: A is a 92-year-old woman. She is thin, autocratic, proud, and wealthy, with "encroachi ...

'' –

*1995: '' Arcadia'' – Tom Stoppard *1996: '' Seven Guitars'' – August Wilson *1997: '' How I Learned to Drive'' – Paula Vogel *1998: '' Art'' – Yasmina Reza *1999: ''

Wit Wit is a form of intelligent humour, the ability to say or write things that are clever and usually funny. Someone witty is a person who is skilled at making clever and funny remarks. Forms of wit include the quip, repartee, and wisecrack. Form ...

'' – Margaret Edson *2000: '' Jitney'' – August Wilson *2001: '' The Invention of Love'' – Tom Stoppard *2002: '' The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?'' –

*2003: ''

Take Me Out A take is a single continuous recorded performance. The term is used in film and music to denote and track the stages of production. Film In cinematography, a take refers to each filmed "version" of a particular shot or "setup". Takes of each s ...

'' – Richard Greenberg *2004: '' Intimate Apparel'' –

Lynn Nottage Lynn Nottage (born November 2, 1964) is an American playwright whose work often focuses on the experience of working-class people, particularly working-class people who are Black. She has received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama twice: in 2009 for he ...

*2005: '' Doubt'' – John Patrick Shanley *2006: '' The History Boys'' – Alan Bennett *2007: '' The Coast of Utopia'' – Tom Stoppard *2008: '' August: Osage County'' – Tracy Letts *2009: ''

Ruined Ruins () are the remains of a civilization's architecture. The term refers to formerly intact structures that have fallen into a state of partial or total disrepair over time due to a variety of factors, such as lack of maintenance, deliberat ...

'' –

*2010: '' The Orphans' Home Cycle'' – Horton Foote *2011: '' Good People'' – David Lindsay-Abaire *2012: '' Sons of the Prophet'' –

Stephen Karam Stephen Karam (born ) is an American playwright, screenwriter and director. His plays ''Sons of the Prophet'', a comedy-drama about a Lebanese-American family, and '' The Humans'' were finalists for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2012 and 2016, ...

Jones, 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'' – Christopher Durang *2014: ''

The Night Alive ''The Night Alive'' is a 2013 stage play by Conor McPherson which won the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Play 2013–14 The play premiered in London in 2013. Productions The play premiered at the Donmar Warehouse in London, runni ...

'' – Conor McPherson *2015: ''

Between Riverside and Crazy ''Between Riverside and Crazy'' is a 2014 play by playwright, screenwriter, director, and actor Stephen Adly Guirgis. The play won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the 2015 New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Play, the 2015 Lucille Lo ...

'' – Stephen Adly Guirgis *2016: '' The Humans'' –

*2017: '' Oslo'' –

J.T. Rogers J. T. Rogers is a multiple-award-winning, internationally recognized American playwright who lives in New York. Rogers has written several plays including ''Oslo'', ''Blood and Gifts'', ''The Overwhelming'', ''White People'', and ''Madagascar''. ...

*2018: ''Mary Jane'' – Amy Herzog *2019: '' The Ferryman'' – Jez Butterworth *2020: ''

Heroes of the Fourth Turning ''Heroes of the Fourth Turning'' is a 2019 play by American writer Will Arbery. It focuses on a group of young Catholic intellectuals who reunite at their college in Wyoming. It premiered off-Broadway. It was received positively by both theatric ...

'' – Will Arbery *2021: ''A Case for the Existence of God'' – Samuel D. Hunter

Best Foreign Play

*1938: '' Shadow and Substance'' –

Paul Vincent Carroll Paul Vincent Carroll (10 July 1900 – 20 October 1968) was an Irish dramatist and writer of movie scenarios and television scripts. Carroll was born in Blackrock, County Louth, Ireland and trained as a teacher at St Patrick's College, Dublin ...

*1939: ''

The White Steed ''The White Steed'' is a play in three acts written in 1939 by Paul Vincent Carroll. It won the 1939 New York Drama Critics' Circle award for Best Foreign Play. Setting The setting of the play is the present-day village of Lorcan, County Louth, Ir ...

'' –

*1941: '' The Corn Is Green'' – Emlyn Williams *1942: ''

Blithe Spirit Blithe Spirit may refer to: * ''Blithe Spirit'' (play), a 1941 comic play written by Noël Coward * ''Blithe Spirit'' (1945 film), a British comedy film based on the play * ''Blithe Spirit'' (2020 film), a British-American comedy film based on th ...

'' –

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 called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and ...

*1944: ''Jacobowsky and the Colonel (Jacobowsky und der Oberst)'' – Franz Werfel *1947: '' No Exit'' – Jean-Paul Sartre *1948: '' The Winslow Boy'' – Terence Rattigan *1949: '' The Madwoman of Chaillot'' – Jean Giraudoux *1950: '' The Cocktail Party'' –

T. S. Eliot Thomas Stearns Eliot (26 September 18884 January 1965) was a poet, essayist, publisher, playwright, literary critic and editor.Bush, Ronald. "T. S. Eliot's Life and Career", in John A Garraty and Mark C. Carnes (eds), ''American National Biogr ...

*1951: '' The Lady's Not for Burning'' – Christopher Fry *1952: '' Venus Observed'' – Christopher Fry *1953: '' The Love of Four Colonels'' –

Peter Ustinov Sir Peter Alexander Ustinov (born Peter Alexander Freiherr von Ustinov ; 16 April 192128 March 2004) was a British actor, filmmaker and writer. An internationally known raconteur, he was a fixture on television talk shows and lecture circuits ...

*1954: '' Ondine'' – Jean Giraudoux *1955: ''

Witness for the Prosecution In law, a witness is someone who has knowledge about a matter, whether they have sensed it or are testifying on another witnesses' behalf. In law a witness is someone who, either voluntarily or under compulsion, provides testimonial evidence, e ...

'' –

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

*1956: '' Tiger at the Gates'' – Jean Giraudoux and Christopher Fry *1957: '' The Waltz of the Toreadors'' – Jean Anouilh *1958: '' Look Back in Anger'' –

*1959: '' The Visit'' – Friedrich Dürrenmatt and Maurice Valency *1960: ''

Five Finger Exercise ''Five Finger Exercise'' is a 1962 American drama film made by Columbia Pictures, directed by Daniel Mann and produced by Frederick Brisson from a screenplay by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett, based on the play by Peter Shaffer. The film ...

'' – Peter Shaffer *1961: ''

A Taste of Honey ''A Taste of Honey'' is the first play by the British dramatist Shelagh Delaney, written when she was 19. It was intended as a novel, but she turned it into a play because she hoped to revitalise British theatre and address social issues that ...

'' – Shelagh Delaney *1962: '' A Man for All Seasons'' – Robert Bolt *1972: '' The Screens'' –

Jean Genet Jean Genet (; – ) was a French novelist, playwright, poet, essayist, and political activist. In his early life he was a vagabond and petty criminal, but he later became a writer and playwright. His major works include the novels ''The Thief's ...

*1980: '' Betrayal'' –

*1983: ''

Plenty Plenty may refer to: Places * Plenty, Victoria, a town in Australia * Plenty River (Victoria), a river in the Australian state of Victoria *Plenty River (Northern Territory), a river in the Northern Territory of Australia * Plenty, Tasmania, a sma ...

'' –

David Hare David Hare may refer to: *David Hare (philanthropist) (1775–1842), Scottish philanthropist *David Hare (artist) (1917–1992), American sculptor and photographer *David Hare (playwright) (born 1947), English playwright and theatre and film direc ...

*1986: ''

Benefactors Benefactor may refer to: * ''Benefactor'' (album), a 1982 album by Romeo Void * Benefactor (law) for a person whose actions benefit another or a person that gives back to others * Benefication (metallurgy) In the mining Mining is the ext ...

'' – Michael Frayn *1987: '' Les Liaisons Dangereuses'' –

Christopher Hampton Sir Christopher James Hampton ( Horta, Azores, 26 January 1946) is a British playwright, screenwriter, translator and film director. He is best known for his play ''Les Liaisons Dangereuses'' based on the novel of the same name and the film ...

*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 ''Molly Sweeney'' is a two-act play by Brian Friel. It tells the story of its title character, Molly, a woman blind since infancy, who undergoes an operation to try to restore her sight. Like Friel's ''Faith Healer'', the play tells Molly's stor ...

'' – Brian Friel *1997: ''

Skylight A skylight (sometimes called a rooflight) is a light-permitting structure or window, usually made of transparent or translucent glass, that forms all or part of the roof space of a building for daylighting and ventilation purposes. History Open ...

'' –

*1999: '' Closer'' – Patrick Marber *2000: '' Copenhagen'' – Michael Frayn *2003: '' Talking Heads'' – Alan Bennett *2005: '' The Pillowman'' –

Martin McDonagh Martin Faranan McDonagh (; born 26 March 1970) is a British-Irish playwright, screenwriter, producer, and director. Born and brought up in London, he is the son of Irish parents. He is known as one of the most acclaimed modern playwrights whose ...

*2009: '' Black Watch'' –

Gregory Burke Gregory Burke (born 1968) is a Scottish playwright and screenwriter from Rosyth, Fife. Early life and education Burke's family moved to Gibraltar in 1979 and returned to Dunfermline in 1984. He attended St John's Primary in Rosyth, St Christo ...

*2011: '' Jerusalem'' – Jez Butterworth *2012: '' Tribes'' – Nina Raine *2018: '' Hangmen'' –

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 Miguel Piñero (December 19, 1946 – June 16, 1988) was a playwright, actor and co-founder of the Nuyorican Poets Café. He was a leading member of the Nuyorican literary movement. Early years Piñero was born on December 19, 1946, in Gur ...

*1975: '' The Taking of Miss Janie'' – Ed Bullins *1976: '' Streamers'' – David Rabe *1977: '' American Buffalo'' – David Mamet *1981: '' Crimes of the Heart'' –

Beth Henley Elizabeth Becker Henley (born May 8, 1952) is an American playwright, screenwriter, and actress. Her play ''Crimes of the Heart'' won the 1981 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the 1981 New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best American Play, and a ...

*1982: ''

A Soldier's Play ''A Soldier's Play'' is a play by American playwright Charles Fuller. Set on a US Army installation in the segregation-era South, the play is a loose adaptation of Herman Melville's novella ''Billy Budd'', and follows the murder investigation of ...

'' –

Charles Fuller Charles H. Fuller Jr. (March 5, 1939 – October 3, 2022) was an American playwright, best known for his play ''A Soldier's Play'', for which he received the 1982 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the 2020 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play. Ea ...

*1984: ''

Glengarry Glen Ross ''Glengarry Glen Ross'' is a play by David Mamet that won the Pulitzer Prize in 1984. The play shows parts of two days in the lives of four desperate Chicago real estate agents who are prepared to engage in any number of unethical, illegal acts� ...

'' – David Mamet *1992: '' Two Trains Running'' – August Wilson *1995: '' Love! Valour! Compassion!'' – Terrence McNally *1998: '' Pride's Crossing'' – Tina Howe *2001: ''

Proof Proof most often refers to: * Proof (truth), argument or sufficient evidence for the truth of a proposition * Alcohol proof, a measure of an alcoholic drink's strength Proof may also refer to: Mathematics and formal logic * Formal proof, a con ...

'' –

David Auburn David Auburn (born 30 November 1969) is an American playwright, screenwriter and theatre director. He is best known for his 2000 play '' Proof'', which won the 2001 Tony Award for Best Play and Pulitzer Prize for Drama. He also wrote the screen ...

*2007: '' Radio Golf'' – August Wilson *2014: '' All the Way'' – Robert Schenkkan *2019: '' What the Constitution Means to Me'' – Heidi Schreck

Best Musical

*1946: ''

Carousel A carousel or carrousel (mainly North American English), merry-go-round (List of sovereign states, international), roundabout (British English), or hurdy-gurdy (an old term in Australian English, in South Australia, SA) is a type of amusement ...

'' –

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 musicals and over 900 songs to his credit, Rodgers was one of the most ...

and

Oscar Hammerstein II Oscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II (; July 12, 1895 – August 23, 1960) was an American lyricist, librettist, theatrical producer, and (usually uncredited) director in the musical theater for almost 40 years. He won eight Ton ...

*1947: '' Brigadoon'' –

Frederick Loewe Frederick Loewe (, originally German Friedrich (Fritz) Löwe ; June 10, 1901 – February 14, 1988) was an Austrian-United States, American composer. He collaborated with lyricist Alan Jay Lerner on a series of Broadway musicals, including ''Br ...

and

Alan Jay Lerner Alan Jay Lerner (August 31, 1918 – June 14, 1986) was an American lyricist and librettist. In collaboration with Frederick Loewe, and later Burton Lane, he created some of the world's most popular and enduring works of musical theatre bot ...

*1949: ''

South Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

'' –

, and

Joshua Logan Joshua Lockwood Logan III (October 5, 1908 – July 12, 1988) was an American director, writer, and actor. He shared a Pulitzer Prize for co-writing the musical '' South Pacific'' and was involved in writing other musicals. Early years Logan ...

*1950: '' The Consul'' –

Gian Carlo Menotti Gian Carlo Menotti (, ; July 7, 1911 – February 1, 2007) was an Italian composer, librettist, director, and playwright who is primarily known for his output of 25 operas. Although he often referred to himself as an American composer, he kept h ...

*1951: '' Guys and Dolls'' – Frank Loesser, Abe Burrows and Jo Swerling, *1952: '' Pal Joey'' –

Lorenz Hart Lorenz Milton Hart (May 2, 1895 – November 22, 1943) was an American lyricist and half of the Broadway songwriting team Rodgers and Hart. Some of his more famous lyrics include " Blue Moon", " The Lady Is a Tramp", "Manhattan", "Bewitched, Both ...

, and

John O'Hara John Henry O'Hara (January 31, 1905 – April 11, 1970) was one of America's most prolific writers of short stories, credited with helping to invent ''The New Yorker'' magazine short story style.John O'Hara: Stories, Charles McGrath, ed., The L ...

*1953: '' Wonderful Town'' – Joseph Fields, Jerome Chodorov, Betty Comden, Adolph Green, and

Leonard Bernstein Leonard 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 the first America ...

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

*1956: '' My Fair Lady'' –

and

*1957: '' The Most Happy Fella'' – Frank Loesser *1958: '' The Music Man'' – Meredith Willson *1959: '' La Plume de Ma Tante'' – Robert Dhéry, Ross Parker, Francis Blanche, and Gérard Calvi *1960: '' Fiorello!'' – Jerry Bock, Sheldon Harnick, George Abbott and Jerome Weidman *1961: ''

Carnival! ''Carnival'' is a musical, originally produced by David Merrick on Broadway in 1961, with the book by Michael Stewart and music and lyrics by Bob Merrill. The musical is based on the 1953 film ''Lili'', which again was based on the short story ...

'' – Michael Stewart and Bob Merrill *1962: '' How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'' – Abe Burrows,

Jack Weinstock Jack Weinstock (died 23 May 1969 in New York City, New York) was an American author and playwright who is best known for writing the musical book for ''How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying''.Willie Gilbert, and Frank Loesser *1964: '' Hello, Dolly!'' – Michael Stewart and Jerry Herman *1965: ''

Fiddler on the Roof ''Fiddler on the Roof'' is a musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, set in the Pale of Settlement of Imperial Russia in or around 1905. It is based on ''Tevye and his Daughters'' (or ''Tevye the ...

'' – Jerry Bock, Sheldon Harnick and Joseph Stein *1966: ''

Man of La Mancha ''Man of La Mancha'' is a 1965 musical with a book by Dale Wasserman, music by Mitch Leigh, and lyrics by Joe Darion. It is adapted from Wasserman's non-musical 1959 teleplay ''I, Don Quixote'', which was in turn inspired by Miguel de Cervantes ...

'' – Dale Wasserman, Mitch Leigh, and Joe Darion *1967: '' Cabaret'' – John Kander, 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 1 ...

'' – Sherman Edwards and Peter Stone *1970: ''

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

'' –

Stephen Sondheim Stephen Joshua Sondheim (; March 22, 1930November 26, 2021) was an American composer and lyricist. One of the most important figures in twentieth-century musical theater, Sondheim is credited for having "reinvented the American musical" with sho ...

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

and William Goldman *1972: ''

Two Gentlemen of Verona ''The Two Gentlemen of Verona'' is a Shakespearean comedy, comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1589 and 1593. It is considered by some to be Shakespeare's first play, and is often seen as showing his first tent ...

'' – 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'' –

Marvin Hamlisch Marvin Frederick Hamlisch (June 2, 1944 – August 6, 2012) was an American composer and conductor. Hamlisch was one of only seventeen people to win Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards. This collection of all four is referred to as an " EGOT ...

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

, John Weidman and Hugh Wheeler *1977: '' Annie'' – Charles Strouse, Martin Charnin and Thomas Meehan *1978: '' Ain't Misbehavin''' –

Fats Waller Thomas Wright "Fats" Waller (May 21, 1904 – December 15, 1943) was an American jazz pianist, organist, composer, violinist, singer, and comedic entertainer. His innovations in the Harlem stride style laid much of the basis for modern jazz pi ...

and

Richard Maltby Jr. Richard Eldridge Maltby Jr. (born October 6, 1937) is an American theatre director and producer, lyricist, and screenwriter. He conceived and directed the only two musical revues to win the Tony Award for Best Musical: '' Ain't Misbehavin (1 ...

*1979: '' Sweeney Todd'' –

and Hugh Wheeler *1980: '' Evita'' –

Andrew Lloyd Webber Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber (born 22 March 1948), is an English composer and impresario of musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 21 musicals, ...

and Tim Rice *1983: ''

Little Shop of Horrors Little Shop of Horrors may refer to: * '' The Little Shop of Horrors'', a 1960 film directed by Roger Corman ** ''Little Shop of Horrors'' (musical), a 1982 musical based on the 1960 film ** ''Little Shop of Horrors'' (film), a 1986 film adaptat ...

'' –

Alan Menken Alan Irwin Menken (born July 22, 1949) is an American composer, best known for his scores and songs for films produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. His scores and songs for ''The Little Mermaid'' (1989), ''Beauty and the Beast'' (1991), ''A ...

and Howard Ashman *1984: ''

Sunday in the Park with George ''Sunday in the Park with George'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. It was inspired by the French pointillist painter Georges Seurat's painting ''A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatt ...

'' –

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, United States, to Eastern European Jewish parents ...

, and David Zippel *1991: '' The Will Rogers Follies'' –

, Betty Comden, Adolph Green and Peter Stone *1993: '' Kiss of the Spider Woman'' – John Kander, Fred Ebb, and Terrence McNally *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, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...

, Tim Rice, Roger Allers and Irene Mecchi *1999: ''

Parade A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, float (parade), floats, or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually ce ...

'' – Jason Robert Brown and Alfred Uhry *2000: '' James Joyce's The Dead'' – Shaun Davey and Richard Nelson *2001: '' The Producers'' – Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan *2003: '' Hairspray'' – Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman, Thomas Meehan and Mark O'Donnell *2006: '' The Drowsy Chaperone'' – Bob Martin, Don McKellar, Lisa Lambert and

Greg Morrison Greg Morrison is a Canadian composer and writer best known for his work on the Tony Award winning musical ''The Drowsy Chaperone'', written with songwriting partner, Lisa Lambert. ''The Drowsy Chaperone'' was their first collaboration. In 1999 La ...

*2007: '' Spring Awakening'' – Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater *2008: '' Passing Strange'' –

Stew A stew is a combination of solid food ingredients that have been cooked in liquid and served in the resultant gravy. A stew needs to have raw ingredients added to the gravy. Ingredients in a stew can include any combination of vegetables and ...

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

and Lee Hall *2010: No awardGans,Andrew
"New York Drama Critics' Circle Names 'Orphans' Home Cycle' Best Play"
playbill.com, April 30, 2010. Retrieved May 26, 2018. *2011: '' The Book of Mormon'' – Trey Parker, Matt Stone and Robert Lopez *2012: ''

Once Once means a one-time occurrence. Once may refer to: Music * ''Once'' (Pearl Jam song), a 1991 song from the album ''Ten'' * ''Once'' (Roy Harper album), a 1990 album by Roy Harper * ''Once'' (The Tyde album), a 2001 debut album by The Tyd ...

'' – Enda Walsh, Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová *2013: '' Matilda the Musical'' – Tim Minchin and Dennis Kelly *2014: '' Fun Home'' – Jeanine Tesori and Lisa Kron *2015: '' Hamilton'' – Lin-Manuel Miranda *2016: '' Shuffle Along, or, the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed'' –

George C. Wolfe George Costello Wolfe (born September 23, 1954) is an American playwright and director of theater and film. He won a Tony Award in 1993 for directing '' Angels in America: Millennium Approaches'' and another Tony Award in 1996 for his direction o ...

, Eubie Blake and Noble Sissle *2017: ''

The Band's Visit ''The Band's Visit'' ( he, ביקור התזמורת, Bikur Ha-Tizmoret) is a 2007 comedy-drama film, directed and written by Eran Kolirin, and starring Saleh Bakri, Ronit Elkabetz, Sasson Gabai and Uri Gavriel. It is an international co-prod ...

'' – Itamar Moses and David Yazbek *2018: No awardFeldman, Adam
"No award this year for Best Musical"
twitter.com, May 3, 2018. Retrieved May 26, 2018. *2019: '' Tootsie'' – David Yazbek and Robert Horn *2020: '' A Strange Loop'' –

Michael R. Jackson Michael R. Jackson (born 1981) is an American playwright, composer, and lyricist, best known for his musical ''A Strange Loop'', which won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the 2022 Tony Award for Best Musical. He is originally from Detroit, M ...

*2021: ''

Kimberly Akimbo ''Kimberly Akimbo'' is a play written in 2000 by David Lindsay-Abaire. Its title character is a lonely teenage girl suffering from a disease similar to progeria, that causes her to age four and a half times as fast as normal, thus trapping her in ...

'' – David Lindsay-Abaire and Jeanine Tesori

Special awards and citations

*1952: '' Don Juan in Hell'' – George Bernard Shaw *1963: '' Beyond the Fringe'' – Alan Bennett, Peter Cook, Jonathan Miller and Dudley Moore *1964: '' The Trojan Women'' – Euripides *1966: '' Mark Twain Tonight'' – Hal Holbrook *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 dancer, actress, singer, and civil rights activist. Horne's career spanned more than seventy years, appearing in film, television, and theatre. Horne joined the chorus of th ...

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

Young Playwrights Festival Young may refer to: * Offspring, the product of reproduction of a new organism produced by one or more parents * Youth, the time of life when one is young, often meaning the time between childhood and adulthood Music * The Young, an American roc ...

*1984:

Samuel Beckett Samuel Barclay Beckett (; 13 April 1906 – 22 December 1989) was an Irish novelist, dramatist, short story writer, theatre director, poet, and literary translator. His literary and theatrical work features bleak, impersonal and tragicomic expe ...

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 William Mills Irwin (born April 11, 1950) is an American actor, clown, and comedian. He began as a vaudeville-style stage performer and has been noted for his contribution to the renaissance of American circus during the 1970s. He has made a n ...

*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'' revival —

Encores! Encores! is a Tony-honored concert series dedicated to performing rarely heard American musicals, usually with their original orchestrations. Presented by New York City Center since 1994, Encores! has revived shows by Irving Berlin, Rodgers & Ha ...

*1998: '' Cabaret'' – Roundabout Theatre Company *1999:

*2002: Elaine Stritch – '' Elaine Stritch at Liberty'' *2004: Barbara Cook *2006: John Doyle, Sarah Travis – '' Sweeney Todd'' and Christine Ebersole – '' Grey Gardens'' *2007: '' Journey's End'' – Broadway revival *2009: Angela Lansbury; Matthew Warchus and the cast of '' The Norman Conquests''; Gerard Alessandrini for '' Forbidden Broadway'' *2010: Lincoln Center Festival; Viola Davis; 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's

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

Richard III Richard III (2 October 145222 August 1485) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. His defeat and death at the Battl ...

''; Richard Nelson and the company of the Apple Family Plays *2015: Ars Nova and Bob Crowley *2016: Oskar Eustis; Lois Smith;

Ivo van Hove Ivo van Hove (born 28 October 1958) is a Belgian theatre director known as the artistic director of Toneelgroep Amsterdam in the Netherlands and for his Off-Broadway avant-garde experimental theatre productions. On Broadway, he has directed rev ...

and

Jan Versweyveld Jan Versweyveld (born 1958) is a Belgian theatre set designer, scenographer and lighting designer. Biography Jan Versweyveld studied at the LUCA School of Arts in Brussels and the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp. Together with his husband ...

*2017: Taylor Mac for ''A 24-Decade History of Popular Music'', Ruben Santiago-Hudson and the cast of ''Jitney'', and Paula Vogel for career achievement as a playwright and mentor *2018: Park Avenue Armory for adventurous theatrical programming;

Transport Group Transport Group Theatre Company is a non-profit, off-Broadway theatre company in New York City that stages new works and revivals of plays and musicals, with a focus on American stories told in visually progressive way. History Transport Group was ...

; the staging, design and illusions of '' Harry Potter and the Cursed Child'' *2019: Irish Repertory Theatre; Page 73;

National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene The National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene, commonly known as NYTF, is a professional theater company in New York City which produces both Yiddish plays and plays translated into Yiddish, in a theater equipped with simultaneous superscript translati ...

's revival of '' Fiddler on the Roof (Fidler Afn Dakh)'' *2020:

David Byrne David Byrne (; born 14 May 1952) is a Scottish-American singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, writer, music theorist, visual artist and filmmaker. He was a founding member and the principal songwriter, lead singer, and guitarist of ...

and the Broadway production of '' American Utopia''; Deirdre O'Connell; the New York theater community for perseverance in the face of loss during the COVID-19 pandemic *2021: Actor

Austin Pendleton Austin Campbell Pendleton (born March 27, 1940) is an American actor, playwright, theatre director, and instructor. He is known as a prolific character actor on the stage and screen who has appeared in films including ''Catch-22'' (1970); '' W ...

for lifetime achievement; playwright Sanaz Toossi

Runners-up

References

Past Awards, New York Drama Critics' Circle

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 Award

Theatre awards and citation winners

Best Play

Best Foreign Play

Best American Play

Best Musical

Special awards and citations

Runners-up

See also

References

Notes

External links