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 the theatre among Broadway, Off Broadway and Off-Off Broadway productions. The award was originally entitled Best Composter, before being renamed to its current title in 1969. The award is often referred to as Outstanding Score of a Musical.

Drama Desk Award
for Outstanding Music
Awarded forOutstanding Music
LocationUnited States
Presented byDrama Desk
Currently held byDave Malloy for Octet (2020)
WebsiteDramaDeskAwards.com

† – indicates the performance won the Tony Award
‡ – indicates the performance was also nominated for the Tony Award

Winners and nominees

1960s
Year Composer Production
1968
Al Carmines In Circles
Galt MacDermot Hair
1969
Al Carmines Peace
Burt Bacharach Promises, Promises

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

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

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

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

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

2020s
Year Composer Production
2020
Dave Malloy Octet
Ross Golan The Wrong Man
Michael R. Jackson A Strange Loop
Joshua Rosenblum Einstein’s Dreams
Duncan Sheik The Secret Life of Bees
Jeanine Tesori Soft Power

Multiple wins

Multiple nominations

See also

References
  • "Drama Desk Award for Music". Internet Broadway Database. 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-21.
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