Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Direction of a Musical

The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Direction of a Musical is an annual award presented by Drama Desk in recognition of achievements in theatre across collective Broadway, off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway productions in New York City. The awards were established in 1955, with the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director being presented each year to a director from any play or musical production. Starting in 1975, the singular director's award was replaced by separate play and musical categories.

Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Direction of a Musical
Michael Arden, 2025 winner
Awarded for	Outstanding Direction of a Musical
Location	New York City
Country	United States
Presented by	Drama Desk
First award	1975
Currently held by	Michael Arden for Maybe Happy Ending (2025)
Website	dramadesk.org (defunct)

Harold Prince holds the record for most wins in the category, with four, followed closely by Tommy Tune and Michael Mayer with three wins each. Prince is also tied with John Doyle for the most nominations in the category, both with eight.

Winners and nominees

Key

  and bold indicates the winner.

1970s

Year	Director	Production
1975
	Arthur Laurents	Gypsy
	Geoffrey Holder	The Wiz
	Sue Lawless	In Gay Company
	William Martin	The Lieutenant
	Joel Zwick	Dance with Me
1976
	Michael Bennett	A Chorus Line
	Jerry Adler	My Fair Lady
	Richard Foreman	The Threepenny Opera
	Gerald Freedman	The Robber Bridegroom
	Harold Prince	Pacific Overtures
1977
	Martin Charnin	Annie
	Gerald Freedman	The Robber Bridegroom
	Jack O'Brien	Porgy and Bess
	Gene Saks	I Love My Wife
	Tommy Tune	The Club
1978
	Peter Masterson and Tommy Tune	The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
	Stephen Schwartz	Working
	Elizabeth Swados	Runaways
1979
	Harold Prince	Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
	Michael Bennett	Ballroom

1980s

Year	Director	Production
1980
	Harold Prince	Evita
	Walton Jones	1940's Radio Hour
	Joe Layton	Barnum
	Gary Pearle	Tintypes
1981
	Wilford Leach	The Pirates of Penzance
	Arthur Faria	Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music
1982
	Tommy Tune	Nine
	Michael Bennett	Dreamgirls
	Tony Tanner	Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
1983
	George Abbott	On Your Toes
	Howard Ashman	Little Shop of Horrors
1984
	James Lapine	Sunday in the Park with George
	A.J. Antoon	The Rink
	Jacques Levy	Doonesbury
1985	—
1986
	Wilford Leach	The Mystery of Edwin Drood
	Andre Ernotte	Goblin Market
	Bob Fosse	Big Deal
		Sweet Charity
	Paul Lazarus	Personals
1987
	Mike Ockrent	Me and My Girl
	Barry Harman	Olympus on My Mind
1988
	Harold Prince	The Phantom of the Opera
	James Lapine	Into the Woods
	Harold Prince	Cabaret
	Jerry Zaks	Anything Goes
1989	—

1990s

Year	Director	Production
1990
	Tommy Tune	Grand Hotel
	Michael Blakemore	City of Angels
	James Hammerstein	The Sound of Music
1991
	Scott Ellis	And the World Goes 'Round
		A Little Night Music
	Lisa Peterson	The Waves
	Susan H. Schulman	The Secret Garden
	Jerry Zaks	Assassins
1992
	Jerry Zaks	Guys and Dolls
	Gerald Gutierrez	The Most Happy Fella
	Mike Ockrent	Crazy for You
	George C. Wolfe	Jelly's Last Jam
1993
	Des McAnuff	The Who's Tommy
	Michael Leeds	Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh
	Michael Maggio	Wings
	Joel Paley	Ruthless!
1994
	Nicholas Hytner	Carousel
	Graciela Daniele	Hello Again
	Scott Ellis	She Loves Me
	Andre Gilbert Ernotte	Christina Alberta's Father
	James Lapine	Passion
1995
	Harold Prince	Show Boat
	Christopher Ashley	Das Barbecü
	Michael Mayer	America Dreaming
	Trevor Nunn	Sunset Boulevard
1996
	Christopher Renshaw	The King and I
	Graciela Daniele	Chronicle of a Death Foretold
	Andre Gilbert Ernotte	Bed and Sofa
	Michael Greif	Rent
	Tina Landau	Floyd Collins
	George C. Wolfe	Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk
1997
	Walter Bobbie	Chicago
	Michael Blakemore	The Life
	Scott Ellis	Steel Pier
	Susan H. Schulman	Violet
	Mark Waldrop	Howard Crabtree's When Pigs Fly
1998
	Julie Taymor	The Lion King
	Scott Ellis	1776
	Frank Galati	Ragtime
	Sam Mendes and Rob Marshall	Cabaret
1999
	Matthew Bourne	Swan Lake
	Graciela Daniele	A New Brain
	Richard Maltby, Jr. and Ann Reinking	Fosse
	Michael Mayer	You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown
	Harold Prince	Parade

2000s

Year	Director	Production
2000
	Michael Blakemore	Kiss Me, Kate
	Gabriel Barre	The Wild Party
	Susan Stroman	Contact
		The Music Man
2001
	Susan Stroman	The Producers
	Christopher Ashley	The Rocky Horror Show
	Wilfredo Medina	The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin
	Jack O'Brien	The Full Monty
	John Rando	Urinetown
	Scott Schwartz	Bat Boy: The Musical
2002
	Michael Mayer	Thoroughly Modern Millie
	Nicholas Hytner	Sweet Smell of Success
	James Lapine	Into the Woods
	Trevor Nunn	Oklahoma!
	Scott Schwartz	Tick, Tick... Boom!
	George C. Wolfe	Elaine Stritch: At Liberty
2003
	Jack O'Brien	Hairspray
	James Lapine	Amour
	David Leveaux	Nine
	Baz Luhrmann	La bohème
	Joe Mantello	A Man of No Importance
	Twyla Tharp	Movin' Out
2004
	Joe Mantello	Wicked
	Jeff Calhoun	Big River
	Pamela Hunt	The Musical of Musicals: The Musical
	Joe Mantello	Assassins
	Kathleen Marshall	Wonderful Town
	George C. Wolfe	Caroline, or Change
2005
	James Lapine	The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
	Matthew Bourne	Play Without Words
	Jack Cummings III	The Audience
	Mark Dornford-May	The Mysteries
	Mike Nichols	Spamalot
	Bartlett Sher	The Light in the Piazza
2006
	John Doyle	Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
	Michael Greif	Grey Gardens
	Daniel Finzi Pasca	Rain
	Des McAnuff	Jersey Boys
	Casey Nicholaw	The Drowsy Chaperone
	Kathleen Marshall	The Pajama Game
2007
	Michael Mayer	Spring Awakening
	John Doyle	Company
	Thomas Kail	In the Heights
	Jerry Mitchell	Legally Blonde
	Harold Prince	LoveMusik
	Alex Timbers	Gutenberg! The Musical!
2008
	Bartlett Sher	South Pacific
	Christopher Ashley	Xanadu
	Sam Buntrock	Sunday in the Park with George
	David Cromer	Adding Machine
	John Doyle	A Catered Affair
	Bob McGrath	The Slug Bearers of Kayrol Island
2009
	Stephen Daldry	Billy Elliot the Musical
	Walter Bobbie	Irving Berlin's White Christmas
	Joe Mantello	9 to 5
	Jason Moore	Shrek the Musical
	Diane Paulus	Hair
	Stuart Ross	Enter Laughing the Musical

2010s

Year	Director	Production
2010
	Michael Mayer	American Idiot
	Warren Carlyle	Finian's Rainbow
	Marcia Milgrom Dodge	Ragtime
	Igor Goldin	Yank!
	Terry Johnson	La Cage aux Folles
	Susan Stroman	The Scottsboro Boys
2011
	Casey Nicholaw and Trey Parker	The Book of Mormon
	Rob Ashford	How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
	Joe Calarco	In Transit
	Jack Cummings III	Hello Again
		See Rock City & Other Destinations
	Kathleen Marshall	Anything Goes
2012
	John Tiffany	Once
	Christopher Ashley	Leap of Faith
	Jack Cummings III	Queen of the Mist
	Doug Hughes	Death Takes a Holiday
	Kathleen Marshall	Nice Work If You Can Get It
	Eric Schaeffer	Follies
2013
	Diane Paulus	Pippin
	Andy Blankenbuehler	Bring It On: The Musical
	Rachel Chavkin	Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812
	John Doyle	Passion
	Emma Rice	The Wild Bride
	Alex Timbers	Here Lies Love
	Matthew Warchus	Matilda the Musical
2014
	Darko Tresnjak	A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
	Sam Gold	Fun Home
	Michael Mayer	Hedwig and the Angry Inch
	Bartlett Sher	The Bridges of Madison County
	Susan Stroman	Bullets Over Broadway The Musical
	Alex Timbers	Rocky the Musical
2015
	Thomas Kail	Hamilton
	Carolyn Cantor	Fly By Night
	Bill Condon	Side Show
	John Doyle	The Visit
	Casey Nicholaw	Something Rotten!
	Christopher Wheeldon	An American in Paris
2016
	John Doyle	The Color Purple
	Bartlett Sher	Fiddler on the Roof
	Michael Arden	Spring Awakening
	Rupert Goold	American Psycho
	Bryna Wasserman and Motl Didner	The Golden Bride
2017
	Rachel Chavkin	Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
	David Cromer	The Band's Visit
	Christopher Ashley	Come from Away
	Bill Buckhurst	Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
	Jerry Zaks	Hello, Dolly!
2018
	Tina Landau	SpongeBob SquarePants
	Christian Barry	Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story
	Teddy Bergman	KPOP
	Jack O'Brien	Carousel
	Bartlett Sher	My Fair Lady
2019
	Rachel Chavkin	Hadestown
	Noah Brody	Merrily We Roll Along
	Scott Ellis	Tootsie
	Daniel Fish	Rodgers & Hammerstein's Oklahoma!
	Joel Grey	Fiddler on the Roof

2020s

Year	Director	Production
2020
	Stephen Brackett	A Strange Loop
	Thomas Kail	The Wrong Man
	Kathleen Marshall	The Unsinkable Molly Brown
	Leigh Silverman	Soft Power
	Annie Tippe	Octet
2021	No awards: New York theatres shuttered, March 2020 to September 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City[1]
2022
	Marianne Elliott	Company
	John Doyle	Assassins
	Lucy Moss and Jamie Armitage	Six
	Bartlett Sher	Intimate Apparel
	Jessica Stone	Kimberly Akimbo
2023
	Thomas Kail	Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
	Jeff Calhoun	Between the Lines
	John Doyle	A Man of No Importance
	Maria Friedman	Merrily We Roll Along
	Jack O'Brien	Shucked
2024[2]	Jessica Stone	Water for Elephants
	David Cromer	Dead Outlaw
	Rebecca Frecknall	Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club
	Daisy Prince	The Connector
	Danya Taymor	The Outsiders
2025[3]
	Michael Arden	Maybe Happy Ending
	Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch	Cats: "The Jellicle Ball"
	Jamie Lloyd	Sunset Blvd.
	Jerry Mitchell	Boop! The Musical
	Alex Timbers	Just in Time
	George C. Wolfe	Gypsy

Multiple wins

4 wins Harold Prince 3 wins Tommy Tune Michael Mayer

2 wins Rachel Chavkin John Doyle Thomas Kail James Lapine Wilford Leach Bartlett Sher

Multiple nominations

8 nominations Harold Prince John Doyle 6 nominations Michael Mayer James Lapine Scott Ellis Bartlett Sher 5 nominations Jack O'Brien George C. Wolfe Kathleen Marshall Christopher Ashley Susan Stroman 4 nominations Tommy Tune Jerry Zaks Joe Mantello Jack Cummings III Thomas Kail Alex Timbers

3 nominations Michael Bennett Andre Ernotte Graciela Daniele Michael Blakemore Casey Nicholaw David Cromer Rachel Chavkin 2 nominations Gerald Freedman Scott Schwartz Walter Bobbie Trevor Nunn Wilford Leach Bob Fosse Mike Ockrent Des McAnuff Nicholas Hytner Susan H. Schulman Tina Landau Michael Greif Matthew Bourne Jeff Calhoun Jerry Mitchell Diane Paulus Michael Arden Jessica Stone

See also

• Laurence Olivier Award for Best Director
• Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical