Drama League Award for Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theatre

Drama League Award for Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theater
Awarded for	Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theater
Location	New York City
Country	United States
Presented by	Drama League
First award	1985
Currently held by	Lea Salonga (2025)
Website	dramaleague.org

The Drama League Award for Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theater is a theater award presented annually since 1985 by The Drama League for "performers, composers, lyricists, choreographers, and directors whose careers have defined the utmost standard of excellence in musicals." ^[1]

Recipients

1980s

Year	Recipient	Ref.
1985	Yul Brynner	[1]
1986	Bob Fosse
1987	Robert Lindsay
1988	Michael Crawford
1989	Mandy Patinkin

1990s

Year	Recipient	Ref.
1990	Tommy Tune	[1]
1991	Stephen Sondheim
1992	Agnes de Mille
1993	Chita Rivera
1994	George Abbott
1995	Andrew Lloyd Webber
1996	George C. Wolfe	[2] [3]
1997	Gerard Alessandrini	[4] [5]
1998	Julie Taymor	[6] [7]
1999	Ann Reinking and Gwen Verdon	[8]

2000s

Year	Recipient	Ref.
2000	Audra McDonald	[9] [10]
2001	Susan Stroman	[11] [12]
2002	Elaine Stritch	[13] [14]
2003	Twyla Tharp	[15] [16]
2004	Donna Murphy	[17] [18]
2005	BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop	[19] [20]
2006	Patti LuPone	[21] [22]
2007	John Kander and Fred Ebb	[23] [24]
2008	Paul Gemignani	[25] [26]
2009	Sir Elton John	[27] [28]

2010s

Year	Recipient	Ref.
2010	Nathan Lane	[29] [30]
2011	Liza Minnelli	[31] [32]
2012	Alan Menken	[33] [34]
2013	Bernadette Peters	[35] [36]
2014	Barbara Cook	[37] [38]
2015	Joel Grey	[39] [40]
2016	Sheldon Harnick	[41] [42]
2017	Bette Midler	[43] [44]
2018	Idina Menzel	[45] [46]
2019	Kelli O'Hara	[47] [48]

2020s

Year	Recipient	Ref.
2020	James Lapine	[49] [50]
2021	Richard & Demi Weitz	[1]
2022	Hugh Jackman	[51] [52]
2023	André de Shields	[53] [54]
2024	Jonathan Groff	[55] [56]
2025	Lea Salonga	[57] [58] [59]

References

1. "Award History". Drama League of New York . Retrieved February 17, 2024.
2. "Drama League Awards History — Outstanding Production of a Musical". Drama League. 25 March 2021. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
3. "'Rent' Guitars Win Drama League Awards". Playbill. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
4. "Drama League Awards History — Outstanding Production of a Musical". Drama League. 25 March 2021. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
5. "Recent Plays, Musicals Dominate Drama League Nominees". Playbill. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
6. "'Ragtime, Beauty Queen, Cabaret' Win Drama League Awards May 8". Playbill. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
7. "Drama League Awards History — Outstanding Production of a Musical". Drama League. 25 March 2021. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
8. "Drama League Awards History — Outstanding Production of a Musical". Drama League. 25 March 2021. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
9. "Drama League Announces Nominees for Play, Musical, Revival". Playbill. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
10. "Drama League Awards History — Outstanding Production of a Musical". Drama League. 25 March 2021. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
11. "Drama League Awards History — Outstanding Production of a Musical". Drama League. 25 March 2021. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
12. "Drama League Picks 19 Nominees in Three Categories for May 11 Awards". Playbill. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
13. "Sweet Smell, Millie, Topdog Among Drama League Nominees; Awards Presented May 10". Playbill. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
14. "Drama League Awards History — Outstanding Production of a Musical". Drama League. 25 March 2021. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
15. "Drama League Nominees Include Enchanted, Albertine, Amour, Salome, Avenue Q". Playbill. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
16. "Drama League Awards — 2003". About the Artists. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
17. "Drama League Awards — 2004". About the Artists. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
18. "Wife, Wicked, Assassins, Henry IV and Jackman Win 2004 Drama League Awards". Playbill. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
19. "Drama League Awards — 2005". About the Artists. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
20. "Drama League Names Doubt and Dirty Rotten Best of 2004-05 NYC Season". Playbill. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
21. "Drama League Awards — 2006". About the Artists. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
22. "The Drama League to Announce 2006 Award Winners May 5". Playbill. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
23. "Drama League Awards 2007 winners announced". New York Theatre Guide. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
24. "2007 Drama League Award Winners Announced". TheaterMania. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
25. "Drama League Awards — 2008". About the Artists. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
26. "74th Annual Drama League Award Nominees Announced". Playbill. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
27. "Drama League Awards — 2009". About the Artists. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
28. "'Billy Elliot,' 'God of Carnage' Win Drama League Awards". The New York Times. 15 May 2009. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
29. "Drama League Awards — 2010". About the Artists. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
30. "Drama League 2010 Award Winners". New York Theatre Guide. 19 October 2017. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
31. "Drama League Awards — 2011". About the Artists. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
32. "Drama League Award Winners Are Announced". TheaterMania. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
33. "Drama League Awards — 2012". About the Artists. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
34. "Drama League 2012 Award Winners". New York Theatre Guide. 19 October 2017. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
35. "Drama League Awards — 2013". About the Artists. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
36. "2013 Drama League Award Winners". New York Theatre Guide. 19 October 2017. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
37. "Drama League Awards — 2014". About the Artists. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
38. "2014 Drama League Award Winners". New York Theatre Guide. 19 October 2017. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
39. "Drama League Awards — 2015". About the Artists. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
40. "2015 Drama League Awards: And the Winners Are". New York Theatre Guide. 19 October 2017. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
41. "Drama League Awards Nominations 2016: Full List". Variety. 20 April 2016. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
42. "Drama League Awards 2016 – And the Winners Are". New York Theatre Guide. 19 October 2017. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
43. "Drama League Awards — 2017". About the Artists. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
44. "Drama League Awards 2017 — And the Winners Are". New York Theatre Guide. 19 October 2017. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
45. "Drama League Awards — 2018". About the Artists. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
46. "Drama League Awards 2018 — And the Winners Are". New York Theatre Guide. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
47. "Drama League Awards — 2019". About the Artists. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
48. "Network's Bryan Cranston, *Hadestown* Among 2019 Drama League Award Winners". Playbill. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
49. "Drama League Awards — 2010". About the Artists. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
50. "Moulin Rouge! and Danny Burstein Among 2020 Drama League Winners". Playbill. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
51. "Drama League Awards — 2022". About the Artists. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
52. "2022 Drama League Award Winners Announced". New York Theatre Guide. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
53. "Drama League Awards — 2023". About the Artists. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
54. "2023 Drama League Award Winners Announced". New York Theatre Guide. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
55. "Drama League Awards — 2024". About the Artists. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
56. "Sarah Paulson Wins Drama League Award; See the Full List of Winners". Playbill. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
57. "Drama League Awards — 2025". About the Artists. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
58. "2025 Drama League Awards Nominations Are Out; Read the Full List". Playbill. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
59. "Photos: 2025 Drama League Awards (Winners, Nicole Scherzinger, Sam Pinkleton & More)". Playbill. Retrieved 2025-10-05.