Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding New Broadway Musical

Outer Critics Circle Award for
Outstanding New Broadway Musical
Outer Critics Circle Award for ; Outstanding New Broadway Musical
Awarded for	Outstanding New Broadway Musical
Location	New York City
Presented by	Outer Critics Circle
Currently held by	Maybe Happy Ending (2025)
Website	OuterCritics.org

Last updated September 02, 2025

The Outer Critics Circle Award for Best New Broadway Musical is an annual award given to the best new musical on Broadway, as determined by Outer Critics Circle. The award has been given out since 1949-1950 season.

Award winners

Key

and bold indicates the winner.

1950s

Year	Production	Bookwriter	Composer
1950
1950	The Consul	Gian Carlo Menotti
1951
1951	Guys and Dolls	Abe Burrows and Jo Swerling	Frank Loesser
1952	No award given
1953
1953	Wonderful Town	Joseph Fields and Jerome Chodorov	Leonard Bernstein, Betty Comden and Adolph Green
1954
1954	Kismet	Charles Lederer and Luther Davis	Robert Wright and George Forest
1955
1955	3 for Tonight: A Diversion in Song and Dance	Walter Schumann	Robert Wells
1956
1956	My Fair Lady	Alan Jay Lerner	Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe
1957	No award given.
1958
1958	The Music Man	Meredith Willson
1959	No award given.

1960s

Year	Production	Bookwriter	Composer
1960
1960	Bye Bye Birdie	Michael Stewart	Charles Strouse and Lee Adams
1961	No award given.
1962	No award given.
1963	No award given.
1964	No award given.
1965
1965	Oh, What a Lovely War!	Joan Littlewood and Theatre Workshop	Various
1966
1966	Man of La Mancha	Dale Wasserman	Mitch Leigh and Joe Darion
1967
	Cabaret	Joe Masteroff	John Kander and Fred Ebb

You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown	John Gordon	Clark Gesner
1968
	George M!	Michael Stewart, John Pascal and Francine Pascal	George M. Cohan and Mary Cohan

Your Own Thing	Donald Driver	Hal Hester and Danny Apolinar
1969	No award given.

1970s

Year	Production	Bookwriter	Composer	Ref.
1970
1970	Company	George Furth	Stephen Sondheim
1971
	Follies	James Goldman	Stephen Sondheim

No, No, Nanette	G. Otto Harbach, Frank Mandel and Burt Shevelove	Vincent Youmans, Irving Caesar and Otto Harbach
1972	No award given.
1973	No award given.
1974
1974	Candide	Hugh Wheeler	Leonard Bernstein, Richard Wilbur, John Latouche, Dorothy Parker, Lillian Hellman, Stephen Sondheim, Leonard Bernstein
1975	No award given.
1976	No award given.
1977
1977	Annie	Thomas Meehan	Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin
1978
1978	Ain't Misbehavin'	Murray Horwitz and Richard Maltby Jr.	Fats Waller and Various	^[1]
1979
1979	Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street	Hugh Wheeler	Stephen Sondheim

1980s

Year	Production	Bookwriter	Composer
1980
1980	Barnum	Mark Bramble	Cy Coleman and Michael Stewart
1981	No award given.
1982
1982	Nine	Arthur Kopit	Maury Yeston
1983
1983	Cats	T.S. Eliot	Andrew Lloyd Webber, T.S. Eliot, Trevor Nunn and Richard Stilgoe
1984
1984	La Cage aux Folles	Harvey Fierstein	Jerry Herman
1985
1985	Sunday in the Park with George	James Lapine	Stephen Sondheim
1986
1986	The Mystery of Edwin Drood	Rupert Holmes
1987
1987	Les Misérables	Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg	Claude-Michel Schönberg and Herbert Kretzmer
1988
1988	The Phantom of the Opera	Richard Stilgoe and Andrew Lloyd Webber	Richard Stilgoe, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Charles Hart
1989
1989	Jerome Robbins' Broadway	Various

1990s

Year	Production	Bookwriter	Composer
1990
	City of Angels	Larry Gelbart	Cy Coleman and David Zippel
	Aspects of Love	Andrew Lloyd Webber	Andrew Lloyd Webber, Don Black and Charles Hart
	Grand Hotel	Luther Davis	Robert Wright, George Forrest and Maury Yeston
	Meet Me in St. Louis	Hugh Wheeler	Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane
1991
	Miss Saigon	Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg	Alain Boublil, Claude-Michel Schönberg and Richard Maltby Jr.
	Buddy	Alan Janes	Buddy Holly, Various
	Once on This Island	Lynn Ahrens	Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty
	The Secret Garden	Marsha Norman	Lucy Simon and Marsha Norman
1992
	Crazy for You	Ken Ludwig	George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin
	Five Guys Named Moe	Clarke Peters	Louis Jordan
	The High Rollers Social and Pleasure Club	Allen Toussaint	Various
	The Will Rogers Follies	Peter Stone	Cy Coleman, Betty Comden and Adolph Green
1993
	The Who's Tommy	Pete Townshend and Des McAnuff	Pete Townshend
	The Goodbye Girl	Neil Simon	Marvin Hamlisch and David Zippel
	Jelly's Last Jam	George C. Wolfe	Jelly Roll Morton, Luther Henderson and Susan Birkenhead
	Ain't Broadway Grand	Lee Adams	Lee Adams, Thomas Meehan and Mitch Leigh
1994
	Kiss of the Spider Woman	Terrence McNally	John Kander and Fred Ebb
	Blood Brothers	Willy Russell	Willy Russell
	The Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public	Larry L. King and Peter Masterson	Carol Hall
	Beauty and the Beast	Linda Woolverton	Alan Menken, Howard Ashman and Tim Rice
1995
	Sunset Boulevard	Don Black and Christopher Hampton	Andrew Lloyd Webber, Don Black and Christopher Hampton
	Smokey Joe's Cafe	Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller	Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller
	Passion	James Lapine	Stephen Sondheim
1996
	Victor/Victoria	Terrence McNally	John Kander and Fred Ebb
	Swinging on a Star	Michael Leeds	Johnny Burke, Various
	State Fair	Tom Briggs and Louis Mattioli	Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II
	Big	John Weidman	David Shire and Richard Maltby, Jr.
1997
	The Life	David Newman, Ira Gasman and Cy Coleman	Ira Gasman and Cy Coleman
	Titanic	Peter Stone	Maury Yeston
	Steel Pier	David Thompson	John Kander and Fred Ebb
	Jekyll & Hyde	Leslie Bricusse	Frank Wildhorn, Leslie Bricusse and Steve Cuden
1998
	Ragtime	Terrence McNally	Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens
	The Lion King	Roger Allers and Irene Mecchi	Elton John and Tim Rice
	The Scarlet Pimpernel	Nan Knighton	Nan Knighton and Frank Wildhorn
	High Society	Arthur Kopit	Cole Porter and Susan Birkenhead
1999
	Fosse	Various
	Parade	Alfred Uhry	Jason Robert Brown
	Swan Lake	n/a	Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
	The Civil War	Gregory Boyd and Frank Wildhorn	Frank Wildhorn and Jack Murphy

2000s

Year	Production	Bookwriter	Composer
2000
	Contact	John Weidman	Various
	Swing!	Paul Kelly	Various
	James Joyce's The Dead	Richard Nelson	Shaun Davey and Richard Nelson
	Saturday Night Fever	Nan Knighton, Arlene Phillips, Paul Nicholas and Robert Stigwood	Bee Gees, Others
2001
	The Producers	Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan	Mel Brooks
	A Class Act	Linda Kline and Lonny Price	Edward Kleban
	The Full Monty	Terrence McNally	David Yazbek
	Jane Eyre	John Caird	Paul Gordon
2002
	Urinetown	Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan	Mel Brooks
	Sweet Smell of Success	John Guare	Marvin Hamlisch and Craig Carnelia
	Thoroughly Modern Millie	Richard Morris and Dick Scanlan	Jeanine Tesori and Dick Scanlan
	Mamma Mia!	Catherine Johnson	Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus
2003
	Hairspray	Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan	Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman
	Amour	Jeremy Sams	Michel Legrand and Jeremy Sams
	Urban Cowboy	Aaron Latham and Phillip Oesterman	Jeff Blumenkrantz, Jason Robert Brown and Others
	Movin' Out	N/A	Billy Joel
2004
	Wicked	Winnie Holzman	Stephen Schwartz
	The Boy From Oz	Martin Sherman	Peter Allen
	Bombay Dreams	Meera Syal and Thomas Meehan	A. R. Rahman and Don Black
	Caroline, Or Change	Tony Kushner	Tony Kushner and Jeanine Tesori
2005
	Spamalot	Eric Idle	John Du Prez and Eric Idle
	Dirty Rotten Scoundrels	Jeffrey Lane	David Yazbek
	The Light in the Piazza	Craig Lucas	Adam Guettel
	Chitty Chitty Bang Bang	Jeremy Sams	Richard and Robert Sherman
	All Shook Up	Joe DiPietro	Various
2006
	Jersey Boys	Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice	Various
	The Color Purple	Marsha Norman	Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray
	The Drowsy Chaperone	Bob Martin and Don McKellar	Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison
	The Woman in White	Charlotte Jones	Andrew Lloyd Webber and David Zippel
2007
	Spring Awakening	Steven Sater	Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik
	Mary Poppins	Julian Fellowes	Richard M. Sherman, Robert B. Sherman, George Stiles and Anthony Drewe
	LoveMusik	Alfred Uhry	Kurt Weill, Various
	Curtains	Rupert Holmes	John Kander, Fred Ebb and Rupert Holmes
2008 (tie)
	Young Frankenstein	Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan	Mel Brooks

	Xanadu	Douglas Carter Beane	Jeff Lynne and John Farrar
	A Catered Affair	Harvey Fierstein	John Bucchino
Cry-Baby	Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan	Adam Schlesinger and David Javerbaum
2009
	Billy Elliot	Lee Hall	Elton John and Lee Hall
	Rock of Ages	Chris D'Arienzo	Various
	Shrek the Musical	David Lindsay-Abaire	David Lindsay-Abaire and Jeanine Tesori
	A Tale of Two Cities	Jill Santoriello

2010s

Year	Production	Bookwriter	Composer
2010
	Memphis	Joe DiPietro	David Bryan and Joe DiPietro
	American Idiot	Billie Joe Armstrong and Michael Mayer	Billie Joe Armstrong and Green Day
	Come Fly Away	Twyla Tharp	Various
	Fela!	Bill T. Jones and Jim Lewis	Fela Kuti
	Sondheim on Sondheim	James Lapine	Stephen Sondheim, Others
2011
	The Book of Mormon	Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone
	Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown	Jeffrey Lane	David Yazbek
	Priscilla Queen of the Desert	Stephan Elliott and Allan Scott	Various
	Sister Act	Cheri Steinkellner and Bill Steinkellner	Alan Menken and Glenn Slater
2012
	Once	Enda Walsh	Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová
	Disney's Newsies	Harvey Fierstein	Alan Menken and Jack Feldman
	Bonnie & Clyde	Ivan Menchell	Frank Wildhorn and Don Black
	Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark	Julie Taymor, Glen Berger and Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa	Bono and The Edge
2013
	Kinky Boots	Harvey Fierstein	Cyndi Lauper
	Chaplin the Musical	Christopher Curtis and Thomas Meehan	Christopher Curtis
	Hands on a Hardbody	Doug Wright	Trey Anastasio and Amanda Green
	Matilda the Musical	Dennis Kelly	Tim Minchin
	A Christmas Story: The Musical	Joseph Robinette	Benj Pasek and Justin Paul
2014
	A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder	Robert L. Freedman	Steven Lutvak and Robert L. Freedman
	Beautiful: The Carole King Musical	Douglas McGrath	Various
	After Midnight	N/A	Various
	Disney's Aladdin	Chad Beguelin	Alan Menken, Howard Ashman, Tim Rice and Chad Beguelin
	Rocky the Musical	Thomas Meehan and Sylvester Stallone	Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens
2015
	An American in Paris	Craig Lucas	George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin
	The Last Ship	Lorne Campbell	Sting
	It Shoulda Been You	Brian Hargrove	Barbara Anselmi, Brian Hargrove
	The Visit	Terrence McNally	John Kander and Fred Ebb
	Something Rotten!	Karey Kirkpatrick and John O'Farrell	Karey Kirkpatrick and Wayne Kirkpatrick
2016
	Bright Star	Steve Martin	Steve Martin and Edie Brickell
	Waitress	Jessie Nelson	Sara Bareilles
	American Psycho	Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa	Duncan Sheik
	On Your Feet!	Alexander Dinelaris Jr.	Emilio Estefan, Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine
	Tuck Everlasting	Claudia Shear and Tim Federle	Chris Miller and Nathan Tysen
2017
	Come From Away	Irene Sankoff and David Hein
	A Bronx Tale	Chazz Palminteri	Alan Menken and Glenn Slater
	Anastasia	Terrence McNally	Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens
	Groundhog Day	Danny Rubin	Tim Minchin
	Holiday Inn	Gordon Greenberg and Chad Hodge	Irving Berlin
2018
	SpongeBob SquarePants	Kyle Jarrow	Various
	Escape to Margaritaville	Greg Garcia and Mike O'Malley	Jimmy Buffett
	Frozen	Jennifer Lee	Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez
	Mean Girls	Tina Fey	Jeff Richmond and Nell Benjamin
	Prince of Broadway	David Thompson	Various
2019
	Hadestown	Anaïs Mitchell
	The Prom	Bob Martin and Chad Beguelin	Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin
	Be More Chill	Joe Tracz	Joe Iconis
	Head Over Heels	Jeff Whitty and James Magruder	The Go-Go's
	Tootsie	Robert Horn	David Yazbek

2020s

Year	Production	Bookwriter	Composer	Ref.
2020 (Honorees)	Jagged Little Pill	Diablo Cody	Alanis Morissette, Glen Ballard, Michael Farrell and Guy Sigsworth
	Moulin Rouge!	John Logan	Various
	Tina: The Tina Turner Musical	Katori Hall, Frank Ketelaar and Kees Prins	Various
2021	Ceremony cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2022
	Six	Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss
	Mrs. Doubtfire	Karey Kirkpatrick and John O'Farrell	Karey Kirkpatrick and Wayne Kirkpatrick
	MJ the Musical	Lynn Nottage	Various
	Mr. Saturday Night	Billy Crystal, Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel	Jason Robert Brown and Amanda Green
	Paradise Square	Christina Anderson, Larry Kirwan and Craig Lucas	Jason Howland, Masi Asare and Nathan Tysen
2023
	Some Like It Hot	Matthew López and Amber Ruffin	Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman	^[2]
	& Juliet	David West Read	Max Martin and Bill Sherman
	A Beautiful Noise	Anthony McCarten	Neil Diamond, Various
	New York, New York	David Thompson and Sharon Washington	John Kander and Fred Ebb
	Shucked	Robert Horn	Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally
2024
	Suffs	Shaina Taub		^[3]
	Water for Elephants	Rick Elice	PigPen Theatre Co.
	The Outsiders	Adam Rapp and Justin Levine	Jonathan Clay, Zach Chance and Justin Levine
	The Great Gatsby	Kait Kerrigan	Jason Howland and Nathan Tysen
	Days of Wine and Roses	Craig Lucas	Adam Guettel
2025
	Maybe Happy Ending	Hue Park and Will Aronson		^[4]^[5]
	Real Women Have Curves	Lisa Loomer and Nell Benjamin	Joy Huerta and Benjamin Velez
	Operation Mincemeat	David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson and Zoë Roberts
	Death Becomes Her	Marco Pennette	Julia Mattison and Noel Carey
	Boop! The Musical	Bob Martin	David Foster and Susan Birkenhead

Multiple wins

The following artists have won multiple times for their work in productions nominated for Best New Broadway Musical:

5 wins

Stephen Sondheim

4 wins

Thomas Meehan

3 wins

2 wins

Multiple nominations

The following artists have been nominated multiple times for their work in productions nominated for Best New Broadway Musical:

10 nominations

Thomas Meehan

7 nominations

6 nominations

Terrence McNally

5 nominations

4 nominations

3 nominations

2 nominations

References

↑ "Outer Critics Circle Honors Da". The New York Times. 1978-05-22. Retrieved 2025-08-09.
↑ Culwell-Block, Logan (May 16, 2023). "Some Like It Hot Dominates 2023 Outer Critics Circle Awards; See the Full List of Winners". Playbill. Retrieved September 1, 2025.
↑ "Stereophonic Leads 2024 Outer Critics Circle Awards, Wins Best Play; See the Full List of Winners". Playbill. Archived from the original on 2025-08-19. Retrieved 2025-09-01.
↑ Culwell-Block, Logan (May 12, 2025). "Maybe Happy Ending Leads 2025 Outer Critics Circle Awards; See the Full List of Winners". Playbill. Retrieved September 1, 2025.
↑ Evans, Greg (2025-04-25). "'Death Becomes Her' Broadway Musical Leads Outer Critics Circle Award Nominees – Complete List". Deadline. Retrieved 2025-09-01.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[1] "Outer Critics Circle Honors Da". The New York Times. 1978-05-22. Retrieved 2025-08-09.

[2] Culwell-Block, Logan (May 16, 2023). "Some Like It Hot Dominates 2023 Outer Critics Circle Awards; See the Full List of Winners". Playbill. Retrieved September 1, 2025.

[Playbill-2024_Awards-3] "Stereophonic Leads 2024 Outer Critics Circle Awards, Wins Best Play; See the Full List of Winners". Playbill. Archived from the original on 2025-08-19. Retrieved 2025-09-01.

[4] Culwell-Block, Logan (May 12, 2025). "Maybe Happy Ending Leads 2025 Outer Critics Circle Awards; See the Full List of Winners". Playbill. Retrieved September 1, 2025.

[5] Evans, Greg (2025-04-25). "'Death Becomes Her' Broadway Musical Leads Outer Critics Circle Award Nominees – Complete List". Deadline. Retrieved 2025-09-01.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]