Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical

Outer Critics Circle Award for Best New Off-Broadway Musical
Awarded for	Best New Off-Broadway Musical
Location	New York City
Presented by	Outer Critics Circle
Currently held by	Drag: The Musical (2025)
Website	OuterCritics.org

The Outer Critics Circle Award for Best New Off-Broadway Musical is an annual award given to the best new musical playing Off-Broadway, as determined by Outer Critics Circle. The awards have existed since 1949-1950 season, but this category was added in 1983. ^[1]

Little Shop of Horrors won the inaugural award in 1983 ^[2] . The follow composers and writers have won the award two times:James Lapine, William Finn, Jonathan Larson, Joe DiPietro, Jeanine Tesori, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Itamar Moses, with Tesori as the only woman to win twice. She is also tied with Michael John LaChiusa for the most nominations, with four each.

Award winners

Key

  and bold indicates the winner.

1980s

Year	Production	Bookwriter	Composer	Ref.
1983
	Little Shop of Horrors	Howard Ashman	Howard Ashman and Alan Menken	[3]
1984	No award given.
1985
	Kuni-Leml	Nahma Sandrow	Raphael Crystal and Richard Engquist	[4]
1986
	Nunsense	Dan Goggin		[5]
1987
	Stardust	Various		[6]
1988
	Oil City Symphony	Various		[7]
Romance/Romance	Barry Harman	Barry Harman and Keith Herrmann
1989	No award given.

1990s

Year	Production	Bookwriter	Composer	Ref.
1990
	Closer Than Ever	Various	Richard Maltby Jr. and David Shire	[8] [9]
1991
	Falsettoland	James Lapine	William Finn	[10]
	Smoke on the Mountain	Connie Ray	Various
1992
	Song of Singapore	Allan Katz, Erik Frandsen, Robert Hipkens, Michael Garin and Paula Lockheart	Erik Frandsen, Robert Hipkens, Michael Garin and Paula Lockheart	[11]
	Opal	Robert Lindsey-Nassif
	Pageant	Bill Russell and Frank Kelly	Albert Evans, Bill Russell and Frank Kelly
	Return to the Forbidden Planet	Bob Carlton	Various
1993
	Ruthless!	Joel Paley	Marvin Laird and Joel Paley	[12] [13]
	Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah!	Allan Sherman and Lou Busch
	Putting It Together	Stephen Sondheim and Julia McKenzie	Stephen Sondheim
	Scapin	Bill Irwin and Mark O'Donnell	Rusty Magee
1994
	Annie Warbucks	Thomas Meehan	Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin	[14]
1995
	Jelly Roll!	Vernel Bagneris		[15] [16]
	Jack's Holiday	Mark St. Germain	Randy Courts
	That's Life	Various
1996
	Rent	Jonathan Larson		[17]
	Floyd Collins	Tina Landau	Adam Guettel
	Cowgirls	Betsy Howie	Mary Murfitt
	Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk	Reg E. Gaines	Daryl Waters, Zane Mark, Ann Duquesnay, George C. Wolfe and Reg E. Gaines
	Bed & Sofa	Laurence Klavan	Polly Penn and Laurence Klavan
1997
	Howard Crabtree's When Pigs Fly	Howard Crabtree and Mark Waldrop		[18] [19]
	I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change	Joe DiPietro	Joe DiPietro and Jimmy Roberts
	The Green Heart	Charles Busch	Rusty Magee
	Violet	Brian Crawley	Brian Crawley and Jeanine Tesori
1998
	Hedwig and the Angry Inch	John Cameron Mitchell	Stephen Trask	[20] [21]
	Dinah Was	Oliver Goldstick	Various
	The Last Session	Jim Brochu	Steve Schalchlin, John Bettis and Marie Cain
	The Show Goes On	N/A	Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones
1999
	A New Brain	William Finn and James Lapine	William Finn	[22] [23]
	Captains Courageous	Patrick Cook	Patrick Cook and Frederick Freyer
	Rollin' on the T.O.B.A.	Ronald "Smokey" Stevens and Jaye Stewart
	Woody Guthrie's American Song	Peter Glazer	Woody Guthrie

2000s

Year	Production	Bookwriter	Composer	Ref.
2000
	The Wild Party	Andrew Lippa		[24] [25]
	The Bomb-itty of Errors	Jordan Allen-Dutton, Jason Catalano, GQ, and Erik Weiner
	Jolson & Co.	Stephen Mo Hanan, Jay Berkow
2001
	Bat Boy: The Musical	Keythe Farley and Brian Flemming	Laurence O'Keefe	[26] [27]
	Newyorkers	N/A	Stephen Weiner and Glenn Slater
	Pete 'n' Keely	James Hindman	Mark Woldrop, Patrick Brady, others
	Suburb	David Javerbaum	David Javerbaum and Robert S. Cohen
2002
	Tick, Tick... Boom!	Jonathan Larson		[28] [29]
	The Spitfire Grill	James Valcq and Fred Alley
	The Last Five Years	Jason Robert Brown
	Summer of '42	Hunter Foster	David Kirshenbaum
2003
	A Man of No Importance	Terrence McNally	Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens	[30] [31]
	Avenue Q	Jeff Whitty	Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx
	Hank Williams: Lost Highway	Randal Myler and Mark Harelik	Hank Williams
	Radiant Baby	Ira Gasman, Stuart Ross and Debra Barsha
	Zanna, Don't!	Tim Acito and Alexander Dinelaris
2004
	Johnny Guitar	Nicholas van Hoogstraten	Joel Higgins and Martin Silvestri	[32] [33]
	The Thing About Men	Joe DiPietro	Joe DiPietro and Jimmy Roberts
Fame on 42nd Street	Jose Fernandez	Steve Margoshes and Jacques Levy
2005
	Altar Boyz	Kevin Del Aguila	Gary Adler and Michael Patrick Walker	[34] [35]
	Dessa Rose	Lynn Ahrens	Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens
	Lone Star Love	John L. Haber and Robert Horn	Jack Herrick
2006
	Grey Gardens	Doug Wright	Scott Frankel and Michael Korie	[36] [37]
	Bernarda Alba	Michael John LaChiusa
	See What I Wanna See
	Thrill Me: The Leopold & Loeb Story	Stephen Dolginoff
2007
	In the Heights	Quiara Alegría Hudes	Lin-Manuel Miranda	[38] [39]
	Evil Dead The Musical	George Reinblatt	George Reinblatt, Christopher Bond, Frank Cipolla and Melissa Morris
	Floyd and Clea	David Cale	David Cale and Jonathan Kreisberg
	Gutenberg! The Musical!	Scott Brown and Anthony King
2008
	Adding Machine	Jason Loewith and Joshua Schmidt		[40] [41]
	Make Me a Song -- The Music of William Finn	Rob Ruggiero	William Finn
	Next to Normal	Brian Yorkey	Brian Yorkey and Tom Kitt
	The Glorious Ones	Lynn Ahrens	Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens
2009
	The Toxic Avenger	Joe DiPietro	Joe DiPietro and David Bryan	[42] [43]
	Happiness	John Weidman	Scott Frankel and Michael Korie
	Rooms: a Rock Romance	Paul Scott Goodman and Miriam Gordon	Paul Scott Goodman
	What’s That Smell? The Music of Jacob Sterling	David Pittu	David Pittu and Randy Redd

2010s

Year	Production	Bookwriter	Composer	Ref.
2010
	Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson	Alex Timbers	Michael Friedman	[44] [45]
	The Scottsboro Boys	David Thompson	John Kander and Fred Ebb
	The Tin Pan Alley Rag	Mark Saltzman	Irving Berlin and Scott Joplin
Yank!	David Zellnik	David Zellnik and Joseph Zellnik
2011
	The Kid	Michael Zam	Andy Monroe and Jack Lechner	[46] [47]
	Freckleface Strawberry	Gary Kupper and Rose Caiola	Gary Kupper
	In Transit	Kristen Anderson-Lopez, James-Allen Ford, Russ Kaplan and Sara Wordsworth
	Tomorrow Morning	Laurence Mark Wythe
2012
	Queen of the Mist	Michael John LaChiusa		[48] [49]
	Death Takes a Holiday	Peter Stone and Thomas Meehan	Maury Yeston
	Play it Cool	Martin Casella and Larry Dean Harris	Mark Winkler and Phillip Swann
	Lucky Guy	Willard Beckham
2013
	Here Lies Love	David Byrne and Fatboy Slim		[50] [51]
	February House	Seth Bockley	Gabriel Kahane
	Dogfight	Peter Duchan	Benj Pasek and Justin Paul
	Giant	Sybille Pearson	Michael John LaChiusa
	Murder Ballad	Julia Jordan	Julia Jordan and Juliana Nash
2014
	Fun Home	Lisa Kron	Lisa Kron and Jeanine Tesori	[52] [53]
	Murder for Two	Kellen Blair and Joe Kinosian
	Storyville	Toni Morrison, Donald McKayle and Dorothea Freitag
	What's it All About? Bacharach Reimagined	David Lane Seltzer and Kyle Riabko	Bacharach and Hal David
	Far From Heaven	Richard Greenberg	Scott Frankel and Michael Korie
2015
	Hamilton	Lin-Manuel Miranda		[54] [55]
	A Christmas Memory	Duane Poole	Larry Grossman and Carol Hall
	Lonesome Traveler: A Journey Down the Rivers and Streams of American Folk	James O'Neil	Dan Wheetman
	The Fortress of Solitude	Itamar Moses	Michael Friedman
	Disenchanted!	Dennis T. Giacino
2016
	Dear Evan Hansen	Steven Levenson	Benj Pasek and Justin Paul	[56] [57] [58]
	Cagney	Robert Creighton and Peter Colley	Robert Creighton and Christopher McGovern
	Southern Comfort	Dan Collins	Dan Collins and Julianne Wick Davis
	Lazarus	Enda Walsh	David Bowie
	Daddy Long Legs	John Caird	Paul Gordon
2017
	The Band's Visit	Itamar Moses	David Yazbek	[59] [60]
	Himself and Nora	Jonathan Brielle
	Hadestown	Anaïs Mitchell
	Spamilton	Gerard Alessandrini
	Kid Victory	Greg Pierce	Greg Pierce and John Kander
2018
	Desperate Measures	Peter Kellogg	David Friedman and Peter Kellogg	[61] [62]
	Cruel Intentions: The Musical	Roger Kumble, Lindsey Rosin and Jordan Ross Schindler	Various
	Jerry Springer: The Opera	Richard Thomas and Stewart Lee
	Miss You Like Hell	Quiara Alegría Hudes	Erin McKeown and Quiara Alegría Hudes
2019
	Girl from the North Country	Conor McPherson	Bob Dylan	[63] [64]
	The Beast in the Jungle	David Thompson	John Kander
	Black Light	Daniel Alexander Jones	Jomama Jones
	The Hello Girls	Peter Mills and Cara Reichel	Peter Mills

2020s

Year	Production	Bookwriter	Composer	Ref.
2020 (Honorees)	Darling Grenadine	Daniel Zaitchik		[65]
	Octet	Dave Malloy
	The Secret Life of Bees	Lynn Nottage	Duncan Sheik and Susan Birkenhead
	Soft Power	David Henry Hwang	David Henry Hwang and Jeanine Tesori
	A Strange Loop	Michael R. Jackson
2021	Awards cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2022
	Kimberly Akimbo	David Lindsay-Abaire	Jeanine Tesori and David Lindsay-Abaire	[66]
	Black No More	John Ridley	Tariq Trotter, Anthony Tidd, James Poyser and Daryl Waters
	Harmony	Bruce Sussman	Bruce Sussman and Barry Manilow
	Intimate Apparel: A New Opera	Lynn Nottage	Ricky Ian Gordon
	Little Girl Blue	Laoina Michelle, Devanand Janki
2023
	The Harder They Come	Suzan-Lori Parks		[67]
	The Bedwetter	Sarah Silverman and Joshua Harmon	Sarah Silverman, Adam Schlesinger and David Yazbek
	Between the Lines	Timothy Allen McDonald	Elyssa Samsel and Kate Anderson
	Only Gold	Andy Blankenbuehler and Ted Malawer	Kate Nash
	Without You	Anthony Rapp
2024
	Dead Outlaw	Itamar Moses	David Yazbek and Erik Della Penna	[68]
	Buena Vista Social Club	Marco Ramirez	Various
	The Connector	Jonathan Marc Sherman and Daisy Prince	Jason Robert Brown
	Teeth	Anna K. Jacobs and Michael R. Jackson
	Illinoise	Justin Peck and Jackie Sibblies Drury	Sufjan Stevens
2025
	Drag: The Musical	Tomas Costanza, Justin Andrew Honard and Ash Gordon		[69] [70]
	The Big Gay Jamboree	Marla Mindelle and Jonathan Parks-Ramage	Marla Mindelle, Jonathan Parks-Ramageand, and Philip Drennen
	We Live in Cairo	Daniel Lazour, Patrick Lazour

Multiple wins

2 wins

• James Lapine
• William Finn
• Jonathan Larson
• Joe DiPietro
• Jeanine Tesori
• Lin-Manuel Miranda
• Itamar Moses

Multiple nominations

4 nominations

• Jeanine Tesori
• Michael John LaChiusa

3 nominations

• William Finn
• Joe DiPietro
• Stephen Flaherty
• Lynn Ahrens
• Scott Frankel
• Michael Korie
• John Kander
• Itamar Moses

2 nominations

• James Lapine
• Rusty Magee
• Thomas Meehan
• Jonathan Larson
• Daryl Waters
• Jimmy Roberts
• Jason Robert Brown
• Quiara Alegría Hudes
• Lin-Manuel Miranda
• Michael Friedman
• Benj Pasek
• Justin Paul
• David Thompson
• Lynn Nottage
• Michael R. Jackson

See also

• Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical
• Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Musical

References

1. "1982–1983 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
2. "1982–1983 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
3. "1982–1983 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
4. "1984–1985 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
5. "1985–1986 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
6. "1986–1987 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
7. "1987–1988 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
8. Rich, Frank (May 1, 1990). "Outer Critics Awards to Grapes and Angels". The New York Times. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
9. "1989–1990 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
10. "1990–1991 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
11. "1991–1992 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
12. Rich, Frank (April 27, 1993). "Outer Critics Circle Names Award Winners". The New York Times. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
13. "1992–1993 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
14. "1993–1994 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
15. "Outer Critics Float Show Boat". Variety. April 1995. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
16. "1994–1995 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
17. "1995–1996 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
18. Lefkowitz, David (May 5, 1997). "Outer Critics Circle Award Winners Announced". Playbill. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
19. "1996–1997 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
20. Viagas & Lefkowitz (April 27, 1998). "Lion King Roars With Six Outer Critics Circle Awards". Playbill. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
21. "1997–1998 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
22. "Nightingales, Wit, Iceman & Fosse Win Outer Critics Awards; Ceremony May 28". Playbill. April 26, 1999. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
23. "1998–1999 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
24. "Contact and Kiss Me, Kate Big Winners of 2000 Outer Critics Awards". Playbill. April 30, 2000. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
25. "1999–2000 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
26. Simonson & Lefkowitz (May 24, 2001). "2001 Outer Critics Circle Awards Held at Sardi's, May 24". Playbill. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
27. "2000–2001 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
28. "The 2001–2002 Outer Critics Circle Award Winners". TheaterMania. April 29, 2002. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
29. "2001–2002 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
30. Gans, Andrew (May 5, 2003). "Outer Critics Circle Award Winners Announced; Hairspray Leads the Pack". Playbill. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
31. "2002–2003 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
32. "Wicked, Wonderful Town, I Am My Own Wife Top 2004 Outer Critics Circle Awards". Playbill. May 2, 2004. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
33. "2003–2004 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
34. "2005 Outer Critics Circle Award Winners Announced". New York Theatre Guide. May 9, 2005. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
35. "2004–2005 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
36. Hernandez, Ernio (May 14, 2006). "The Drowsy Chaperone and The History Boys Top Outer Critics Awards". Playbill. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
37. "2005–2006 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
38. Gans, Andrew (May 24, 2007). "Outer Critics Circle Awards Are Presented by Clark, Young and Mitchell May 24". Playbill. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
39. "2006–2007 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
40. Gans, Andrew (May 12, 2008). "South Pacific Is Big Winner in Outer Critics Circle Awards". Playbill. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
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42. "Outer Critics Circle 2008–09 Award Winners". New York Theatre Guide. May 11, 2009. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
43. "2008–2009 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
44. "MEMPHIS & LA CAGE Top Outer Critics Circle Winners". BroadwayWorld. May 17, 2010. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
45. "2009–2010 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
46. "The Book of Mormon, War Horse and Anything Goes Top 2011 Outer Critics Circle Awards". Broadway.com. May 16, 2011. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
47. "2010–2011 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
48. Gans, Andrew (May 14, 2012). "Outer Critics Circle Winners Announced; Once and One Man, Two Guvnors Are Top Winners". Playbill. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
49. "2011–2012 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
50. "Outer Critics Circle 2013 Award Winners". New York Theatre Guide. May 13, 2013. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
51. "2012–2013 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
52. Gans, Andrew (May 12, 2014). "64th Annual Outer Critics Circle Award Winners Announced; Gentleman's Guide Wins Four Awards". Playbill. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
53. "2013–2014 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
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55. "2014–2015 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
56. "Outer Critics Circle Honors 'She Loves Me' and 'Long Day's Journey Into Night'". The New York Times. May 9, 2016. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
57. Viagas, Robert (May 9, 2016). "Bright Star and The Humans Win Top 2016 NY Outer Critics Circle Awards". Playbill. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
58. "2015–2016 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
59. Lefkowitz, Andy (May 8, 2017). "2017 Outer Critics Circle Awards: Come From Away & More Win Top Prizes". Broadway.com. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
60. "2016–2017 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
61. McPhee, Ryan (May 7, 2018). "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, My Fair Lady Win Big at 2018 Outer Critics Circle Awards". Playbill. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
62. "2017–2018 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
63. Lefkowitz, Andy (May 13, 2019). "Hadestown Leads Winners of 2019 Outer Critics Circle Awards". Broadway.com. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
64. "2018–2019 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
65. Olivia Clement (May 11, 2020). "Moulin Rouge! Leads 2020 Outer Critics Circle Award Honorees". Playbill.
66. Culwell-Block, Logan (May 17, 2022). "The Lehman Trilogy Leads 2022 Outer Critics Circle Awards, Six Wins Best Musical; See the Complete List of Winners". Playbill. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
67. 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.
68. "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.
69. 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.
70. Evans, Greg (2025-04-25). "'Death Becomes Her' Broadway Musical Leads Outer Critics Circle Award Nominees – Complete List". Deadline. Retrieved 2025-09-01.