| Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics | |
|---|---|
| Awarded for | Outstanding Lyrics |
| Location | New York City |
| Country | United States |
| Presented by | Drama Desk |
| First award | 1969 |
| Currently held by | Will Aronson andHue Park forMaybe Happy Ending (2025) |
| Website | dramadesk.org (defunct) |
TheDrama Desk Award for OutstandingLyrics is an annual award presented by Drama Desk in recognition of achievements inmusical theatre across collectiveBroadway,off-Broadway andoff-off-Broadway productions inNew York City.
Stephen Sondheim holds the record for most wins and nominations for the award, with ten wins out of twelve nominations.
| Year | Lyricist | Production | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | |||
| George Haimsohn & Robin Miller | Dames at Sea | [1] | |
| Fred Ebb | Zorba |
| Year | Lyricist | Production | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | |||
| Stephen Sondheim | Company | [2] | |
| Bertolt Brecht | Mahagonny | ||
| 1971 | |||
| Stephen Sondheim | Follies | [3] | |
| 1972 | |||
| John Guare | Two Gentlemen of Verona | [4] | |
| 1973 | |||
| Stephen Sondheim | A Little Night Music | [5] | |
| 1974 | |||
| Al Carmines | The Faggot | [6] | |
| 1975 | |||
| Charlie Smalls | The Wiz | [7] | |
| Gene Curty, Nitra Scharfman &Chuck Strand | The Lieutenant | ||
| Jerry Herman | Mack and Mabel | ||
| Fred Silver | In Gay Company | ||
| 1976 | |||
| Edward Kleban &Marvin Hamlisch | A Chorus Line | [8] | |
| Leonard Bernstein | 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue | ||
| Bill Heyer & Hank Beebe | Tuscaloosa's Calling Me | ||
| Stephen Sondheim | Pacific Overtures | ||
| 1977 | |||
| Martin Charnin | Annie | [9] | |
| Alfred Uhry | The Robber Bridegroom | ||
| 1978 | |||
| Carol Hall | The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas | [10] | |
| Elizabeth Swados | Runaways | ||
| 1979 | |||
| Stephen Sondheim | Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street | [11][12] | |
| Gretchen Cryer | I'm Getting My Act Together and Taking It on the Road |
| Year | Lyricist | Production | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | |||
| Tim Rice | Evita | [13] | |
| Steve Brown | Strider | ||
| 1981 | — | ||
| 1982 | |||
| Stephen Sondheim | Merrily We Roll Along | [14] | |
| Maury Yeston | Nine | ||
| Tom Eyen | Dreamgirls | ||
| Jim Wann | Pump Boys and Dinettes | ||
| 1983 | |||
| Howard Ashman | Little Shop of Horrors | [15] | |
| Michael Colby | Charlotte Sweet | ||
| T.S. Eliot | Cats | ||
| Des McAnuff | Death of Von Richthofen | ||
| 1984 | |||
| Stephen Sondheim | Sunday in the Park with George | [16] | |
| Jerry Herman | La Cage aux Folles | ||
| Richard Maltby Jr. | Baby | ||
| Garry Trudeau | Doonesbury | ||
| 1985 | |||
| Roger Miller | Big River | [17] | |
| Jerry Colker | 3 Guys Naked from the Waist Down | ||
| Ellen Fitzhugh | Grind | ||
| 1986, 1987 | — | ||
| 1988 | |||
| Stephen Sondheim | Into the Woods | [18][19] | |
| Barry Harman | Romance/Romance | ||
| 1989 | — | ||