Outer Critics Circle Awards
Awarded for	Excellence inBroadway andOff-Broadway theatre
Country	United States
Presented by	Outer Critics Circle
First award	1950 byOuter Critics Circle
Website	www.outercritics.org

TheOuter Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both onBroadway andOff-Broadway. They are presented by the Outer Critics Circle (OCC), the official organization of New York theater writers for out-of-town newspapers, digital and national publications, and other media beyond Broadway. The awards were first presented during the 1949–50 theater season.^[1]

The Outer Critics Circle was founded as the Outer Circle during the Broadway season of 1949–50 by an assortment of theater critics led byJohn Gassner, a reviewer, essayist, dramaturg, and professor of theater. These critics were writing for academic publications, special interest journals, monthlies, quarterlies, and weekly publications outside the New York metro area, and were looking for a forum where they could discuss the theater in general, particularly the current New York season. The creation of the OCC was also a reaction to theNew York Drama Critics Circle, which did not allow critics of lesser-known publications to join their ranks alongside writers of major New York and national publications.^[2] The first awards (for 1949–50) were:The Cocktail Party (Play);The Consul (Musical);Sheila Guyse, Performances in Supporting Roles forLost in the Stars, andDaniel Reed, Performances in Supporting Roles forCome Back, Little Sheba.

In the early 1960s, the awards and forums of the OCC were supervised by Broadway veteran Charles K. Freeman and Joseph Kay, Manhattan reporter/critic for theKansas City Star. This team was succeeded by Marjorie Gunner, who guided the group for 25 years before retiring in 2004. Simon Saltzman, a New Jersey–based theater critic, served as president until 2018, when he was succeeded by David Gordon of TheaterMania.^[3]

In addition to Gordon (president) and Saltzman (now President Emeritus), the Board of Directors currently includes Richard Ridge (Vice President), Joseph Cervelli (Recording Secretary), Patrick Hoffman (Corresponding Secretary), David Roberts (treasurer), Harry Haun (Historian), Cynthia Allen (Web Editor), Janice Simpson (Member), Doug Strassler (member), Dan Rubins (member), and Stanley L. Cohen (advisor).^[4]

Awards are currently^[5] given in the following categories:

Former categories include:

The retired performance categories were replaced in 2022 with gender-neutral categories, split intoBroadway andOff-Broadway.^[6]The director category was split into musical and play categories beginning with the 1992-1993 season.

Mary Poppins received the most nominations, with eight, followed closely byThe Coast of Utopia with seven. The winners were announced on May 13, with an awards dinner on May 24, 2004 atSardi's Restaurant.^[7]

The Coast of Utopia took home the most awards, with six wins includingOutstanding New Broadway Play.Spring Awakening won three awards, includingOutstanding New Broadway Musical, tied withLoveMusik, which also won three.Indian Blood andIn the Heights wonOutstanding New Off-Broadway Play and Musical, respectively.Journey's End andCompany wonOutstanding Revival of a Play and Musical, respectively, as well.^[8]

The nominees were announced on April 21, 2008 byKaren Ziemba andSandy Duncan, while the winners were announced on May 12, with an awards dinner on May 19 atSardi's Restaurant.South Pacific was the most nominated production with six nominations, followed byYoung Frankenstein,Gypsy,Les Liaisons Dangereuses andAugust: Osage County, with three each.

South Pacific also took home the most awards, winning four, includingOutstanding Revival of a Musical, withThe Homecoming taking homeOutstanding Revival of a Play.August: Osage County won the next most awards, winning all three of its nominations, includingOutstanding New Broadway Play, whileDividing the Estate won Outstanding Off-Broadway Play andAdding Machine wonOutstanding New Off-Broadway Musical. There were two ties, withXanadu andYoung Frankenstein tying forOutstanding New Broadway Musical, andNext to Normal andAdding Machine tying forOutstanding New Score (Broadway or Off-Broadway).^[9]

Billy Elliot the Musical andShrek the Musical each received ten nominations, the most of any show. The winners were announced on May 11, 2009, with an awards dinner on May 21 atSardi's Restaurant.^[11]

Billy Elliot the Musical won seven awards, includingOutstanding New Broadway Musical, followed byShrek the Musical with four. The award forOutstanding Actress in a Musical was a tie betweenSutton Foster andJosefina Scaglione.Brian d'Arcy James won forOutstanding Actor in a Musical.Outstanding New Broadway Play was won byGod of Carnage.

TheJohn Gassner Award (presented for an American play, preferably by a new playwright) was won byGina Gionfriddo forBecky Shaw, and the Special Achievement Award was given to the three actors who share the role of Billy Elliot, David Alvarez,Trent Kowalik andKiril Kulish inBilly Elliot the Musical.^[12]

Nominees for the 2009–2010 season were announced on April 26, 2010, by siblingsSutton Foster andHunter Foster, with winners announced on May 17.^[14] Seven nominations each were received by the musicalMemphis and the revival ofThe Royal Family, the most of any production.The Scottsboro Boys was nominated for six awards, including Best Off-Broadway musical. Shows receiving five nominations wereThe Addams Family,Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson,The Orphans' Home Cycle, andPromises, Promises.Finian's Rainbow,La Cage aux Folles,Lend Me A Tenor, andSondheim on Sondheim each received four nominations.^[15]

TheOutstanding New Broadway Musical award was won byMemphis, which won a total of four awards. Other winners included:Outstanding New Broadway Play forRed andOutstanding New Off-Broadway Play forThe Orphans' Home Cycle, which won two awards. TheOutstanding New Off-Broadway Musical was a tie, won byBloody Bloody Andrew Jackson andThe Scottsboro Boys.La Cage aux Folles won four awards:Outstanding Revival of a Musical,Outstanding Actor in a Musical (Douglas Hodge), Director (Terry Johnson), andCostume Design (Matthew Wright).Montego Glover (Memphis) andCatherine Zeta-Jones (A Little Night Music) tied forOutstanding Actress in a Musical.^[16]

The nominees, announced on April 26, 2011, included nine nominations for the musicalSister Act, the most of any show.Anything Goes received eight nominations. The Special Achievement Awards were also announced:Ellen Barkin, Outstanding Broadway Debut inThe Normal Heart; and Adrian Kohler with Basil Jones forHandspring Puppet Company Puppet Design, Fabrication and Direction forWar Horse.^[18]

The nominees included nine nominations for the new musicalNice Work If You Can Get It, the most of any production, with the musicalsNewsies andOnce each receiving seven nominations and the revival ofFollies receiving five. ThePublic Theater received an honorary award "on its 50th anniversary presenting free theatre at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park."^[21]

Winners includeOne Man, Two Guvnors as |Outstanding New Broadway Play,Once asOutstanding New Broadway Musical,Sons of the Prophet byStephen Karam asOutstanding New Off-Broadway Play, andMichael John LaChiusa'sQueen of the Mist asOutstanding New Off-Broadway Musical.The Submission by Jeff Talbot received theJohn Gassner Award.^[22]

The nominees included 11 nominations for the revival of the musicalPippin, nine nominations forKinky Boots, eight nominations (each) forChaplin: The Musical andCinderella and six nominations (each) forGolden Boy andThe Nance.^[25]

Winners includeVanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike asOutstanding New Broadway Play,Kinky Boots asOutstanding New Broadway Musical,My Name is Asher Lev asOutstanding New Off-Broadway Play andHere Lies Love asOutstanding New Off-Broadway Musical.Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? was namedOutstanding Revival of a Play andPippin asOutstanding Revival of a Musical.My Name is Asher Lev by Aaron Posner received theJohn Gassner Award. The Special Achievement Award was presented to theIrish Repertory Theatre.^[25]

The nominees included 11 nominations forA Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, 8 nominations for the new musicalAladdin, and 7 nominations for the new musicalFun Home; the dramasTwelfth Night received 5 nominations,Act One 4 nominations, andAll the Way 4 nominations.^[27] Winners of multiple awards wereA Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder (including New Musical) with 4;Bullets Over Broadway andThe Glass Menagerie with 3 each; andAll the Way (including New Play) andHedwig and the Angry Inch with 2 each. Three plays tied for the John Glassner Award: Eric Dufault,Year of the Rooster;Madeleine George,The (Curious Case of the) Watson Intelligence; andSteven Levenson,The Unavoidable Disappearance of Tom Durnin.^[28]

The nominees includedSomething Rotten! – 12,On the Twentieth Century – 9,An American in Paris – 8,Wolf Hall – 7,It Shoulda Been You – 6,The Audience – 6,The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time – 6,Hamilton – 5,The Elephant Man – 5,The King and I – 5,The Visit – 5,On The Town – 4,You Can't Take It with You – 4,The Heidi Chronicles – 3 andThe Last Ship – 3.^[30]

Multiple winners:The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (5, includingOutstanding New Broadway Play),An American in Paris (3, includingOutstanding New Broadway Musical),Hamilton (3, including Outstanding Off-Broadway Musical),The King and I (3),The Audience (2),On the 20th Century (2) andYou Can't Take It With You (2).^[31]

TheJohn Gassner Award winner wasThe Invisible Hand byAyad Akhtar.

The nominees includedAmerican Psycho andShe Loves Me – 8;Bright Star andOn Your Feet! – 7;Dear Evan Hansen – 6;Eclipsed,Lazarus,Long Day's Journey Into Night andSpring Awakening – 5; andThe Humans,A View From the Bridge andWaitress – 4.^[34]

Multiple winners:She Loves Me – 4; Long Day's Journey Into Night – 3. TheOutstanding New Broadway Musical wasBright Star, and theOutstanding New Broadway Play wasThe Humans;Outstanding Revival of a Play wasLong Day's Journey Into Night andOutstanding Revival of a Musical wasShe Loves Me. TheJohn Gassner Award winner was Marco Ramirez forThe Royale.^[35]

The nominees includedAnastasia – 13;Hello, Dolly! – 10;The Band's Visit andCome from Away – 7;Groundhog Day – 5;A Bronx Tale – 4;Falsettos,Holiday Inn, andNatasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 – 3; andMiss Saigon,Sunset Boulevard – 1.^[37]

Multiple winners:Come from Away andHello, Dolly! – 4;The Band's Visit andNatasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 – 2. TheOutstanding New Broadway Musical wasCome from Away, and theOutstanding New Broadway Play wasOslo;Outstanding Revival of a Play wasJitney andOutstanding Revival of a Musical wasHello, Dolly!. TheJohn Gassner Award winner was Bess Wohl forSmall Mouth Sounds.^[38]

The nominees includedSpongeBob SquarePants – 11;Harry Potter and the Cursed Child – 10;My Fair Lady – 9;Mean Girls – 8;Angels in America,Carousel, andOnce on This Island – 6;Three Tall Women – 5;Frozen andPrince of Broadway – 4;Farinelli and the King andTravesties – 3.^[41]

The award winners were announced on May 7, 2018. Multiple winners are:Harry Potter and the Cursed Child with six awards, includingOutstanding New Broadway Play, andMy Fair Lady with five awards, includingOutstanding Revival of a Musical.SpongeBob SquarePants won theOutstanding New Broadway Musical, with two additional awards.Jocelyn Bioh, forSchool Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play won theJohn Gassner Award.^[42]

The Outer Critics Circle Award winners for the 2018–19 season includeHadestown (Musical),The Ferryman (Play),Girl From the North Country (Off-Broadway Musical), andWhite Noise (Off-Broadway Play).