Wikipedia

Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical

The Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical is an annual award given to the author of the best book of a musical on Broadway or Off-Broadway, as determined by Outer Critics Circle. The award has been given out since the 2011–2012 season.[1]

Outer Critics Circle Award for
Outstanding Book of a Musical
Awarded forOutstanding Book of a Musical
LocationNew York City
Presented byOuter Critics Circle
Currently held byCinco Paul for Schmigadoon! (2026)
WebsiteOuterCritics.org

Since its inception, no author has been nominated more than twice. Robert Horn has won the award the most times, with two wins for Tootsie and Shucked.

Award winners

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2010s

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  indicates the winner.
Year Production Author Ref.
2012
Once Enda Walsh [2]
Nice Work If You Can Get It Joe DiPietro
Queen of the Mist Michael John LaChiusa
2013
Matilda Dennis Kelly [3]
Kinky Boots Harvey Fierstein
Dogfight Peter Duchan
Chaplin Christopher Paul Curtis and Thomas Meehan
Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella Douglas Carter Beane
2014
A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder Robert L. Freedman [4]
Fun Home Lisa Kron
Beautiful: The Carol King Musical Douglas McGrath
Disney's Aladdin Chad Beguelin
2015
Hamilton Lin-Manuel Miranda [5]
It Shoulda Been You Brian Hargrove
Something Rotten! Karey Kirkpatrick and John O'Farrell
The Visit Terrence McNally
The Last Ship John Logan and Brian Yorkey
2016
Dear Evan Hansen Steven Levenson [6]
Daddy Long Legs John Caird
Bright Star Steve Martin and Edie Brickell
Lazarus Enda Walsh and David Bowie
On Your Feet! Alexander Dinelaris
2017
Come From Away Irene Sankoff and David Hein [7]
Anastasia Terrence McNally
The Band's Visit Itamar Moses
A Bronx Tale Chazz Palminteri
Groundhog Day Danny Rubin
2018
Mean Girls Tina Fey [8]
Miss You Like Hell Quiara Alegría Hudes
SpongeBob SquarePants Kyle Jarrow
Desperate Measures Peter Kellogg
2019
Tootsie Robert Horn [9]
The Hello Girls Peter Mills and Cara Reichel
Hadestown Anaïs Mitchell
Head Over Heels Jeff Whitty and James Magruder
Girl from the North Country Conor McPherson

2020s

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Year Production Author Ref.
2020 (Hon.) Jagged Little Pill Diablo Cody [10]
Soft Power David Henry Hwang
A Strange Loop Michael R. Jackson
The Secret Life of Bees Lynn Nottage
Romeo and Bernadette Mark Saltzman
2021 No awards held due to COVID-19 pandemic.
2022
Kimberly Akimbo David Lindsay-Abaire [11]
Intimate Apparel Lynn Nottage
Mrs. Doubtfire Karey Kirkpatrick and John O'Farrell
Mr. Saturday Night Billy Crystal, Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel
Harmony Bruce Sussman
2023
Shucked Robert Horn [12][13]
& Juliet David West Read
The Harder They Come Suzan-Lori Parks
Titanique Tye Blue, Marla Mindelle and Constantine Rousouli
Some Like It Hot Matthew López and Amber Ruffin
2024
Suffs Shaina Taub [14][15]
Illinoise Justin Peck and Jackie Sibblies Drury
Teeth Anna K. Jacobs and Michael R. Jackson
Dead Outlaw Itamar Moses
The Connector Jonathan Marc Sherman
2025
Maybe Happy Ending Will Aronson and Hue Park [16][17][18]
Boop! The Musical Bob Martin
Death Becomes Her Marco Pennette
We Live in Cairo Daniel Lazour and Patrick Lazour
Operation Mincemeat David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson and Zoe Roberts
2026
Schmigadoon! Cinco Paul [19][20]
The Lost Boys David Hornsby and Chris Hoch
Beau the Musical Douglas Lyons
Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) Jim Barne and Kit Buchan
Mexodus Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson

Multiple wins

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2 wins

Multiple nominations

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See also

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References

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  1. ↑ "2011–2012 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
  2. ↑ "2011–2012 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
  3. ↑ "2012–2013 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
  4. ↑ "2013–2014 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
  5. ↑ "2014–2015 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
  6. ↑ "2015–2016 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
  7. ↑ "2016–2017 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
  8. ↑ "2017–2018 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
  9. ↑ "2018–2019 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
  10. ↑ "Maybe Happy Ending Leads 2025 Outer Critics Circle Awards; See the Full List of Winners". Playbill. Playbill. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  11. ↑ "The Lehman Trilogy Leads 2022 Outer Critics Circle Awards, Six Wins; See the Complete List of Winners". Playbill. Playbill. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  12. ↑ 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.
  13. ↑ "2022-2023 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
  14. ↑ "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.
  15. ↑ "2023–2023 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
  16. ↑ 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.
  17. ↑ Evans, Greg (2025-04-25). "'Death Becomes Her' Broadway Musical Leads Outer Critics Circle Award Nominees – Complete List". Deadline. Retrieved 2025-09-01.
  18. ↑ "2024-2025 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
  19. ↑ Hetrick, Adam (January 14, 2008). "London Hairspray Breaks Record With 11 Olivier Award Nominations". Playbill. Retrieved 2026-04-20.
  20. ↑ "Schmigadoon!, Ragtime Win Big at 2026 Outer Critics Circle Awards; Read the Full List of Winners". Playbill. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
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