Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Sound Design

The Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Sound Design is an honor presented at the Outer Critics Circle Awards, a ceremony established in 1950 for excellence in sound design on Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, to sound designers of any production. The category was added to the ceremony in 2017.[1]

Outer Critics Circle Award for
Outstanding Sound Design
Awarded forOutstanding Sound Design
LocationNew York City
Presented byOuter Critics Circle
Currently held byMikhail Fiksel, Mexodus (2026)
WebsiteOuterCriticsCircle.org

Peter Hylenski has received the most nominations, with four, followed closely by Gareth Owen with three. No sound designer has won the award more than once.

Award winners and nominees

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Key

  and bold indicates winner

2010s

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2020s

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Year Name Work Ref.
2020 (Hon.) Simon Baker A Christmas Carol [8]
Mikhail Fiksel Dana H.
Sanae Yamada Is This a Room
Peter Hylenski Moulin Rouge!
Daniel Kluger The Sound Inside
2021 No award given due to COVID-19 pandemic.
2022
Nick Powell and Dominic Bilkey The Lehman Trilogy [9]
Ben Ringham and Max Ringham Blindness
André J. Pluess The Minutes
Matt Stine and Sam Kusnetz Assassins
Dan Moses Schreier Harmony
2023
Joshua D. Reid A Christmas Carol [10]
Kai Harada New York, New York
Daniel Kluger Epiphany
John Gromada Jasper
André J. Pluess Good Night, Oscar
2024
Ryan Rumery Stereophonic [11]
Gareth Owen Back to the Future
The Who's Tommy
M.L. Dogg and Cody Spencer Here Lies Love
Tom Gibbons Grey House
2025
Paul Arditti Stranger Things: The First Shadow [12]
Peter Hylenski Maybe Happy Ending
Death Becomes Her
Adam Fisher Sunset Boulevard
John Shivers Swept Away
2026
Mikhail Fiksel Mexodus [13]
Caroline Eng The Unknown
Adam Fisher The Lost Boys
Brett Jarvis Masquerade
Nick Kourtides Oratorio for Living Things

Multiple nominations

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4 nominations
3 nominations
2 nominations

See also

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References

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  1. "Outer Critics Circle Awards 2017 – And the Winners Are…". New York Theatre Guide. October 19, 2017. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
  2. Lefkowitz, Andy (May 8, 2017). "2017 Outer Critics Circle Awards: Come From Away & More Win Top Prizes". Broadway.com. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
  3. "2016–2017 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
  4. 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.
  5. "2017–2018 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
  6. "'Hadestown' Tops 2019 Outer Critics Circle Awards". American Theatre. May 15, 2019. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
  7. "2018–2019 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
  8. "Maybe Happy Ending Leads 2025 Outer Critics Circle Awards; See the Full List of Winners". Playbill. Playbill. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  9. "The Lehman Trilogy Leads 2022 Outer Critics Circle Awards, Six Wins; See the Complete List of Winners". Playbill. Playbill. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  10. "Some Like It Hot Dominates 2023 Outer Critics Circle Awards; See the Full List of Winners". Playbill. Playbill. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  11. "Stereophonic Leads 2024 Outer Critics Circle Awards, Wins Best Play; See the Full List of Winners". Playbill. Playbill. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  12. "Maybe Happy Ending Leads 2025 Outer Critics Circle Awards; See the Full List of Winners". Playbill. Playbill. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
  13. "Schmigadoon!, Ragtime Win Big at 2026 Outer Critics Circle Awards; Read the Full List of Winners". Playbill. Retrieved May 11, 2026.