drama desk awards

Here is a comprehensive overview of the Drama Desk Awards. What Are the Drama Desk Awards? The Drama Desk Awards are a set of annual awards recognizing excellence in professional New York City theatre, covering Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway productions. They are considered one of the most prestigious and inclusive awards in American theatre, second only to the Tony Awards in terms of industry respect. Who Presents Them? The awards are presented by the Drama Desk, an organization composed of approximately 30-40 theatre critics, journalists, and writers covering New York theatre for various publications. There are no producers, press agents, or other commercial theatre representatives on the voting committee. Key Distinctions from the Tony Awards This is the most important thing to understand about the Drama Desk Awards: Broader Scope: The Tony Awards only honor productions on Broadway (the 41 professional theatres in the Theater District). The Drama Desk Awards honor productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway. Voting Body: The Tony Awards are voted on by the Broadway League (producers) and the American Theatre Wing (theatre professionals). The Drama Desk Awards are voted on exclusively by critics and journalists. Multiple Winners: In categories like "Outstanding Actor in a Play," the Tonys have one winner. The Drama Desk can and often does name multiple winners in the same category, celebrating more than one exceptional performance or production in a given year. History Founded: 1949 (as the "Vernon Rice Memorial Awards," named after the New York Post critic who championed Off-Broadway). Name Change: Renamed the "Drama Desk Awards" in 1964. Purpose: Originally created to recognize the burgeoning and often overlooked Off-Broadway scene, the awards later expanded to include Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway. Major Categories The Drama Desk has a wide range of categories. Here are the most prominent ones for the 2023-2024 season (note that categories can be combined or split, e.g., "Outstanding Play" vs. "Outstanding Revival of a Play"). Plays & Musicals: Outstanding Play Outstanding Revival of a Play Outstanding Musical Outstanding Revival of a Musical Outstanding Solo Performance Performance (for actors & actresses combined - note they changed from gendered categories in 2023): Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical Creative & Technical (the "Design" categories): Outstanding Director of a Play Outstanding Director of a Musical Outstanding Choreography Outstanding Music Outstanding Lyrics Outstanding Book of a Musical Outstanding Orchestrations Outstanding Set Design of a Play Outstanding Set Design of a Musical Outstanding Costume Design of a Play (or Musical - often combined) Outstanding Lighting Design of a Play (or Musical - often combined) Outstanding Sound Design of a Play (or Musical - often combined) Outstanding Projection Design (newer category) Special Awards: Special Award: Given to individuals or organizations for significant contribution to the theatre (e.g., Meryl Streep, Stephen Sondheim, the Public Theater). Unique Theatrical Experience: Honors a production that is exceptionally innovative or difficult to categorize. Sam Norkin Off-Broadway Award: Named for the famous theatre caricaturist. "Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical" - Recent Winners This is often seen as a strong predictor (but not always a guarantee) of the Tony Award for Best Musical. Year Drama Desk Winner Tony Winner? : : : 2024 Stereophonic (a play with music - won Best Play at Tonys) No (The Outsiders won Best Musical at Tonys) 2023 Kimberly Akimbo Yes 2022 A Strange Loop Yes 2020 A Christmas Carol & Moulin Rouge! (tie) Moulin Rouge won Best Musical at Tonys 2019 Hadestown Yes 2018 The Band's Visit Yes 2017 The It Girl & Dear Evan Hansen (tie) Chicago's Steppenwolf prod. & Dear Evan Hansen (Dear Evan Hansen won at Tonys) How to Find the Latest Winners Official Website: Go to DramaDeskAwards.com Season: The awards are for the previous theatre season (e.g., the 2024 awards covered the 2023-2024 season). Ceremony: Usually held in late May or early June, right before the Tony Awards. In short, the Drama Desk Awards are the most comprehensive and critically-focused awards for New York City theatre, recognizing the best work across all scales of production.