TONY AWARD FOR BEST BOOK OF A MUSICAL

The 'Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical' is the Tony awarded to the librettist(s) of the musical. The librettist may also be called the bookwriter. He or she writes the book or libretto, which is the spoken, non-sung dialogue of a musical play; the librettist is also typically responsible for the overall story of the musical. In the past this award has been called the "Best Author of a Musical" award. To be eligible a musical must have some sort of original narrative framework; revues without a plot and revivals are ineligible, unless a new book is used for a revival.

Contents

List of Winners

1940s

1950s

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

Multiple Winners

List of Winners

Winners are in 'bold'. Non-bold indicates a non-winning nomination.

1940s

★ 1949 '''Kiss Me, Kate''' by Samuel and Bella Spewack

1950s

★ 1950 '''South Pacific''' by Oscar Hammerstein and Joshua Logan

★ 1951 '''Guys and Dolls''' by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows

★ 1952-1959 'No award given'

1960s

★ 1960-1961 'No award given'

★ 1962 '''How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying''' by Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock, and Willie Gilbert

★ 1963 '''A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum''' by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart

★ 1964 '''Hello, Dolly!''' by Michael Stewart

★ 1965 '''Fiddler on the Roof''' by Joseph Stein

★ 1966 Not Awarded

★ 1967 Not Awarded

★ 1968 Not Awarded

★ 1969 Not Awarded

1970s

★ 1970 Not Awarded

★ 1971 '''Company''' by George Furth

★ 1972 '''Two Gentlemen of Verona''' by John Guare and Mel Shapiro

★ 1973 '''A Little Night Music''' by Hugh Wheeler

★ 1974 '''Candide''' by Hugh Wheeler

★ 1975 '''Shenandoah''' by James Lee Barrett, Peter Udell, and Phillip Rose

★ 1976 '''A Chorus Line''' by James Kirkwood, Jr. and Nicholas Dante

★ 1977 '''Annie''' by Thomas Meehan

★ 1978 '''On The Twentieth Century''' by Betty Comden and Adolph Green

★ 1979 '''Sweeney Todd''' by Hugh Wheeler

1980s

★ 1980 '''Evita''' by Tim Rice

★ 1981 '''Woman of the Year''' by Peter Stone

★ 1982 '''Dreamgirls''' by Tom Eyen

★ 1983 '''Cats''' by T. S. Eliot

★ 1984 '''La Cage aux Folles''' by Harvey Fierstein

★ 1985 '''Big River''' by William Hauptman

★ 1986 '''The Mystery of Edwin Drood''' by Rupert Holmes

★ 1987 '''Les Misérables''' by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg

★
★ Me and My Girl by L. Arthur Rose, Douglas Furber, Stephen Fry and Mike Ockrent

★
★ ''Rags'' by Joseph Stein

★
★ ''Smile'' by Howard Ashman

★ 1988 '''Into the Woods''' by James Lapine

★
★ ''The Gospel at Colonus'' by Lee Breuer

★
★ ''The Phantom of the Opera'' by Richard Stilgoe and Andrew Lloyd Webber

★
★ ''Romance/Romance'' by Barry Harman

★ 1989 Not Awarded

1990s

★ 1990 '''City of Angels''' by Larry Gelbart

★
★ ''Aspects of Love'' by Andrew Lloyd Webber

★
★ ''Grand Hotel'' by Luther Davis

★
★ ''Meet Me in St. Louis'' by Hugh Wheeler

★ 1991 '''The Secret Garden''' by Marsha Norman

★
★ ''Miss Saigon'' by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg

★
★ ''Once on This Island'' by Lynn Ahrens

★
★ ''The Will Rogers Follies'' by Peter Stone

★ 1992 '''Falsettos''' by William Finn and James Lapine

★
★ ''Crazy for You'' by Ken Ludwig

★
★ ''Five Guys Named Moe'' by Clarke Peters

★
★ ''Jelly's Last Jam'' by George C. Wolfe

★ 1993 '''Kiss of the Spider Woman''' by Terrence McNally

★
★ ''Anna Karenina'' by Peter Kellogg

★
★ ''Blood Brothers'' by Willy Russell

★
★ ''The Who's Tommy'' by Pete Townshend and Des McAnuff

★ 1994 '''Passion''' by James Lapine

★
★ ''Beauty and the Beast'' by Linda Woolverton

★
★ '' by Koen van Kijk

★
★ ''A Grand Night for Singing'' by Walter Bobbie

★ 1995 '''Sunset Boulevard''' by Don Black and Christopher Hampton

★ 1996 '''Rent''' by Jonathan Larson

★
★ ''Big'' by John Weidman

★
★ ''Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk'' by Reg E Gaines

★
★ ''Chronicle of a Death Foretold'' by Graciela Daniele, Jim Lewis, and Michael John LaChiusa

★ 1997 '''Titanic''' by Peter Stone

★
★ ''Jekyll & Hyde'' by Leslie Bricusse

★
★ ''The Life'' by David Newman, Ira Gasman, and Cy Coleman

★
★ ''Steel Pier'' by David Thompson

★ 1998 '''Ragtime''' by Terrence McNally

★
★ ''The Lion King'' by Roger Allers and Irene Mecchi

★
★ ''The Scarlet Pimpernel'' by Nan Knighton

★
★ ''Side Show'' by Bill Russell

★ 1999 '''Parade''' by Alfred Uhry

★
★ ''Footloose'' by Dean Pitchford and Walter Bobbie

★
★ ''It Ain't Nothin But the Blues'' by Charles Bevel, Lita Gaithers, Randal Myler, Ron Taylor, and Dan Wheetman

★
★ ''Marlene'' by Pam Gems

2000s

★ 2000 '''James Joyce's The Dead''' by Richard Nelson

★
★ ''Contact'' by John Weidman

★
★ ''Marie Christine'' by Michael John LaChiusa

★
★ ''The Wild Party'' by Michael John LaChiusa and George C. Wolfe

★ 2001 '''The Producers''' by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan

★
★ ''A Class Act'' by Linda Kline and Lonny Price

★
★ ''The Full Monty'' by Terrence McNally

★
★ ''Jane Eyre'' by John Caird

★ 2002 '''Urinetown''' by Greg Kotis

★
★ ''Mamma Mia!'' by Catherine Johnson

★
★ ''Sweet Smell of Success'' by John Guare

★
★ ''Thoroughly Modern Millie'' by Richard Morris and Dick Scanlan

★ 2003 '''Hairspray''' by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan

★
★ ''Amour'' by Didier Van Cauwelaert, Jeremy Sams (adaptation)

★
★ ''Flower Drum Song'' by David Henry Hwang

★
★ ''A Year With Frog and Toad'' by Willie Reale

★ 2004 '''Avenue Q''' by Jeff Whitty

★
★ ''The Boy from Oz'' by Martin Sherman, Nick Enright (original book)

★
★ ''Caroline, or Change'' by Tony Kushner

★
★ ''Wicked'' by Winnie Holzman

★ 2005 '''The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee''' by Rachel Sheinkin

★
★ ''Dirty Rotten Scoundrels'' by Jeffrey Lane

★
★ ''The Light in the Piazza '' by Craig Lucas

★
★ ''Monty Python's Spamalot'' by Eric Idle

★ 2006 '''The Drowsy Chaperone''' by Bob Martin and Don McKellar

★
★ ''The Wedding Singer'' by Chad Beguelin and Tim Herlihy

★
★ ''Jersey Boys '' by Marshall Brickman & Rick Elice

★
★ ''The Color Purple'' by Marsha Norman

★ 2007 '''Spring Awakening''' by Steven Sater

★
★ ''Curtains'' by Rupert Holmes and Peter Stone

★
★ ''Grey Gardens'' by Doug Wright

★
★ '' by Heather Hach

Multiple Winners

3 wins: Hugh Wheeler, Thomas Meehan, and James Lapine

2 wins: Terrance McNally, Larry Gelbart, Peter Stone, and Michael Stewart