Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding New Broadway Musical

The Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding New Broadway Musical is given annually to the best new Broadway musical, as determined by the Outer Critics Circle, an organization of theater critics, journalists, and feature writers representing national and digital publications. This award has been presented each year since 1950 (when it was known as simply the award for Best Musical). The award goes to the producers of the winning musical.

This is a list of winners and nominees for the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding New Broadway Musical through the years.

Winners and nominees

1950s

Year Musical Book Music Lyrics Ref.
1951 Guys and Dolls Abe Burrows and Jo Swerling Frank Loesser Frank Loesser
1953 Wonderful Town Jerome Chodorov and Joseph Fields Leonard Bernstein Betty Comden and Adolph Green
1954 Kismet Luther Davis and Charles Lederer Alexander Borodin Chet Forrest and Robert Wright
1955 Three for Tonight
1956 My Fair Lady Alan Jay Lerner Frederick Loewe Alan Jay Lerner
1958 The Music Man Meredith Willson Meredith Willson Meredith Willson

2010s

Year Musical Book Music Lyrics
2010 Memphis Joe DiPietro David Bryan Joe DiPietro
American Idiot Michael Mayer and

Billie Joe Armstrong

 Green Day Billie Joe Armstrong
Come Fly Away Twyla Tharp Various
Fela! Bill T. Jones and Jim Lewis Fela Kuti
Sondheim on Sondheim James Lapine Stephen Sondheim
2011 The Book of Mormon Trey Parker, Robert Lopez, and Matt Stone
Memphis Joe DiPietro David Bryan Joe DiPietro
Priscilla, Queen of the Desert Stephan Elliott and Allan Scott various
Sister Act Bill and Cheri Steinkellner Alan Menken Glenn Slater
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown Jeffrey Lane David Yazbek
2012 Once Enda Walsh Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová
Bonnie & Clyde Ivan Menchell Frank Wildhorn Don Black
Newsies Harvey Fierstein Alan Menken Jack Feldman
Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark Julie Taymor, Glen Berger and

Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa

 Bono and The Edge
2013 Kinky Boots Harvey Fierstein Cindy Lauper
Chaplin: the Musical
A Christmas Story, the Musical Joseph Robinette Benji Pasek and Justin Paul
Hands on a Hardbody Doug Wright Trey Anastasio and

Amanda Green

 Amanda Green
Matilda the Musical Dennis Kelly Tim Minchin
2014 A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder Robert L. Freedman Steven Lutvak Steven Lutvak and

Robert L. Freedman

After Midnight various various
Aladdin Chad Beguelin Alan Menken Howard Ashman
Beautiful: the Carole King Musical Douglas McGrath Carole King, Gerry Goffin, Barry Mann

and Cynthia Weil

Rocky the Musical Thomas Meehan and

Sylvester Stallone

 Stephen Flaherty Lynn Ahrens
2015 An American in Paris Craig Lucas George and Ira Gershwin
It Shoulda Been You Brian Hargrove Barbara Anselmi Brian Hargrove
The Last Ship John Logan and Brian Yorkey Sting
Something Rotten! John O'Farrell and

Karey Kirkpatrick

 Karey and Wayne Kirkpatrick
The Visit Terrence McNally Fred Ebb John Kander
2016 Bright Star Steve Martin and Edie Brickell
American Psycho Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa Duncan Sheik
On Your Feet! Alexander Dinelaris Jr. Gloria Estefan
Tuck Everlasting Claudia Shear and Tim Federle Chris Miller Nathan Tysen
Waitress Jessie Nelson Sara Bareilles
2017 Come From Away Irene Sankoff and David Hein
Anastasia Terrence McNally Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens
A Bronx Tale Chazz Palminteri Alan Menken Glenn Slater
Groundhog Day Danny Rubin Tim Minchin
Holiday Inn Gordon Greenberg and

Chad Hodge

 Irving Berlin
2018
SpongeBob SquarePants Kyle Jarrow various
Escape to Margaritaville Greg Garcia and Mike O'Malley Jimmy Buffett
Frozen Jennifer Lee Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez
Mean Girls Tina Fey Jeff Richmond Nell Benjamin
Prince of Broadway David Thompson various
2019 Hadestown Anaïs Mitchell
Be More Chill Joe Tracz Joe Iconis
Head Over Heels Jeff Whitty The Go-Go's
The Prom Bob Martin and Chad Beguelin Matthew Sklar Chad Beguelin
Tootsie Robert Horn David Yazbek


2020s

Year Musical Book Music Lyrics
2021-2022 Six Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss
MJ Lynn Nottage Michael Jackson and others
Mr Saturday Night Billy Crystal, Lowell Ganz

and Babaloo Mandel

 Jason Robert Brown Amanda Green
Mrs Doubtfire Karey Kirkpatrick and John O'Farrell Karey and Wayne Kirkpatrick
Paradise Square Christina Anderson,

Larry Kirwan and Craig Lucas
2022-2023 Some Like it Hot Matthew López and

Amber Ruffin

 Marc Shaiman Marc Shaiman and

Scott Wittman

& Juliet David West Read Max Martin
A Beautiful Noise, The Neil Diamond

Musical

 Anthony McCarten Neil Diamond
New York, New York David Thompson and

Sharon Washington

 John Kander Fred Ebb and

Lin-Manuel Miranda

Shucked Robert Horn Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally
2023-2024 Suffs Shaina Taub
Days of Wine and Roses Craig Lucas Adam Guettel
The Great Gasby Kait Kerrigan Jason Howland and Nathan Tysen
The Outsiders Adam Rapp and Justin Levine Jonathan Clay, Zach Chance

and Justin Levine

Water for Elephants Rick Elice PigPen Theatre Co.
2024-2025 Maybe Happy Ending Hue Park and Will Aronson Will Aronson Hue Park
Boop! The Musical Bob Martin Susan Birkenhead David Foster
Death Becomes Her Marco Pennette Julia Mattison and Noel Carey
Operation Mincemeat David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson and Zoë Roberts
Real Women Have Curves Lisa Loomer with Nell Benjamin Joy Huerta and Benjamin Velez
2025-2026 Schmigadoon! Cinco Paul
The Lost Boys David Hornsby and Chris Hoch The Rescues
Two Strangers

(Carry a Cake Across New York)

 Kit Buchan Jim Barne Kit Buchan


See also

References

  1. ↑ "Awards Archive – Outer Critics Circle". Retrieved 2026-08-30.
  2. ↑ "60th Annual Outer Critics Circle Awards Presented May 27". Playbill. Retrieved 2026-09-05.
  3. ↑ "Outer Critics Circle: 2011 Award winners". New York Theatre Guide. 2017-10-19. Retrieved 2026-09-06.
  4. ↑ "Outer Critics Circle 2010 - 2011 nominations announced". New York Theatre Guide. 2017-10-19. Retrieved 2026-09-06.
  5. ↑ "Outer Critics Circle Awards 2012: Complete List of Nominations". Gold Derby. 2016-03-07. Retrieved 2026-09-06.
  6. ↑ "Outer Critics Circle: 2012 Award winners". New York Theatre Guide. 2017-10-19. Retrieved 2026-09-06.
  7. ↑ "Outer Critics Circle: 2013 Award winners". New York Theatre Guide. 2017-10-19. Retrieved 2026-09-20.
  8. ↑ "Outer Critics Circle: 2014 Award winners". New York Theatre Guide. 2017-10-19. Retrieved 2026-09-20.
  9. ↑ Cox, Gordon (2015-05-11). "Outer Critic Circle Awards 2015 (FULL LIST): 'Curious Incident' Wins Big". Variety. Retrieved 2026-09-21.
  10. ↑ "Bright Star and The Humans Win Top 2016 NY Outer Critics Circle Awards". Playbill. Retrieved 2026-09-21.
  11. ↑ "Outer Critics Circle Awards 2017 - And the Winners are..." New York Theatre Guide. 2017-10-19. Retrieved 2026-09-24.
  12. ↑ Millward, Tom (2018-05-08). "New York Theater Guide News | NewYorkTheatreGuide.com". New York Theatre Guide. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  13. ↑ "Hadestown Leads Winners of 2019 Outer Critics Circle Awards". www.broadway.com. Retrieved 2026-09-27.