Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical - Definition and Overview

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.

List of Winners

• 1949 Kiss Me, Kate by Bella and Samuel Spewack
• 1950 South Pacific by Oscar Hammerstein and Joshua Logan
• 1951 Guys and Dolls by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows
• 1952 Not Awarded
• 1953 Wonderful Town by Joseph Fields and Jerome Chodorov
• 1954 Kismet by Charles Lederer and Luther Davis
• 1955 Pajama Game by George Abbott and Richard Bissell
• 1956 Damn Yankees by George Abbott and Douglass Wallop
• 1957 My Fair Lady by Alan Jay Lerner
• 1958 The Music Man by Meredith Willson and Franklin Lacey
• 1959 Redhead by Herbert and Dorothy Fields, Sidney Sheldon, and David Shaw
• 1960 TIE Fiorello! by Jerome Weidman and George Abbott and The Sound of Music by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse
• 1961 Bye, Bye Birdie by Michael Stewart
• 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 Bert 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
• 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 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
• 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 Boubil and Claude-Michel Schonberg
• 1988 Into the Woods by James Lapine
• 1989 Not Awarded
• 1990 City of Angels by Larry Gelbart
• 1991 The Secret Garden by Marsha Norman
• 1992 Falsettos by William Finn and James Lapine
• 1993 Kiss of the Spider Woman by Terrance McNally
• 1994 Passion by James Lapine
• 1995 Sunset Boulevard by Don Black and Christopher Hampton
• 1996 Rent by Jonathan Larson
• 1997 Titanic by Peter Stone
• 1998 Ragtime by Terrance McNally
• 1999 Parade by Alfred Uhry
• 2000 James Joyce's The Dead by Richard Nelson
• 2001 The Producers by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan
• 2002 Urinetown by Greg Kotis
• 2003 Hairspray by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan
• 2004 Avenue Q by Jeff Whitty

Multiple Winners

3 wins: Hugh Wheeler, Thomas Meehan, James Lapine, and George Abbott
2 wins: Terrance McNally, Larry Gelbart, Peter Stone, Abe Burrows, and Michael Stewart