Winners of the 2025 Drama Desk Awards were revealed June 1 at a ceremony at NYU Skirball, hosted by Debra Messing and Tituss Burgess. Broadway's Maybe Happy Ending ended the evening as the most-awarded production of the night, taking six categories including Outstanding Musical.
The show, also a current Tony nominee for Best Musical, had gone into the Drama Desks as the second most-nominated, behind Broadway's BOOP! The Musical (which had 11 nominations versus Maybe Happy Ending's nine). BOOP! ultimately took home three honors, winning for Leading Performance in a Musical (for Jasmine Amy Rogers, tying with Gypsy star Audra McDonald), Choreography (for Jerry Mitchell) and Costume Design (for Gregg Barnes).
Maybe Happy Ending's additional wins included Direction of a Musical for Michael Arden; Outstanding Music, Lyrics, and Book for Will Aronson and Hue Park; and Outstanding Scenic Design of a Musical for Dane Laffrey and George Reeve.
The Drama Desk Awards feature gender-neutral performance categories, each naming two separate winners. With a particularly stacked list of leading ladies on the boards this year, that led to a double female win in the Leading Performance in a Musical Category, going to both Audra McDonald for Gypsy and Jasmine Amy Rogers for BOOP!. Featured performance in a musical went so far as to have three winners thanks to a three-way tie splitting the vote, with Brooks Ashmanskas (from SMASH), Jak Malone (from Operation Mincemeat), and Michael Urie (from Once Upon a Mattress) all winning in the category.
With three wins each, Broadway's Stranger Things: The First Shadow and The Picture of Dorian Gray emerged as the most Drama Desk-winning plays of the season. Dorian Gray won for Sarah Snook's Leading performance (tying with Laura Donnelly for The Hills of California), David Bergman's projection and video design, and Unique Theatrical Experience. Stranger Things was recognized for Miriam Buether, Jamie Harrison, and Chris Fisher's scenic designs and illusions; Paul Arditti's sound design; and Jon Clark's lighting design.
Outstanding Play went to Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' Purpose, and Outstanding Revival of a Play went to Eureka Day at Manhattan Theatre Club. Outstanding Revival of a Musical went to Gypsy.
See the full list of winners below:
Outstanding Play
Blood of the Lamb, by Arlene Hutton
Deep Blue Sound, by Abe Koogler
Grangeville, by Samuel D. Hunter
John Proctor is the Villain, by Kimberly Belflower
Liberation, by Bess Wohl
WINNER - Purpose, by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins
Outstanding Musical
BOOP! The Musical
Death Becomes Her
Just in Time
WINNER - Maybe Happy Ending
Music City
Outstanding Revival of a Play
WINNER - Eureka Day
Garside’s Career
Home
Wine in the Wilderness
Yellow Face
Outstanding Revival of a Musical
Cats: “The Jellicle Ball�
Floyd Collins
WINNER - Gypsy
Once Upon a Mattress
See What I Wanna See
Sunset Blvd.
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play
Betsy Aidem, The Ask
WINNER - Laura Donnelly, The Hills of California
Patsy Ferran, A Streetcar Named Desire
Danny J. Gomez, All of Me
Doug Harris, Redeemed
Patrick Keleher, Fatherland
Louis McCartney, Stranger Things: The First Shadow
Lily Rabe, Ghosts
Jay O. Sanders, Henry IV (Theatre for a New Audience)
WINNER - Sarah Snook, The Picture of Dorian Gray
Paul Sparks, Grangeville
Olivia Washington, Wine in the Wilderness
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical
Tatianna Córdoba, Real Women Have Curves
Darren Criss, Maybe Happy Ending
Sutton Foster, Once Upon a Mattress
Tom Francis, Sunset Blvd.
Jonathan Groff, Just in Time
Grey Henson, Elf
Jeremy Jordan, Floyd Collins
WINNER - Audra McDonald, Gypsy
WINNER - Jasmine Amy Rogers, BOOP! The Musical
Nicole Scherzinger, Sunset Blvd.
Helen J. Shen, Maybe Happy Ending
Jennifer Simard, Death Becomes Her
Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play
Greg Keller, Pre-Existing Condition
Julia Lester, All Nighter
Adrienne C. Moore, The Blood Quilt
Deirdre O’Connell, Glass. Kill. What If If Only. Imp.
Maria-Christina Oliveras, Cymbeline
Maryann Plunkett, Deep Blue Sound
Michael Rishawn, Table 17
Jude Tibeau, Bad Kreyòl
Anjana Vasan, A Streetcar Named Desire
Frank Wood, Hold On to Me Darling
WINNER - Amalia Yoo, John Proctor is the Villain
WINNER - Kara Young, Purpose
Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical (Three-Way Tie)
WINNER - Brooks Ashmanskas, Smash
Nicholas Barasch, Pirates! The Penzance Musical
André De Shields, Cats: “The Jellicle Ball�
John El-Jor, We Live in Cairo
Jason Gotay, Floyd Collins
Gracie Lawrence, Just in Time
WINNER - Jak Malone, Operation Mincemeat
Lesli Margherita, Gypsy
Zachary Noah Piser, See What I Wanna See
Jenny Lee Stern, Forbidden Broadway: Merrily We Stole a Song
WINNER - Michael Urie, Once Upon a Mattress
Natalie Walker, The Big Gay Jamboree
Outstanding Solo Performance
David Greenspan, I’m Assuming You Know David Greenspan
Ryan J. Haddad, Hold Me in the Water
Sam Kissajukian, 300 Paintings
Mark Povinelli, The Return of Benjamin Lay
WINNER - Andrew Scott, Vanya
Outstanding Direction of a Play
David Cromer and Caitlin Sullivan, The Antiquities
Stephen Daldry and Justin Martin, Stranger Things: The First Shadow
Tyne Rafaeli, Becoming Eve
Jack Serio, Grangeville
WINNER - Danya Taymor, John Proctor is the Villain
Whitney White, Liberation
Kip Williams, The Picture of Dorian Gray
Outstanding Direction of a Musical
WINNER - Michael Arden, Maybe Happy Ending
Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch, Cats: “The Jellicle Ball�
Jamie Lloyd, Sunset Blvd.
Jerry Mitchell, BOOP! The Musical
Alex Timbers, Just in Time
George C. Wolfe, Gypsy
Outstanding Choreography
Camille A. Brown, Gypsy
Warren Carlyle, Pirates! The Penzance Musical
Jakob Karr, Ain’t Done Bad
Arturo Lyons and Omari Wiles, Cats: “The Jellicle Ball�
WINNER - Jerry Mitchell, BOOP! The Musical
Sergio Trujillo, Real Women Have Curves
Outstanding Music
WINNER - Will Aronson and Hue Park, Maybe Happy Ending
David Foster, BOOP! The Musical
Joy Huerta and Benjamin Velez, Real Women Have Curves
Zoe Sarnak, The Lonely Few
The Lazours, We Live in Cairo
Outstanding Lyrics
Gerard Alessandrini, Forbidden Broadway: Merrily We Stole a Song
WINNER - Will Aronson and Hue Park, Maybe Happy Ending
David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson, and Zoë Roberts, Operation Mincemeat
Adam Gwon, All the World’s a Stage
Marla Mindelle and Philip Drennen, The Big Gay Jamboree
Luis Quintero, Medea: Re-Versed
Outstanding Book of a Musical
WINNER - Will Aronson and Hue Park, Maybe Happy Ending
David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson, and Zoë Roberts, Operation Mincemeat
Warren Leight and Isaac Oliver, Just in Time
Bob Martin, BOOP! The Musical
Marla Mindelle and Jonathan Parks-Ramage, The Big Gay Jamboree
Marco Pennette, Death Becomes Her
Outstanding Orchestrations
Will Aronson, Maybe Happy Ending
Doug Besterman, BOOP! The Musical
Joseph Joubert and Daryl Waters, Pirates! The Penzance Musical
WINNER - Andrew Resnick and Michael Thurber, Just in Time
Michael Starobin, All the World’s a Stage
Outstanding Scenic Design of a Play
Miriam Buether, Glass. Kill. What If If Only. Imp.
WINNER - Miriam Buether, and Jamie Harrison and Chris Fisher (illusions and visual effects), Stranger Things: The First Shadow
Rob Howell, The Hills of California
Johan Kølkjær, Dark Noon
Gabriel Hainer Evansohn and Grace Laubacher, Life and Trust
Matt Saunders, Walden
Outstanding Scenic Design of a Musical
Clifton Chadick, Music City
Rachel Hauck, Swept Away
WINNER - Dane Laffrey and George Reeve, Maybe Happy Ending (includes video design)
Derek McLane, Just in Time
David Rockwell and Finn Ross (projections), BOOP! The Musical
Outstanding Costume Design of a Play
Brenda Abbandandolo, The Antiquities
WINNER - Dede Ayite, Our Town
Christopher Ford, The Beastiary
Camilla Lind, Dark Noon
Karl Ruckdeschel, Twelfth Night
Outstanding Costume Design of a Musical
WINNER - Gregg Barnes, BOOP! The Musical
Sarah Cubbage, The Big Gay Jamboree
Toni-Leslie James, Gypsy
Qween Jean, Cats: “The Jellicle Ball�
Paul Tazewell, Death Becomes Her
Catherine Zuber, Just in Time
Outstanding Lighting Design of a Play
Isabella Byrd, Glass. Kill. What If If Only. Imp.
WINNER - Jon Clark, Stranger Things: The First Shadow
Natasha Katz, John Proctor is the Villain
Tyler Micoleau, The Antiquities
Paul Whitaker, SUMO
Outstanding Lighting Design of a Musical
Kevin Adams, Swept Away
´¡»å²¹³¾â€¯H´Ç²Ô´Ç°ùé, Cats: “The Jellicle Ballâ€�
WINNER - Jack Knowles, Sunset Blvd.
Philip S. Rosenberg, BOOP! The Musical
Scott Zielinski and Ruey Horng Sun (projections), Floyd Collins
Outstanding Sound Design of a Play
WINNER - Paul Arditti, Stranger Things: The First Shadow
Johnny Gasper, Two Sisters Find a Box of Lesbian Erotica in the Woods
Matt Otto, All of Me
Bray Poor, Glass. Kill. What If If Only. Imp.
Clemence Williams, The Picture of Dorian Gray
Fan Zhang, Good Bones
Outstanding Sound Design of a Musical
Adam Fisher, Sunset Blvd.
WINNER - Peter Hylenski, Just in Time
Scott Lehrer, Gypsy
Mick Potter, Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends
Dan Moses Schreier, Floyd Collins
Outstanding Projection and Video Design
Nathan Amzi and Joe Ransom, Sunset Blvd.
Jake Barton, McNeal
WINNER - David Bergman, The Picture of Dorian Gray
Jesse Garrison, The 7th Voyage of Egon Tichy [redux]
Hana S. Kim, Redwood
Outstanding Wig and Hair
Alberto “Albee� Alvarado, SUMO
WINNER - Charles G. LaPointe, Death Becomes Her
Sabana Majeed, BOOP! The Musical
Nikiya Mathis, Cats: “The Jellicle Ball�
Nikiya Mathis, Liberation
Outstanding Puppetry
Dorothy James, Bill’s 44th
Tom Lee, See What I Wanna See
Simple Mischief Studio, Small Acts of Daring Invention
WINNER - Amanda Villalobos, Becoming Eve
Kirjan Waage, Dead as a Dodo
Outstanding Fight Choreography
Drew Leary, Romeo + Juliet
Chelsea Pace and James Yaegashi, SUMO
WINNER - Rick Sordelet and Christian Kelly-Sordelet, Pirates! The Penzance Musical
Bret Yount, King Lear
Outstanding Adaptation
Becoming Eve, by Emil Weinstein
Cymbeline, by Andrea Thome
Medea: Re-Versed, by Luis Quintero
WINNER - Pirates! The Penzance Musical, by Rupert Holmes
The Devil’s Disciple, by David Staller
Outstanding Revue
WINNER - Forbidden Broadway: Merrily We Stole a Song
Mama, I’m a Big Girl Now!
The Jonathan Larson Project
The World According to Micki Grant
Unique Theatrical Experience
Odd Man Out
The 7th Voyage of Egon Tichy [redux]
WINNER - The Picture of Dorian Gray
The Voices in Your Head
The Wind and the Rain: A story about Sunny’s Bar
Special Awards (previously announced)
Ensemble Award
The ensemble of Roundabout Theatre Company's Liberation (Betsy Aidem, Audrey Corsa, Kayla Davion, Susannah Flood, Kristolyn Lloyd, Irene Sofia Lucio, Charlie Thurston, and Adina Verson) for bringing to vibrant life the specific and universal stories of women staring across the social battle lines of the 1970s from their perch "somewhere in Ohio" in Bess Wohl's beautiful new play.
Sam Norkin Off-Broadway Award
The incredibly versatile Stephen Michael Spencer for his electric and empathetic performances in two of this season’s strongest new Off-Broadway musicals. In Medea: Re-Versed, Spencer’s funny yet revelatory take on a character we all thought we knew allowed us the rare opportunity to actually understand Jason’s motivations. And then in Music City, Spencer was almost unrecognizable as TJ, a charismatic singer-songwriter who we couldn’t help but root for.
Additional Special Awards
Pregones/PRTT: Pregones (founded in 1979) and the Puerto Rican Traveling Theater (founded in 1967) merged in 2014 to become a powerhouse producer of Latinx shows on two NYC stages: one in Manhattan's Theater District, the other in the South Bronx, both evoking an atmosphere of warmth and inclusivity. This season brought the blazing world premiere of Matthew Barbot’s the beautiful land i seek (la linda tierra que busco yo), a history-inspired fantasia about two Puerto Rican freedom fighters that deftly explores colonialism while riffing on Waiting for Godot, plus dozens of one-offs showcasing Latinx artists and culture.
Lighting designer Stacey Derosier for her deeply intimate and consistently gorgeous work across this season’s Off-Broadway stages. Whether lighting the minimalist theatricality of The Welkin and Grangeville, or the rich naturalism of The Counter and Danger and Opportunity, Derosier shows us not only that less is often so much more, but also that just a single light can have such a profound impact in the darkness.
The team behind Danger and Opportunity—playwright Ken Urban, director Jack Serio, and ensemble Juan Castano, Julia Chan, and Ryan Spahn—for their genuinely serious, deeply moving consideration of the messy implications of a three-way relationship, done in an imaginatively immersive way that made such a small-scale story feel like a meaningful event.
Shows With Multiple Wins
6 - Maybe Happy Ending
3 - BOOP! The Musical
3 - Stranger Things: The First Shadow
3 - The Picture of Dorian Gray
2 - Danger and Opportunity
2 - Gypsy
2 - John Proctor is the Villain
2 - Just in Time
2 - Pirates! The Penzance Musical
2 - Purpose
The Drama Desk Awards are the only major New York City theatre awards for which productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off Broadway compete against each other in the same categories. As was the case last year, all performance categories are gender-free. The updated gender-free categories are Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play, Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical, Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play, and Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical.
Broadway transfers of shows that originally played Off-Broadway were not considered—which means both Dead Outlaw, Buena Vista Social Club, and Oh, Mary! were not eligible for Drama Desk nominations because they were recognized at last year's awards.
The 2024-25 Drama Desk Nominating Committee comprises Chair Martha Wade Steketee, Linda Armstrong, Daniel Dinero, Peter Filichia, Kenji Fujishima, Raven Snook, and Charles Wright.
The creative team for this year’s ceremony included director Lorin Latarro, writers Steve Rosen and David Rossmer, musical director Dan Lipton, lighting designer Abby May, production manager and sound designer Five Ohm, video designer Ido Levran, and production manager Ira Mont.
David Barbour and Charles Wright are the Drama Desk co-presidents. The 69th Annual Drama Desk Awards are executive-produced by Staci Levine and Jessica R. Jenen.
Helen J Shen and Darren Criss in Maybe Happy Ending
Helen J Shen and Darren Criss in Maybe Happy Ending
Helen J Shen and Darren Criss in Maybe Happy Ending
Helen J Shen and Darren Criss in Maybe Happy Ending
Helen J Shen in Maybe Happy Ending
Darren Criss and Helen J Shen in Maybe Happy Ending
Helen J Shen and Darren Criss in Maybe Happy Ending
Helen J Shen and Darren Criss in Maybe Happy Ending
Helen J Shen and Darren Criss in Maybe Happy Ending
