Who Won Best Book of a Musical Tony Awards?

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Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical

From "Kiss Me Kate" in 1949 to "Kimberly Akimbo" in 2023, the Tony Awards have awarded excellence in musical theatre throughout the years. The Tony for Best Book of a Musical is awarded to the librettist of the musical - the person who writes the dialogue which is not sung. There were gaps in the 50's, 60's, and 1989 when the award was not given.

2023 (76th)
David Lindsay-AbaireKimberly Akimbo
Kimberly Akimbo
Other Nominees: David West Read (& Juliet); David Thompson & Sharon Washington (New York, New York); Robert Horn (Shucked); Matthew Lopez & Amber Ruffin (Some Like It Hot)
2022 (75th)
Michael R. JacksonA Strange Loop
A Strange Loop
Other Nominees: Conor McPherson (Girl From The North Country); Lynn Nottage (MJ); Billy Crystal, Lowell Ganz, Babaloo Mandel (Mr. Saturday Night); Christina Anderson, Craig Lucas, Larry Kirwan (Paradise Square)
2021 (74th)
Diablo CodyJagged Little Pill
Jagged Little Pill
Other Nominees: John Logan (Moulin Rouge!); Katori Hall, Frank Ketelaar, Kees Prins (Tina)
Year      
2019 Tootsie Robert Horn Tootsie
2018 The Band's Visit Itamar Moses The Band's Visit
2017 Dear Evan Hansen Steven Levenson Dear Evan Hansen
2016 Hamilton Lin-Manuel Miranda Hamilton
2015 Fun Home Lisa Kron Fun Home
2014 A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder Robert L. Freedman A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
2013 Matilda The Musical Dennis Kelly Matilda The Musical
2012 Once Enda Walsh Once
2011 The Book Of Mormon Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone The Book Of Mormon
2010 Memphis Joe DiPietro Memphis
2009 Billy Elliot The Musical Lee Hall Billy Elliot The Musical
2008 Passing Strange Stew Passing Strange
2007 Spring Awakening Steven Sater Spring Awakening
2006 The Drowsy Chaperone Bob Martin & Don McKellar The Drowsy Chaperone
2005 The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Rachel Sheinkin The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
2004 Avenue Q Jeff Whitty Avenue Q
2003 Hairspray Mark O'Donnell & Thomas Meehan Hairspray
2002 Urinetown The Musical Greg Kotis Urinetown The Musical
2001 The Producers Mel Brooks & Thomas Meehan The Producers
2000 James Joyce's The Dead Richard Nelson James Joyce's The Dead
1999 Parade Alfred Uhry Parade
1998 Ragtime Terrence McNally Ragtime
1997 Titanic Peter Stone Titanic
1996 Rent Jonathan Larson Rent
1995 Sunset Boulevard Don Black & Christopher Hampton Sunset Boulevard
1994 Passion James Lapine Passion
1993 Kiss Of The Spider Woman Terrence McNally Kiss Of The Spider Woman
1992 Falsettos William Finn & James Lapine Falsettos
1991 The Secret Garden Marsha Norman The Secret Garden
1990 City Of Angels Larry Gelbart City Of Angels
1989 NO AWARD    
1988 Into The Woods James Lapine Into The Woods
1987 Les Miserables Alain Boublil & Claude-Michel Schönberg Les Miserables
1986 The Mystery Of Edwin Drood Rupert Holmes The Mystery Of Edwin Drood
1985 Big River William Hauptman Big River
1984 La Cage aux Folles Harvey Fierstein La Cage aux Folles
1983 Cats T.S. Eliot Cats
1982 Dreamgirls Tom Eyen Dreamgirls
1981 Woman Of The Year Peter Stone Woman Of The Year
1980 Evita Tim Rice Evita
1979 Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street Hugh Wheeler Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
1978 On The Twentieth Century Betty Comden & Adolph Green On The Twentieth Century
1977 Annie Thomas Meehan Annie
1976 A Chorus Line James Kirkwood Jr & Nicholas Dante A Chorus Line
1975 Shenandoah James Lee Barrett, Peter Udell and Philip Rose Shenandoah
1974 Candide Hugh Wheeler Candide
1973 A Little Night Music Hugh Wheeler A Little Night Music
1972 Two Gentlemen Of Verona John Guare & Mel Shapiro Two Gentlemen Of Verona
1971 Company George Furth Company
1965 Fiddler On The Roof Joseph Stein Fiddler On The Roof
1964 Hello, Dolly! Michael Stewart Hello, Dolly!
1963 A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum Burt Shevelove A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum
1962 How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock & Willie Gilbert How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying
1950 South Pacific Oscar Hammerstein II & Joshua Logan South Pacific
1949 Kiss Me, Kate Bella & Samuel Spewack Kiss Me Kate