From "Kiss Me Kate" in 1949 to "Suffs" in 2024, 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.
| 2024 (77th) |
Shaina Taub Suffs Other Nominees: Kristoffer Diaz (Hell's Kitchen); Bekah Brunstetter (The Notebook); Justin Levine and Adam Rapp (The Outsiders); Rick Elice (Water for Elephants) |
| 2023 (76th) |
David Lindsay-Abaire 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. Jackson 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 Cody Jagged Little Pill Other Nominees: John Logan (Moulin Rouge!); Katori Hall, Frank Ketelaar, Kees Prins (Tina) |
| Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Tootsie | Robert Horn |  |
| 2018 | The Band's Visit | Itamar Moses |  |
| 2017 | Dear Evan Hansen | Steven Levenson |  |
| 2016 | Hamilton | Lin-Manuel Miranda |  |
| 2015 | Fun Home | Lisa Kron |  |
| 2014 | A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder | Robert L. Freedman |  |
| 2013 | Matilda The Musical | Dennis Kelly |  |
| 2012 | Once | Enda Walsh |  |
| 2011 | The Book Of Mormon | Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone |  |
| 2010 | Memphis | Joe DiPietro |  |
| 2009 | Billy Elliot The Musical | Lee Hall |  |
| 2008 | Passing Strange | Stew |  |
| 2007 | Spring Awakening | Steven Sater |  |
| 2006 | The Drowsy Chaperone | Bob Martin & Don McKellar |  |
| 2005 | The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee | Rachel Sheinkin |  |
| 2004 | Avenue Q | Jeff Whitty |  |
| 2003 | Hairspray | Mark O'Donnell & Thomas Meehan |  |
| 2002 | Urinetown The Musical | Greg Kotis |  |
| 2001 | The Producers | Mel Brooks & Thomas Meehan |  |
| 2000 | James Joyce's The Dead | Richard Nelson |  |
| 1999 | Parade | Alfred Uhry |  |
| 1998 | Ragtime | Terrence McNally |  |
| 1997 | Titanic | Peter Stone |  |
| 1996 | Rent | Jonathan Larson |  |
| 1995 | Sunset Boulevard | Don Black & Christopher Hampton |  |
| 1994 | Passion | James Lapine |  |
| 1993 | Kiss Of The Spider Woman | Terrence McNally |  |
| 1992 | Falsettos | William Finn & James Lapine |  |
| 1991 | The Secret Garden | Marsha Norman |  |
| 1990 | City Of Angels | Larry Gelbart |  |
| 1989 | NO AWARD | ||
| 1988 | Into The Woods | James Lapine |  |
| 1987 | Les Miserables | Alain Boublil & Claude-Michel Schönberg |  |
| 1986 | The Mystery Of Edwin Drood | Rupert Holmes |  |
| 1985 | Big River | William Hauptman |  |
| 1984 | La Cage aux Folles | Harvey Fierstein |  |
| 1983 | Cats | T.S. Eliot |  |
| 1982 | Dreamgirls | Tom Eyen |  |
| 1981 | Woman Of The Year | Peter Stone |  |
| 1980 | Evita | Tim Rice |  |
| 1979 | Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street | Hugh Wheeler |  |
| 1978 | On The Twentieth Century | Betty Comden & Adolph Green |  |
| 1977 | Annie | Thomas Meehan |  |
| 1976 | A Chorus Line | James Kirkwood Jr & Nicholas Dante |  |
| 1975 | Shenandoah | James Lee Barrett, Peter Udell and Philip Rose |  |
| 1974 | Candide | Hugh Wheeler |  |
| 1973 | A Little Night Music | Hugh Wheeler |  |
| 1972 | Two Gentlemen Of Verona | John Guare & Mel Shapiro |  |
| 1971 | Company | George Furth |  |
| 1965 | Fiddler On The Roof | Joseph Stein |  |
| 1964 | Hello, Dolly! | Michael Stewart |  |
| 1963 | A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum | Burt Shevelove |  |
| 1962 | How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying | Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock & Willie Gilbert |  |
| 1950 | South Pacific | Oscar Hammerstein II & Joshua Logan |  |
| 1949 | Kiss Me, Kate | Bella & Samuel Spewack |  |