Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding New Score
The Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding New Score is an annual award given to the composer and/or lyricist of a musical or play on Broadway or Off-Broadway, as determined by Outer Critics Circle. The award has been given out since the 2005-2006 season.
Since its inception, no composer or lyricist has won the award more than once, while John Kander, Fred Ebb, Jeanine Tesori, David Yazbek and Alan Menken are all tied for the most nominations, with four each.
Award winners
2000s
Year |
Production |
Composer |
Lyricist |
Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2006 |
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The Drowsy Chaperone |
Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison |
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See What I Wanna See |
Michael John LaChiusa |
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The Color Purple |
Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray |
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Grey Gardens |
Scott Frankel |
Michael Korie |
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2007 |
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Spring Awakening |
Duncan Sheik |
Steven Sater |
||
Mary Poppins |
Richard M. Sherman, Robert B. Sherman, George Stiles and Anthony Drewe |
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In The Heights |
Lin-Manuel Miranda |
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Curtains |
John Kander |
John Kander, Fred Ebb and Rupert Holmes |
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2008 |
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Next to Normal |
Tom Kitt |
Brian Yorkey |
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Adding Machine |
Joshua Schmidt |
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Young Frankenstein |
Mel Brooks |
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The Last Ship |
Stew and Heidi Rodewald |
Stew |
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2009 |
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Billy Elliot |
Elton John |
Lee Hall |
||
Happiness |
Scott Frankel |
Michael Korie |
||
Rooms: A Rock Romance |
Paul Scott Goodman |
|||
Shrek the Musical |
Jeanine Tesori |
David Lindsay-Abaire |
||
2010s
Year |
Production |
Composer |
Lyricist |
Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2010 |
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Memphis |
David Bryan |
David Bryan and Joe DiPietro |
||
Yank! |
Joe Zellnik |
David Zellnik |
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Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson |
Michael Friedman |
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The Scottsboro Boys |
John Kander |
Fred Ebb |
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2011 |
||||
The Book of Mormon |
Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone |
|||
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown |
David Yazbek |
|||
Sister Act |
Alan Menken |
Glenn Slater |
||
Catch Me if You Can |
Marc Shaiman |
Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman |
||
2012 |
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Newsies |
Alan Menken |
Jack Feldman |
||
Queen of the Mist |
Michael John LaChiusa |
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Bonnie and Clyde |
Frank Wildhorn |
Don Black |
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Death Takes a Holiday |
Maury Yeston |
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2013 |
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Kinky Boots |
Cyndi Lauper |
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Chaplin |
Christopher Paul Curtis |
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Dogfight |
Benj Pasek and Justin Paul |
|||
Hands on a Hardbody |
Amanda Green and Trey Anastasio |
Amanda Green |
||
Here Lies Love |
David Byrne and Fatboy Slim |
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2014 |
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The Bridges of Madison County |
Jason Robert Brown |
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Aladdin |
Alan Menken |
Howard Ashman, Tim Rice and Chad Beguelin |
||
If/Then |
Tom Kitt |
Brian Yorkey |
||
A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder |
Steven Lutvak |
Steven Lutvak and Robert L. Freedman |
||
Fun Home |
Lisa Kron |
Jeanine Tesori |
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2015 |
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Hamilton |
Lin-Manuel Miranda |
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The Visit |
John Kander |
Fred Ebb |
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Something Rotten! |
Wayne Kirkpatrick and Karey Kirkpatrick |
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It Shoulda Been You |
Barbara Anselmi |
Brian Hargrove |
||
The Last Ship |
Sting |
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2016 |
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Bright Star |
Steve Martin and Edie Brickell |
Edie Brickell |
||
Waitress |
Sara Bareilles |
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American Psycho |
Duncan Sheik |
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Daddy Long Legs |
Paul Gordon |
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Dear Evan Hansen |
Benj Pasek and Justin Paul |
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2017 |
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The Band's Visit |
David Yazbek |
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Come From Away |
Irene Sankoff and David Hein |
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Anastasia |
Stephen Flaherty |
Lynn Ahrens |
||
A Bronx Tale |
Alan Menken |
Glenn Slater |
||
Groundhog Day |
Tim Minchin |
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2018 |
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SpongeBob SquarePants |
Various |
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A Bronx Tale |
Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez |
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Desperate Measures |
David Friedman |
Peter Kellogg |
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Harry Potter and the Cursed Child |
Imogen Heap |
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Miss You Like Hell |
Erin McKeown |
Erin McKeown and Quiara Alegría Hudes |
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2019 |
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Hadestown |
Anaïs Mitchell |
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The Hello Girls |
Peter Mills |
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Tootsie |
David Yazbek |
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The Prom |
Matthew Sklar |
Chad Beguelin |
||
Be More Chill |
Joe Iconis |
|||
2020s
Year |
Production |
Composer |
Lyricist |
Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2020 (Hon.) |
The Secret Life of Bees |
Duncan Sheik |
Susan Birkenhead |
|
The Wrong Man |
Ross Golan |
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A Strange Loop |
Michael R. Jackson |
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Octet |
Dave Malloy |
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Soft Power |
Jeanine Tesori |
David Henry Hwang |
||
2021 |
No award given due to COVID-19 pandemic. |
|||
2022 |
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Six |
Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss |
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Harmony |
Barry Manilow |
Bruce Sussman |
||
Kimberly Akimbo |
Jeanine Tesori |
David Lindsay-Abaire |
||
Paradise Square |
Jason Howland |
Nathan Tysen and Masi Asare |
||
Mrs. Doubtfire |
Wayne Kirkpatrick and Karey Kirkpatrick |
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2023 |
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Some Like It Hot |
Marc Shaiman |
Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman |
||
Between the Lines |
Elyssa Samsel |
Kate Anderson |
||
New York, New York |
John Kander |
Fred Ebb and Lin-Manuel Miranda |
||
The Bedwetter |
Adam Schlesinger |
Adam Schlesinger and Sarah Silverman |
||
Shucked |
Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally |
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2024 |
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Suffs |
Shaina Taub |
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Dead Outlaw |
David Yazbek and Erik Della Penna |
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Stereophonic |
Will Butler |
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The Connector |
Jason Robert Brown |
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Days of Wine and Roses |
Adam Guettel |
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2025 |
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Maybe Happy Ending |
Will Aronson |
Will Aronson and Hue Park |
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Death Becomes Her |
Julia Mattison and Noel Carey |
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Boop! The Musical |
David Foster |
Susan Birkenhead |
||
Operation Mincemeat |
David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson and Zoe Roberts |
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Real Women Have Curves |
Joy Huerta and Benjamin Velez |
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2026 |
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Mexodus |
Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson |
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Oratorio for Living Things |
Heather Christian |
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Beau the Musical |
Ethan D. Pakchar |
Douglas Lyons |
||
Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) |
Jim Barne |
Kit Buchan |
||
The Lost Boys |
The Rescues |
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Multiple nominations
- 4 nominations
- John Kander
- Fred Ebb
- Jeanine Tesori
- David Yazbek
- Alan Menken
- 3 nominations
- Duncan Sheik
- Lin-Manuel Miranda
- Tom Kitt
- 2 nominations
- Michael John LaChiusa
- Scott Frankel
- Michael Korie
- Brian Yorkey
- David Lindsay-Abaire
- Robert Lopez
- Glenn Slater
- Marc Shaiman
- Scott Wittman
- Cyndi Lauper
- Benj Pasek
- Justin Paul
- Jason Robert Brown
- Wayne Kirkpatrick
- Karey Kirkpatrick
- Sara Bareilles
See also
- Tony Award for Best Original Score
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics