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.
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List of Winners
Winners are in bold. Non-bold indicates a non-winning nomination.
1940s
1950s
- 1950 South Pacific by Oscar Hammerstein and Joshua Logan
- 1951 Guys and Dolls by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows
- 1952-1959 No award given
1960s
- 1960-1961 No award given
- 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 Burt 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
1970s
- 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, Jr. 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
1980s
- 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 Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg
- Me and My Girl by L. Arthur Rose, Douglas Furber, Stephen Fry and Mike Ockrent
- Rags by Joseph Stein
- Smile by Howard Ashman
- 1988 Into the Woods by James Lapine
- The Gospel at Colonus by Lee Breuer
- The Phantom of the Opera by Richard Stilgoe and Andrew Lloyd Webber
- Romance/Romance by Barry Harman
- 1989 Not Awarded
1990s
- 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 Terrence McNally
- 1994 Passion by James Lapine
- Beauty and the Beast by Linda Woolverton
- Cyrano: The Musical by Koen van Kijk
- A Grand Night for Singing by Walter Bobbie
- 1995 Sunset Boulevard by Don Black and Christopher Hampton
- 1996 Rent by Jonathan Larson
- Big by John Weidman
- Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk by Reg E Gaines
- Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Graciela Daniele, Jim Lewis, and Michael John LaChiusa
- 1997 Titanic by Peter Stone
- 1998 Ragtime by Terrence McNally
- The Lion King by Roger Allers and Irene Mecchi
- The Scarlet Pimpernel by Nan Knighton
- Side Show by Bill Russell
- 1999 Parade by Alfred Uhry
- Footloose by Dean Pitchford and Walter Bobbie
- It Ain't Nothin But the Blues by Charles Bevel, Lita Gaithers, Randal Myler, Ron Taylor, and Dan Wheetman
- Marlene by Pam Gems
2000s
- 2000 James Joyce's The Dead by Richard Nelson
- 2001 The Producers by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan
- A Class Act by Linda Kline and Lonny Price
- The Full Monty by Terrence McNally
- Jane Eyre by John Caird
- 2002 Urinetown by Greg Kotis
- 2003 Hairspray by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan
- Amour by Didier Van Cauwelaert, Jeremy Sams (adaptation)
- Flower Drum Song by David Henry Hwang
- A Year With Frog and Toad by Willie Reale
- 2004 Avenue Q by Jeff Whitty
- The Boy from Oz by Martin Sherman, Nick Enright (original book)
- Caroline, or Change by Tony Kushner
- Wicked by Winnie Holzman
- 2005 The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee by Rachel Sheinkin
- 2006 The Drowsy Chaperone by Bob Martin and Don McKellar
- 2007 Spring Awakening by Steven Sater
- Curtains by Rupert Holmes and Peter Stone
- Grey Gardens by Doug Wright
- Legally Blonde: The Musical by Heather Hach
Multiple Winners
3 wins: Hugh Wheeler, Thomas Meehan, and James Lapine
2 wins: Terrance McNally, Larry Gelbart, Peter Stone, and Michael Stewart
