The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Scenic Design of a Musical is an annual award presented by Drama Desk in recognition of achievements in theatre across collective Broadway, off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway productions in New York City.
The award was established in 1969, with the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Set Design being presented each year to any play or musical production. Starting in 1996, the singular award was replaced by separate play and musical categories, but then merged again from 2010 to 2015; the separate play and musical categories have again co-existed since 2016.
Robin Wagner, Beowulf Boritt and Michael Yeargan are the only designers to have won more than once, with two wins each. David Rockwell and Scott Pask hold the record for most nominations, with six each.
Winners and nominees Key
1990s Year Designer Production Ref. 1996 Brian Thomson The King and I |rowspan=4| |- | G.W. Mercier | Bed and Sofa |- | Christina Poddubiuk, James Noone and Robin Wagner | Big: the musical |- | Robin Wagner | Victor/Victoria |- ! rowspan="7"| 1997 |- style="background:#DCEEFF" | Robin Phillips| Jekyll & Hyde Clarke Dunham Candide G.W. Mercier and Julie Taymor Juan Darién: A Carnival Mass James Morgan No Way to Treat a Lady Tony Walton Steel Pier Wendall K. Harrington Steel Pier 1998 Richard Hudson The Lion King |rowspan=4| |- | Robert Brill | Cabaret |- | Eugene Lee | Ragtime |- | Wendall K. Harrington | Ragtime |- ! rowspan="5"| 1999 |- style="background:#DCEEFF" | Lez Brotherston| Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake David Gallo You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown Riccardo Hernandez Parade G.W. Mercier and Jan Hartley Dream True
2000s Year Designer Production Ref. 2000 Robin Wagner Kiss Me, Kate |rowspan=5| |- | Julian Crouch and Graeme Gilmour | Shockheaded Peter |- | David Gallo | The Wild Party |- | rowspan="2"| Thomas Lynch | Contact |- | The Music Man |- ! rowspan="6"| 2001 |- style="background:#DCEEFF" | Robin Wagner| The Producers |rowspan=5| |- | Heidi Ettinger | The Adventures of Tom Sawyer |- | Richard Hoover and Bryan Johnson | Bat Boy: The Musical |- | David Rockwell | The Rocky Horror Show |- | Douglas Schmidt | 42nd Street |- ! rowspan="6"| 2002 |- style="background:#DCEEFF" | Douglas Schmidt| Into the Woods |rowspan=5| |- | Beowulf Boritt | The Last Five Years |- | Bob Crowley | Sweet Smell of Success |- | David Gallo | Thoroughly Modern Millie |- | Anthony Ward | Oklahoma! |- ! rowspan="6"| 2003 |- style="background:#DCEEFF" | Catherine Martin| La Bohème |align=center rowspan=5| |- | Riccardo Hernandez | Radiant Baby |- | Scott Pask | Amour |- | David Rockwell | Hairspray |- | Stéphane Roy | Cirque du Soleil: Varekai |- ! rowspan="6"| 2004 |- style="background:#DCEEFF" | Eugene Lee| Wicked |align=center rowspan=5| |- | John Lee Beatty | Wonderful Town |- | Robert Brill | Assassins |- | Tom Pye | Fiddler on the Roof |- | Mark Thompson | Bombay Dreams |- ! rowspan="7"| 2005 |- style="background:#DCEEFF" | Michael Yeargan| The Light in the Piazza |rowspan=6| |- | Lez Brotherston | Play Without Words |- | Tim Hatley | Monty Python's Spamalot |- | Scott Pask | Sweet Charity |- | David Rockwell | All Shook Up |- | Anthony Ward | Chitty Chitty Bang Bang |- ! rowspan="7"| 2006 |- style="background:#DCEEFF" | David Gallo| The Drowsy Chaperone |rowspan=6| |- | Michael Bottari and Ronald Case | Fanny Hill |- | John Doyle | Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street |- | Thomas Lynch | See What I Wanna See |- | Allen Moyer | Grey Gardens |- | Scott Pask | The Wedding Singer |- ! rowspan="7"| 2007 |- style="background:#DCEEFF" | Bob Crowley| Mary Poppins |align=center rowspan=6| |- | Beowulf Boritt | LoveMusik |- | rowspan="2"| Anna Louizos | In the Heights |- | Curtains |- | David Rockwell | Legally Blonde |- | Kris Stone | Brundibar/But the Giraffe |- ! rowspan="7"| 2008 |- style="background:#DCEEFF" | Michael Yeargan| South Pacific |align=center rowspan=6| |- | David Gallo | A Catered Affair |- | Takeshi Kata | Adding Machine |- | Derek McLane | 10 Million Miles |- | George Tsypin | The Little Mermaid |- | Robin Wagner | Young Frankenstein |- ! rowspan="7"| 2009 |- style="background:#DCEEFF" | Tim Hatley| Shrek the Musical Anna Louizos Irving Berlin's White Christmas Thomas Lynch Happiness Scott Pask 9 to 5 Hair Basil Twist Arias with a Twist
2010s Year Designer Production Ref.2010-2015N/A 2016 David Rockwell She Loves Me Es Devlin American Psycho Emily Orling, Matt Saunders and Eric Farber Futurity 2017Mimi LienNatasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 Les Brotherson946: The Amazing Story of Adolphus TipsSimon KennySweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet StreetSanto LoquastoHello, Dolly! Jason SherwoodThe View UpStairs 2018David ZinnSpongeBob SquarePants Louisa Adamson and Christian BarryOld Stock: A Refugee Love StoryBeowulf BorittPrince of BroadwayDane LaffreyOnce on This Island Santo LoquastoCarousel 2019David KorinsBeetlejuice Rachel HauckHadestown Laura JellinekRodgers & Hammerstein's Oklahoma! Rags Parkland Sings the Songs of the FutureRae SmithGirl from the North Country
2020s Year Designer Production Ref. 2020 Derek McLane Moulin Rouge! Julian Crouch Little Shop of Horrors Anna Louizos Scotland, PA Clint Ramos Soft Power Amy Rubin and Brittany Vasta Octet 2021 colspan="2" 2022 Beowulf Boritt Flying Over Sunset Emma Bailey Six Bunny Christie Company David Zinn Kimberly Akimbo 2023 Beowulf Boritt New York, New York David Korins Only Gold Scott Pask Shucked Walt Spangler & Brendan McCann Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical Michael Yeargan Camelot 2024 Paul Tate DePoo III The Great Gatsby AMP and Tatiana Kahvegian The Outsiders Riccardo Hernández Suffs Arnulfo Maldonado Dead Outlaw Grace Smart Good Vibrations: A Punk Rock Musical 2025 Dane Laffrey and George Reeve Maybe Happy Ending Clifton Chadick Music City Rachel Hauck Swept Away Derek McLane Just in Time David Rockwell and Finn Ross Boop! The Musical2026Dane LaffreyThe Lost BoysdotsThe Rocky Horror ShowRachel HauckCats: The Jellicle BallDaniel AllenBeau the MusicalArnulfo MaldonadoGoddessJason SherwoodThe Baker's Wife
Multiple wins 2 wins Robin Wagner Beowulf Boritt Michael Yeargan Dane Laffrey
Multiple nominations 6 nominations David Rockwell Scott Pask
5 nominations Robin Wagner David Gallo Beowulf Boritt
4 nominations Thomas Lynch
3 nominations G.W. Mercier Riccardo Hernandez Michael Yeargan Anna Louizos Derek McLane Rachel Hauck
2 nominations Wendall K. Harrington Robert Brill Eugene Lee Lez Brotherston Julian Crouch Douglas Schmidt Bob Crowley Anthony Ward Tim Hatley Santo Loquasto David Zinn Dane Laffrey David Korins Laura Jellinek
See also Laurence Olivier Award for Best Set Design Tony Award for Best Scenic Design Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Scenic Design Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Scenic Design
References
External links