The Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play has been given since 1960. Before 1960 there was only one award for both play direction and musical direction, then in 1960 the award was split into two categories: Dramatic and Musical. In 1976 the Dramatic category was renamed to Play.
Winners and nominees
1960s Year Production Director 1960 The Miracle Worker Arthur Penn The Best Man Joseph Anthony A Raisin in the Sun Lloyd Richards Sweet Bird of Youth Elia Kazan The Tenth Man Tyrone Guthrie 1961 Big Fish, Little Fish John Gielgud All the Way Home Arthur Penn The Hostage Joan Littlewood Rhinoceros Joseph Anthony 1962 A Man for All Seasons Noel Willman The Caretaker Donald McWhinnie Gideon Tyrone Guthrie Great Day in the Morning José Quintero 1963 Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Alan Schneider Never Too Late George Abbott The School for Scandal John Gielgud Tchin-Tchin Peter Glenville 1964 Barefoot in the Park Mike Nichols The Ballad of the Sad Café Alan Schneider The Deputy Herman Shumlin Marathon '33 June Havoc 1965 Luv Mike Nichols The Odd Couple The Subject Was Roses Ulu Grosbard Tartuffe William Ball Tiny Alice Alan Schneider 1966 Marat/Sade Peter Brook The Lion in Winter Noel Willman Philadelphia, Here I Come! Hilton Edwards You Can't Take It with You Ellis Rabb 1967 The Homecoming Peter Hall Black Comedy John Dexter A Delicate Balance Alan Schneider Marat/Sade Donald Driver 1968 Plaza Suite Mike Nichols A Day in the Death of Joe Egg Michael Blakemore Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead Derek Goldby You Know I Can't Hear You When the Water's Running Alan Schneider 1969 Hadrian VII Peter Dews Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie? Michael A. Schultz The Man in the Glass Booth Harold Pinter Play It Again, Sam Joseph Hardy
1970s Year Production Director 1970 Child's Play Joseph Hardy Borstal Boy Tómas Mac Anna Butterflies Are Free Milton Katselas Last of the Red Hot Lovers Robert Moore 1971 A Midsummer Night's Dream Peter Brook Home Lindsay Anderson The School for Wives Stephen Porter Sleuth Clifford Williams 1972 The Prisoner of Second Avenue Mike Nichols Old Times Peter Hall Sticks and Bones Jeff Bleckner The Trial of the Catsville Nine Gordon Davidson 1973 That Championship Season A. J. Antoon The Changing Room Michael Rudman Much Ado About Nothing A. J. Antoon The Sunshine Boys Alan Arkin 1974 A Moon for the Misbegotten José Quintero Chemin de Fer Stephen Porter Find Your Way Home Edwin Sherin Ulysses in Nighttown Burgess Meredith Uncle Vanya Mike Nichols 1975 Equus John Dexter London Assurance Ronald Eyre The National Health Arvin Brown Same Time, Next Year Gene Saks Scapino Frank Dunlop Sizwe Banzi Is Dead and The Island Athol Fugard 1976 The Royal Family Ellis Rabb Ah, Wilderness! Arvin Brown Knock Knock Marshall W. Mason Travesties Peter Wood 1977 The Shadow Box Gordon Davidson American Buffalo Ulu Grosbard Comedians Mike Nichols Streamers 1978 Da Melvin Bernhardt Deathtrap Robert Moore Dracula Dennis Rosa The Gin Game Mike Nichols 1979 The Elephant Man Jack Hofsiss Bedroom Farce Alan Ayckbourn and Peter Hall The Crucifer of Blood Paul Giovanni Whose Life Is It Anyway? Michael Lindsay-Hogg
1980s Year Production Director 1980 Morning's at Seven Vivian Matalon Betrayal Peter Hall Children of a Lesser God Gordon Davidson Talley's Folly Marshall W. Mason 1981 Amadeus Peter Hall Fifth of July Marshall W. Mason A Life Peter Coe The Little Foxes Austin Pendleton 1982 The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby John Caird and Trevor Nunn Crimes of the Heart Melvin Bernhardt Mass Appeal Geraldine Fitzgerald "Master Harold"...and the Boys Athol Fugard 1983 Brighton Beach Memoirs Gene Saks All's Well That Ends Well Trevor Nunn Angels Fall Marshall W. Mason 'Night, Mother Tom Moore 1984 The Real Thing Mike Nichols Glengarry Glen Ross Gregory Mosher A Moon for the Misbegotten David Leveaux Noises Off Michael Blakemore 1985 Biloxi Blues Gene Saks As Is Marshall W. Mason Much Ado About Nothing Terry Hands Strange Interlude Keith Hack 1986 The House of Blue Leaves Jerry Zaks The Iceman Cometh José Quintero Long Day's Journey Into Night Jonathan Miller Loot John Tillinger 1987 Fences Lloyd Richards Asinamali! Mbongeni Ngema Coastal Disturbances Carole Rothman Les Liaisons Dangereuses Howard Davies 1988 M. Butterfly John Dexter Breaking the Code Clifford Williams Joe Turner's Come and Gone Lloyd Richards Speed-the-Plow Gregory Mosher 1989 Lend Me a Tenor Jerry Zaks The Heidi Chronicles Daniel J. Sullivan Largely New York Bill Irwin Our Town Gregory Mosher
1990s Year Production Director 1990 The Grapes of Wrath Frank Galati Lettice and Lovage Michael Blakemore The Merchant of Venice Peter Hall The Piano Lesson Lloyd Richards 1991 Six Degrees of Separation Jerry Zaks La Bête Richard Jones Lost in Yonkers Gene Saks Our Country's Good Mark Lamos 1992 Dancing at Lughnasa Patrick Mason Conversations with My Father Daniel J. Sullivan Four Baboons Adoring the Sun Peter Hall Two Shakespearean Actors Jack O'Brien 1993 Angels in America: Millennium Approaches George C. Wolfe Anna Christie David Leveaux The Sisters Rosensweig Daniel J. Sullivan The Song of Jacob Zulu Eric Simonson 1994 An Inspector Calls Stephen Daldry Abe Lincoln in Illinois Gerald Gutierrez Angels in America: Perestroika George C. Wolfe Timon of Athens Michael Langham 1995 The Heiress Gerald Gutierrez Having Our Say Emily Mann Indiscretions Sean Mathias Love! Valour! Compassion! Joe Mantello 1996 A Delicate Balance Gerald Gutierrez Buried Child Gary Sinise An Ideal Husband Peter Hall Seven Guitars Lloyd Richards 1997 A Doll's House Anthony Page The Gin Game Charles Nelson Reilly Skylight Richard Eyre Stanley John Caird 1998 The Beauty Queen of Leenane Garry Hynes 'Art' Matthew Warchus The Chairs Simon McBurney A View from the Bridge Michael Mayer 1999 Death of a Salesman Robert Falls The Iceman Cometh Howard Davies The Lonesome West Garry Hynes Not About Nightingales Trevor Nunn
2000s Year Production Director 2000 Copenhagen Michael Blakemore Dirty Blonde James Lapine The Real Thing David Leveaux True West Matthew Warchus 2001 Proof Daniel J. Sullivan The Invention of Love Jack O'Brien King Hedley II Marion McClinton Stones in His Pockets Ian McElhinney 2002 Metamorphoses Mary Zimmerman The Crucible Richard Eyre Morning's at Seven Daniel J. Sullivan Private Lives Howard Davies 2003 Take Me Out Joe Mantello A Day in the Death of Joe Egg Laurence Boswell Long Day's Journey Into Night Robert Falls Medea Deborah Warner 2004 Henry IV, Part 1 and Part 2 Jack O'Brien Frozen Doug Hughes I Am My Own Wife Moises Kaufman Jumpers David Leveaux 2005 Doubt Doug Hughes Glengarry Glen Ross Joe Mantello The Pillowman John Crowley Twelve Angry Men Scott Ellis 2006 The History Boys Nicholas Hytner Awake and Sing! Bartlett Sher The Lieutenant of Inishmore Wilson Milam Rabbit Hole Daniel J. Sullivan 2007 The Coast of Utopia Jack O'Brien Coram Boy Melly Still Frost/Nixon Michael Grandage Journey's End David Grindley 2008 August: Osage County Anna D. Shapiro Boeing Boeing Matthew Warchus The Seafarer Conor McPherson The 39 Steps Maria Aitken 2009 God of Carnage Matthew Warchus Joe Turner's Come and Gone Bartlett Sher Mary Stuart Phyllida Lloyd The Norman Conquests Matthew Warchus
2010s Year Production Director 2010 Red Michael Grandage Fences Kenny Leon Next Fall Sheryl Kaller A View from the Bridge Gregory Mosher 2011 War Horse Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris The Merchant of Venice Daniel J. Sullivan The Motherfucker with the Hat Anna D. Shapiro The Normal Heart Joel Grey and George C. Wolfe 2012 Death of a Salesman Mike Nichols Clybourne Park Pam MacKinnon One Man, Two Guvnors Nicholas Hytner Peter and the Starcatcher Roger Rees and Alex Timbers 2013 Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Pam MacKinnon Golden Boy Bartlett Sher Lucky Guy George C. Wolfe Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike Nicholas Martin 2014 A Raisin in the Sun Kenny Leon The Cripple of Inishmaan Michael Grandage The Glass Menagerie John Tiffany Twelfth Night Tim Carroll 2015 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Marianne Elliott Hand to God Moritz von Stuelpnagel Skylight Stephen Daldry Wolf Hall Parts One & Two Jeremy Herrin You Can't Take It with You Scott Ellis 2016 A View from the Bridge Ivo van Hove Eclipsed Liesl Tommy The Humans Joe Mantello King Charles III Rupert Goold Long Day's Journey into Night Jonathan Kent 2017 Indecent Rebecca Taichman A Doll's House, Part 2 Sam Gold Jitney Ruben Santiago-Hudson The Little Foxes Daniel J. Sullivan Oslo Bartlett Sher 2018 Harry Potter and the Cursed Child John Tiffany Angels in America Marianne Elliott The Iceman Cometh George C. Wolfe Three Tall Women Joe Mantello Travesties Patrick Marber 2019 The Ferryman Sam Mendes Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus George C. Wolfe Ink Rupert Goold Network Ivo van Hove To Kill a Mockingbird Bartlett Sher
2020s Year Production Director 2020 The Inheritance Stephen Daldry Betrayal Jamie Lloyd Slave Play Robert O'Hara A Soldier's Play Kenny Leon The Sound Inside David Cromer 2022 The Lehman Trilogy Sam Mendes American Buffalo Neil Pepe Dana H. Les Waters for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf Camille A. Brown The Skin of Our Teeth Lileana Blain-Cruz 2023 Leopoldstadt Patrick Marber Ain't No Mo' Stevie Walker-Webb Cost of Living Jo Bonney A Doll's House Jamie Lloyd Fat Ham Saheem Ali Life of Pi Max Webster 2024Stereophonic Daniel AukinAppropriateLila NeugebauerJaja's African Hair Braiding Whitney White Mary Jane Anne KauffmanPurlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp through the Cotton Patch Kenny Leon 2025Oh, Mary! Sam PinkletonEnglish Knud AdamsThe Hills of California Sam Mendes John Proctor Is the Villain Danya TaymorThe Picture of Dorian Gray Kip Williams 2026Death of a Salesman Joe MantelloThe Balusters Kenny LeonGiant Nicholas Hytner Liberation Whitney WhiteOedipus Robert Icke
Multiple wins
6 Wins Mike Nichols
3 Wins Jerry Zaks
2 Wins Peter Brook Stephen Daldry John Dexter Marianne Elliott Gerald Gutierrez Peter Hall Joe Mantello Sam Mendes Jack O'Brien Gene Saks
Multiple nominations
10 Nominations Mike Nichols
8 Nominations Peter Hall Daniel J. Sullivan
6 Nominations Joe Mantello George C. Wolfe
5 Nominations Kenny Leon Marshall W. Mason Lloyd Richards Alan Schneider Bartlett Sher Matthew Warchus
4 Nominations Michael Blakemore David Leveaux Gregory Mosher Jack O'Brien Gene Saks
3 Nominations Stephen Daldry Gordon Davidson Howard Davies John Dexter Marianne Elliott Michael Grandage Gerald Gutierrez Nicholas Hytner Sam Mendes Trevor Nunn José Quintero Jerry Zaks
2 Nominations Joseph Anthony A. J. Antoon Melvin Bernhardt Peter Brook Arvin Brown John Caird Scott Ellis Richard Eyre Robert Falls Athol Fugard John Gielgud Rupert Goold Ulu Grosbard Tyrone Guthrie Joseph Hardy Ivo van Hove Doug Hughes Garry Hynes Pam MacKinnon Jamie Lloyd Patrick Marber Robert Moore Arthur Penn Stephen Porter Ellis Rabb Anna D. Shapiro John Tiffany Whitney White Clifford Williams Noel Willman
Female winners
Only 6 women have won this award:Clement, Olivia. "Can You Name the 9 Trailblazing Women Who Won Tony Awards for Directing?" Playbill, September 28, 2017
Garry Hynes – The Beauty Queen of Leenane (1998)"Best Direction of a Play Garry Hynes" Playbill, retrieved September 27, 2017 Mary Zimmerman – Metamorphoses (2002)"2002 Tony Award Direction of a Play" Playbill, retrieved September 27, 2017 Anna D. Shapiro – August: Osage County (2008)"Just the Facts: List of 2008 Tony Award Winners and Nominees" Playbill, retrieved September 27, 2017 Pam MacKinnon – Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? revival (2013)"Tony Awards 2013 List of Winners" CBS News, retrieved September 27, 2017