Springtime means awards season for the New York theater community, and that includes the 67th Annual Drama Desk Awards.

The awards celebrate the best of Broadway, off-Broadway and off-off Broadway. 

“News All Day” anchor Ruschell Boone was joined by “On Stage” host Frank DiLella and musical theater legend, Drama Desk and Tony Award winner Donna McKechnie to kick off the nominations for the 2022-2023 Drama Desk Awards exclusively on NY1. 

Here is the full list of nominees for the 2022-2023 Drama Desk Awards: 

Outstanding Play

"A Case for the Existence of God," by Samuel D. Hunter, Signature Theatre
"Fat Ham, by James Ijames," The Public Theater and National Black Theatre
"Leopoldstadt," by Tom Stoppard
"Love," by Alexander Zeldin, Park Avenue Armory
"Prima Facie," by Suzie Miller
"Wish You Were Here," by Sanaz Toossi, Playwrights Horizons

Outstanding Musical

"& Juliet"
"Between the Lines"
"F*ck7thGrade," The Wild Project
"Shucked"
"Some Like it Hot"
"White Girl in Danger," Vineyard Theatre and Second Stage Theater

Outstanding Revival of a Play

"A Raisin in the Sun," The Public Theater
"Death of a Salesman"
"Endgame," Irish Repertory Theatre
"The Piano Lesson"
"Ohio State Murders"
"Wedding Band," Theatre for a New Audience

Outstanding Revival of a Musical

"A Man of No Importance," Classic Stage Company
"Into the Woods"
"Merrily We Roll Along," New York Theatre Workshop
"Parade"
"Sweeney Todd"

Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play

Hiran Abeysekera, "Life of Pi"
Kyle Beltran, "A Case for the Existence of God," Signature Theatre
Will Brill, "A Case for the Existence of God," Signature Theatre
Brittany Bradford, "Wedding Band," Theatre for a New Audience
Jessica Chastain, "A Doll’s House"
Sharon D Clarke, "Death of a Salesman"
Sean Hayes, "Good Night, Oscar"
Denise Manning, "Amani," National Black Theatre and Rattlestick Theater
Audra McDonald, "Ohio State Murders"
Wendell Pierce, "Death of a Salesman"
John Douglas Thompson, "Endgame," Irish Repertory Theatre
Kara Young, "Twelfth Night," The Classical Theatre of Harlem

Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical

Annaleigh Ashford, "Sweeney Todd"
Nicholas Barasch, "The Butcher Boy," Irish Repertory Theatre
Sara Bareilles, "Into the Woods"
Andrew Burnap, "Camelot"
Micaela Diamond, "Parade"
Andrew Durand, "Shucked"
Callum Francis, "Kinky Boots," Stage 42
J. Harrison Ghee, "Some Like it Hot"
Jonathan Groff, "Merrily We Roll Along," New York Theatre Workshop
Somi Kakoma, "Dreaming Zenzile," New York Theatre Workshop
Lindsay Mendez, "Merrily We Roll Along," New York Theatre Workshop
Anna Uzele, "New York, New York"

Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play

Emily Bergl, "Good Night, Oscar"
Danielle Brooks, "The Piano Lesson"
Amelda Brown, "Love," Park Avenue Armory
Ray Fisher, "The Piano Lesson"
K. Todd Freeman, "Downstate," Playwrights Horizons
Francis Guinan, "Downstate," Playwrights Horizons
Nick Holder, "Love," Park Avenue Armory
Arian Moayed, "A Doll’s House"
Brian Quijada, "Wolf Play," MCC Theater and Soho Rep
Miriam Silverman, "The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window," Brooklyn Academy of Music
Brandon Uranowitz, "Leopoldstadt"
Kara Young, "Cost of Living"

Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical

Kevin Cahoon, "Shucked"
Kevin Del Aguila, "Some Like it Hot"
Robyn Hurder, "A Beautiful Noise," The Neil Diamond Musical
Mark Jacoby, "A Beautiful Noise," The Neil Diamond Musical
Tarra Conner Jones, "White Girl in Danger," Vineyard Theatre and Second Stage Theater
Julia Lester, "Into the Woods"
Alex Newell, "Shucked"
Daniel Radcliffe, "Merrily We Roll Along," New York Theatre Workshop
Phillipa Soo, "Into the Woods"
Mare Winningham, "A Man of No Importance," Classic Stage Company

Outstanding Direction of a Play

Zi Alikhan, "On That Day in Amsterdam," Primary Stages
Shayok Misha Chowdhury, "Public Obscenities," Soho Rep and NAATCO
Miranda Cromwell, "Death of a Salesman"
Adam Meggido, "Peter Pan Goes Wrong"
Max Webster, "Life of Pi"
Alexander Zeldin, "Love," Park Avenue Armory

Outstanding Direction of a Musical

Jeff Calhoun, "Between the Lines"
John Doyle, "A Man of No Importance," Classic Stage Company
Maria Friedman, "Merrily We Roll Along," New York Theatre Workshop
Thomas Kail, "Sweeney Todd"
Jack O’Brien, "Shucked"

Outstanding Choreography

Andy Blankenbuehler, "Only Gold," MCC Theater
Tislarm Bouie, "the bandaged place"
Edgar Godineaux, "The Harder They Come," The Public Theater
Casey Nicholaw, "Some Like it Hot"
Susan Stroman, "New York, New York"
Jennifer Weber, "KPOP"

Outstanding Music

Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally, "Shucked"
Michael R. Jackson, "White Girl in Danger," Vineyard Theatre and Second Stage Theater
Tom Kitt and AnnMarie Milazzo (vocal designer), "Almost Famous"
Elyssa Samsel and Kate Anderson, "Between the Lines"
The Kilbanes, "Weightless," WP Theater

Outstanding Lyrics

Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally, "Shucked"
Jonathan Hogue, "Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical"
Michael R. Jackson, "White Girl in Danger," Vineyard Theatre and Second Stage Theater
Adam Schlesinger and Sarah Silverman, "The Bedwetter," Atlantic Theater Company
Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman, "Some Like it Hot"

Outstanding Book of a Musical

Jonathan Hogue, "Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical"
Robert Horn, "Shucked"
Matthew López and Amber Ruffin, "Some Like it Hot"
Marla Mindelle, Constantine Rousouli, and Tye Blue, "Titanique"
David West Read, "& Juliet"

Outstanding Orchestrations

Bruce Coughlin, "A Man of No Importance," Classic Stage Company
Jason Howland, "Shucked"
Charlie Rosen and Bryan Carter, "Some Like it Hot"
Kenny Seymour, "The Harder They Come," The Public Theater
Daryl Waters and Sam Davis, "New York, New York"

Outstanding Music in a Play

Ben Edelman, Zane Pais, and Sinan Refik Zafar, "Letters from Max, a ritual," Signature Theatre
Mauricio Escamilla, "the bandaged place," Roundabout Theatre Company
Suzan-Lori Parks, "Plays for the Plague Year," The Public Theater
Ian Ross, "Wuthering Heights," St. Ann’s Warehouse, Wise Children, National Theatre
Daniel Schlosberg, "Montag," Soho Rep

Outstanding Scenic Design of a Play

Jason Ardizzone-West, "Wedding Band," Theatre for a New Audience
Beowulf Boritt, "Ohio State Murders"
dots, "Public Obscenities," Soho Rep and NAATCO
Tim Hatley, "Life of Pi"
Natasha Jenkins, "Love," Park Avenue Armory
John McDermott, "Chains," Mint Theater Company

Outstanding Scenic Design of a Musical

Beowulf Boritt, "New York, New York"
David Korins, "Only Gold," MCC Theater
Scott Pask, "Shucked"
Walt Spangler and Brendan McCann (production props), "Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical"
Michael Yeargan, "Camelot"

Outstanding Costume Design of a Play

Kara Branch, "According to the Chorus," New Light Theater Project
Enver Chakartash, "Public Obscenities," Soho Rep and NAATCO
Qween Jean, "Wedding Band," Theatre for a New Audience
Sarah Laux, "Wish You Were Here," Playwright Horizons
Emilio Sosa, "Ain’t No Mo’"
Roberto Surace, "Peter Pan Goes Wrong"

Outstanding Costume Design of a Musical

Gregg Barnes, "Some Like it Hot"
Tilly Grimes, "Shucked"
Jennifer Moeller, "Camelot"
Clint Ramos and Sophia Choi, "KPOP"
Anita Yavich, "Only Gold," MCC Theater
Donna Zakowska, "New York, New York"

Outstanding Lighting Design of a Play

Isabella Byrd, "Epiphany," Lincoln Center Theater
Jiyoun Chang, "The Far Country," Atlantic Theater Company
Natasha Chivers and Willie Williams (video), "Prima Facie"
Allen Lee Hughes, "Ohio State Murders"
Cha See, "On That Day in Amsterdam," Primary Stages
Japhy Weideman, "The Piano Lesson"

Outstanding Lighting Design of a Musical

Ken Billington, "New York, New York"
Jeff Croiter, "Only Gold," MCC Theater
Heather Gilbert, "Parade"
David Grill, "Bob Fosse’s Dancin’"
Natasha Katz, "Sweeney Todd"

Outstanding Projection and Video Design

Simon Baker, "Wuthering Heights," St. Ann’s Warehouse, Wise Children, and National Theatre
Andrzej Goulding, "Life of Pi"
Caite Hevner, "Between the Lines," Tony Kiser Theater
Josh Higgason, "White Girl in Danger," Vineyard Theatre and Second Stage Theater
Nicholas Hussong, "On That Day in Amsterdam," Primary Stages
Johnny Moreno, "Public Obscenities," Soho Rep and NAATCO

Outstanding Sound Design of a Play

Justin Ellington, "Ohio State Murders"
Tom Gibbons, "Hamlet," Park Avenue Armory
Josh Anio Grigg, "Love," Park Avenue Armory
Lee Kinney and Daniel Kluger, "You Will Get Sick," Roundabout Theatre Company
Ben & Max Ringham, "A Doll’s House"
Mikaal Sulaiman, "Fat Ham," The Public Theater and National Black Theatre

Outstanding Sound Design of a Musical

Peter Hylenski, "Almost Famous"
Scott Lehrer and Alex Neumann, "Into the Woods"
John Shivers, "Shucked"
Joanna Lynne Staub, "Weightless," WP Theater
Jon Weston, "Parade"

Outstanding Wig and Hair

Campbell Young Associates, "Almost Famous"
Cookie Jordan, "The Piano Lesson"
Mia M. Neal, "Ain’t No Mo’"
Earon Nealey, "Twelfth Night," The Classical Theatre of Harlem
Mitsuteru Okuyama, "Chushingura 47 Ronin"
Luc Verschueren, "A Beautiful Noise," The Neil Diamond Musical

Outstanding Solo Performance

Jodie Comer, "Prima Facie"
David Greenspan, "Four Saints in Three Acts," Lucille Lortel Theatre
Jessica Hendy, "Walking With Bubbles," AMT Theater
Anthony Rapp, "Without You"
Tracy Thorne, "Jack Was Kind," Irish Repertory Theatre

Unique Theatrical Experience

"Asi Wind’s Inner Circle"
"Peter Pan Goes Wrong"
"Plays for the Plague Year," The Public Theater
"Zephyr," Cirque Mechanics at The New Victory Theater

Outstanding Fight Choreography

B.H. Barry, "Camelot"
Rocio Mendez, "Día Y Noche," LAByrinth Theater Company
Rocio Mendez, "How to Defend Yourself," The New York Theatre Workshop
Unkledave’s Fight-House, "soft," MCC Theater

Outstanding Adaptation

"A Doll’s House," by Amy Herzog
"Arden of Faversham," by Jeffrey Hatcher and Kathryn Walat, Red Bull Theater
"black odyssey," by Marcus Gardley, Classic Stage Company
"Oresteia," by Robert Icke, Park Avenue Armory
"Wuthering Heights," by Emma Rice, St. Ann’s Warehouse, Wise Children, National Theatre

Outstanding Puppetry

John Leader, "Wuthering Heights," St. Ann’s Warehouse, Wise Children, National Theatre
James Ortiz (design), Kennedy Kanagawa (as Milky White), "Into the Woods"
Nick Barnes and Finn Caldwell, "Life of Pi"
Kirjan Waage, "The Immortal Jellyfish Girl," Wakka Wakka and Nordland Visual Theatre at 59E59

Special Awards

Harold Prince Lifetime Achievement Award

Stephen McKinley Henderson has been bringing in-depth, gripping portrayals of memorable characters to the stage for over four decades. With his return to Broadway this season as Pops in "Between Riverside and Crazy," which the Drama Desk previously nominated in 2015, this year’s Harold Prince Lifetime Achievement Award marks Henderson’s role in this powerful production as a celebration of his brilliant career.

Ensemble Award

The cast of Soho Rep’s "Public Obscenities" – Tashnuva Anan, Abrar Haque, Golam Sarwar Harun, Gargi Mukherjee, NaFis, Jakeem Dante Powell, and Debashis Roy Chowdhury – embodied the transnational world of Shayok Misha Chowdhury’s bilingual play with memorable authenticity, remarkable specificity, and extraordinary warmth.

Sam Norkin Off-Broadway Award

From his standout performance in american (tele)visions, to writing and performing the autobiographical "Dark Disabled Stories," Ryan J. Haddad’s work this season has expanded on and interrogated what the idea of “accessibility” really means. Whether riding a shopping cart like a throne, or relating his experiences on a “gay, pink bus,” Haddad shared with audiences an unabashed queer fabulosity that was both unforgettable and deeply human.