2025 Outer Critics Circle Awards Winners Revealed

12 May

The Outer Critics Circle has announced the winners for the 2025 awards, celebrating outstanding productions on and off-Broadway, as well as West End imports. This year's honorees include Jak Malone, Andrew Scott’s Vanya, Sarah Snook, and more.

About the 75th Anniversary Outer Critics Circle Awards

The 75th anniversary Outer Critics Circle Awards will be celebrated at a ceremony in New York on 22 May 2025. The awards honour productions across Broadway, Off-Broadway, and the West End, with West End imports like Operation Mincemeat, The Hills of California, Vanya, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Sunset Boulevard, and The Picture of Dorian Gray all being eligible for recognition this year.

Notable Productions and Eligible Shows

Several notable productions were considered for awards, including:

Buena Vista Social Club
Dead Outlaw
English
Hold On to Me Darling
Job
Oh, Mary!

However, productions like All In: Comedy About Love and Ben Platt: Live at the Palace were not eligible for awards this season.

2025 Outer Critics Circle Awards Winners

Here is a full list of the winners for the 2025 Outer Critics Circle Awards:

Outstanding New Broadway Play

WINNER: John Proctor Is the Villain

Outstanding New Broadway Musical

WINNER: Maybe Happy Ending

Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical

WINNER: Drag: The Musical

Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play

WINNER: Liberation

John Gassner Award (New American Play)

WINNER: George Clooney and Grant Heslov, Good Night, and Good Luck

Outstanding Revival of a Musical

WINNER: Cats: The Jellicle Ball

Outstanding Revival of a Play

WINNER: Vanya

Outstanding Lead Performer in a Broadway Play

WINNER: Laura Donnelly, The Hills of California

Outstanding Featured Performer in a Broadway Play

WINNER: Francis Jue, Yellow Face

Outstanding Lead Performer in a Broadway Musical

WINNER: Jasmine Amy Rogers, Boop! The Musical

Outstanding Featured Performer in a Broadway Musical

WINNER: Jak Malone, Operation Mincemeat

Outstanding Lead Performer in an Off-Broadway Musical

WINNER: Nick Adams, Drag: The Musical

Outstanding Featured Performer in an Off-Broadway Musical

WINNER: André De Shields, Cats: The Jellicle Ball

Outstanding Lead Performer in an Off-Broadway Play

WINNER: Adam Driver, Hold On to Me Darling

Outstanding Featured Performer in an Off-Broadway Play

WINNER: Michael Rishawn, Table 17

Outstanding Solo Performance

WINNER: Sarah Snook, The Picture of Dorian Gray

Outstanding Book of a Musical (Broadway or Off-Broadway)

WINNER: Will Aronson and Hue Park, Maybe Happy Ending

Outstanding Score (Broadway or Off-Broadway)

WINNER: Will Aronson and Hue Park, Maybe Happy Ending

Outstanding Orchestrations (Broadway or Off-Broadway)

WINNER: Andrew Resnick and Michael Thurber, Just in Time

Outstanding Direction of a Musical (Broadway or Off-Broadway)

WINNER: Michael Arden, Maybe Happy Ending

Outstanding Direction of a Play (Broadway or Off-Broadway)

WINNER: Danya Taymor, John Proctor Is the Villain

Outstanding Choreography (Broadway or Off-Broadway)

WINNER: Jerry Mitchell, Boop! The Musical

Outstanding Scenic Design (Broadway or Off-Broadway)

WINNER: Miriam Buether, Jamie Harrison, and Chris Fisher, Stranger Things: The First Shadow

Outstanding Costume Design (Broadway or Off-Broadway)

WINNER: Gregg Barnes, Boop! The Musical

Outstanding Lighting Design (Broadway or Off-Broadway)

WINNER: Jon Clark, Stranger Things: The First Shadow

Outstanding Sound Design (Broadway or Off-Broadway)

WINNER: Paul Arditti, Stranger Things: The First Shadow

Outstanding Video/Projections (Broadway or Off-Broadway)

WINNER: David Bergman, The Picture of Dorian Gray

Special Award

A special award was presented to Patrick Hoffman, the recently retired curator of the Theatre on Film and Tape Archive at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. Hoffman was recognised for over three decades of service to the theatre community, ensuring the preservation of over 1,200 productions.

Tally by Number of Awards

4 awards: Maybe Happy Ending
3 awards: Boop! The Musical, Stranger Things: The First Shadow
2 awards: Cats: The Jellicle Ball, Drag: The Musical, John Proctor Is the Villain, The Picture of Dorian Gray
1 award: Liberation, Good Night, and Good Luck, The Hills of California, Hold On to Me Darling, Just in Time, Operation Mincemeat, Table 17, Vanya, Yellow Face