Drama Desk Awards 2025 Nominations Announced
The nominees for the 2025 Drama Desk Awards have been revealed, celebrating some of the most remarkable productions on Broadway and Off-Broadway. With many prominent UK productions making their way to New York in the past year, this year's nominees include major West End hits such as Sunset Boulevard, Operation Mincemeat, and A Streetcar Named Desire, along with top performances by both established and emerging talent. The winners will be announced on 1 June 2025.
Outstanding Play
Blood of the Lamb by Arlene Hutton
Deep Blue Sound by Abe Koogler
Grangeville by Samuel D. Hunter
John Proctor is the Villain by Kimberly Belflower
Liberation by Bess Wohl
Purpose by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins
Sadie Smith in John Proctor is the Villain.
Outstanding Musical
BOOP! The Musical
Death Becomes Her
Just in Time
Maybe Happy Ending
Music City
Outstanding Revival of a Play
Eureka Day
Garside’s Career
Home
Wine in the Wilderness
Yellow Face
Outstanding Revival of a Musical
Cats: “The Jellicle Ball”
Floyd Collins
Gypsy
Once Upon a Mattress
See What I Wanna See
Sunset Blvd.
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play
Betsy Aidem – The Ask
Laura Donnelly – The Hills of California
Patsy Ferran – A Streetcar Named Desire
Danny J. Gomez – All of Me
Doug Harris – Redeemed
Patrick Keleher – Fatherland
Louis McCartney – Stranger Things: The First Shadow
Lily Rabe – Ghosts
Jay O. Sanders – Henry IV (Theatre for a New Audience)
Sarah Snook – The Picture of Dorian Gray
Paul Sparks – Grangeville
Olivia Washington – Wine in the Wilderness
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical
Tatianna Córdoba – Real Women Have Curves
Darren Criss – Maybe Happy Ending
Sutton Foster – Once Upon a Mattress
Tom Francis – Sunset Blvd.
Jonathan Groff – Just in Time
Grey Henson – Elf
Jeremy Jordan – Floyd Collins
Audra McDonald – Gypsy
Jasmine Amy Rogers – BOOP! The Musical
Nicole Scherzinger – Sunset Blvd.
Helen J. Shen – Maybe Happy Ending
Jennifer Simard – Death Becomes Her
Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play
Greg Keller – Pre-Existing Condition
Julia Lester – All Nighter
Adrienne C. Moore – The Blood Quilt
Deirdre O’Connell – Glass. Kill. What If If Only. Imp.
Maria-Christina Oliveras – Cymbeline
Maryann Plunkett – Deep Blue Sound
Michael Rishawn – Table 17
Jude Tibeau – Bad Kreyòl
Anjana Vasan – A Streetcar Named Desire
Frank Wood – Hold On to Me Darling
Amalia Yoo – John Proctor is the Villain
Kara Young – Purpose
Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical
Brooks Ashmanskas – Smash
Nicholas Barasch – Pirates! The Penzance Musical
André De Shields – Cats: “The Jellicle Ball”
John El-Jor – We Live in Cairo
Jason Gotay – Floyd Collins
Gracie Lawrence – Just in Time
Jak Malone – Operation Mincemeat
Lesli Margherita – Gypsy
Zachary Noah Piser – See What I Wanna See
Jenny Lee Stern – Forbidden Broadway: Merrily We Stole a Song
Michael Urie – Once Upon a Mattress
Natalie Walker – The Big Gay Jamboree
Outstanding Direction of a Play
David Cromer and Caitlin Sullivan – The Antiquities
Stephen Daldry and Justin Martin – Stranger Things: The First Shadow
Tyne Rafaeli – Becoming Eve
Jack Serio – Grangeville
Danya Taymor – John Proctor is the Villain
Whitney White – Liberation
Kip Williams – The Picture of Dorian Gray
Outstanding Direction of a Musical
Michael Arden – Maybe Happy Ending
Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch – Cats: “The Jellicle Ball”
Jamie Lloyd – Sunset Blvd.
Jerry Mitchell – BOOP! The Musical
Alex Timbers – Just in Time
George C. Wolfe – Gypsy
Outstanding Choreography
Camille A. Brown – Gypsy
Warren Carlyle – Pirates! The Penzance Musical
Jakob Karr – Ain’t Done Bad
Arturo Lyons and Omari Wiles – Cats: “The Jellicle Ball”
Jerry Mitchell – BOOP! The Musical
Sergio Trujillo – Real Women Have Curves
Outstanding Scenic Design of a Play
Miriam Buether – Glass. Kill. What If If Only. Imp.
Miriam Buether, Jamie Harrison, and Chris Fisher (illusions and visual effects) – Stranger Things: The First Shadow
Rob Howell – The Hills of California
Johan Kølkjær – Dark Noon
Grace Laubacher – Life and Trust
Matt Saunders – Walden
Outstanding Scenic Design of a Musical
Clifton Chadick – Music City
Rachel Hauck – Swept Away
Dane Laffrey and George Reeve – Maybe Happy Ending (includes video design)
Derek McLane – Just in Time
David Rockwell and Finn Ross (projections) – BOOP! The Musical
Outstanding Costume Design of a Play
Brenda Abbandandolo – The Antiquities
Dede Ayite – Our Town
Christopher Ford – The Beastiary
Camilla Lind – Dark Noon
Karl Ruckdeschel – Twelfth Night
Outstanding Costume Design of a Musical
Gregg Barnes – BOOP! The Musical
Sarah Cubbage – The Big Gay Jamboree
Toni-Leslie James – Gypsy
Qween Jean – Cats: “The Jellicle Ball”
Paul Tazewell – Death Becomes Her
Catherine Zuber – Just in Time
Outstanding Lighting Design of a Play
Isabella Byrd – Glass. Kill. What If If Only. Imp.
Jon Clark – Stranger Things: The First Shadow
Natasha Katz – John Proctor is the Villain
Tyler Micoleau – The Antiquities
Paul Whitaker – SUMO
Outstanding Lighting Design of a Musical
Kevin Adams – Swept Away
Adam Honoré – Cats: “The Jellicle Ball”
Jack Knowles – Sunset Blvd.
Philip S. Rosenberg – BOOP! The Musical
Scott Zielinski and Ruey-Horng Sun (projections) – Floyd Collins
Special Awards and Notable Nominations
The Drama Desk Awards this year highlight several UK productions making a splash in New York, including Sunset Boulevard and Operation Mincemeat, as well as stellar performances by actors such as Andrew Scott, Jak Malone, and Nicole Scherzinger. The prestigious awards will be announced during a ceremony on 22 May 2025.
For more information on the nominees and ticketing for the awards, please visit the official Drama Desk Awards website.
