Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play

The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play is an annual award presented by Drama Desk in recognition of achievements in the theatre across collective Broadway, off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway productions in New York City. The award was initially introduced in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award for Outstanding Achievement in Theatre, before being removed from the ceremony between 1960 and 1974. The award returned in the 1975 ceremony, with its current title.

Tom Stoppard holds the record for most wins in the category, with three, followed closely by Peter Shaffer, August Wilson, Joshua Harmon, Terrence McNally and Tony Kushner with two wins each, with the latter two winning theirs consecutively. Alan Ayckbourn holds the record for most nominations in the category, with eight.

Winners and nominees

Key

1950s

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

2020s

Multiple wins

3 wins

Tom Stoppard

2 wins

Multiple nominations

8 nominations

Alan Ayckbourn

7 nominations

5 nominations

4 nominations

3 nominations

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2 nominations