Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play

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. For pre-1960 direction awards please reference Tony Award for Best Director.

Award winners

1960s

1960: Arthur Penn – The Miracle Worker Joseph Anthony – The Best Man Tyrone Guthrie – The Tenth Man Elia Kazan – Sweet Bird of Youth Lloyd Richards – A Raisin in the Sun 1961: John Gielgud – Big Fish, Little Fish Joseph Anthony – Rhinoceros Joan Littlewood – The Hostage Arthur Penn – All the Way Home 1962: Noel Willman – A Man for All Seasons Tyrone Guthrie – Gideon Donald McWhinnie – The Caretaker José Quintero – Great Day in the Morning 1963: Alan Schneider – Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? George Abbott – Never Too Late John Gielgud – The School for Scandal Peter Glenville – Tchin-Tchin 1964: Mike Nichols – Barefoot in the Park June Havoc – Marathon '33 Alan Schneider – The Ballad of the Sad Café Herman Shumlin – The Deputy

1965: Mike Nichols – The Odd Couple and Luv William Ball – Tartuffe Ulu Grosbard – The Subject Was Roses Alan Schneider – Tiny Alice 1966: Peter Brook – Marat/Sade Hilton Edwards – Philadelphia, Here I Come! Ellis Rabb – You Can't Take It with You Noel Willman – The Lion in Winter 1967: Peter Hall – The Homecoming John Dexter – Black Comedy Donald Driver – Marat/Sade Alan Schneider – A Delicate Balance 1968: Mike Nichols – Plaza Suite Michael Blakemore – A Day in the Death of Joe Egg Derek Goldby – Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead Alan Schneider – You Know I Can't Hear You When the Water's Running 1969: Peter Dews – Hadrian VII Joseph Hardy – Play It Again, Sam Harold Pinter – The Man in the Glass Booth Michael A. Schultz – Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie?

1970s

1970: Joseph Hardy – Child's Play Milton Katselas – Butterflies Are Free Thomas MacAnna – Borstal Boy Robert Moore – Last of the Red Hot Lovers 1971: Peter Brook – A Midsummer Night's Dream Lindsay Anderson – Home Stephen Porter – The School for Wives Clifford Williams – Sleuth 1972: Mike Nichols – The Prisoner of Second Avenue Jeff Bleckner – Sticks and Bones Gordon Davidson – The Trial of the Catsville Nine Peter Hall – Old Times 1973: A. J. Antoon – That Championship Season A. J. Antoon – Much Ado About Nothing Alan Arkin – The Sunshine Boys Michael Rudman – The Changing Room 1974: José Quintero – A Moon for the Misbegotten Burgess Meredith – Ulysses in Nighttown Mike Nichols – Uncle Vanya Stephen Porter – Chemin de Fer Edwin Sherin – Find Your Way Home

1975: John Dexter – Equus Arvin Brown – The National Health Frank Dunlop – Scapino Ronald Eyre – London Assurance Athol Fugard – Sizwe Banzi is Dead and The Island Gene Saks – Same Time, Next Year 1976: Ellis Rabb – The Royal Family Arvin Brown – Ah Wilderness Marshall W. Mason – Knock Knock Peter Wood – Travesties 1977: Gordon Davidson – The Shadow Box Ulu Grosbard – American Buffalo Mike Nichols – Comedians Mike Nichols – Streamers 1978: Melvin Bernhardt – Da Robert Moore – Deathtrap Mike Nichols – The Gin Game Dennis Rosa – Dracula 1979: Jack Hofsiss – The Elephant Man Alan Ayckbourn and Peter Hall – Bedroom Farce Paul Giovanni – The Crucifier of Blood Michael Lindsay-Hogg – Whose Life Is It Anyway?

1980s

1980: Vivian Matalon – Morning's at Seven Gordon Davidson – Children of a Lesser God Peter Hall – Betrayal Marshall W. Mason – Talley's Folly 1981: Peter Hall – Amadeus Peter Coe – A Life Marshall W. Mason – Fifth of July Austin Pendleton – The Little Foxes 1982: Trevor Nunn and John Caird – The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby Melvin Bernhardt – Crimes of the Heart Geraldine Fitzgerald – Mass Appeal Athol Fugard – "Master Harold"...and the Boys 1983: Gene Saks – Brighton Beach Memoirs Marshall W. Mason – Angels Fall Tom Moore – 'Night, Mother Trevor Nunn – All's Well That Ends Well 1984: Mike Nichols – The Real Thing Michael Blakemore – Noises Off David Leveaux – A Moon for the Misbegotten Gregory Mosher – Glengarry Glen Ross

1985: Gene Saks – Biloxi Blues Keith Hack – Strange Interlude Terry Hands – Much Ado About Nothing Marshall W. Mason – As Is 1986: Jerry Zaks – The House of Blue Leaves Jonathan Miller – Long Day's Journey Into Night José Quintero – The Iceman Cometh John Tillinger – Loot 1987: Lloyd Richards – Fences Howard Davies – Les Liaisons Dangereuses Mbongeni Ngema – Asinamali! Carole Rothman – Coastal Disturbances 1988: John Dexter – M. Butterfly Gregory Mosher – Speed-the-Plow Lloyd Richards – Joe Turner's Come and Gone Clifford Williams – Breaking the Code 1989: Jerry Zaks – Lend Me a Tenor Bill Irwin – Largely New York Gregory Mosher – Our Town Daniel J. Sullivan – The Heidi Chronicles

1990s

1990: Frank Galati – The Grapes of Wrath Michael Blakemore – Lettice and Lovage Peter Hall – The Merchant of Venice Lloyd Richards – The Piano Lesson 1991: Jerry Zaks – Six Degrees of Separation Richard Jones – La Bête Mark Lamos – Our Country's Good Gene Saks – Lost in Yonkers 1992: Patrick Mason – Dancing at Lughnasa Peter Hall – Four Baboons Adoring the Sun Jack O'Brien – Two Shakespearean Actors Daniel J. Sullivan – Conversations with My Father 1993: George C. Wolfe – Angels in America: Millennium Approaches David Leveaux – Anna Christie Eric Simonson – The Song of Jacob Zulu Daniel J. Sullivan – The Sisters Rosensweig 1994: Stephen Daldry – An Inspector Calls Gerald Gutierrez – Abe Lincoln in Illinois Michael Langham – Timon of Athens George C. Wolfe – Angels in America: Perestroika

1995: Gerald Gutierrez – The Heiress Emily Mann – Having Our Say Joe Mantello – Love! Valour! Compassion! Sean Mathias – Indiscretions 1996: Gerald Gutierrez – A Delicate Balance Peter Hall – An Ideal Husband Lloyd Richards – Seven Guitars Gary Sinise – Buried Child 1997: Anthony Page – A Doll's House John Caird – Stanley Richard Eyre – Skylight Charles Nelson Reilly – The Gin Game 1998: Garry Hynes – The Beauty Queen of Leenane Michael Mayer – A View from the Bridge Simon McBurney – The Chairs Matthew Warchus – 'Art' 1999: Robert Falls – Death of a Salesman Howard Davies – The Iceman Cometh Garry Hynes – The Lonesome West Trevor Nunn – Not About Nightingales

2000s

2000: Michael Blakemore – Copenhagen James Lapine – Dirty Blonde David Leveaux – The Real Thing Matthew Warchus – True West 2001: Daniel J. Sullivan – Proof Marion McClinton – King Hedley II Ian McElhinney – Stones in His Pockets Jack O'Brien – The Invention of Love 2002: Mary Zimmerman – Metamorphoses Howard Davies – Private Lives Richard Eyre – The Crucible Daniel J. Sullivan – Morning's at Seven 2003: Joe Mantello – Take Me Out Laurence Boswell – A Day in the Death of Joe Egg Robert Falls – Long Day's Journey Into Night Deborah Warner – Medea 2004: Jack O'Brien – Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2 Doug Hughes – Frozen Moises Kaufman – I Am My Own Wife David Leveaux – Jumpers

2005: Doug Hughes – Doubt: A Parable John Crowley – The Pillowman Scott Ellis – Twelve Angry Men Joe Mantello – Glengarry Glen Ross 2006: Nicholas Hytner – The History Boys Wilson Milam – The Lieutenant of Inishmore Bartlett Sher – Awake and Sing! Daniel J. Sullivan – Rabbit Hole 2007: Jack O'Brien – The Coast of Utopia Michael Grandage – Frost/Nixon David Grindley – Journey's End Melly Still – Coram Boy 2008: Anna D. Shapiro – August: Osage County Maria Aitken – The 39 Steps Conor McPherson – The Seafarer Matthew Warchus – Boeing Boeing 2009: Matthew Warchus – God of Carnage Phyllida Lloyd – Mary Stuart Bartlett Sher – Joe Turner's Come and Gone Matthew Warchus – The Norman Conquests

2010s

2010: Michael Grandage – Red Sheryl Kaller – Next Fall Kenny Leon – Fences Gregory Mosher – A View from the Bridge 2011 : Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris – War Horse Joel Grey & George C. Wolfe – The Normal Heart Anna D. Shapiro – The Motherfucker with the Hat Daniel J. Sullivan – The Merchant of Venice 2012: Mike Nichols – Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman Nicholas Hytner – One Man, Two Guvnors Pam MacKinnon – Clybourne Park Roger Rees and Alex Timbers – Peter and the Starcatcher 2013: Pam MacKinnon – Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Nicholas Martin – Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike Bartlett Sher – Golden Boy George C. Wolfe – Lucky Guy

2014: Kenny Leon – A Raisin in the Sun Tim Carroll – Twelfth Night Michael Grandage – The Cripple of Inishmaan John Tiffany – The Glass Menagerie 2015: Marianne Elliott – The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Stephen Daldry – Skylight Scott Ellis – You Can't Take It with You Jeremy Herrin – Wolf Hall Parts One & Two Moritz von Stuelpnagel – Hand to God 2016: Rupert Goold – King Charles III Jonathan Kent – Long Day's Journey into Night Joe Mantello – The Humans Liesl Tommy – Eclipsed Ivo van Hove – A View from the Bridge

Multiple winners

6 wins: Mike Nichols
3 wins: Jerry Zaks
2 wins: Peter Brook, John Dexter, Marianne Elliott, Gerald Gutierrez, Peter Hall, Jack O'Brien, Gene Saks

External links

• Tony Awards official site
• Tony Awards, Best Direction of a Play at ibdb.com