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The Tony Award for Best Original Score is the Tony Award given to the composers and lyricists of the best original score written for a musical in that year. The score is comprised of music and lyrics. To be eligible, a score must be written specifically for the theatre and must be original; compilations of non-theatrical music or compilations of earlier theatrical music are not eligible for consideration.

The award has undergone a number of minor changes. In 1947, 1950, 1951, and 1962, the award went to the composer only. Otherwise, the award has gone to the composer and lyricist for their combined contributions, except for 1971 when the two awards were split (although Stephen Sondheim won both, for Company).

Contents 1 1940s 2 1950s 3 1960s 4 1970s 5 1980s 6 1990s 7 2000s 8 Multiple Winners

• 1947 Street Scene by Kurt Weill (music)
• 1949 Kiss Me, Kate by Cole Porter (music & lyrics)

• 1950 South Pacific by Richard Rodgers (music)
• 1951 Call Me Madam by Irving Berlin (music)
• 1952-1959 No award given

• 1960-1961 No award given

• 1962 No Strings by Richard Rodgers (music)
  • Kwamina by Richard Adler (music)
  • Milk and Honey by Jerry Herman (music)
  • How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying by Frank Loesser (music)

• 1963 Oliver! by Lionel Bart (music & lyrics)
  • Stop the World - I Want to Get Off by Anthony Newley (music) and Leslie Bricusse (lyrics)
  • Little Me by Cy Coleman (music) and Carolyn Leigh (lyrics)
  • Bravo Giovanni by Milton Schafer (music) and Ronny Graham

• 1964 Hello, Dolly! by Jerry Herman (music & lyrics)
  • High Spirits by Hugh Martin (music & lyrics) and Timothy Gray (music & lyrics)
  • 110 in the Shade by Harvey Schmidt (music) and Tom Jones (lyrics)
  • Funny Girl by Jule Styne (music) and Bob Merrill (lyrics)

• 1965 Fiddler on the Roof by Jerry Bock (music) and Sheldon Harnick (lyrics)
  • The Roar of the Greasepaint-the Smell of the Crowd by Anthony Newley (music) and Leslie Bricusse (lyrics)
  • Half a Sixpence by David Heneker (music & lyrics)
  • Do I Hear a Waltz? by Richard Rodgers (music) and Stephen Sondheim (lyrics)

• 1966 Man of la Mancha by Mitch Leigh (music) and Joe Darion (lyrics)
  • Sweet Charity by Cy Coleman (music) and Dorothy Fields (lyrics)
  • Mame by Jerry Herman (music & lyrics)
  • On a Clear Day You Can See Forever by Burton Lane (music) and Alan Jay Lerner (lyrics)

• 1967 Cabaret by John Kander (music) and Fred Ebb (lyrics)
  • The Apple Tree by Jerry Bock (music) and Sheldon Harnick (lyrics)
  • Walking Happy by James Van Heusen (music) and Sammy Cahn (lyrics)
  • I Do! I Do! by Harvey Schmidt (music) and Tom Jones (lyrics)

• 1968 Hallelujah, Baby! by Jule Styne (music), Betty Comden (lyrics), and Adolph Green (lyrics)
  • How Now Dow Jones by Elmer Bernstein (music) and Carolyn Leigh (lyrics)
  • Illya Darling by Manos Hadjidakis (music) and Joe Darion (lyrics)
  • The Happy Time by John Kander (music) and Fred Ebb (lyrics)

• 1969 No award given

• 1970 No award given

• 1971 Music: Company by Stephen Sondheim
  • The Rothschilds by Jerry Bock
  • The Me Nobody Knows by Gary William Friedman

• 1971 Lyrics: Company by Stephen Sondheim
  • The Rothschilds by Sheldon Harnick
  • The Me Nobody Knows by Will Holt

• 1972 Follies by Stephen Sondheim (music & lyrics)
  • Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death by Melvin Van Peebles (music & lyrics)
  • Jesus Christ Superstar by Andrew Lloyd Webber (music) and Tim Rice (lyrics)
  • Two Gentlemen of Verona by Galt MacDermot (music) and John Guare (lyrics)

• 1973 A Little Night Music by Stephen Sondheim (music & lyrics)
  • Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope by Micki Grant (music & lyrics)
  • Pippin by Stephen Schwartz (music & lyrics)

• 1974 Gigi by Frederick Loewe (music) and Alan Jay Lerner (lyrics)
  • The Good Doctor by Peter Link (music) and Neil Simon (lyrics)
  • Raisin by Judd Woldin (music) and Robert Brittan (lyrics)
  • Seesaw by Cy Coleman (music) and Dorothy Fields (lyrics)

• 1975 The Wiz by Charlie Smalls (music & lyrics)
  • Letter for Queen Victoria by Alan Lloyd (music & lyrics)
  • Shenandoah by Gary Geld (music) and Peter Udell (lyrics)
  • The Lieutenant by Gene Curty (music & lyrics), Nitra Scharfman (music & lyrics) and Chuck Strand (music & lyrics)

• 1976 A Chorus Line by Marvin Hamlisch (music) and Edward Kleban (lyrics)
  • Chicago by John Kander (music) and Fred Ebb (lyrics)
  • Pacific Overtures by Stephen Sondheim (music & lyrics)
  • Treemonisha by Scott Joplin

• 1977 Annie by Charles Strouse (music) and Martin Charnin (lyrics)
  • Godspell by Stephen Schwartz (music & lyrics)
  • I Love My Wife by Cy Coleman (music) and Michael Stewart (lyrics)
  • Happy End by Kurt Weil (music), Bertolt Brecht (lyrics) and Michael Feingold (adaptation)

• 1978 On The Twentieth Century by Cy Coleman (music), Betty Comden (lyrics), and Adolph Green (lyrics)
  • The Act by John Kander (music) and Fred Ebb (lyrics)
  • Runaways by Elizabeth Swados (music & lyrics)
  • Working by Craig Carnelia (music & lyrics), Stephen Schwartz (music & lyrics), Micki Grant (music & lyrics), Mary Rodgers (music & lyrics), James Taylor (music & lyrics) and Susan Birkenhead (music & lyrics)

• 1979 Sweeney Todd by Stephen Sondheim (music & lyrics)
  • Carmelina by Burton Lane (music) and Alan Jay Lerner (lyrics
  • Eubie! by Eubie Blake (music), Noble Sissle (lyrics), Andy Razafe (lyrics), F.E. Miller (lyrics), Johnny Brandon (lyrics) and Jim Europe (lyrics)
  • The Grand Tour by Jerry Herman (music & lyrics)

• 1980 Evita by Andrew Lloyd Webber (music) and Tim Rice (lyrics)
  • A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine by Frank Lazarus (music) and Dick Vosburgh (lyrics)
  • Barnum by Cy Coleman (music) and Michael Stewart (lyrics)
  • Sugar Babies by Arthur Malvin (music & lyrics)
• 1981 Woman of the Year by John Kander (music) and Fred Ebb (lyrics)
  • Charlie and Algernon by Charles Strouse (music) and David Rogers
  • Copperfield by Al Kasha (music & lyrics) and Joel Hirschhorn (music & lyrics)
  • Shakespeare's Cabaret by Lance Mulcahy (music)
• 1982 Nine by Maury Yeston (music & lyrics)
  • Dreamgirls by Henry Krieger (music) and Tom Eyen (lyrics)
  • Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat by Andrew Lloyd Webber (music) and Tim Rice (lyrics)
  • Merrily We Roll Along by Stephen Sondheim (music & lyrics)
• 1983 Cats by Andrew Lloyd Webber (music) and T. S. Eliot (lyrics)
  • A Doll's House by Larry Grossman (music), Betty Comden (lyrics), and Adolph Green (lyrics)
  • Merlin by Elmer Bernstein (music) and Don Black (lyrics)
  • Seven Brides for Seven Brothers by Gene de Paul (music), Al Kasha (music & lyrics), Joel Hirschhorn (music & lyrics), and Johnny Mercer (lyrics)
• 1984 La Cage aux Folles by Jerry Herman (music & lyrics)
  • Baby by David Shire (music) and Richard Maltby, Jr. (lyrics)
  • The Rink by John Kander (music) and Fred Ebb (lyrics)
  • Sunday in the Park with George by Stephen Sondheim (music & lyrics)
• 1985 Big River by Roger Miller (music & lyrics)
  • Grind by Larry Grossman (music) and Ellen Fitzhugh (lyrics)
  • Quilters by Barbara Damashek (music & lyrics)
• 1986 The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Rupert Holmes (music & lyrics)
  • The News by Paul Schierhorn (music & lyrics)
  • Song and Dance by Andrew Lloyd Webber (music), Don Black (lyrics), and Richard Maltby, Jr. (lyrics)
  • Wind in the Willows by William Perry (music) and Roger McGough (lyrics)
• 1987 Les Misérables by Claude-Michel Schonberg (music) and Herbert Kretzmer (lyrics)
  • Me and My Girl by Noel Gay (music), L. Arthur Rose (lyrics), and Douglas Furber (lyrics)
  • Rags by Charles Strouse (music) and Stephen Schwartz (lyrics)
  • Starlight Express by Andrew Lloyd Webber (music) and Richard Stilgoe (lyrics)
• 1988 Into the Woods by Stephen Sondheim (music & lyrics)
  • The Phantom of the Opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber (music), Charles Hart (lyrics), and Richard Stilgoe (lyrics)
  • Romance/Romance by Keith Herrmann (music) and Barry Harman (lyrics)
  • Sarafina! by Mbongeni Ngema (music & lyrics) and Hugh Masakela (music & lyrics)
• 1989 Not awarded

• 1990 City of Angels by Cy Coleman (music) and David Zippel (lyrics)
  • Aspects of Love by Andrew Lloyd Webber (music), Don Black (lyrics), and Charles Hart (lyrics)
  • Grand Hotel the Musical by Robert Wright (music & lyrics), George Forrest (music & lyrics), and Maury Yeston (music & lyrics)
  • Meet Me in St. Louis by Hugh Martin (music & lyrics) and Ralph Blane (music & lyrics)
• 1991 The Will Rogers Follies by Cy Coleman (music), Betty Comden (lyrics), and Adolph Green (lyrics)
  • Once on This Island by Stephen Flaherty (music) and Lynn Ahrens (lyrics)
  • Miss Saigon by Claude-Michel Schonberg (music), Richard Maltby, Jr. (lyrics), and Alain Boublil (lyrics)
  • The Secret Garden by Lucy Simon (music) and Marsha Norman (music)
• 1992 Falsettos by William Finn (music & lyrics)
  • Jelly's Last Jam by Jelly Roll Morton (music), Luther Henderson (music), and Susan Birkenhead (lyrics)
  • Metro by Janusz Stoklosa (music), Agata Miklaszewska (lyrics), Maryna Miklaszewska (lyrics), and Mary Bracken Phillips (lyrics)
  • Nick & Nora by Charles Strouse (music) and Richard Maltby, Jr. (lyrics)
• 1993 TIE Kiss of the Spider Woman by John Kander (music) and Fred Ebb (lyrics) AND Tommy by Pete Townshend (music & lyrics)
  • Anna Karenina by Daniel Levine (music) and Peter Kellogg (lyrics)
  • The Song of Jacob Zulu by Ladysmith Black Mambazo (music & lyrics) and Tug Yourgrau (lyrics)
• 1994 Passion by Stephen Sondheim (music & lyrics)
  • Beauty and the Beast by Alan Menken (music), Howard Ashman (lyrics), and Tim Rice (lyrics)
  • Cyrano: The Musical by Ad van Dijk (music), Koen van Dijk (lyrics), Peter Reeves (lyrics), and Sheldon Harnick (lyrics)
• 1995 Sunset Boulevard by Andrew Lloyd Webber (music), Don Black (lyrics), and Christopher Hampton (lyrics)
  • No other nominees
• 1996 Rent by Jonathan Larson (music & lyrics)
  • Big by David Shire (music) and Richard Maltby, Jr. (lyrics)
  • Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk by Daryl Waters (music), Zane Mark (music), Ann Duquesnay (music & lyrics), George C. Wolfe (lyrics), and Reg E. Gaines (lyrics)
  • State Fair by Richard Rodgers (music) and Oscar Hammerstein II (lyrics)
• 1997 Titanic by Maury Yeston (music & lyrics)
  • Juan Darien by Elliot Goldenthal (music & lyrics)
  • The Life by Cy Coleman (music) and Ira Gasman (lyrics)
  • Steel Pier by John Kander (music) and Fred Ebb (lyrics)
• 1998 Ragtime by Stephen Flaherty (music) and Lynn Ahrens (lyrics)
  • The Capeman by Paul Simon (musical) and Derek Walcott (lyrics)
  • The Lion King by Elton John (music), Tim Rice (lyrics), Hans Zimmer (music), Lebo M (music & lyrics), Mark Mancina (music & lyrics), Jay Rifkin (music & lyrics), Julie Taymor (lyrics)
  • Side Show by Henry Krieger (music) and Bill Russell (lyrics)
• 1999 Parade by Jason Robert Brown (music & lyrics)
  • The Civil War by Frank Wildhorn (music) and Jack Murphy (lyrics)
  • Footloose by Tom Snow (music), Dean Pitchford (lyrics), Kenny Loggins (music & lyrics), Eric Carmen (music & lyrics), Sammy Hagar (music & lyrics), Jim Steinman (music & lyrics)
  • Twelfth Night by Jeanine Tesori (music)

• 2000 Aida by Elton John (music) and Tim Rice (lyrics)
  • James Joyce's The Dead by Shaun Davey (music & lyrics), Richard Nelson (lyrics)
  • Marie Christine by Michael John LaChiusa (music & lyrics)
  • The Wild Party by Michael John LaChiusa (music & lyrics)

• 2001 The Producers by Mel Brooks (music & lyrics)
  • A Class Act by Edward Kleban (music & lyrics)
  • The Full Monty by David Yazbek (music & lyrics)
  • Jane Eyre by Paul Gordon (music & lyrics) and John Caird (lyrics)

• 2002 Urinetown by Mark Hollman (music & lyrics) and Greg Kotis (lyrics)
  • Sweet Smell of Success by Marvin Hamlisch (music) and Craig Carnelia (lyrics)
  • Thoroughly Modern Millie by Jeanine Tesori (music) and Dick Scanlan (lyrics)
  • Thou Shalt Not by Harry Connick, Jr. (music & lyrics)

• 2003 Hairspray by Marc Shaiman (music & lyrics) and Scott Wittman (lyrics)
  • Amour by Michel Legrand (music), Didier van Cauwelaert (original French lyrics), Jeremy Sams (English lyrics)
  • Urban Cowboy by various composers
  • A Year with Frog and Toad by Robert Reale (music) and Willie Reale (lyrics)

• 2004 Avenue Q by Robert Lopez (music & lyrics) and Jeff Marx (music & lyrics)
  • Caroline, or Change by Jeanine Tesori (music) and Tony Kushner (lyrics)
  • Taboo by Boy George (music & lyrics)
  • Wicked by Stephen Schwartz (music & lyrics)

• 2005 The Light in the Piazza by Adam Guettel (music & lyrics)
  • Dirty Rotten Scoundrels by David Yazbek (music & lyrics)
  • Monty Python's Spamalot by John Du Prez (music) and Eric Idle (music & lyrics)
  • The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee by William Finn

• 2006 The Drowsy Chaperone by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison (music & lyrics)
  • The Color Purple by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis, Stephen Bray (music & lyrics)
  • The Wedding Singer by Matthew Sklar (music) and Chad Beguelin (lyrics)
  • The Woman in White by Andrew Lloyd Webber (music) David Zippel (lyrics)

7 wins: Stephen Sondheim
3 wins: Betty Comden, Adolph Green, John Kander, Fred Ebb, Cy Coleman, Andrew Lloyd Webber
2 wins: Richard Rodgers, Jerry Herman, Maury Yeston, Tim Rice