The Dramatists Guild presents awards annually which highlight and celebrate authors and colleagues working in the industry. Below is a description and list of some of the previous winners of each award the Guild presents. All awards are overseen by the Awards Committee, chaired by Lloyd Suh.
CAREER ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Presented by the Dramatists Guild Council in recognition of lifetime achievement in theatrical writings.
2000 Arthur Miller
2001 Edward Albee
2002 Betty Comden & Adolph Green
2003Neil Simon
2004John Kander & Fred Ebb
2005 Stephen Sondheim
2006 August Wilson
2007 Horton Foote
2008 Joseph Stein
2009 Lanford Wilson
2010 Sheldon Harnick & Jerry Bock, Terrence McNally
2011 Paula Vogel
2013 Micki Grant
2014 John Guare
2015 A.R. Gurney
2016 Stephen Schwartz, Marsha Norman
DLDF DEFENDER AWARD
Recognizes an individual or group’s efforts in support of free expression in the dramatic arts.
2014 Larissa Mark
2015 Howard Sherman
2016 Edward Davis, Esq.
2017 Company of Hamilton
2018 Sawyer Garrity, Andrea Pena
2019 Svetlana Mintcheva, National Coalition Against Censorship
FLORA ROBERTS AWARD
Administered by the Dramatists Guild Foundation, presented to a theatre professional in recognition of distinguished work in the theatre and to encourage the continuation of that work.
2000 Tina Howe
2001 Adrienne Kennedy
2002 Neal Bell
2003 Jonathan Reynolds
2004 William Finn
2005 Michael John LaChiusa
2006 Robert Waldman
2007 Ed Bullins
2008 Craig Lucas
2009 Polly Pen
2010 Michael Weller
2011 Christopher Durang
2012 Philip Kan Gotanda
2014 Arthur Kopit
2015 Charles Fuller
2016 Dael Orlandersmith
2017 Mac Wellman
2018 Charles Busch
2019 Martha Clarke
2020 Kia Corthron
FREDERICK LOEWE AWARD
Given by the Frederick Loewe Foundation and presented annually by the Dramatists Guild Council to a composer recognizing achievement in a theatrical score presented in the previous theatrical season.
2000 Stephen Sondheim
2001 John Kander
2002 Cy Coleman
2003 Jerry Herman
2004 Jerry Bock
2005 Charles Strouse
2006 Harvey Schmidt
2007 Scott Frankel
Grey Gardens
2008 Lin-Manuel Miranda
In the Heights
2009 Tom Kitt
Next to Normal
2010 John Kander
The Scottsboro Boys
2011 Robert Lopez, Matt Stone, Trey Parker
The Book of Mormon
2012 Michael John LaChiusa
Queen of the Mist
Alan Menken
Newsies
2013 Trey Anastasio, Amanda Green
Hands on a Hard Body
2014 Jeanine Tesori
Fun Home
2015 Lin-Manuel Miranda
Hamilton
2016 Benj Pasek & Justin Paul
Dear Evan Hansen
2017 David Yazbek
The Band's Visit
2018 Kirsten Childs
Bella: An American Tall Tale
2019 Matthew Sklar
The Prom
HORTON FOOTE PLAYWRIGHTING AWARD
Presented to a dramatist whose work seeks to plumb the ineffable nature of being human.
2016 Stephen Karam
2017 Rajiv Joseph
(Finalists: Clare Barron, Cori Thomas)
2018 James Anthony Tyler
(Finalist: Fernanda Coppel)
2019 Amy Herzog, Heidi Schreck
2020 Lydia Diamond
HULL-WARRINER AWARD
The only award given by dramatists for dramatists. Presented annually by the Dramatists Guild Council to an author or team of authors in recognition of their play or musical dealing with controversial subjects involving the fields of political, religious or social mores of the times.
1971 David Rabe
The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel & Streamers
1972 Philip Hayes Dean
The Sty of the Blind Pig
1973 Joseph A. Walker
The River Niger
1974 Terrence McNally
Bad Habits
1975 Miguel Pinero
Short Eyes
1976 Edward Albee
Seascape
1977 Ronald Ribman
Cold Storage
1978 John Guare
Landscape of the Body
1979 Stephen Sondheim & Hugh Wheeler
Sweeney Todd
1980 Martin Sherman
Bent
1981 Shirley Lauro
Open Admissions
1982 Harvey Fierstein
Torch Song Trilogy
1983 Marsha Norman
‘Night Mother
1984 David Mamet
Glengarry Glen Ross
1985 Christopher Durang
The Marriage of Bette and Boo
1986 George C. Wolfe
The Colored Museum
1987 Terrence McNally
Frankie & Johnnie in the Claire de Lune
1988 Wendy Wasserstein
The Heidi Chronicles
1989 Terrence McNally
The Lisbon Traviata
1990 John Guare
Six Degrees of Separation
1991 Scott McPherson
Marvin’s Room
1992 Larry Kramer
The Destiny of Me
John Leguizamo
Spic-o-rama
Donald Margulies
Sight Unseen
1993 Tony Kushner
Angels in America
1994 Edward Albee
Three Tall Women
1995 Emily Mann
Having Our Say
1996 August Wilson
Seven Guitars
1997 Paula Vogel
How I Learned to Drive
1998 Margaret Edson
Wit
1999 Donald Margulies
Dinner with Friends
2000 David Auburn
Proof
2001 Tony Kushner
Homebody/Kabul
2002 Dael Orlandersmith
Yellowman
2003 Doug Wright
I Am My Own Wife
2004 John Patrick Shanley
Doubt
2005 Adam Guettel & Craig Lucas
The Light in the Piazza
2006 Steven Sater & Duncan Sheik
Spring Awakening
2007 Tracy Letts
August: Osage County
2008 David Ives
New Jerusalem
2009 Lynn Nottage
Ruined
2010 Bruce Norris
Clybourne Park
John Kander & David Thompson
The Scottsboro Boys
2011 Stephen Karam
Sons of the Prophet
2012 Christopher Durang
Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
2013 Annie Baker
The Flick
2014 Stephen Adly Guirgis
Between Riverside and Crazy
2015 Lin-Manuel Miranda
Hamilton
2016 Paula Vogel
Indecent
2017 Jocelyn Bioh
School Girls, or the African Mean Girls Play
2018 Heidi Schreck
What the Constitution Means to Me
2019 Michael R. Jackson
A Strange Loop
LANFORD WILSON AWARD
Established by the Estate of Lanford Wilson and presented by the Dramatists Guild Council to a dramatist based primarily on their work as an early career playwright.
2012 Francine Volpe
2014 Michael Lew
2015 Chisa Hutchinson
2016 Lauren Gunderson
2017 Christopher Chen, Martyna Majok
2018 Isaac Gomez, R. Eric Thomas
2019 Abe Koogler, Charly Evon Simpson
2020 Madhuri Shekar