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 DG Awards Committee, co-chaired by Samuel D. Hunter and Rajiv Joseph and administered by Tari Stratton.
The Dramatists Guild Lifetime Achievement Award
Presented by the Dramatists Guild Council in recognition of lifetime achievement in theatrical writings. (*In 2016, the Dramatists Guild Lifetime Achievement Award was called the Career Achievement Award)
2026 Migdalia Cruz
2025 David Henry Hwang
2024 Christopher Durang, Emily Mann, George C. Wolfe
2023 Jules Feiffer, Gretchen Cryer, Nancy Ford
2022 Pearl Cleage, Tina Howe
2021 Adrienne Kennedy
2016Stephen Schwartz, Marsha Norman*
2015 A.R. Gurney
2014 John Guare
2013 Micki Grant
2011 Paula Vogel
2010 Sheldon Harnick and Jerry Bock, Terrence McNally
2009 Lanford Wilson
2008 Joseph Stein
2007 Horton Foote
2006 August Wilson
2005 Stephen Sondheim
2004John Kander & Fred Ebb
2003Neil Simon
2002 Betty Comden & Adolph Green
2001 Edward Albee
2000 Arthur Miller
The dldf Defender Award
Recognizes an individual or group’s efforts in support of free expression in the dramatic arts.
2026 Liberty Welch & Maggie Lawson
2025 Students and teachers from Santa Rosa High School
2024 Philip and Max Hightower
2023 Friend of George’s
2022 Alice Childress
2021 Sharai Bohannon
2019 Svetlana Mintcheva, National Coalition Against Censorship
2018 Sawyer Garrity, Andrea Pena
2017 Company of Hamilton
2016 Edward Davis, Esq.
2015 Howard Sherman
2014 Larissa Mark
The 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.
2026 Lisa Kron
2025 Peter Parnell
2024 Austin Pendleton
2023 Caridad Svich
2022 Kirsten Childs
2021 William S. Yellow Robe, Jr.
2020 Kia Corthron
2019 Martha Clarke
2018 Charles Busch
2017 Mac Wellman
2016 Dael Orlandersmith
2015 Charles Fuller
2014 Arthur Kopit
2012 Philip Kan Gotanda
2011 Christopher Durang
2010 Michael Weller
2009 Polly Pen
2008 Craig Lucas
2007 Ed Bullins
2006 Robert Waldman
2005 Michael John LaChiusa
2004 William Finn
2003 Jonathan Reynolds
2002 Neal Bell
2001 Adrienne Kennedy
2000 Tina Howe
The 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.
2026 Benjamin Velez & Joy Huerta
Real Women Have Curves
2025 Shaina Taub
Suffs
2024 Adam Guettel
Days of Wine and Roses
2023 Marc Shaiman
Some Like It Hot
2022 Jeanine Tesori
Kimberly Akimbo
2021 No Writer Awarded
No Musical Awarded
2020 Michael R. Jackson
A Strange Loop
2019 Matthew Sklar
The Prom
2018 Kirsten Childs
Bella: An American Tall Tale
2017 David Yazbek
The Band's Visit
2016 Benj Pasek & Justin Paul
Dear Evan Hansen
2015 Lin-Manuel Miranda
Hamilton
2014 Jeanine Tesori
Fun Home
2013 Trey Anastasio, Amanda Green
Hands on a Hard Body
Alan Menken
Newsies
2012 Michael John LaChiusa
Queen of the Mist
2011 Robert Lopez, Matt Stone, Trey Parker
The Book of Mormon
2010 John Kander
The Scottsboro Boys
2009 Tom Kitt
Next to Normal
2008 Lin-Manuel Miranda
In the Heights
2007 Scott Frankel
Grey Gardens
2006 Harvey Schmidt
2005 Charles Strouse
2004 Jerry Bock
2003 Jerry Herman
2002 Cy Coleman
2001 John Kander
2000 Stephen Sondheim
The Horton Foote Award
Presented to a dramatist whose work seeks to plumb the ineffable nature of being human.
2026 Kimber Lee
2025 Clarence Coo, C.A. Johnson
2024 Eboni Booth, Shayan Lotfi
2023 Dave Harris
2022 Sanaz Toossi
2021 Carla Ching, Kia Corthron, Aleshea Harris, Donja R. Love, Mfoniso Udofia
2020 Lydia Diamond
2019 Amy Herzog, Heidi Schreck
2018 James Anthony Tyler
(Finalist: Fernanda Coppel)
2017 Rajiv Joseph
(Finalists: Clare Barron, Cori Thomas)
2016 Stephen Karam
The 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.
2025 Bess Wohl
Liberation
2024 Itamar Moses
The Ally
2023 Jocelyn Bioh
Jaja's African Hair Braiding
2022 Samuel D. Hunter
A Case of the Existence of God
Sanaz Toossi
English
2021 Martyna Majok
Sanctuary City
2021 No Writer Awarded
No Play Awarded
2020 No Writer Awarded
No Play Awarded
2019 Michael R. Jackson
A Strange Loop
2018 Heidi Schreck
What the Constitution Means to Me
2017 Jocelyn Bioh
School Girls, or the African Mean Girls Play
2016 Paula Vogel
Indecent
2015 Lin-Manuel Miranda
Hamilton
2014 Stephen Adly Guirgis
Between Riverside and Crazy
2013 Annie Baker
The Flick
2012 Christopher Durang
Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
2011 Stephen Karam
Sons of the Prophet
2010 Bruce Norris
Clybourne Park
John Kander & David Thompson
The Scottsboro Boys
2009 Lynn Nottage
Ruined
2008 David Ives
New Jerusalem
2007 Tracy Letts
August: Osage County
2006 Steven Sater & Duncan Sheik
Spring Awakening
2005 Adam Guettel & Craig Lucas
The Light in the Piazza
2004 John Patrick Shanley
Doubt
2003 Doug Wright
I Am My Own Wife
2002 Dael Orlandersmith
Yellowman
2001 Tony Kushner
Homebody/Kabul
2000 David Auburn
Proof
1999 Donald Margulies
Dinner with Friends
1998 Margaret Edson
Wit
1997 Paula Vogel
How I Learned to Drive
1996 August Wilson
Seven Guitars
1995 Emily Mann
Having Our Say
1994 Edward Albee
Three Tall Women
1993 Tony Kushner
Angels in America
Donald Margulies
Sight Unseen
John Leguizamo
Spic-o-rama
1992 Larry Kramer
The Destiny of Me
1991 Scott McPherson
Marvin’s Room
1990 John Guare
Six Degrees of Separation
1989 Terrence McNally
The Lisbon Traviata
1988 Wendy Wasserstein
The Heidi Chronicles
1987 Terrence McNally
Frankie & Johnnie in the Claire de Lune
1986 George C. Wolfe
The Colored Museum
1985 Christopher Durang
The Marriage of Bette and Boo
1984 David Mamet
Glengarry Glen Ross
1983 Marsha Norman
‘Night Mother
1982 Harvey Fierstein
Torch Song Trilogy
1981 Shirley Lauro
Open Admissions
1980 Martin Sherman
Bent
1979 Stephen Sondheim & Hugh Wheeler
Sweeney Todd
1978 John Guare
Landscape of the Body
1977 Ronald Ribman
Cold Storage
1976 Edward Albee
Seascape
1975 Miguel Pinero
Short Eyes
1974 Terrence McNally
Bad Habits
1973 Joseph A. Walker
The River Niger
1972 Philip Hayes Dean
The Sty of the Blind Pig
1971 David Rabe
The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel & Streamers
The 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.
2026 Victor Cazares
2025 Kristiana Rae Colón, Morgan McGuire
2024 Minna Lee, Seayoung Yim
2023 Nissy Aya, Candrice Jones
2022 Nancy García Loza, Ren Dara Santiago
2021 Mariam Bazeed, Rhiana Yazzie
2020 Madhuri Shekar
2019 Abe Koogler, Charly Evon Simpson
2018 Isaac Gomez, R. Eric Thomas
2017 Christopher Chen, Martyna Majok
2016 Lauren Gunderson
2015 Chisa Hutchinson
2014 Michael Lew
2012 Francine Volpe