Benjamin Velez is a composer/lyricist and Columbia graduate (114th Varsity Show), born and raised in Miami, FL. Proud member of the Advanced BMI workshop (2012 Harrington Award), he has developed original musicals, including AFTERLAND and BOOMERANGS, at Ars Nova, the Yale Institute for Music Theater, Dixon Place, the York Theater, Sundance at UCROSS, and Berkeley Rep's Ground Floor. His musical BORDERLINE, written with Aryanna Garber, won the 2018 Weston Playhouse New Musical Award, and opened the 2019 O’Neill Musical Theater Conference. 

He was a 2018-2019 Dramatist Guild Foundation Fellow, the 2019 Fred Ebb Award Winner, a 2020 Thom Thomas Award winner, a 2020 Jonathan Larson Grant recipient, and 2023 winner of the Stephen Schwartz Award. His musical KISS MY AZTEC, written with John Leguizamo, Tony Taccone, and David Kamp, was developed at the Public Theater (2018), before premiering at Berkeley Rep (2019), followed by a run at the La Jolla Playhouse (2019) and Hartford Stage (2022). His Public Works musical of THE TEMPEST, directed by Laurie Woolery, premiered at the Delacorte Theater in August 2023. REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES, a collaboration with Joy Huerta (of Jesse Y Joy) Lisa Loomer and Nell Benjamin, directed by Sergio Trujillo, premiered at the American Repertory Theater in December 2023.