Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Set Design

The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Set Design is presented by the Drama Desk, a committee composed of New York City theatre critics, writers, and editors. It honors the set designers of productions staged on Broadway, off-Broadway, off-off-Broadway, and for legitimate not-for-profit theaters.

It was not until the 15th Annual Drama Desk Awards in 1969 that a specific category for Outstanding Set Design was created. That year's recipients were Ming Cho Lee for Billy and Boris Aronson for Zorba. Aronson won the following two years as well, making him the only recipient to be honored three years in a row.

Multiple winners were named until 1975, when the rules were changed to allow for only one, unless there is a tie vote. In 1998, the category was split to differentiate between plays and musicals.

To date, Robin Wagner holds the record for most wins, with six to his credit.

Additional winners

• 1970: Boris Aronson for Company; Jo Mielziner for Child's Play; Fred Voelpe for The Memory Bank
• 1971: Boris Aronson for Follies; Sally Jacobs for A Midsummer Night's Dream; Robin Wagner for Lenny
• 1972: Santo Loquasto for Sticks and Bones and That Championship Season; Robert U. Taylor for The Beggar's Opera; Kert Lundell for Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death
• 1973: Victor Garcia and Fabian Puigserver for Yerma; Tony Walton for Pippin and Shelter; David Jenkins for The Changing Room
• 1974: Franne Lee and Eugene Lee for Candide; David Mitchell for Short Eyes; Douglas W. Schmidt for Over Here! and Veronica's Room
• 1975: Carl Toms for Sherlock Holmes
• 1976: Boris Aronson for Pacific Overtures
• 1977: Santo Loquasto for American Buffalo and The Cherry Orchard
• 1978: Robin Wagner for On the Twentieth Century
• 1979: John Wulp for The Crucifer of Blood
• 1980: John Lee Beatty for Talley's Folly
• 1981: John Lee Beatty for Fifth of July
• 1982: Robin Wagner for Dreamgirls
• 1983: Ming Cho Lee for K2
• 1984: Tony Straiges for Sunday in the Park with George
• 1985: Heidi Ettinger for Big River
• 1986: Tony Walton for Social Security and The House of Blue Leaves
• 1987: John Napier for Les Misérables and Starlight Express
• 1988: Maria Björnson for The Phantom of the Opera
• 1989: Loy Arcenas for Reckless
• 1990: Robin Wagner for City of Angels
• 1991: Heidi Ettinger for The Secret Garden
• 1992: Joe Vanek for Dancing at Lughnasa
• 1993: Guy-Claude Francois for Les Atrides
• 1994: Ian MacNeil for An Inspector Calls
• 1995: Eugene Lee for Show Boat
• 1997: Christina Poddubiuk, James Noone, and Robin Phillips for Jekyll and Hyde
• 1998: The Quay Brothers for The Chairs (play); Richard Hudson for The Lion King (musical)
• 1999: Richard Hoover for Not About Nightingales (play); Lez Brotherston for Swan Lake (musical)
• 2000: Tony Walton for Uncle Vanya (play); Robin Wagner for Kiss Me, Kate (musical)
• 2001: Bob Crowley for The Invention of Love (play); Robin Wagner for The Producers (musical)
• 2002: Tim Hatley for Private Lives (play); Douglas W. Schmidt for Into the Woods (musical)
• 2003: John Lee Beatty for Dinner at Eight (play); Catherine Martin for La Bohème (musical)
• 2004: John Lee Beatty for Twentieth Century (play); Eugene Lee for Wicked (musical)
• 2005: Santo Loquasto for Glengarry Glen Ross (play); Michael Yeargan for The Light in the Piazza (musical)
• 2006: Michael Yeargan for Awake and Sing! (play); David Gallo for The Drowsy Chaperone (musical)
• 2007: Bob Crowley and Scott Pask for The Coast of Utopia (play); Bob Crowley for Mary Poppins (musical)
• 2008: Scott Pask for Les Liaisons Dangereuses (play); Michael Yeargan for South Pacific (musical)
• 2009: David Korins for Why Torture is Wrong, and the People Who Love Them (play); Tim Hatley for Shrek: The Musical (musical)
• 2010: Phelim McDermott, Julian Crouch, and Basil Twist for The Addams Family (musical)

External links

• Official Drama Desk Award website