The Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical is the Tony awarded to the librettist(s) of the musical. The librettist may also be called the bookwriter. He or she writes the book or libretto, which is the spoken, non-sung dialogue of a musical play; the librettist is also typically responsible for the overall story of the musical. In the past this award has been called the "Best Author of a Musical" award. To be eligible a musical must have some sort of original narrative framework; revues without a plot and revivals are ineligible, unless a new book is used for a revival.

List of Winners

• 1949 Kiss Me, Kate by Bella and Samuel Spewack
• 1950 South Pacific by Oscar Hammerstein and Joshua Logan
• 1951 Guys and Dolls by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows
• 1952 Not Awarded
• 1953 Wonderful Town by Joseph Fields and Jerome Chodorov
• 1954 Kismet by Charles Lederer and Luther Davis
• 1955 Pajama Game by George Abbott and Richard Bissell
• 1956 Damn Yankees by George Abbott and Douglass Wallop
• 1957 My Fair Lady by Alan Jay Lerner
• 1958 The Music Man by Meredith Willson and Franklin Lacey
• 1959 Redhead by Herbert and Dorothy Fields , Sidney Sheldon, and David Shaw
• 1960 TIE Fiorello! by Jerome Weidman and George Abbott and The Sound of Music by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse
• 1961 Bye, Bye Birdie by Michael Stewart
• 1962 How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying by Abe Burrows , Jack Weinstock , and Willie Gilbert
• 1963 A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum by Bert Shevelove and Larry Gelbart
• 1964 Hello, Dolly! by Michael Stewart
• 1965 Fiddler on the Roof by Joseph Stein
• 1966 Not Awarded
• 1967 Not Awarded
• 1968 Not Awarded
• 1969 Not Awarded
• 1970 Not Awarded
• 1971 Company by George Furth
• 1972 Two Gentlemen of Verona by John Guare and Mel Shapiro
• 1973 A Little Night Music by Hugh Wheeler
• 1974 Candide by Hugh Wheeler
• 1975 Shenandoah by James Lee Barrett , Peter Udell , and Phillip Rose
• 1976 A Chorus Line by James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante
• 1977 Annie by Thomas Meehan
• 1978 On The Twentieth Century by Betty Comden and Adolph Green
• 1979 Sweeney Todd by Hugh Wheeler
• 1980 Evita by Tim Rice
• 1981 Woman of the Year by Peter Stone
• 1982 Dreamgirls by Tom Eyen
• 1983 Cats by T. S. Eliot
• 1984 La Cage aux Folles by Harvey Fierstein
• 1985 Big River by William Hauptman
• 1986 The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Rupert Holmes
• 1987 Les Misérables by Alain Boubil and Claude-Michel Schonberg
• 1988 Into the Woods by James Lapine
• 1989 Not Awarded

• 1990 City of Angels by Larry Gelbart
  • Aspects of Love by Andrew Lloyd Webber
  • Grand Hotel the Musical by Luther Davis
  • Meet Me in St. Louis by Hugh Wheeler

• 1991 The Secret Garden by Marsha Norman
  • Miss Saigon by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg
  • Once on this Island by Lynn Ahrens
  • The Will Rogers Follies by Peter Stone

• 1992 Falsettos by William Finn and James Lapine
  • Crazy for You by Ken Ludwig
  • Five Guys Named Moe by Clarke Peters
  • Jelly's Last Jam by George C. Wolfe

• 1993 Kiss of the Spider Woman by Terrance McNally
  • Anna Karenina by Peter Kellogg
  • Blood Brothers by Willy Russell
  • The Who's Tommy by Pete Townshend and Des McAnuff

• 1994 Passion by James Lapine
  • Beauty and the Beast by Linda Woolverton
  • Cyrano the Musical by Koen van Kijk
  • A Grand Night for Singing by Walter Bobbie

• 1995 Sunset Boulevard by Don Black and Christopher Hampton
  • No other nominees

• 1996 Rent by Jonathan Larson
  • Big by John Weidman
  • Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk by Reg E Gaines
  • Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Graciela Daniele , Jim Lewis, and Michael John LaChiusa

• 1997 Titanic by Peter Stone
  • Jekyll & Hyde by Leslie Bricusse
  • The Life by David Newman, Ira Gasman , and Cy Coleman
  • Steel Pier by David Thompson

• 1998 Ragtime by Terrance McNally
  • The Lion King by Roger Allers and Irene Mecchi
  • The Scarlet Pimpernel by Nan Knighton
  • Side Show by Bill Russell

• 1999 Parade by Alfred Uhry
  • Footloose by Dean Pitchford and Walter Bobbie
  • It Ain't Nothin But the Blues by Charles Bevel , Lita Gaithers , Randal Myler , Ron Taylor, and Dan Wheetman
  • Marlene by Pam Gems

• 2000 James Joyce's The Dead by Richard Nelson
  • Contact by John Weidman
  • Marie Christine by Michael John LaChiusa
  • The Wild Party by Michael John LaChiusa and George C. Wolfe

• 2001 The Producers by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan
  • A Class Act by Linda Kline and Lonny Price
  • The Full Monty by Terrence McNally
  • Jane Eyre by John Caird

• 2002 Urinetown by Greg Kotis
  • Mamma Mia! by Catherine Johnson
  • Sweet Smell of Success by John Guare
  • Thoroughly Modern Millie by Richard Morris and Dick Scanlan

• 2003 Hairspray by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan
  • Amour by Didier van Cauwelaert , Jeremy Sams (adaptation)
  • Flower Drum Song by David Henry Hwang
  • A Year With Frog and Toad by Willie Reale

• 2004 Avenue Q by Jeff Whitty
  • The Boy from Oz by Martin Sherman , Nick Enright (original book)
  • Caroline, or Chnage by Tony Kushner
  • Wicked by Winnie Holzman

Multiple Winners

3 wins: Hugh Wheeler, Thomas Meehan, James Lapine, and George Abbott
2 wins: Terrance McNally, Larry Gelbart, Peter Stone, Abe Burrows, and Michael Stewart