Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lighting Design of a Play

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Drama Desk Award
for Outstanding Lighting Design of a Play
Awarded forOutstanding Lighting Design of a Play
LocationNew York City
CountryUnited States
Presented byDrama Desk
First award2009
Currently held byJon Clark for Stranger Things: The First Shadow (2025)
Websitedramadesk.org (defunct)

The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lighting Design of a Play is an annual award presented by Drama Desk in recognition of achievements in theatre across collective Broadway, off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway productions in New York City.

The award was established in 1975, with the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lighting Design being presented each year to any play or musical production. For 2009, the singular award was replaced by separate play and musical categories, but then merged again from 2010 to 2015; the separate play and musical categories have again co-existed since 2016.

Both Christopher Akerlind and Amith Chandrashaker hold the record for most wins in the category, with two each. For nominations, Isabella Byrd has received the most, with four, followed closely by Chandrashaker and Jiyoun Chang with three nominations each.

Winners and nominees

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Key
  and bold indicates the winner.

2000s

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Year Designer Production Ref.
2009
David Hersey Equus [1][2]
[3]
Marcus Doshi Hamlet
Ben Kato Washing Machine
R. Lee Kennedy Bury the Dead
Paul Pyant The Winter's Tale
Hugh Vanstone Mary Stuart

2010s

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Year Designer Production Ref.
2010-2015 N/A
2016
Justin Townsend The Humans [4][5]
Neil Austin Hughie
Mark Barton John
Bradley King Empanada Loca
Tyler Micoleau Antlia Pneumatica
2017
Christopher Akerlind Indecent [6][7]
James Farncombe The Tempest
Rick Fisher The Judas Kiss
Mimi Jordan Sherin The Hairy Ape
Stephen Strawbridge "Master Harold"...and the Boys
Justin Townsend The Little Foxes
2018
Neil Austin Harry Potter and the Cursed Child [8][9]
Natasha Chivers 1984
Alan C. Edwards Kill Move Paradise
Paul Gallo Three Tall Women
Paul Russell Farinelli and the King
2019
Amith Chandrashaker Boesman and Lena [10][11]
Amith Chandrashaker Fairview
Jiyoun Chang Slave Play
Jon Clark The Jungle
Simon Cleveland Spaceman
Yi Zhao The House That Will Not Stand

2020s

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Year Designer Production Ref.
2020
Heather Gilbert The Sound Inside [12][13]
Isabella Byrd Heroes of the Fourth Turning
Oona Curley Dr. Ride's American Beach House
Mimi Jordan Sherin Judgment Day
Yi Zhao Greater Clements
2021 No awards: New York theatres shuttered, March 2020 to September 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City [14]
2022
Christopher Akerlind Clyde's [15][16]
[17]
Amith Chandrashaker Prayer for the French Republic
Reza Behjat English
Isabella Byrd Sanctuary City
Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew Cullud Wattah
2023 Natasha Chivers & Willie Williams Prima Facie [18][19]
Isabella Byrd Epiphany
Jiyoun Chang The Far Country
Allen Lee Hughes Ohio State Murders
Cha See On That Day in Amsterdam
Japhy Weideman August Wilson's The Piano Lesson
2024 Jane Cox Appropriate [20][21]
Stacey Derosier Uncle Vanya
Jiyoun Chang The Far Country
Natasha Katz Grey House
Lizzie Powell Macbeth (an undoing)
Eric Southern Swing State
2025 Jon Clark Stranger Things: The First Shadow [22][23]
Isabella Byrd Glass. Kill. What If If Only. Imp.
Natasha Katz John Proctor Is the Villain
Tyler Micoleau The Antiquities
Paul Whitaker SUMO

Multiple wins

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2 wins

Multiple nominations

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4 nominations
3 nominations
  • Amith Chandrashaker
  • Jiyoun Chang
2 nominations

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "2009 Awards – Nominees and Recipients". Drama Desk. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
  2. ^ "Drama Desk Awards Announced". The New York Times. May 17, 2009. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
  3. ^ Andrew Gans (May 18, 2009). "Ruined and Billy Elliot Win Top Honors at Drama Desk Awards". Playbill. Retrieved September 22, 2025.
  4. ^ "2016 Awards – Nominees and Recipients". Drama Desk. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
  5. ^ Gordon Cox (June 5, 2016). "2016 Drama Desk Awards (FULL LIST): 'Shuffle Along,' 'The Humans'". Variety. Retrieved September 22, 2025.
  6. ^ "2017 Awards – Nominees and Recipients". Drama Desk. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
  7. ^ Variety Staff (June 5, 2017). "Drama Desk Awards 2017: Full List of Winners". Variety. Retrieved September 22, 2025.
  8. ^ "2018 Awards – Nominees and Recipients". Drama Desk. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
  9. ^ Playbill Staff (June 3, 2018). "SpongeBob SquarePants Leads 2018 Drama Desk Awards". Playbill. Retrieved September 22, 2025.
  10. ^ "2019 Awards – Nominees and Recipients". Drama Desk. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
  11. ^ Ruthie Fierberg (June 2, 2019). "Tootsie, Hadestown, and The Ferryman Lead 2019 Drama Desk Award Winners". Playbill. Retrieved September 22, 2025.
  12. ^ "2020 Awards – Nominees and Recipients". Drama Desk. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
  13. ^ Dan Meyer (June 13, 2020). "A Strange Loop, The Inheritance, Moulin Rouge! Win Big at 2020 Drama Desk Awards". Playbill. Retrieved September 22, 2025.
  14. ^ Evans, Greg (2021-05-05). "Broadway To Reopen Sept. 14, Says Gov. Andrew Cuomo; Broadway League "Cautiously Optimistic"". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 2023-06-02. Retrieved 2023-12-03.
  15. ^ "2022 Awards – Nominees and Recipients". Drama Desk. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
  16. ^ Chloe Rabinowitz (June 8, 2022). "COMPANY, SIX & More Win 2022 Drama Desk Awards – See the Full List!". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved September 22, 2025.
  17. ^ Gillian Russo (June 8, 2022). "2022 Drama Desk Award winners announced". New York Theatre Guide. Retrieved September 22, 2025.
  18. ^ "2023 Awards – Nominees and Recipients". Drama Desk. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
  19. ^ Logan Culwell-Block (May 31, 2023). "Some Like It Hot Dominates 2023 Drama Desk Awards; See the Full List of Winners". Playbill. Retrieved September 22, 2025.
  20. ^ "2024 Awards – Nominees and Recipients". Drama Desk. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
  21. ^ Logan Culwell-Block (June 10, 2024). "Stereophonic Leads 2024 Drama Desk Awards With 7 Wins Including Outstanding Play". Playbill. Retrieved September 22, 2025.
  22. ^ "2025 Awards – Nominees and Recipients". Drama Desk. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
  23. ^ Logan Culwell-Block (June 1, 2025). "Drama Desk Award Winners 2025: The Full List". Playbill. Retrieved September 22, 2025.
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