Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Sound Design

Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Sound Design
Awarded for	Outstanding Sound Design
Location	United States
Presented by	The Off-Broadway League[1][2]
Currently held by	Fabian Obispo, Sumo (2025)
Website	lortelaward.com

The Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Sound Design is an award presented annually at the Lucille Lortel Awards to honor excellence in sound design for an Off-Broadway musical or play production since 2001.^[3]

Mikhail Fiksel holds the record for the most wins in the category, with three wins, along with the most nominations, netting seven. Close behind in nominations is Matt Tierney with five.

Winners and nominees

Key

  and bold indicates the winner.

2000s

Year	Designer	Production	Ref.
2001
	Christopher Shutt	Mnemonic	[4][5]
	Mark Bennett and Michael Creason	Dogeaters
	David Bullard and Mic Pool	The Unexpected Man
	T. Richard Fitzgerald	4 Guys Named Jose...And Una Mujer Named Maria!
	Robert Milburn	Jitney
2002
	Scott Lehrer	Franny's Way	[6][7]
	Brett Jarvis and David A. Gilman	Brutal Imagination
	Andre Pluess and Ben Sussman	Metamorphoses
	Dan Moses Schreier	Homebody/Kabul
2003
	Brett Jarvis	Avenue Q	[8][9]
	Paul Arditti	Far Away
	Mark Bennett	Golda's Balcony
	Jerry Yager	Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme
2004
	Brian Ronan	Bug	[10][11]
	David Van Tieghem	The Long Christmas Ride Home
	Robert Kaplowitz	The Story
	John Gromada	Small Tragedy
2005
	Obadiah Eaves	Nine Parts of Desire	[12][13]
	Scott Lehrer	Dessa Rose
	Simon Matthews	Altar Boyz
	Darron L West	The Last Days of Judas Iscariot and Hot 'n' Throbbing
2006
	Darron L West	The Seven and Apparition	[14][15]
	Ken Travis	Abigail's Party
	Scott Killian	A Picasso
	Brian Ronan	Grey Gardens
2007
	Martin Desjardins	columbinus	[16][17]
	Robert Kaplowitz	The Internationalist
	John Collins and David Herskovits	Faust, Parts 1 & 2
	Eric Shimelonis	Essential Self-Defense
	Brian Ronan	Spring Awakening
2008
	Jorge Cousineau	Opus	[18][19]
	Geoff Abbas, Joby Emmons, Matt Schloss, Matt Tierney, Casey Spooner and Warren Fischer	Hamlet
	Frank Gaeta	Dai (enough)
	Darron L West	Dead Man's Cell Phone
	Daniel Baker	The Four of Us
2009
	John Gromada	Shipwrecked! An Entertainment - The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (As Told by Himself)	[20][21]
	Matt Tierney	The Sound and the Fury (April Seventh, 1928)
	Quentin Chiappetta	Irena's Vow
	Robert Kaplowitz	Wig Out!
	Jane Shaw	The Widowing of Mrs. Holroyd

2010s

Year	Designer	Production	Ref.
2010
	Fitz Patton	When the Rain Stops Falling	[22][23]
	Kurt Fischer	The Toxic Avenger
	John Gromada	The Orphans' Home Cycle
	Shane Rettig	A Lie of the Mind
	Ryan Rumery and Christian Frederickson	The Emperor Jones
2011
	Mikhail Fiksel	The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity	[24][25]
	Jon Weston	In Transit
	Fitz Patton	The Other Place
	Mic Pool	Alfred Hitchcock's The 39 Steps
	Ben Jalosa Williams	Gatz
2012
	Matt Tierney & Ben Jalosa Williams	The Select (The Sun Also Rises)	[26][27]
	David Van Tieghem	Through a Glass Darkly
	Mark Bennett	An Iliad
	Clive Goodwin	Once
	Daniel Kluger	Tribes
2013
	Leah Gelpe	Slowgirl	[28][29]
	Bray Poor	The Flick
	Matt Tierney	Detroit
	Jane Shaw	Jackie
	Shane Rettig	Detroit '67
2014
	M.L. Dogg and Cody Spencer	Here Lies Love	[30][31]
	Ryan Rumery	The Hatmaker's Wife
	Matt Hubbs	Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812
	Christopher Shutt	Love and Information
	Clive Goodwin	What's it All About? Bacharach Reimagined
2015
	Nevin Steinberg	Hamilton	[32][33]
	Mikhail Fiksel	My Mañana Comes
	Matt Tierney	Pocatello
	Leah Gelpe	The Invisible Hand
	Daniel Kluger and Brandon Wolcott	The Nether
2016	Rob Milbur and Michael Bodeen	Guards at the Taj	[34][35]
	Bray Poor	Buzzer
	Matt Hubbs	The Royale
	Fitz Patton	The Humans
	Will Pickens	Grounded
2017	Mikhail Fiksel	A Life	[36][37]
	Matt Stine	Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
	Nevin Steinberg	Wakey, Wakey
	Stowe Nelson	Small Mouth Sounds
	Robert Kaplowitz	Hadestown
2018
	Leah Gelpe	Mary Jane	[38][39]
	Mikhail Fiksel	The Treasurer
	Brandon Wolcott	After the Blast
	Bray Poor	Office Hour
		The Last Match
2019
	Dan Moses Schreier	Carmen Jones	[40][41]
	Jane Shaw	I Was Most Alive With You
	Isobel Waller-Bridge	Fleabag
	Matt Hubbs	Boesman and Lena
	Mikaal Sulaiman	Rags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future

2020s

Year	Designer	Production	Ref.
2020
	Mikhail Fiksel	Dana H.	[42][43]
	Nicholas Pope	In the Green
	Lee Kinney and Sanae Yamada	Is This a Room
	Justin Ellington	Heroes of the Fourth Turning
	Hidenori Nakajo	Octet
2021	No ceremony held due to COVID-19 pandemic.
2022
	Nick Kourtides	Oratorio for Living Things	[44][45]
	Mikhail Fiksel	Tambo & Bones
	Darron L West	Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992
	Fabian Obispo	The Chinese Lady
	Mikaal Sulaiman	Sanctuary City
2023
	Kate Marvin	Wolf Play	[46][47]
	Mikhail Fiksel	How to Defend Yourself
	Daniel Kluger	Epiphany
	Kelly Colburn, Alex Hawthorn, and Justin Nestor	american (tele)visions
	Sinan Refik Zafar	Letters from Max, a Ritual
2024
	Ryan Rumery	Stereophonic	[48][49]
	Palmer Hefferan	The Comeuppance
	Mikaal Sulaiman	(pray)
	Jonathan Deans	Buena Vista Social Club
	Tei Blow and John Gasper	Wet Brain
2025
	Fabian Obispo	Sumo	[50][51]
	Matt Otto	All of Me
		Medea: Re-Versed
	Ryan Rumery and M. Florian Staab	Beckett Briefs: From the Cradle to the Grave
	Nick Kourtides	Travels

Multiple wins

3 wins

• Mikhail Fiksel

Multiple nominations

7 nominations

• Mikhail Fiksel

5 nominations

• Matt Tierney

4 nominations

• Robert Kaplowitz
• Darron L West
• Ryan Rumery
• Bray Poor

3 nominations

• Mark Bennett
• Brian Ronan
• John Gromada
• Jane Shaw
• Matt Hubbs
• Mikaal Sulaiman
• Daniel Kluger

2 nominations

• Christopher Shutt
• Scott Lehrer
• Brett Jarvis
• Dan Moses Schreier
• David Van Tieghem
• Shane Rettig
• Fitz Patton
• Fabian Obispo
• Matt Otto
• Nick Kourtides
• Nevin Steinberg
• Brandon Wolcott

See also

• Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Sound Design
• Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Sound Design

References

1. "The League of Off-Broadway Theatres and Producers".
2. The Off-Broadway League
3. "1986–2000 Recipients: Lucille Lortel Awards". Lucille Lortel Awards. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
4. "2001 Nominees". Lucille Lortel Awards. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
5. David Lefkowitz (April 24, 2001). "2001 Lortel Awards Ceremony, Hosted by Cumming, to Take Place May 7". Playbill. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
6. "2002 Nominees". Lucille Lortel Awards. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
7. TheaterMania Staff (April 22, 2002). "2002 Lucille Lortel Award Winners Announced". TheaterMania. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
8. "2003 Nominees". Lucille Lortel Awards. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
9. Kenneth Jones (May 6, 2003). "2003 Lucille Lortel Awards Announced; Take Me Out, Avenue Q Big Winners". Playbill. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
10. "2004 Nominees". Lucille Lortel Awards. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
11. "Caroline, or Change, I Am My Own Wife, Bug Among 2004 Lucille Lortel Winners". Playbill. 4 May 2004. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
12. "2005 Nominees". Lucille Lortel Awards. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
13. "2005 Lucille Lortel Award winners announced". New York Theatre Guide. 2 May 2005. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
14. "2006 Nominees". Lucille Lortel Awards. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
15. Playbill Staff, Ken Jones (May 2, 2006). "Bountiful Tops 2006 Lucille Lortel Awards with Four Wins". Playbill. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
16. "2007 Nominees". Lucille Lortel Awards. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
17. Gans, Andrew (7 May 2007). "Spring Awakening, In the Heights and Stuff Happens Win Lucille Lortel Awards". Playbill. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
18. "2008 Nominees". Lucille Lortel Awards. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
19. "Lucille Lortel Winners Announced". Variety. 5 May 2008. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
20. "2009 Nominees". Lucille Lortel Awards. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
21. "Ruined, Fela!, Our Town and Inishmaan Top Lucille Lortel Awards". Broadway.com. 4 May 2009. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
22. "2010 Nominees". Lucille Lortel Awards. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
23. "25th Lucille Lortel Awards: Neuwirth & Batt to host". New York Theatre Guide. April 7, 2010. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
24. "2011 Nominees". Lucille Lortel Awards. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
25. Jones, Kenneth (2 May 2011). "Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, Chad Deity, Angels, Christian Borle, Laurie Metcalf Are Lortel Winners". Playbill. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
26. "2012 Nominees". Lucille Lortel Awards. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
27. Hetrick, Adam (6 May 2012). "Once, Sons of the Prophet, Sanaa Lathan, Sam Gold Among 2012 Lortel Award Winners". Playbill. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
28. "2013 Nominees". Lucille Lortel Awards. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
29. Hetrick, Adam (5 May 2013). "Dogfight, The Whale and The Piano Lesson Are Lortel Award Winners". Playbill. Retrieved 17 September 2025.
30. "2014 Nominees". Lucille Lortel Awards. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
31. Gans, Andrew (5 May 2014). "Fun Home, Here Lies Love, Buyer & Cellar Win Lortel Awards". Playbill. Retrieved 17 September 2025.
32. "2015 Nominees". Lucille Lortel Awards. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
33. Moreau, Jordan (10 May 2015). "Lucille Lortel Awards 2015 (FULL LIST): 'Hamilton' Sweeps". Variety. Retrieved 17 September 2025.
34. "2016 Nominees". Lucille Lortel Awards. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
35. Moreau, Jordan (1 May 2016). "Lucille Lortel Awards 2016 (FULL LIST): 'Guards at the Taj,' 'The Robber Bridegroom' Score Big". Variety. Retrieved 17 September 2025.
36. "2017 Nominees". Lucille Lortel Awards. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
37. McPhee, Ryan (8 May 2017). "Ben Platt, Taran Killam, Jasmine Cephas Jones, and More at the 2017 Lucille Lortel Awards". Playbill. Retrieved 17 September 2025.
38. "2018 Nominees". Lucille Lortel Awards. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
39. McPhee, Ryan (6 May 2018). "KPOP, Cost of Living, School Girls Among 2018 Lucille Lortel Award Winners". Playbill. Retrieved 17 September 2025.
40. "2019 Nominees". Lucille Lortel Awards. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
41. Peikert, Mark (5 May 2019). "Carmen Jones Leads 2019 Lortel Award Winners". Playbill. Retrieved 17 September 2025.
42. "2020 Nominees". Lucille Lortel Awards. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
43. Clement, Olivia (3 May 2020). "Octet and Heroes of the Fourth Turning Lead 2020 Lucille Lortel Award Winners". Playbill. Retrieved 17 September 2025.
44. "2022 Nominees". Lucille Lortel Awards. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
45. Culwell-Block, Logan (1 May 2022). "Kimberly Akimbo, Oratorio for Living Things Win 2022 Lucille Lortel Awards; See the Full Winners List". Playbill. Retrieved 17 September 2025.
46. "2023 Nominees". Lucille Lortel Awards. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
47. Logan Culwell-Block (May 7, 2023). "Wolf Play, Titaníque Lead 2023 Lucille Lortel Awards; See the Full List of Winners". Playbill. Retrieved September 18, 2025.
48. "2024 Nominees". Lucille Lortel Awards. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
49. Culwell-Block, Logan (May 5, 2024). "Ars Nova and National Black Theatre's (Pray) Leads 2024 Lucille Lortel Awards; Read the Full List of Winners". Playbill. Retrieved 17 September 2025.
50. "2025 Nominees". Lucille Lortel Awards. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
51. Culwell-Block, Logan (4 May 2025). "Our Class Leads 2025 Lucille Lortel Award Wins; Read the Complete List Here". Playbill. Retrieved 17 September 2025.