2020 Outer Critics Circle Awards


The 2020 Outer Critics Circle Awards announced its honorees on May 11, 2020, recognizing excellence in Broadway and Off-Broadway productions during the 2019–20 season. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, no formal awards ceremony was held, nor did the awards name winners. Instead, the normal slate of nominees were celebrated as honorees, as Broadway and Off-Broadway had been shut down on March 12, 2020.
Despite the pandemic, with a cut-off date for the awards of March 6, over 150 productions were eligible, while the following were only eligible for new components to their productions, which were eligible in their previous runs: Girl from the North Country, Sea Wall/A Life and Slave Play.

Awards and nominations

Among the 2020 Honorees, Moulin Rouge was the most nominated production, receiving 11 nominations including Broadway Musical|Outstanding New Broadway Musical], alongside Jagged Little Pill and Tina, which received eight and five nominations, respectively. The [Secret Life of Bees (musical)|The Secret Life of Bees] and The Sound Inside both received seven nominations, including Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical and Outstanding New Broadway Play, respectively. The Inheritance and The Height of the Storm both followed closely, with five nominations each.
CategoryHonorees
Outstanding New Broadway Play
Outstanding New Broadway MusicalJagged Little PillMoulin Rouge!Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
Outstanding New Off-Broadway PlayCambodian Rock BandGreater ClementsHalfway Bitches Go Straight to HeavenMake BelieveSeared
Outstanding New Off-Broadway MusicalDarling GrenadineOctetThe Secret Life of BeesSoft PowerA Strange Loop
Outstanding Revival of a PlayBetrayalFires in the MirrorFor Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is EnufFrankie and Johnny in the Clair de LuneA Soldier's Play
Outstanding Revival of a MusicalLittle Shop of HorrorsThe Unsinkable Molly BrownWest Side Story
John Gassner Award
  • Catya McMullen, Georgia Mertching Is Dead
  • Will Arbery, Heroes of the Fourth Turning
  • Alexis Scheer, Our Dear Dead Drug Lord
  • Eboni Booth, Paris
  • Outstanding Book of a Musical (Broadway or Off-Broadway)
  • Diablo Cody, Jagged Little Pill
  • David Henry Hwang, Soft Power
  • Michael R. Jackson, A Strange Loop
  • Lynn Nottage, The Secret Life of Bees
  • Mark Saltzman, Romeo and Bernadette
  • Outstanding New Score (Broadway or Off-Broadway)
  • Susan Birkenhead and Duncan Sheik, The Secret Life of Bees
  • Ross Golan, The Wrong Man
  • Michael R. Jackson, A Strange Loop
  • Dave Malloy, Octet
  • Jeanine Tesori and David Henry Hwang, Soft Power
  • Outstanding Director of Play
  • David Cromer, The Sound Inside
  • Stephen Daldry, The Inheritance
  • Kenny Leon, "A Soldier's Play"
  • Jamie Lloyd, Betrayal
  • John Ortiz, Halfway Bitches Go Straight to Heaven
  • Outstanding Director of a Musical
  • Stephen Brackett, A Strange Loop
  • Michael Mayer, Little Shop of Horrors
  • Diane Paulus, Jagged Little Pill
  • Alex Timbers, Moulin Rouge!
  • Ivo van Hove, West Side Story
  • Outstanding Choreography
  • Sidi Larbi Cherakoui, Jagged Little Pill
  • Raja Feather Kelly, A Strange Loop
  • Sonya Tayeh, Moulin Rouge!
  • Anthony Van Laast, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
  • Travis Wall, The Wrong Man
  • Outstanding Orchestrations
  • Tom Kitt, Jagged Little Pill
  • Alex Lacamoire, The Wrong Man
  • Justin Levine, with Matt Stine, Katie Kresek, and Charlie Rosen, Moulin Rouge!
  • Christopher Nightingale, A Christmas Carol
  • Duncan Sheik and John Clancy, The Secret Life of Bees
  • Outstanding Actor in a Play
  • Ian Barford, Linda Vista
  • Edmund Donovan, Greater Clements
  • Raúl Esparza, Seared
  • Tom Hiddleston, Betrayal
  • Will Hochman, The Sound Inside
  • Jonathan Pryce, The Height of the Storm
  • Outstanding Actress in a Play
  • Eileen Atkins,The Height of the Storm
  • Judith Ivey, Greater Clements
  • Joaquina Kalukango, Slave Play
  • April Matthis, Toni Stone
  • Mary-Louise Parker, The Sound Inside
  • Portia, Stew
  • Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play
  • David Alan Grier, A Soldier's Play
  • John Benjamin Hickey, The Inheritance
  • Paul Hilton, The Inheritance
  • Samuel H. Levine, The Inheritance
  • Andrew Morrison, Blues for an Alabama Sky
  • Chris Perfetti, Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow
  • Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play
  • Liza Colón-Zayas, Halfway Bitches Go Straight to Heaven
  • Montego Glover, All the Natalie Portmans
  • Marsha Mason, Little Gem
  • Krysta Rodriguez, Seared
  • Lois Smith, The Inheritance
  • Jennifer Van Dyck, The Confession of Lily Dare
  • Outstanding Actor in a Musical
  • Jonathan Groff, Little Shop of Horrors
  • Joshua Henry, The Wrong Man
  • Adam Kantor, Darling Grenadine
  • Larry Owens, A Strange Loop
  • Isaac Powell, West Side Story
  • Aaron Tveit, Moulin Rouge!
  • Outstanding Actress in a Musical
  • Beth Malone, The Unsinkable Molly Brown
  • Janelle McDermoth, We’re Gonna Die
  • Karen Olivo, Moulin Rouge!
  • Shereen Pimentel, West Side Story
  • Elizabeth Stanley, Jagged Little Pill
  • Adrienne Warren, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
  • Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical
  • Christian Borle, Little Shop of Horrors
  • Danny Burstein, Moulin Rouge!
  • Gus Halper, Sing Street
  • Jay Armstrong Johnson, Scotland, PA
  • Francis Jue, Soft Power
  • Daniel J. Watts, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
  • Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical
  • Eisa Davis, The Secret Life of Bees
  • Kathryn Gallagher, Jagged Little Pill
  • LaChanze, The Secret Life of Bees
  • Judy McLane, Romeo & Bernadette
  • Lauren Patten, Jagged Little Pill
  • Saycon Sengbloh, The Secret Life of Bees
  • Outstanding Solo Performance
  • David Cale, We’re Only Alive For a Short Amount of Time
  • Laura Linney, My Name Is Lucy Barton
  • Aedin Moloney, Yes! Reflections of Molly Bloom
  • Deirdre O’Connell, Dana H.
  • Michael Benjamin Washington, Fires in the Mirror
  • Outstanding Scenic Design
  • Rob Howell, A Christmas Carol
  • Tim Mackabee, Seared
  • Derek McLane, Moulin Rouge!
  • Clint Ramos, Grand Horizons
  • Anthony Ward, The Height of the Storm
  • Outstanding Costume Design
  • Vanessa Leuck, Emojiland
  • Jeff Mahshie, Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice
  • Mark Thompson, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
  • Rachel Townsend & Jessica Jahn, The Confession of Lily Dare
  • Catherine Zuber, Moulin Rouge!
  • Outstanding Lighting Design
  • Isabella Byrd, Heroes of the Fourth Turning
  • Heather Gilbert, The Sound Inside
  • Justin Townsend, Moulin Rouge!
  • Hugh Vanstone, A Christmas Carol
  • Hugh Vanstone, The Height of the Storm
  • Outstanding Projection Design
  • Luke Halls, West Side Story
  • Brad Peterson, Broadway Bounty Hunter
  • Lisa Renkel and Possible Productions, Emojiland
  • Aaron Rhyne, The Sound Inside
  • Hannah Wasileski, Fires in the Mirror
  • Outstanding Sound Design
  • Simon Baker, A Christmas Carol
  • Mikhail Fiksel, Dana H.
  • Peter Hylenski, Moulin Rouge!
  • Lee Kinney and Sanae Yamada, Is This A Room
  • Daniel Kluger, The Sound Inside