The New York Drama Critics' Circle is made up of 21 drama critics from daily newspapers, magazines and wire services based in the New York City metropolitan area. The organization is best known for its annual awards for excellence in theater.^[1][2]

The organization was founded in 1935 at the Algonquin Hotel by a group that included Brooks Atkinson, Walter Winchell, and Robert Benchley. Adam Feldman of Time Out New York has been President of the organization since 2005; Joe Dziemianowicz is currently Vice President, and Zachary Stewart of TheaterMania serves as Treasurer.^[2][3]

Although Brooks Atkinson of The New York Times was the first President of the NYDCC, Times critics are no longer permitted to be members of the group. In 1989, the newspaper's executive editor decreed that their critics could no longer participate in any awards voting. Times critics remained in the organization as non-voting members until 1997, when the newspaper reversed its policy and allowed its critics to resume voting for the awards. However, in 2003, the newspaper adopted a revised ethics policy that forbade its journalists from membership in an awards-voting body, and its critics withdrew from the NYDCC.^[4] As of 2021, the Times's policy against membership remains in effect.^[5]

The New York Drama Critics' Circle meets twice a year. At the end of each theater season, it votes on the annual New York Drama Critics' Circle Awards, the second oldest playwriting award in the United States (after the Pulitzer Prize). The main award is for Best Play. If the winner of that award is American, the Circle then votes on whether to give an award for Best Foreign Play as well; if the Best Play winner is of foreign origin, the Circle may give out an award for Best American Play. The awards are later presented in a small ceremony. Since 1945, the Circle has also given out awards for Best Musical. Special Citations may also be awarded for actors, companies, or work of special merit. The award for Best Play includes a cash prize of $2,500, and a cash award of $1,000 is given to the playwright who receives the award for Best American or Foreign Play.^[6]

• 1952: Don Juan in Hell – George Bernard Shaw
• 1963: Beyond the Fringe – Alan Bennett, Peter Cook, Jonathan Miller and Dudley Moore
• 1964: The Trojan Women – Euripides
• 1966: Mark Twain Tonight – Hal Holbrook
• 1971: Sticks and Bones by David Rabe and Old Times by Harold Pinter
• 1980: Peter Brook's Le Centre International de Créations Théâtricales at La MaMa
• 1981: Lena Horne for Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music and New York Shakespeare Festival's The Pirates of Penzance
• 1983: Young Playwrights Festival
• 1984: Samuel Beckett for the body of his work
• 1986: The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe – Lily Tomlin and Jane Wagner
• 1989: Largely New York – Bill Irwin
• 1992: Eileen Atkins – A Room of One's Own
• 1994: Anna Deavere Smith – Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992
• 1994: Signature Theatre Company's Horton Foote season
• 1997: Chicago revival — Encores!
• 1998: Cabaret – Roundabout Theatre Company
• 1999: David Hare
• 2002: Elaine Stritch for Elaine Stritch at Liberty
• 2004: Barbara Cook
• 2006: John Doyle, Sarah Travis and the Broadway revival of Sweeney Todd; Christine Ebersole for Grey Gardens
• 2007: Journey's End Broadway revival
• 2009: Angela Lansbury; Matthew Warchus and the cast of The Norman Conquests; Gerard Alessandrini for Forbidden Broadway
• 2010: Lincoln Center Festival; Viola Davis; Annie Baker
• 2011: The Normal Heart; Mark Rylance for La Bête and Jerusalem; and the direction, design and puppetry of War Horse
• 2012: Signature Theatre Company; Mike Nichols^[7]
• 2013: Soho Rep; New York City Center's Encores!; John Lee Beatty
• 2014: The Shakespeare's Globe productions of Twelfth Night and Richard III; Richard Nelson and the company of the Apple Family Plays
• 2015: Ars Nova; Bob Crowley
• 2016: Oskar Eustis; Lois Smith; Ivo van Hove and Jan Versweyveld
• 2017: Taylor Mac for A 24-Decade History of Popular Music, Ruben Santiago-Hudson and the cast of Jitney; Paula Vogel for career achievement as a playwright and mentor
• 2018: Park Avenue Armory for adventurous theatrical programming; Transport Group; the staging, design and illusions of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
• 2019: Irish Repertory Theatre; Page 73; National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene's revival of Fiddler on the Roof (Fidler Afn Dakh)
• 2020: David Byrne and the Broadway production of American Utopia; Deirdre O'Connell; the New York theater community for perseverance in the face of loss during the COVID-19 pandemic
• 2022: Austin Pendleton; Sanaz Toossi
• 2023: Broadway revival of Parade; Adrienne Kennedy; La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club
• 2024: Broadway revivals of Merrily We Roll Along and Purlie Victorious; Maryann Plunkett and Jay O. Sanders; Heather Christian

• Tony Awards
• Drama Desk Awards
• Obie Awards
• Laurence Olivier Awards
• London Critics' Circle Theatre Awards

• Past Awards, New York Drama Critics' Circle

• "Performing Arts Awards: New York Drama Critics' Circle Awards". Infoplease.com. 2008. Retrieved May 26, 2018.
• Jones, Kenneth (May 11, 2006). "NY Drama Critics' Circle Awards Go to History Boys, Drowsy Chaperone, Sweeney Todd and Ebersole". Playbill. Retrieved May 26, 2018.
• "New York Drama Critics' Circle Awards Go to Utopia, Spring, Golf and Journey's End". Broadway.com. May 7, 2007. Retrieved May 26, 2018.
• Gans, Andrew (May 4, 2009). "Ruined, Billy Elliot and Black Watch Win New York Drama Critics' Circle Awards". Playbill. Retrieved May 26, 2018.

• New York Drama Critics' Circle official site