1960s

• 1960 George Abbott – Fiorello!
• 1961 Gower Champion – Bye Bye Birdie
• 1962 Abe Burrows – How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
• 1963 George Abbott – A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
• 1964 Gower Champion – Hello, Dolly!
• 1965 Jerome Robbins – Fiddler on the Roof
• 1966 Albert Marre – Man of La Mancha
• 1967 Harold Prince – Cabaret
• 1968 Gower Champion – The Happy Time
• 1969 Peter Hunt – 1776

1970s

• 1970 Ron Field – Applause
• 1971 Harold Prince – Company
• 1972 Harold Prince and Michael Bennett – Follies
• 1973 Bob Fosse – Pippin
• 1974 Harold Prince – Candide
• 1975 Geoffrey Holder – The Wiz
• 1976 Michael Bennett – A Chorus Line
• 1977 Gene Saks – I Love My Wife
• 1978 Richard Maltby, Jr. – Ain't Misbehavin'
• 1979 Harold Prince – Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street

• 1990 Tommy Tune – Grand Hotel
  • Trevor Nunn – Aspects of Love
  • Michael Blakemore – City of Angels
  • Susan H. Schulman – Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street

• 1991 Tommy Tune – The Will Rogers Follies
  • Graciella Danielle – Once on This Island
  • Nicholas Hytner – Miss Saigon
  • Eleanor Reissa – Those Were the Days

• 1992 Jerry Zaks – Guys and Dolls
  • Mike Ockrent – Crazy for You
  • James Lapine – Falsettos
  • George C. Wolfe – Jelly's Last Jam

• 1993 Des McAnuff – The Who's Tommy
  • Bill Kenwright and Bob Tomson – Blood Brothers
  • Michael Kidd – The Goodbye Girl
  • Harold Prince – Kiss of the Spider Woman

• 1994 Nicholas Hytner – Carousel
  • Robert Jess Roth – Beauty and the Beast
  • James Lapine – Passion
  • Scott Ellis – She Loves Me

• 1995 Harold Prince – Show Boat
  • Des McAnuff – How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
  • Jerry Zaks – Smokey Joe's Cafe
  • Trevor Nunn – Sunset Boulevard

• 1996 George C. Wolfe – Bring in 'da Noise/Bring in 'da Funk
  • Jerry Zaks – A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
  • Christopher Renshaw – The King and I
  • Michael Greif – Rent

• 1997 Walter Bobbie – Chicago
  • Julie Taymor – Juan Darien
  • Michael Blakemore – The Life
  • Scott Ellis – Steel Pier

• 1998 Julie Taymor – The Lion King
  • Sam Mendes and Rob Marshall – Cabaret
  • Frank Galati – Ragtime
  • Scott Ellis – 1776

• 1999 Matthew Bourne – Swan Lake
  • Richard Maltby, Jr. and Ann Reinking – Fosse
  • Harold Prince – Parade
  • Michael Mayer – You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown

• 2000 Michael Blakemore – Kiss Me, Kate
  • Susan Stroman – Contact
  • Susan Stroman – The Music Man
  • Lynne Taylor-Corbett – Swing!

• 2001 Susan Stroman – The Producers
  • Mark Bramble – 42nd Street
  • Jack O'Brien – The Full Monty
  • Christopher Ashley – The Rocky Horror Show

• 2002 John Rando – Urinetown: The Musical
  • James Lapine – Into the Woods
  • Trevor Nunn – Oklahoma!
  • Michael Mayer – Thoroughly Modern Millie

• 2003 Jack O'Brien – Hairspray
  • Baz Luhrmann – La Boheme
  • Twyla Tharp – Movin' Out
  • David Leveraux – Nine

• 2004 Joe Mantello – Assassins
  • Jason Moore – Avenue Q
  • George C. Wolfe – Caroline, or Change
  • Kathleen Marshall – Wonderful Town

• 2005 Mike Nichols – Monty Python's Spamalot
  • Jack O'Brien – Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
  • Bartlett Sher – The Light in the Piazza
  • James Lapine – The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

• 2006 John Doyle – Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street
  • Casey Nicolaw – The Drowsy Chaperone
  • Des McAnuff – Jersey Boys
  • Kathleen Marshall – The Pajama Game

• 2007 Michael Mayer – Spring Awakening
  • John Doyle – Company
  • Scott Ellis – Curtains
  • Michael Greif – Grey Gardens

• 2008 Bartlett Sher – South Pacific
  • Sam Buntrock – Sunday in the Park with George
  • Thomas Kail – In the Heights
  • Arthur Laurents – Gypsy