Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Solo Performance
| Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Solo Performance | |
|---|---|
![]() Sarah Snook, 2025 winner | |
| Awarded for | Outstanding Solo Performance |
| Location | New York City |
| Presented by | Outer Critics Circle |
| Currently held by | Sarah Snook, The Picture of Dorian Gray (2025) |
| Website | OuterCriticsCircle.org |
The Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Solo Performance is an honor presented at the Outer Critics Circle Awards, a ceremony established in 1950 for excellence in Off-Broadway and Broadway productions, to actors for quality leading roles in a play, whether a new production or a revival. The award was first presented in the 1994-1995 season.
John Leguizamo has won the award two times out of three nominations, while Mike Birbiglia has received the most nominations with five (including one win).
Winners and nominees
- Key
and bold indicates the winner.
1990s
| Year | Actor | Project | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | |||
| James Lescene | Word of Mouth | [1] | |
| 1996 | |||
| Patti Lupone | Patti Lupone on Broadway | [2] | |
| 1997 | |||
| Felix A. Pire | Men on the Verge of a His-panic Breakdown | [3][4] | |
| 1998 | |||
| John Leguizamo | Freak | [5][6] | |
| Danny Hoch | Jails, Hospitals and Hip Hop | ||
| Lewis Black | Black Humor | ||
| 1999 | |||
| David Hare | Via Dolorosa | [7][8] | |
| James Naughton | James Naughton: Street of Dreams | ||
| Lisa Kron | 2.5 Minute Ride | ||
| Dan Gordon | A Night in November |
2000s
| Year | Actor | Project | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 (tie) | |||
| Olympia Dukakis | Rose | [9][10] | |
| Mark Setlock | Fully Committed | ||
| Mark Linn-Baker | Chesapeake | ||
| Marc Wolf | Another American Asking and Telling | ||
| 2001 | |||
| Pamela Gien | The Syringa Tree | [11][12] | |
| Brian D'Arcy James | The Good Thief | ||
| Bill Irwin | Texts for Nothing | ||
| Tovah Feldshuh | Tallulah Hallelujah | ||
| 2002 | |||
| Elaine Stritch | Elaine Stritch at Liberty | [13][14] | |
| John Leguizamo | Sexaholix | ||
| Kevin Bacon | An Almost Holy Picture | ||
| Charles Nelson Reilly | Save It for the Stage: The Life of Reilly | ||
| 2003 | |||
| Frank Gorshin | Say Goodnight, Gracie | [15][16] | |
| Tovah Feldshuh | Golda's Balcony | ||
| Charlayne Woodard | In Real Life | ||
| Kate Mulgrew | Tea at Five | ||
| 2004 | |||
| Jefferson Mays | I Am My Own Wife | [17][18] | |
| Martin Moran | The Tricky Part | ||
| Sarah Jones | Bridge and Tunnel | ||
| Angelica Torn | Edge | ||
| 2005 | |||
| Billy Crystal | 700 Sundays | [19][20] | |
| Heather Raffo | Nine Parts of Desire | ||
| Gareth Armstrong | Shylock | ||
| Mercedes Ruehl | Woman Before a Glass | ||
| 2006 | |||
| Antony Sher | Primo | [21][22] | |
| Marga Gomez | Los Big Names | ||
| Jack Holmes | RFK | ||
| Steven Fales | Steven Fales: Confessions of a Mormon Boy | ||
| 2007 | |||
| Nilaja Sun | No Child... | [23][24] | |
| Daniel Beaty | Emergen-See | ||
| Jay Johnson | Jay Johnson: The Two & Only! | ||
| Ed Harris | Wrecks | ||
| 2008 | |||
| Laurence Fishburne | Thurgood | [25][26] | |
| Chazz Palminteri | A Bronx Tale | ||
| Stephen Lang | Beyond Glory | ||
| April Yvette Thompson | Liberty City | ||
| 2009 | |||
| Lorenzo Pisoni | Humor Abuse | [27][28] | |
| Matt Sax | Clay | ||
| Mike Daisey | If You See Something, Say Something | ||
| Mike Burstyn | Lansky | ||
| Mike Birbiglia | Sleepwalk With Me |
2010s
| Year | Actor | Project | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | |||
| Carrie Fisher | Wishful Drinking | [29][30] | |
| Anna Deavere Smith | Let Me Down Easy | ||
| Jim Brochu | Zero Hour | ||
| Judith Ivey | The Lady With All The Answers | ||
| 2011 | |||
| John Leguizamo | Ghetto Klown | [31][32] | |
| Mike Birbiglia | Mike Birbiglia's My Girlfriend's Boyfriend | ||
| Michael Shannon | Mistakes Were Made | ||
| Daniel Beaty | Through the Night | ||
| 2012 | |||
| Denis O'Hare | An Iliad | [33][34] | |
| Stephen Spinella | An Iliad | ||
| Judy Gold | My Life As a Sitcom | ||
| David Greenspan | The Patsy | ||
| 2013 | |||
| Holland Taylor | Ann | [35][36] | |
| Martin Moran | All The Rage | ||
| Fiona Shaw | The Testament of Mary | ||
| Michael Urie | Buyer & Cellar | ||
| Bette Midler | I'll Eat You Last: A Chat With Sue Mengers | ||
| 2014 | |||
| John Douglas Thompson | Satchmo at the Waldorf | [37][38] | |
| Alexandra Silber | Arlington | ||
| Ruben Santiago-Hudson | How I Learned What I Learned | ||
| Debra Jo Rupp | Becoming Dr. Ruth | ||
| Jim Brochu | Character Man | ||
| 2015 | |||
| Jim Dale | Just Jim Dale | [39][40] | |
| Cush Jumbo | Josephine and I | ||
| Joe Assadourian | The Bullpen | ||
| Benjamin Scheuer | The Lion | ||
| Tom Dugan | Wiesenthal | ||
| 2016 | |||
| James Lecesne | The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey | [41][42][43] | |
| Daphne Rubin-Vega | Empanada Loca | ||
| Anne Hathaway | Grounded | ||
| Kathleen Chalfant | Rose | ||
| Mike Birbiglia | Thank God for Jokes | ||
| 2017 | |||
| Simon McBurney | The Encounter | [44][45] | |
| Judith Light | All the Ways to Say I Love You | ||
| Ed Dixon | Georgie: My Adventures with George Ross | ||
| Marin Ireland | On the Exhale | ||
| Sarah Jones | Sell/Buy/Date | ||
| 2018 | |||
| Billy Crudup | Harry Clarke | [46][47] | |
| Sharon Washington | Feeding the Dragon | ||
| Eve Ensler | In the Body of the World | ||
| John Lithgow | John Lithgow: Stories by Heart | ||
| Alison Fraser | Squeamish | ||
| 2019 | |||
| Mike Birbiglia | The New One | [48][49] | |
| Jake Gyllenhaal | A Life | ||
| Maddie Corman | Accidentally Brave | ||
| Carey Mulligan | Girls & Boys | ||
| Renee Taylor | My Life on a Diet |
2020s
| Year | Actor | Project | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 (Hon.) | David Cale | We're Only Alive For a Short Amount of Time | [50][51] |
| 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 | ||
| 2021 | No awards given due to COVID-19 pandemic. | ||
| 2022 | |||
| Kristina Wong | Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord | [52][53] | |
| Arturo Luís Soria | Ni Mi Madre | ||
| Jenn Murray | A Girl Is a Half-formed Thing | ||
| Alex Edelman | Just for Us | ||
| 2023 | |||
| Jodie Comer | Prima Facie | [54][55] | |
| Jefferson Mays | A Christmas Carol | ||
| Sam Morrison | Sugar Daddy | ||
| Mike Birbiglia | The Old Man and the Pool | ||
| Anthony Rapp | Without You | ||
| 2024 | |||
| Patrick Page | All the Devils Are Here | [56][57] | |
| John Rubenstein | Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground | ||
| Eddie Izzard | Hamlet | ||
| Mona Pirnot | I Love You So Much I Could Die | ||
| Robert Montano | Small | ||
| 2025 | |||
| Sarah Snook | The Picture of Dorian Gray | [58][59] | |
| Sam Kissajukian | 300 Paintings | ||
| Khawla Ibraheem | A Knock on the Roof | ||
| David Greenspan | I'm Assuming You Know David Greenspan | ||
| Andrew Scott | Vanya | ||
Multiple wins
- 2 wins
Multiple nominations
- 5 nominations
- 3 nominations
- 2 nominations
See also
References
- ^ "1994-1995 Outer Critics Circle Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
- ^ "1995-1996 Outer Critics Circle Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
- ^ "1996-1997 Outer Critics Circle Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
- ^ Lefkowitz, David (May 5, 1997). "Outer Critics Circle Award Winners Announced". Playbill. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
- ^ "1997-1998 Outer Critics Circle Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
- ^ Viagas & Lefkowitz (April 27, 1998). "Lion King Roars With Six Outer Critics Circle Awards". Playbill. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
- ^ "1998-1999 Outer Critics Circle Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
- ^ "Nightingales, Wit, Iceman & Fosse Win Outer Critics Awards; Ceremony May 28". Playbill. April 26, 1999. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
- ^ "1999-2000 Outer Critics Circle Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
- ^ "Contact and Kiss Me, Kate Big Winners of 2000 Outer Critics Awards". Playbill. April 30, 2000. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
- ^ "2000-2001 Outer Critics Circle Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
- ^ Simonson & Lefkowitz (May 24, 2001). "2001 Outer Critics Circle Awards Held at Sardi's, May 24". Playbill. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
- ^ "2001-2002 Outer Critics Circle Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
- ^ "The 2001–2002 Outer Critics Circle Award Winners". TheaterMania. April 29, 2002. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
- ^ "2002-2003 Outer Critics Circle Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
- ^ Gans, Andrew (May 5, 2003). "Outer Critics Circle Award Winners Announced; Hairspray Leads the Pack". Playbill. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
- ^ "2003-2004 Outer Critics Circle Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
- ^ "Wicked, Wonderful Town, I Am My Own Wife Top 2004 Outer Critics Circle Awards". Playbill. May 2, 2004. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
- ^ "2004-2005 Outer Critics Circle Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
- ^ "2005 Outer Critics Circle Award Winners Announced". New York Theatre Guide. May 9, 2005. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
- ^ "2005-2006 Outer Critics Circle Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
- ^ Hernandez, Ernio (May 14, 2006). "The Drowsy Chaperone and The History Boys Top Outer Critics Awards". Playbill. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
- ^ Gans, Andrew (May 24, 2007). "Outer Critics Circle Awards Are Presented by Clark, Young and Mitchell May 24". Playbill. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
- ^ "2006–2007 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
- ^ Gans, Andrew (May 12, 2008). "South Pacific Is Big Winner in Outer Critics Circle Awards". Playbill. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
- ^ "2007–2008 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
- ^ "Outer Critics Circle 2008–09 Award Winners". New York Theatre Guide. May 11, 2009. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
- ^ "2008–2009 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
- ^ "MEMPHIS & LA CAGE Top Outer Critics Circle Winners". BroadwayWorld. May 17, 2010. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
- ^ "2009–2010 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
- ^ "The Book of Mormon, War Horse and Anything Goes Top 2011 Outer Critics Circle Awards". Broadway.com. May 16, 2011. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
- ^ "2010–2011 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
- ^ Gans, Andrew (May 14, 2012). "Outer Critics Circle Winners Announced; Once and One Man, Two Guvnors Are Top Winners". Playbill. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
- ^ "2011–2012 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
- ^ "Outer Critics Circle 2013 Award Winners". New York Theatre Guide. May 13, 2013. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
- ^ "2012–2013 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
- ^ Gans, Andrew (May 12, 2014). "64th Annual Outer Critics Circle Award Winners Announced; Gentleman's Guide Wins Four Awards". Playbill. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
- ^ "2013–2014 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
- ^ "Outer Critics Circle Awards 2015: Full List". Variety. April 27, 2015. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
- ^ "2014–2015 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
- ^ "Outer Critics Circle Honors 'She Loves Me' and 'Long Day's Journey Into Night'". The New York Times. May 9, 2016. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
- ^ Viagas, Robert (May 9, 2016). "Bright Star and The Humans Win Top 2016 NY Outer Critics Circle Awards". Playbill. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
- ^ "2015–2016 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
- ^ Lefkowitz, Andy (May 8, 2017). "2017 Outer Critics Circle Awards: Come From Away & More Win Top Prizes". Broadway.com. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
- ^ "2016–2017 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
- ^ McPhee, Ryan (May 7, 2018). "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, My Fair Lady Win Big at 2018 Outer Critics Circle Awards". Playbill. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
- ^ "2017–2018 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
- ^ Lefkowitz, Andy (May 13, 2019). "Hadestown Leads Winners of 2019 Outer Critics Circle Awards". Broadway.com. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
- ^ "2018–2019 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
- ^ "Moulin Rouge! tops the list of 2020 Outer Critics Circle Award Honorees". NewYorkTheaterGuide. 12 May 2020. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
- ^ Clement, Olivia (May 11, 2020). "Moulin Rouge! Leads 2020 Outer Critics Circle Award Honorees". Playbill. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
- ^ "Outer Critics Circle Awards 2022". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
- ^ Culwell-Block, Logan (May 17, 2022). "The Lehman Trilogy Leads 2022 Outer Critics Circle Awards, Six Wins Best Musical; See the Complete List of Winners". Playbill. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
- ^ "2022–2023 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
- ^ Culwell-Block, Logan (May 16, 2023). "Some Like It Hot Dominates 2023 Outer Critics Circle Awards; See the Full List of Winners". Playbill. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
- ^ "2023–2024 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
- ^ Culwell-Block, Logan (May 13, 2024). "Stereophonic Leads 2024 Outer Critics Circle Awards, Wins Best Play; See the Full List of Winners". Playbill. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
- ^ "2024–2025 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
- ^ Culwell-Block, Logan (May 12, 2025). "Maybe Happy Ending Leads 2025 Outer Critics Circle Awards; See the Full List of Winners". Playbill. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
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