The Drama Desk Award, created in 1955, is an award recognizing shows produced off-Broadway, off-off-Broadway, and for legitimate not-for-profit theaters, in addition to Broadway productions. Previously there had been only the Tony Awards, which focused solely on Broadway shows, ignoring the hundreds of other productions mounted in New York City each year.
Originally the Vernon Rice Awards in honor of theater critic Vernon Rice of the New York Post, the name was changed in 1963. In its earliest years, a minimal number of prizes were awarded, but there now are as many categories as there are for the Tonys. The Drama Desk is composed of theatre critics, writers and editors; chairperson of the current Nominating Committee is Barbara Siegel (TalkinBroadway.com, TheaterMania.com).