Why was no award given for "Best Score" in 1952-1959 / 1961 / 1969 / 1970?

I was researching Jerry Herman's Tony Awards and found some very interesting gaps in the handing out of the "Best Score" award. Namely, 1952-1959, 1961, 1969, and 1970. Why as no award given for "Best Score" in those years? Between . . .

-1961-
-Irma La Douce (Monnot and Breffort)
-Tenderloin (Bock and Harnick)
-The Unsinkable Molly Brown
-Camelot (Lerner and Lowe)
-Do Re Mi (Styne, Comden and Green)
-The Happiest Girl in the World (Offenbach and Harburg)
-Carnival! (Merrill)
-Wildcat (Coleman and Leigh)

-1969-
-1776 (Edwards)
-Hair (MacDermot, Rado, Ragni)
-Zorba (Kander and Ebb)
-Promises, Promises (Bacharach and David)
-Dear World (Jerry Herman)
-Celebration (Schmidt and Jones)

-1970-
-Oh! Calcutta! (Dennis,Schickele,Walden)
-Coco (Previn and Lerner)
-Purlie (Geld and Udell)
-Applause (Strouse and Adams)

. . . it would seem they had plenty of worthy scores to nominate and pick from. Well, at least the in the first two years, I can sort of understand in '70, but if we had that season today, I think the award would still be presented. And then the award wasn't presented from 1952-1959, which I'm also very curious about. The only other year the award wasn't presented was in 1989, and I know that was due to a lack of good original scores.

I know its a long question, but I felt it was better than starting 4 different threads.

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Updated On: 3/4/07 at 12:32 AM

That's always been a questions I've wanted to ask, but you must remember that before 1970, the authors got the Best Musical prize, not the producers. I suppose that could be the reason why, but many of those scores deserved recognition.

Riiiight, looking at Best Book, that wasn't given out from '52-'61 either, so that explains those years. But '69 and '70 are still a mystery.

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^So does that mean they suspended the Best Score and Book awards in '69 and '70?

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I believe The Wing must have been frightened of the ridiculous score of Hair winning Best Score in 1969 just because it was Rock 'n' Roll as well.

No and yes. The categories for book and score were eliminated, but the writers of the winning shows got Tonys.

So I am assuming that's the same reason no Book awards were given from '66 to '70.

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Updated On: 3/4/07 at 12:59 AM

^So just out of curiosity, what would you do with the "Best Score" and "Best Book" awards?

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Exactly best12bars. Try to convince me that "Hairspry" is remotely a hit without O'Donnell, Meehan, Shaiman and Wittman.

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Or perhaps it should be...

Cutest Boy in a Heterosexual Way
Cutest Boy in a Homosexual Way
Cutest Girl

It would clear things up!

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I personally feel that book and score should be seperate from the best show award.
One example where it seems to work (IMO) was the year Into the Woods won score and POTO won musical.
Woods score is far superior to POTO, but POTO is a better all around show.

Edit-thanks for pointing this out J2. And I agree with B12B that the play category should have it's own best book award.

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Updated On: 3/4/07 at 01:21 PM