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# All ‘SpongeBob’ songwriters will be eligible for a Tony Award
- URL: https://www.broadwaynews.com/spongebob-songwriters-will-eligible-tony-award-committee-rules/
- Published: 2018-01-26T00:32:25.000Z
- Updated: 2023-04-25T18:16:52.000Z
- Description: The Tony Award for best original score could go to more than a dozen artists for the same musical. In its second meeting, the Tony Awards Administration Committee discussed “SpongeBob SquarePants the Musical,” as well as eight other shows from the season.
- Author: Caitlin Huston
- Tags: Tony Awards, #caitlin, SpongeBob SquarePants, Spotlight, Tina Landau, T.I., John Legend, Panic! at the Disco, Urban Cowboy, News

The Tony Award for best original score could go to more than a dozen artists for the same musical.

In its second meeting, the Tony Awards Administration Committee discussed “SpongeBob SquarePants the Musical,” [as well as eight other shows](https://broadwaynews.com/2018/01/25/keegan-michael-key-laura-benanti-considered-featured-role-category-tonys/?ref=broadwaynews.com) from the season. In that meeting, the committee determined that the 15 artists who wrote original songs for the musical would be eligible for a Tony.

“The artists listed under Original Songs By on the opening night credits are eligible,” a press agent for the Tony Awards wrote in an email to Broadway News.

The musical features a score of pop, gospel and rap songs from well-known artists including John Legend, T.I. and Plain White T’s, as well as previous Broadway songwriters Sara Bareilles and Cyndi Lauper. Tina Landau, director of “SpongeBob SquarePants” [told Broadway News in November](https://broadwaynews.com/2017/11/30/spongebob-squarepants-created-rap-pop-gospel-score/?ref=broadwaynews.com) that she wanted to a diverse score to match the universe of the show.

“The world of Bikini Bottom and SpongeBob is so much about variety and a surreal mashup of things,” Landau said.

That closest comparison to “SpongeBob SquarePants” may be “Urban Cowboy,” which listed thirty composers and lyricists in its 2003 Tony Category for Best Score – though not all songs were originally written for the musical.

“Urban Cowboy” did not win in 2003, as Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman took home the prize for “Hairspray.”