Tony-Winning Sunset Boulevard Lyricist Don Black to Receive Special Olivier Award

Tony-winning lyricist Don Black will receive the Olivier Awards' 2020 Special Award, which recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the theater. Black will be honored at the Oliviers ceremony, scheduled for April 5 at the Royal Albert Hall. "The Society of London Theatre is delighted to honour Don Black with the Special Award, marking an extraordinary career encompassing many genres, but particularly musical theatre," said Kenny Wax, president of the Society of London Theatre, in a statement. "Lyricists often do not receive the recognition they deserve, despite their words being known and loved by audiences worldwide."

Black's longtime partnership with Andrew Lloyd Webber has yielded five West End productions: Tell Me On a Sunday (1982), Aspects of Love (1989), Whistle Down the Wind (1998) and Stephen Ward (2013). In 1995, Black won two Tony Awards for writing the book and lyrics to the Webber-composed Sunset Boulevard with Christopher Hampton, which was revived in 2017. Additionally, Black has written the lyrics for nine other Broadway shows, including Merlin (1983), Bonnie and Clyde (2011) and Disaster! (2016). 

In addition to his theater work, Black has written the lyrics for many film songs. His lyrics for songs in True Grit (1969), Ben (1972), Gold (1974) and The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976) earned him Academy Award nominations, and his lyrics for the title song of Born Free (1967) earned him the Oscar trophy. Black is particularly known for his long association with the James Bond films, writing the themes for Thunderball (1965), Diamonds Are Forever (1971) and The Man with the Golden Gun (1974). 

The Olivier nominations were announced on March 3. Read about them here.