Michael Urie, who won a Drama Desk Award for his solo show Buyer & Cellar, will host The 61st Annual Drama Desk Awards ceremony—honoring productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway—June 5 at 8 PM at Town Hall in New York

Urie said, "I can't wait to host the Drama Desk Awards show. This year, to add more excitement, we're calling it Drama Desk: LIVE!"

Nominations will be announced the morning of April 28.

"We are thrilled to welcome Michael Urie as this year's Drama Desk Awards host. His charm, wit and warmth will make for a very special and lively evening as we celebrate excellence in New York theater," said Gretchen Shugart, managing executive producer of the Drama Desk Awards

Joey Parnes Productions will produce and manage the show, which will be written by Bill Rosenfield and directed by Jack Cummings III.

The 2015-2016 Drama Desk nominating committee comprises David Barbour (Lighting & Sound America), Chair; Peter Filichia (Broadway Select, author, most recently, of The Great Parade: The Remarkable 1963-64 Broadway Season); David Finkle (Blogger, Huffington Post; Clyde Fitch Report); Sandy MacDonald (Time Out New York, TheaterNewsOnline.com); Andy Propst (AmericanTheaterWeb.com, author, You Fascinate Me So: The Life & Times of Cy Coleman); Diane Snyder (Cititour.com, Time Out New York); Douglas Strassler (Garden State Journal); Charles Wright (President, Drama Desk), ex officio.

The Drama Desk was founded in 1949 to "explore key issues in the theater and bring together critics, writers, editors, and publishers in an organization to support the ongoing development of theater in New York." The organization began presenting its awards in 1955.

Gretchen Shugart is managing executive producer of the Drama Desk Awards, and Robert R. Blume and David S. Stone, in association with Renee McCurry, are executive producers. Charles Wright is the president of the Drama Desk.

Tickets to the 61st Annual Drama Desk Awards willl go on sale to the general public March 28 at Dramadeskawards.com.