Justin Paul

Justin Paul (born January 3, 1985) is an American theater and television composer and lyricist best known for his works The Greatest Showman, La La Land, and Dear Evan Hansen, which he co-wrote with his songwriting partner, Benj Pasek. Born in Missouri and raised in Connecticut, Paul attended Music Theatre of Connecticut School of Performing Arts, Coleytown Middle School, and Staples High School. He was an active member of both Coleytown Company and Staples Players during his time in public school. Paul graduated from the University of Michigan in 2006 with a BFA in Musical Theatre. He has also co-created the song cycle Edges and worked as a songwriter for the Disney Channel show Johnny and the Sprites. In 2007, Paul and Pasek won the Jonathan Larson Award. Additionally, he co-wrote and co-composed the musical Dogfight.