Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical
American theatre award for Broadway actresses
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The Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical is an honor presented at the Tony Awards, a ceremony established in 1947 as the Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, to actresses for quality leading roles in a musical play, whether a new production or a revival. The awards are named after Antoinette Perry, an American actress who died in 1946.
Awarded forBest Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
LocationNew York City
Presented byAmerican Theatre Wing The Broadway League
Currently held byCaissie Levy for Ragtime (2026)
| Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical | |
|---|---|
2026 Recipient: Caissie Levy | |
| Awarded for | Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical |
| Location | New York City |
| Presented by | American Theatre Wing The Broadway League |
| Currently held by | Caissie Levy for Ragtime (2026) |
| Website | TonyAwards.com |
Honors in several categories are presented at the ceremony annually by the Tony Award Productions, a joint venture of The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing, to "honor the best performances and stage productions of the previous year."[1]
The award was originally called the Tony Award for Actresses—Musical. It was first presented to Grace Hartman at the 2nd Tony Awards for her portrayal of various characters in Angel in the Wings. Before 1956, nominees' names were not made public;[2] the change was made by the awards committee to "have a greater impact on theatregoers".[3]
In 1965, Liza Minnelli, age 19, became the youngest actress to win the award. She is followed by Lea Salonga, age 20, in 1991. In 2017, Bette Midler, age 71, became the oldest actress to win the award. She is followed by Victoria Clark, age 63, in 2023.
Angela Lansbury holds the record as the performer with the most wins in this category, with a total of four. Chita Rivera has the most nominations, with eight. The characters of Rose in Gypsy and Anna Leonowens in The King and I currently hold the record for most wins, each winning three times. Rose also holds the record for most nominations, with six.
Winners and nominees
indicates the winner
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1940s
| Year | Actress | Musical | Role(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1947 (1st) |
Not awarded | |||
| 1948 (2nd) | ||||
| Grace Hartman | Angel in the Wings | Nettie / Mrs. Blodgett / Ruth / Mrs. Hutchinson | ||
| 1949 (3rd) | ||||
| Nanette Fabray | Love Life | Susan Cooper | ||
1950s
| Year | Actress | Musical | Role(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 (4th) | ||||
| Mary Martin | South Pacific | Ensign Nellie Forbush | ||
| 1951 (5th) | ||||
| Ethel Merman | Call Me Madam | Sally Adams | ||
| 1952 (6th) | ||||
| Gertrude Lawrence | The King and I | Anna Leonowens | ||
| 1953 (7th) | ||||
| Rosalind Russell | Wonderful Town | Ruth Sherwood | ||
| 1954 (8th) | ||||
| Dolores Gray | Carnival in Flanders | Cornelia | ||
| 1955 (9th) | ||||
| Mary Martin | Peter Pan | Peter Pan | ||
| 1956 (10th) | ||||
| Gwen Verdon | Damn Yankees | Lola | [4] | |
| Carol Channing | The Vamp | Flora Weems / Delilah | ||
| Nancy Walker | Phoenix '55 | Various Characters | ||
| 1957 (11th) | ||||
| Judy Holliday | Bells Are Ringing | Ella Peterson | [5] | |
| Julie Andrews | My Fair Lady | Eliza Doolittle | ||
| Ethel Merman | Happy Hunting | Liz Livingstone | ||
| 1958 (12th) | ||||
| Thelma Ritter | New Girl in Town | Marthy Owen | [6] | |
| Gwen Verdon | Anna Christopherson | |||
| Lena Horne | Jamaica | Savannah | ||
| Beatrice Lillie | Ziegfeld Follies of 1957 | Various Characters | ||
| 1959 (13th) | ||||
| Gwen Verdon | Redhead | Essie Whimple | [7] | |
| Miyoshi Umeki | Flower Drum Song | Mei-Li |
1960s
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
2020s
Notes
- The category was not given due to an insufficient number of musicals during the season.
Most wins
Most nominations
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Character win total
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Character nomination total
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Characters nominated for both the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play and the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical
- Joan of Arc from Goodtime Charley, Saint Joan, Joan of Lorraine and The Lark
- Countess Aurelia from The Madwoman of Chaillot and Dear World
- Sally Bowles from I Am a Camera and Cabaret
- Leona Samish from The Time of the Cuckoo and Do I Hear a Waltz?
- Dolly Gallagher Levi from The Matchmaker and Hello Dolly!
- Lena Younger from A Raisin in the Sun and Raisin
- Mame Dennis from Auntie Mame and Mame
- Eliza Gant from Look Homeward, Angel and Angel
- Claire Zachanassian The Visit (play) and The Visit (musical)
- Sister Margaret Alexander from The Amen Corner and Amen Corner (musical)
- Eliza Doolittle from Pygmalion and My Fair Lady
- Lizzie Curry from The Rainmaker and 110 in the Shade.
- Lily Garland / Mildred Plotka from Twentieth Century and On the Twentieth Century
- Madame Arcati from Blithe Spirit and High Spirits
- Anna Christopherson from Anna Christie and New Girl in Town
Productions with multiple nominations
boldface=winner
- New Girl in Town – Thelma Ritter and Gwen Verdon (tie)
- Company – Susan Browning and Elaine Stritch
- Follies – Dorothy Collins and Alexis Smith
- Chicago – Chita Rivera and Gwen Verdon
- Annie – Dorothy Loudon and Andrea McArdle
- Dreamgirls – Jennifer Holliday and Sheryl Lee Ralph
- The Rink – Liza Minnelli and Chita Rivera
- Black and Blue – Ruth Brown and Linda Hopkins
- Guys and Dolls – Josie de Guzman and Faith Prince
- Urinetown – Nancy Opel and Jennifer Laura Thompson
- Wicked – Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel
- War Paint – Christine Ebersole and Patti LuPone
- The Prom – Caitlin Kinnunen and Beth Leavel
- Death Becomes Her – Megan Hilty and Jennifer Simard
Multiple awards and nominations
- Actresses who have been nominated multiple times in any acting categories
See also
- Best Actress
- Dorian Award for Outstanding Lead Performance in a Broadway Musical
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical
- Drama League Award for Distinguished Performance
- Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical
- Lists of acting awards
- Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Lead Performer in a Broadway Musical