Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play
American theatre award for Broadway actresses
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play 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 Broadway play. The awards are named after Antoinette Perry, an American actress who died in 1946.
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Awarded forBest Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
LocationNew York City
Presented byAmerican Theatre Wing, The Broadway League
Currently held byLesley Manville for Oedipus (2026)
| Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play | |
|---|---|
2026 Recipient: Lesley Manville | |
| Awarded for | Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play |
| Location | New York City |
| Presented by | American Theatre Wing, The Broadway League |
| Currently held by | Lesley Manville for Oedipus (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][2]
The award was originally called the Tony Award for Actress—Play. It was first presented to Ingrid Bergman and Helen Hayes at the 1st Tony Awards for their portrayals of Mary Grey / Joan of Arc and Addie Bemis in Joan of Lorraine and Happy Birthday, respectively. Before 1956, nominees' names were not made public;[3] the change was made by the awards committee to "have a greater impact on theatregoers".[4]
There have been two ties and one three-way tie in this category. Julie Harris holds the record for having the most wins and nominations in this category, with a total of five wins from nine nominations. Medea in the play of the same name is the character to take the award the most times, winning three times.
Winners and nominees
indicates the winner
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1940s
| Year | Actress | Play | Role(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1947 (1st) | ||||
| Ingrid Bergman | Joan of Lorraine | Mary Grey / Joan of Arc | ||
| Helen Hayes | Happy Birthday | Addie Bemis | ||
| 1948 (2nd) | ||||
| Judith Anderson | Medea | Medea | ||
| Katharine Cornell | Antony and Cleopatra | Cleopatra | ||
| Jessica Tandy | A Streetcar Named Desire | Blanche DuBois | ||
| 1949 (3rd) |
Martita Hunt | The Madwoman of Chaillot | Countess Aurelia |
1950s
1960s
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
2020s
Most wins
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Most nominations
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Character win total
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Character nomination total
Characters nominated for both the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical and Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play
- 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
- The Chalk Garden – Gladys Cooper and Siobhán McKenna
- Toys in the Attic – Maureen Stapleton and Irene Worth
- The Killing of Sister George – Beryl Reid and Eileen Atkins
- 'night, Mother – Kathy Bates and Anne Pitoniak
- A Streetcar Named Desire – Blythe Danner and Frances McDormand
- The Sisters Rosensweig – Madeline Kahn and Jane Alexander
- A Delicate Balance – Rosemary Harris and Elaine Stritch
- August: Osage County – Deanna Dunagan and Amy Morton
- God of Carnage – Marcia Gay Harden and Hope Davis (produced during the same season as Mary Stuart)
- Mary Stuart – Janet McTeer and Harriet Walter (produced during the same season as God of Carnage)
- Fallen Angels – Rose Byrne and Kelli O'Hara
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 Play
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play
- Drama League Award for Distinguished Performance
- Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress
- Lists of acting awards
- Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Lead Performer in a Broadway Play