| Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical | |
|---|---|
2022 recipient: Joaquina Kalukango for Paradise Square | |
| 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 | Joaquina Kalukango for Paradise Square (2022) |
| Website | TonyAwards.com |
The Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical is awarded to the best actress in a musical, whether a new production or a revival. The award has been given since 1948, but the nominees who did not win have only been publicly announced since 1956.[1]
The award was not presented in 1947 or 1985.[2] Ken Mandelbaum wrote about the 1985 season: "Things get bad enough musically to require the elimination of the Best Musical Actor and Actress categories, as well as the choreography prize."[3] There have been three ties in this category, in 1958, 1962 and 1968.[4]
In 1965, Liza Minnelli, age 19, became the youngest actress to win the award, a record she still holds today. She is followed by Lea Salonga, age 20, in 1991. In 2017, Bette Midler, age 71, became the oldest actress to win the award, a record she still holds today. She is followed by Ruth Brown, age 61, in 1989.
| Year | Actress | Musical | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1947 1st Tony Awards |
— | ||
| 1948 2nd Tony Awards | |||
| Grace Hartman | Angel in the Wings | Nettie / Mrs. Blodgett / Ruth / Mrs. Hutchinson | |
| 1949 3rd Tony Awards | |||
| Nanette Fabray | Love Life | Susan Cooper | |
| Year | Actress | Musical | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 4th Tony Awards | |||
| Mary Martin | South Pacific | Ensign Nellie Forbush | |
| 1951 5th Tony Awards | |||
| Ethel Merman | Call Me Madam | Sally Adams | |
| 1952 6th Tony Awards | |||
| Gertrude Lawrence | The King and I | Anna Leonowens | |
| 1953 7th Tony Awards | |||
| Rosalind Russell | Wonderful Town | Ruth Sherwood | |
| 1954 8th Tony Awards | |||
| Dolores Gray | Carnival in Flanders | Cornelia | |
| 1955 9th Tony Awards | |||
| Mary Martin | Peter Pan | Peter Pan | |
| 1956 10th Tony Awards | |||
| Gwen Verdon | Damn Yankees | Lola | |
| Carol Channing | The Vamp | Flora Weems | |
| Nancy Walker | Phoenix '55 | Various Characters | |
| 1957 11th Tony Awards | |||
| Judy Holliday | Bells Are Ringing | Ella Peterson | |
| Julie Andrews | My Fair Lady | Eliza Doolittle | |
| Ethel Merman | Happy Hunting | Liz Livingstone | |
| 1958 12th Tony Awards | |||
| Thelma Ritter | New Girl in Town | Marthy Owen | |
| Gwen Verdon | Anna Christopherson | ||
| Lena Horne | Jamaica | Savannah | |
| Beatrice Lillie | Ziegfeld Follies of 1957 | Various Characters | |
| 1959 13th Tony Awards | |||
| Gwen Verdon | Redhead | Essie Whimple | |
| Miyoshi Umeki | Flower Drum Song | Mei-Li |
| Year | Actress | Musical | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 74th Tony Awards | |||
| Adrienne Warren | Tina | Tina Turner | |
| Karen Olivo | Moulin Rouge! | Satine | |
| Elizabeth Stanley | Jagged Little Pill | Mary Jane Healy | |
| 2021 Ceremony not held |
— | ||
| 2022 75th Tony Awards | |||
| Joaquina Kalukango | Paradise Square | Annabelle "Nelly" Freeman | |
| Sharon D. Clarke | Caroline, or Change | Caroline Thibodeaux | |
| Carmen Cusack | Flying Over Sunset | Clare Boothe Luce | |
| Sutton Foster | The Music Man | Marian Paroo | |
| Mare Winningham | Girl from the North Country | Elizabeth Laine | |
| 2023 76th Tony Awards |
Annaleigh Ashford | Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street | Mrs. Lovett |
| Sara Bareilles | Into the Woods | The Baker's Wife | |
| Victoria Clark | Kimberly Akimbo | Kimberly Levaco | |
| Lorna Courtney | & Juliet | Juliet | |
| Micaela Diamond | Parade | Lucille Frank | |
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Winners are in boldface
Actress who have been nominated multiple times in any acting categories
