Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical

The Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical is awarded to the actress who was voted as the best actress in a musical, whether a new production or a revival. The award has been announced since 1948, but the nominees who did not win have only been announced since 1956.

In the lists below, the winner is displayed first, the non-winning nominees second.

1940s

• 1948 Grace Hartman in Angel in the Wings as "Nettie / Mrs. Blodgett / Ruth / Mrs. Hutchinson"

• 1949 Nanette Fabray in Love Life as "Susan Cooper"

1950s

• 1950 Mary Martin in South Pacific as "Nellie Forbush"

• 1951 Ethel Merman in Call Me Madam as "Sally Adams"

• 1952 Gertrude Lawrence in The King and I as "Anna Leonowens"

• 1953 Rosalind Russell in Wonderful Town as "Ruth Sherwood"

• 1954 Dolores Gray in Carnival in Flanders as "Cornelia"

• 1955 Mary Martin in Peter Pan as "Peter Pan"

• 1956 Gwen Verdon in Damn Yankees as "Lola"
  • Carol Channing in The Vamp as "Flora Weems"
  • Nancy Walker in Phoenix '55 as ""A Funny Heart" Performer / "Down to the Sea" Performer / "Finale" Performer / "Tomorrow Is Here" Performer / Annie Snodgrass / Chickie Popjoy / Millie Wubble / The Maiden"

• 1957 Judy Holliday in Bells Are Ringing as "Ella Peterson"
  • Julie Andrews in My Fair Lady as "Eliza Doolittle"
  • Ethel Merman in Happy Hunting as "Liz Livingstone"

• 1958 (tie) Thelma Ritter in New Girl In Town as "Marthy"; Gwen Verdon in New Girl In Town as "Anna"
  • Lena Horne in Jamaica as "Savannah"
  • Beatrice Lillie in Ziegfeld Follies as "Hostess / Kabuki Lil / Lucille / Singer / The Lady / The Original Cast / The Rajah's Favorite"

• 1959 Gwen Verdon in Redhead as "Essie Whimple"
  • Miyoshi Umeki in Flower Drum Song as "Mei-Li"

1960s

• 1960 Mary Martin in The Sound of Music as "Maria Rainer"
  • Carol Burnett in Once Upon a Mattress as "Princess Winnifred"
  • Dolores Gray in Destry Rides Again as "Frenchy"
  • Eileen Herlie in Take Me Along as "Lily Miller"
  • Ethel Merman in Gypsy as "Mama Rose"

• 1961 Elizabeth Seal in Irma La Douce as "Irma-La-Douce"
  • Julie Andrews in Camelot as Guenevere
  • Carol Channing in Show Girl as ""Calypso Pete" Performer" / ""My Kind of Love" Performer" / ""The Girl in the Show" Performer" / ""The Story of Marie" Performer" / "Carol's Musical Theatre" / "Lynn" / "Naomi" / "Report from Las Vegas" / "The Foreign Star" / "The Inside Story" / "The Palace Theatre"
  • Nancy Walker in Do Re Mi as "Kay Cram"

• 1962 (tie) Anna Maria Alberghetti in Carnival as "Lili"; Diahann Carroll in No Strings as "Barbara Woodruff"
  • Molly Picon in Milk and Honey as "Clara Weiss"
  • Elaine Stritch in Sail Away (musical) as "Mimi Paragon"

• 1963 Vivien Leigh in Tovarich as "Tatiana"
  • Georgia Brown in Oliver! as "Nancy"
  • Nanette Fabray in Mr. President as "Nell Henderson"
  • Sally Ann Howes in Brigadoon as "Fiona MacLaren"

• 1964 Carol Channing. Hello, Dolly! as "Dolly Levi"
  • Beatrice Lillie in High Spirits as "Madame Arcati"
  • Barbra Streisand in Funny Girl as Fanny Brice
  • Inga Swenson in 110 in the Shade as "Lizzy Curry"

• 1965 Liza Minnelli in Flora the Red Menace as "Flora"
  • Elizabeth Allen in Do I Hear a Waltz? as "Leona Samish"
  • Nancy Dussault in Bajour as "Emily Kirsten"
  • Inga Swenson in Baker Street as "Irene Adler"

• 1966 Angela Lansbury in Mame as "Mame Dennis"
  • Barbara Harris in On a Clear Day You Can See Forever as "Daisy Gamble" / "Melinda"
  • Julie Harris in Skyscraper as "Georgina"
  • Gwen Verdon in Sweet Charity as "Charity Hope Valentine"

• 1967 Barbara Harris in The Apple Tree as "Eve" / "Princess Barbara" / "Ella" / "Passionella"
  • Lotte Lenya in Cabaret as "Fraulein Schneider"
  • Mary Martin in I Do! I Do! as "She (Agnes)"
  • Louise Troy in Walking Happy as "Maggie Hobson"

• 1968 (tie) Patricia Routledge in Darling of the Day as "Alice Challice"; Leslie Uggams in Hallelujah, Baby! as "Georgina"
  • Melina Mercouri in Illya Darling as "Illya"
  • Brenda Vaccaro in How Now, Dow Jones as "Cynthia"

• 1969 Angela Lansbury in Dear World as "Countess Aurelia"
  • Maria Karnilova in Zorba as "Madame Hortense"
  • Dorothy Loudon in The Fig Leaves Are Falling as "Lillian Stone"
  • Jill O'Hara in Promises, Promises as "Fran Kubelik"

1970s

• 1970 Lauren Bacall in Applause as "Margo Channing"
  • Katharine Hepburn in Coco as "Coco Chanel"
  • Dilys Watling in Georgy as "Georgy"

• 1971 Helen Gallagher in No, No Nanette as "Lucille Early"
  • Susan Browning in Company as "April"
  • Sandy Duncan in The Boy Friend as "Maisie"
  • Elaine Stritch in Company as "Joanne"

• 1972 Alexis Smith in Follies as "Phyllis Rogers Stone"
  • Jonelle Allen in Two Gentlemen of Verona as "Silvia"
  • Dorothy Collins in Follies as "Sally Durant Plummer"
  • Mildred Natwick in 70, Girls, 70 as "Ida Dodd"

• 1973 Glynis Johns in A Little Night Music as "Desiree Armfeldt"
  • Leland Palmer in Pippin as "Fastrada"
  • Debbie Reynolds in Irene as "Irene O'Dare"
  • Marcia Rodd in Shelter as "Maud"

• 1974 Virginia Capers in Raisin as "Lena Younger"
  • Carol Channing in Lorelei as "Dessert" / "Lorelei Lee"
  • Michele Lee in Seesaw as "Gittel Mosca"

• 1975 Angela Lansbury in Gypsy as "Mama Rose"
  • Lola Falana in Doctor Jazz as "Edna Mae Sheridan"
  • Bernadette Peters in Mack and Mabel as "Mabel Normand"
  • Ann Reinking in Goodtime Charley as Joan of Arc

• 1976 Donna McKechnie in A Chorus Line as "Cassie"
  • Vivian Reed in Bubbling Brown Sugar as "Marsha" / "Young Irene"
  • Chita Rivera in Chicago as "Velma Kelly"
  • Gwen Verdon in Chicago as "Roxie Hart"

• 1977 Dorothy Loudon in Annie as "Miss Hannigan"
  • Clamma Dale in Porgy and Bess as "Bess"
  • Ernestine Jackson in Guys and Dolls as "Sarah Brown"
  • Andrea McArdle in Annie as "Annie"

• 1978 Liza Minnelli in The Act as "Michelle Craig"
  • Madeline Kahn in On the Twentieth Century as "Lily Garland"
  • Eartha Kitt in Timbuktu! as "Shaleem-La-Lume"
  • Frances Sternhagen in Angel as "Eliza Gant"

• 1979 Angela Lansbury in Sweeney Todd as "Mrs. Lovett"
  • Tovah Feldshuh in Sarava as "Flor"
  • Dorothy Loudon in Ballroom as "Bea Asher"
  • Alexis Smith in Platinum as "Lila Halliday"

1980s

• 1980 Patti LuPone in Evita as Eva Peron
  • Christine Andreas in Oklahoma! as "Laurey"
  • Sandy Duncan in Peter Pan as "Peter Pan"
  • Ann Miller in Sugar Babies as "Ann"

• 1981 Lauren Bacall in Woman of the Year as "Tess Harding"
  • Meg Bussert in Brigadoon as "Fiona MacLaren"
  • Chita Rivera in Bring Back Birdie as "Rose Grant"
  • Linda Ronstadt in The Pirates of Penzance as "Mabel"

• 1982 Jennifer Holliday in Dreamgirls as "Effie Melody White"
  • Lisa Mordente in Marlowe as "Emelia Bossano"
  • Mary Gordon Murray in Little Me as "Belle"
  • Sheryl Lee Ralph in Dreamgirls as "Deena Jones"

• 1983 Natalia Makarova in On Your Toes as "Vera Barnova" / "Princess Zenobia" / "Strip Tease Girl"
  • Lonette McKee in Show Boat as "Julie"
  • Chita Rivera in Merlin as "The Queen"
  • Twiggy in My One and Only as "Edith Herbert"

• 1984 Chita Rivera in The Rink as "Anna"
  • Rhetta Hughes in Amen Corner as "Margaret Alexander"
  • Liza Minnelli in The Rink as "Angel"
  • Bernadette Peters in Sunday in the Park with George as "Dot" / "Marie"

• 1985 - Due to a lack of successful musicals, there were no actresses nominated in this category in 1985

• 1986 Bernadette Peters in Song and Dance as "Emma"
  • Debbie Allen in Sweet Charity as "Charity Hope Valentine"
  • Cleo Laine in The Mystery of Edwin Drood as "The Princess Puffer" / "Miss Angela Prysock"
  • Chita Rivera in Jerry's Girls as "Performer"

• 1987 Maryann Plunkett in Me and My Girl as "Sally Smith"
  • Catherine Cox in Oh Coward! as "Performer"
  • Teresa Stratas in Rags as "Rebecca Hershkowitz"

• 1988 Joanna Gleason in Into the Woods as "The Baker's Wife"
  • Alison Fraser in Romance/Romance as "Josefine Weninger" / "Monica"
  • Judy Kuhn in Chess as "Florence"
  • Patti Lupone in Anything Goes as "Reno Sweeney"

• 1989 Ruth Brown in Black and Blue as "Singer"
  • Charlotte d'Amboise in Jerome Robbins' Broadway as "Anita" / "Company Member of "...Forum"" / "Peter Pan"
  • Linda Hopkins in Black and Blue as "Singer"
  • Sharon McNight in Starmites as "Diva / Mother"

1990s

• 1990 Tyne Daly in Gypsy as "Mama Rose"
  • Georgia Brown in Threepenny Opera as "Mrs. Peachum"
  • Beth Fowler in Sweeney Todd as "Mrs. Lovett"
  • Liliane Montevecchi in Grand Hotel, The Musical as "Elizaveta Grushinskaya"

• 1991 Lea Salonga in Miss Saigon as "Kim"
  • June Angela in Shogun: The Musical as "Lady Mariko"
  • Dee Hoty in The Will Rogers Follies as "Betty Blake"
  • Cathy Rigby in Peter Pan as "Peter Pan"

• 1992 Faith Prince in Guys and Dolls as "Miss Adelaide"
  • Jodi Benson in Crazy for You as "Polly Baker"
  • Josie de Guzman in Guys and Dolls as "Sarah Brown"
  • Sophie Hayden in The Most Happy Fella as "Rosabella"

• 1993 Chita Rivera in Kiss of the Spider Woman as "Aurora" / "Spider Woman"
  • Ann Crumb in Anna Karenina as "Anna Karenina"
  • Stephanie Lawrence in Blood Brothers as "Mrs. Johnstone"
  • Bernadette Peters in The Goodbye Girl as "Paula"

• 1994 Donna Murphy in Passion as "Fosca"
  • Susan Egan in Beauty and the Beast as "Belle"
  • Dee Hoty in The Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public as "Mona Stangley"
  • Judy Kuhn in She Loves Me as "Amalia Balash"

• 1995 Glenn Close in Sunset Boulevard as "Norma Desmond"
  • Rebecca Luker in Show Boat as "Magnolia"

• 1996 Donna Murphy in The King and I as "Anna Leonowens"
  • Julie Andrews in Victor/Victoria as "Victoria Grant" (did not accept nomination)
  • Crista Moore in Big - The Musical as "Susan"
  • Daphne Rubin-Vega in Rent as "Mimi Marquez"

• 1997 Bebe Neuwirth in Chicago as "Velma Kelly"
  • Pamela Isaacs in The Life as "Queen"
  • Tonya Pinkins in Play On! as "Lady Liv"
  • Karen Ziemba in Steel Pier as "Rita Racine"

• 1998 Natasha Richardson in Cabaret as "Sally Bowles"
  • Betty Buckley in Triumph of Love as "Hesione"
  • Marin Mazzie in Ragtime as "Mother"
  • Alice Ripley and Emily Skinner in Side Show as "Violet Hilton" and "Daisy Hilton"

• 1999 Bernadette Peters in Annie Get Your Gun as Annie Oakley
  • Carolee Carmello in Parade as "Lucille Frank"
  • Dee Hoty in Footloose as "Vi Moore"
  • Sian Phillips in Marlene as Marlene Dietrich

2000s

• 2000 Heather Headley in Aida as "Aida"
  • Toni Collette in The Wild Party as "Queenie"
  • Rebecca Luker in The Music Man as "Marian Paroo"
  • Marin Mazzie in Kiss Me, Kate as "Lilli Vanessi" / "Katharine"
  • Audra McDonald in Marie Christine as "Marie Christine L'Adrese"

• 2001 Christine Ebersole in 42nd Street as "Dorothy Brock"
  • Blythe Danner in Follies as "Phyllis Rogers Stone"
  • Randy Graff in A Class Act as "Sophie"
  • Faith Prince in Bells Are Ringing as "Ella Peterson"
  • Marla Schaffel in Jane Eyre as "Jane Eyre"

• 2002 Sutton Foster in Thoroughly Modern Millie as "Millie Dillmount"
  • Louise Pitre in Mamma Mia! as "Donna Sheridan "
  • Vanessa Williams in Into the Woods as "The Witch"
  • Nancy Opel in Urinetown as "Penelope Pennywise"
  • Jennifer Laura Thompson in Urinetown as "Hope Cladwell"

• 2003 Marissa Jaret Winokur in Hairspray as "Tracy Turnblad"
  • Melissa Errico in Amour as "Isabelle"
  • Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio in Man of La Mancha as "Aldonza" / "Dulcinea"
  • Elizabeth Parkinson in Movin' Out as "Brenda"
  • Bernadette Peters in Gypsy as "Mama Rose"

• 2004 Idina Menzel in Wicked as "Elphaba"
  • Kristin Chenoweth in Wicked as "Glinda"
  • Stephanie D'Abruzzo in Avenue Q as "Kate Monster" / "Lucy T. Slut"
  • Donna Murphy in Wonderful Town as "Ruth Sherwood"
  • Tonya Pinkins in Caroline, or Change as "Caroline Thibodeaux"

• 2005 Victoria Clark in The Light in the Piazza as "Margaret Johnson"
  • Christina Applegate in Sweet Charity as "Charity Hope Valentine"
  • Erin Dilly in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang "Truly Scrumptious"
  • Sutton Foster in Little Women as "Jo March"
  • Sherie Rene Scott in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels as "Christine Colgate"

• 2006 LaChanze in The Color Purple as "Celie"
  • Sutton Foster in The Drowsy Chaperone as "Janet Van De Graaff"
  • Patti LuPone in Sweeney Todd as "Mrs. Lovett"
  • Kelli O'Hara in The Pajama Game as "Babe Williams"
  • Chita Rivera in Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life as Chita Rivera

Winners with Multiple Tony Awards for Leading Actress in a Musical

• Angela Lansbury (4)

• Mary Martin (3)

• Gwen Verdon (3)

• Liza Minnelli (2)

• Donna Murphy (2)

• Bernadette Peters (2)

• Chita Rivera (2)

• Lauren Bacall (2)