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.
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.
Winners and nominees
indicates the winner
Nanette Fabray won for Love Life (1949)Mary Martin won three times: for South Pacific (1950), Peter Pan (1955), and The Sound of Music (1960)Gertrude Lawrence won for The King and I (1952)Rosalind Russell won for Wonderful Town (1953)Gwen Verdon won for Damn Yankees (1956)Diahann Carroll won for No Strings (1962)Vivien Leigh won for Tovarich (1963)Carol Channing won for Hello, Dolly! (1964)Liza Minnelli won twice: for Flora the Red Menace (1965) and The Act (1978)Angela Lansbury won four times: for Mame (1966), Dear World (1969), Gypsy (1975), and Sweeney Todd (1979)Lauren Bacall won twice: for Applause (1970) and Woman of the Year (1985)Glynis Johns won for A Little Night Music (1973)Patti LuPone won twice: for Evita (1980) and Gypsy (2008)Jennifer Holliday won for Dreamgirls (1982)Chita Rivera won twice: for The Rink (1984) and Kiss of the Spider-Woman (1993)Bernadette Peters won twice: for Song and Dance (1986) and Annie Get Your Gun (1999)Tyne Daly won for Gypsy (1990)Lea Salonga won for Miss Saigon (1991)Donna Murphy won twice: for Passion (1994) and The King and I (1996)Glenn Close won for Sunset Boulevard (1995)Bebe Neuwirth won for Chicago (1997)Idina Menzel won for Wicked (2004)Christine Ebersole won twice: for 42nd Street (2001) and Grey Gardens (2007)Sutton Foster won twice: for Thoroughly Modern Millie (2002) and Anything Goes (2011)Victoria Clark won twice: for The Light in the Piazza (2005) and Kimberly Akimbo (2023)LaChanze won for The Color Purple (2006)Catherine Zeta-Jones won for A Little Night Music (2010)Audra McDonald won for Porgy and Bess (2012)Patina Miller won for Pippin (2013)Kelli O'Hara won for The King and I (2015)Cynthia Erivo won for The Color Purple (2016)Bette Midler won for Hello Dolly! (2017)Katrina Lenk won for The Band's Visit (2018)Adrienne Warren won for Tina (2020)Joaquina Kalukango won for Paradise Square (2022)
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