Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical
| Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical | |
|---|---|
| Awarded for | Best Performance by an Actress in a Lead Role in a Musical |
| Location | New York City, United States |
| Presented by | American Theatre Wing, The Broadway League |
| Currently held by | Jessie Mueller for Beautiful: The Carole King Musical |
| Official website | Tonys.com |
The Tony Award for Best Lead Actress in a Musical was first presented in 1948 and nominees were not announced until 1956.[1]
History
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]
Winners and nominees
1940s
| Year | Actress | Musical | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1947 1st Tony Awards | |||
| N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| 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 |
1950s
| 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 | New Girl in Town | 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 |
1960s
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
Win Total
|
3 Wins |
2 Wins |
Nomination Total
|
8 Nominations 6 Nominations 5 Nominations 4 Nominations 3 Nominations |
2 Nominations
|
Character Win Total
3 Wins
- Mama Rose from Gypsy
2 Wins
- Anna Leonowens from The King and I
- Desiree Armfeldt from A Little Night Music
Character Nomination Total
|
5 Nominations
4 Nominations
3 Nominations
|
2 Nominations
|
References
- ↑ Gelb, Arthur. "Popularizing the 'Tony' Awards", The New York Times, April 1, 1956, p.93
- ↑ Freedman, Samuel G. The New York Times, June 3, 1985, p.C15
- ↑ Mandelbaum, Ken."Ken Mandelbaum's Aisle View: Tony Highs And Lows" playbill.com, May 11, 1997
- ↑ History, Ties in Tony History" tonyawards.com, accessed June 13, 2014
- ↑ Viagas, Robert. "Julie Andrews Declines Tony Nomination" playbill.com, May 8, 1996
External links
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