Who Won Lead Actress In A Musical Tony Awards?

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Tony Award for Lead Actress in a Musical

From Grace Hartman ("Angel In the Wings") in 1948 to Victoria Clark ("Kimberly Akimbo") in 2023, the Tony Awards have awarded excellence in Broadway theater performances throughout the years. Angela Lansbury has won Leading Actress in a Musical four times for "Sweeney Todd", "Gypsy", "Dear World", and "Mame". There was no award presented in 1985.

2023 (76th)
Victoria ClarkKimblerly Akimbo
Kimberly Akimbo
Other Nominees: Annaleigh Ashford (Sweeney Todd); Sara Bareilles (Into The Woods); Lorna Courtney (& Juliet); Micaela Diamond (Parade)
2022 (75th)
Joaquina KalukangoParadise Square
Paradise Square
Other Nominees: Sharon D. Clarke (Caroline, or Change); Carmen Cusack (Flying Over Sunset); Sutton Foster (The Music Man); Mare Winningham (Girl from the North Country)
2021 (74th)
Adrienne WarrenTina
Tina
Other Nominees: Karen Olivo (Moulin Rouge!); Elizabeth Stanley (Jagged Little Pill)
2019 (73rd)
Stephanie J. BlockThe Cher Show
The Cher Show
Other Nominees: Caitlin Kinnunen (The Prom); Beth Leavel (The Prom); Eva Noblezada (Hadestown); Kelli O'Hara (Kiss Me, Kate)
2018 (72nd)
Katrina LenkThe Band's Visit
The Band's Visit
Other Nominees: Lauren Ambrose (My Fair Lady); Hailey Kilgore (Once on This Island); LaChanze (Summer: The Donna Summer Musical); Taylor Louderman (Mean Girls); Jessie Mueller (Carousel)
2017 (71st)
Bette MidlerHello Dolly
Hello, Dolly!
Other Nominees: Denée Benton (Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812); Christine Ebersole (War Paint); Patti LuPone (War Paint); Eva Noblezada (Miss Saigon)
Year      
2016 Cynthia Erivo (The Color Purple) The Color Purple
2015 Kelli O'Hara (The King And I) The King And I
2014 Jessie Mueller (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical) Beautiful: The Carole King Musical
2013 Patina Miller (Pippin) Pippin
2012 Audra McDonald (Porgy And Bess) Porgy And Bess
2011 Sutton Foster (Anything Goes) Anything Goes
2010 Catherine Zeta-Jones (A Little Night Music) A Little Night Music
2009 Alice Ripley (Next To Normal) Next To Normal
2008 Patti Lupone (Gypsy) Gypsy
2007 Christine Ebersole (Grey Gardens) Grey Gardens
2006 LaChanze (The Color Purple) The Color Purple
2005 Victoria Clark (The Light In The Piazza) The Light In The Piazza
2004 Idina Menzel (Wicked) Wicked
2003 Marissa Jaret Winokur (Hairspray) Hairspray
2002 Sutton Foster (Thoroughly Modern Millie) Thoroughly Modern Millie
2001 Christine Ebersole (42nd Street) 42nd Street
2000 Heather Headley (Aida) Aida
1999 Bernadette Peters (Annie Get Your Gun) Annie Get Your Gun
1998 Natasha Richardson (Cabaret) Cabaret
1997 Bebe Neuwirth (Chicago) Chicago
1996 Donna Murphy (The King And I) The King And I
1995 Glenn Close (Sunset Boulevard) Sunset Boulevard
1994 Donna Murphy (Passion) Passion
1993 Chita Rivera (Kiss Of The Spider Woman) Kiss Of The Spider Woman
1992 Faith Prince (Guys And Dolls) Guys And Dolls
1991 Lea Salonga (Miss Saigon) Miss Saigon
1990 Tyne Daly (Gypsy) Gypsy
1989 Ruth Brown (Black And Blue) Black And Blue
1988 Joanna Gleason (Into The Woods) Into The Woods
1987 Maryann Plunkett (Me And My Girl) Me And My Girl
1986 Bernadette Peters (Song And Dance) Song And Dance
1985 NO AWARD (No Award)  
1984 Chita Rivera (The Rink) The Rink
1983 Natalia Makarova (On Your Toes) On Your Toes
1982 Jennifer Holliday ("Dreamgirls")  
Other Nominees: Lisa Mordente (Marlowe); Mary Gordon Murray (Little Me); Sheryl Lee Ralph (Dreamgirls)
1981 Lauren Bacall ("Woman of the Year")  
Other Nominees: Meg Bussert (Brigadoon); Chita Rivera (Bring Back Birdie); Linda Ronstadt (Pirates of Penzance)
1980 Patti Lupone ("Evita")  
Other Nominees: Christine Andreas (Oklahoma); Sandy Duncan (Peter Pan); Ann Miller (Sugar Babies)
1979 Angela Lansbury ("Sweeney Todd")  
Other Nominees: Tovah Feldshuh (Sarava); Dorothy Loudon (Ballroom); Alexis Smith (Platinum)
1978 Liza Minnelli ("The Act")  
Other Nominees: Madeline Kahn (On the Twentieth Century); Eartha Kitt (Timbuktu); Frances Sternhagen (Angel)
1977 Dorothy Loudon ("Annie")  
Other Nominees: Clamma Dale (Porgy and Bess); Ernestine Jackson (Guys and Dolls); Andrea McArdle (Annie)
1976 Donna McKechnie ("A Chorus Line")  
Other Nominees: Vivian Reed (Bubbling Brown Sugar); Chita Rivera (Chicago); Gwen Verdon (Chicago)
1975 Angela Lansbury ("Gypsy")  
Other Nominees: Lola Falana (Doctor Jazz); Bernadette Peters (Mack and Mabel); Ann Reinking (Goodtime Charley)
1974 Virginia Capers ("Raisin")  
Other Nominees: Carol Channing (Lorelei); Michele Lee (Seesaw)
1973 Glynis Johns ("A Little Night Music")  
Other Nominees: Leland Palmer (Pippin); Debbie Reynolds (Irene); Marcia Rodd (Shelter)
1972 Alexis Smith ("Follies")  
Other Nominees: Jonelle Allen (Two Gentlemen of Verona); Dorothy Collins (Follies); Mildred Natwick (70 Girls 70)
1971 Helen Gallagher ("No No Nanette")  
Other Nominees: Susan Browning (Company); Sandy Duncan (The Boy Friend); Elaine Stritch (Company)
1970 Lauren Bacall ("Applause")  
Other Nominees: Katharine Hepburn (Coco); Dilys Watling (Georgy)
1969 Angela Lansbury ("Dear World")  
Other Nominees: Maria Karnilova (Zorba); Dorothy Loudon (The Fig Leaves Are Falling); Jill O'Hara (Promises Promises)
1968 Patricia Routledge ("Darling of the Day")  
Other Nominees: Melina Mercouri (Illya Darling); Brenda Vaccaro (How Now Dow Jones)
1968 Leslie Uggams ("Hallelujah Baby!")  
Other Nominees: Melina Mercouri (Illya Darling); Brenda Vaccaro (How Now Dow Jones)
1967 Barbara Harris ("The Apple Tree")  
Other Nominees: Lotte Lenya (Cabaret); Marty Martin (I Do I Do); Louise Troy (Walking Happy)
1966 Angela Lansbury ("Mame")  
Other Nominees: Barbara Harris (On a Clear Day You Can See Forever); Julie Harris (Skyscraper); Gwen Verdon (Sweet Charity)
1965 Liza Minnelli ("Fiora the Red Menace")  
Other Nominees: Elizabeth Allen (Do I Heart A Waltz?); Nancy Dussault (Bajour); Inga Swenson (Baker Street)
1964 Carol Channing ("Hello Dolly")  
Other Nominees: Beatrice Lillie (High Spirits); Barbra Streisand (Funny Girl); Inga Swenson (110 In the Shade)
1963 Vivien Leigh ("Tovarich")  
Other Nominees: Georgia Brown (Oliver!); Nanette Fabray (Mr President); Sally Ann Howes (Brigadoon)
1962 Anna Maria Alberghetti ("Carnival")  
Other Nominees: Molly Picon (Milk and Honey); Elaine Stritch (Sail Away)
1962 Diahann Carroll ("No Strings")  
Other Nominees: Molly Picon (Milk and Honey); Elaine Stritch (Sail Away)
1961 Elizabeth Seal ("Irma La Douce")  
Other Nominees: Julie Andrews (Camelot); Carol Channing (Show Girl); Nancy Walker (Do Re Mi)
1960 Mary Martin ("The Sound Of Music")  
Other Nominees: Carol Burnett (Once Upon A Mattress); Dolores Gray (Destry Rides Again); Eileen Herlie (Take Me Along); Ethel Merman (Gypsy)
1959 Gwen Verdon ("Redhead")  
Other Nominees: Miyoshi Umeki (Flower Drum Song)
1958 Thelma Ritter ("New Girl In Town")  
Other Nominees: Lena Horne (Jamaica); Beatrice Lillie (Ziegfeld Follies)
1958 Gwen Verdon ("New Girl In Town")  
Other Nominees: Lena Horne (Jamaica); Beatrice Lillie (Ziegfeld Follies)
1957 Judy Holliday ("Bells Are Ringing")  
Other Nominees: Julie Andrews (My Fair Lady); Ethel Merman (Happy Hunting)
1956 Gwen Verdon ("Damn Yankees")  
Other Nominees: Carol Channing (The Vamp); Nancy Walker (Phoenix 55)
1955 Mary Martin ("Peter Pan")  
1954 Dolores Gray ("Carnival In Flanders")  
1953 Rosalind Russell ("Wonderful Town")  
1952 Gertrude Lawrence ("The King and I")  
1951 Ethel Merman ("Call Me Madam")  
1950 Mary Martin ("South Pacific")  
1949 Nanette Fabray ("Love Life")  
1948 Grace Hartman ("Angel In The Wings")