View source for Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical

{{Short description|American theatre award for Broadway actresses}}
{{Infobox award
| name          = [[Tony Award]] for <br>Best Actress in a Musical
| image_upright = 0.55
| image         = Nicole Scherzinger, 2011.jpg
| caption       = 2025 Recipient: [[Nicole Scherzinger]]
| awarded_for   = Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
| presenter     = [[American Theatre Wing]] [[The Broadway League]]
| location      = [[New York City]]
| holder        = [[Nicole Scherzinger]] for ''[[Sunset Boulevard (musical)|Sunset Boulevard]]'' {{small|(2025)}}
| website       = [http://www.tonyawards.com/en_US/index.html TonyAwards.com]
}}
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 theatre|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."<ref name="Intro">{{cite news|title=Operation Frenzy Before the Tony Awards|last=Kirkley|first=Donald|date=April 21, 1968|newspaper=[[The Baltimore Sun]]|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/baltsun/access/1730778222.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI|page=T2|access-date=December 24, 2011}} {{subscription required}}</ref>

The award was originally called the '''Tony Award for Actresses—Musical'''. It was first presented to [[Grace Hartman (actress)|Grace Hartman]] at the [[2nd Tony Awards]] for her portrayal of various characters in ''[[Angel in the Wings]]''. Before [[10th Tony Awards|1956]], nominees' names were not made public;<ref>{{cite book|title=The Performing Arts: a Guide to the Reference Literature|last=Simons|first=Linda Keir|year=1994|publisher=[[ABC-CLIO]]|page=137|isbn=978-0-87287-982-9|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RBnpnURcDbMC|access-date=2012-01-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130622021957/https://books.google.com/books?id=RBnpnURcDbMC|archive-date=2013-06-22|url-status=live}}</ref> the change was made by the awards committee to "have a greater impact on theatregoers".<ref>{{cite news|title=Popularizing the Tony Awards|last=Gelb|first=Arthur|date=April 1, 1956|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|url=http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F60816F93F5F157A93C3A9178FD85F428585F9|access-date=January 14, 2011}} {{subscription required}}</ref>

In [[19th Tony Awards|1965]], [[Liza Minnelli]], age 19, became the youngest actress to win the award. She is followed by [[Lea Salonga]], age 20, in [[45th Tony Awards|1991]]. In [[71st Tony Awards|2017]], [[Bette Midler]], age 71, became the oldest actress to win the award. She is followed by [[Victoria Clark]], age 63, in [[76th Tony Awards|2023]].

[[Angela Lansbury]] holds the record as the performer with the most wins in this category, with a total of four. [[Chita Rivera]] has the most nominations, with eight. The characters of Rose in ''[[Gypsy (musical)|Gypsy]]'' and Anna Leonowens in ''[[The King and I]]'' currently hold the record for most wins, each winning three times. Rose also holds the record for most nominations, with six.

==Winners and nominees==
{{legend|#B0C4DE|indicates the winner}}
[[File:Nanette Fabray 1963.JPG|thumb|120px|[[Nanette Fabray]] won for ''Love Life'' (1949)]]
[[File:Mary Martin 1939.jpg|thumb|120px|[[Mary Martin]] won three times: for ''South Pacific'' (1950), ''Peter Pan'' (1955), and ''The Sound of Music'' (1960)]]
[[File:Gertrude Lawrence 1947.jpg|thumb|120px|[[Gertrude Lawrence]] won for ''The King and I'' (1952)]]
[[File:Studio publicity Rosalind Russell.jpg|thumb|120px|[[Rosalind Russell]] won for ''Wonderful Town'' (1953)]]
[[File:Gwen Verdon 1954.jpg|thumb|120px|[[Gwen Verdon]] won for ''Damn Yankees'' (1956)]]
[[File:Diahann Carroll (1968) (Cropped).jpg|thumb|120px|[[Diahann Carroll]] won for ''No Strings'' (1962)]] 
[[File:Vivien Leigh - Anna Karenina.jpg|thumb|120px|[[Vivien Leigh]] won for ''Tovarich'' (1963)]]
[[File:Carol Channing 2 Allan Warren.jpg|thumb|120px|[[Carol Channing]] won for ''Hello, Dolly!'' (1964)]]
[[File:Liza Minnelli Cabaret 1972 crop.JPG|thumb|120px|[[Liza Minnelli]] won twice: for ''Flora the Red Menace'' (1965) and ''The Act'' (1978)]]
[[File:Studio publicity Angela Lansbury.jpg|thumb|120px|[[Angela Lansbury]] won four times: for ''Mame'' (1966), ''Dear World'' (1969), ''Gypsy'' (1975), and ''Sweeney Todd'' (1979)]]
[[File:Lauren Bacall 1945 press photo.jpg|thumb|120px|[[Lauren Bacall]] won twice: for ''Applause'' (1970) and ''Woman of the Year'' (1985)]]
[[File:Glynis Johns - still.jpg|thumb|120px|[[Glynis Johns]] won for ''A Little Night Music'' (1973)]]
[[File:Patti LuPone Agatha All Along Premiere.png|thumb|120px|[[Patti LuPone]] won twice: for ''Evita'' (1980) and ''Gypsy'' (2008)]]
[[File:Jennifer Holliday 6.27.2007.jpg|thumb|120px|[[Jennifer Holliday]] won for ''Dreamgirls'' (1982)]]
[[File:Chita Rivera 1.jpg|thumb|120px|[[Chita Rivera]] won twice: for ''The Rink'' (1984) and ''Kiss of the Spider-Woman'' (1993)]]
[[File:Bernadette Peters at performance of Follies.jpg|thumb|120px|[[Bernadette Peters]] won twice: for ''Song and Dance'' (1986) and ''Annie Get Your Gun'' (1999)]]
[[File:Tyne_Daly_at_the_2009_Tribeca_Film_Festival.jpg|thumb|120px|[[Tyne Daly]] won for ''Gypsy'' (1990)]]
[[File:LeaSalonga-byPhilipRomano.jpg|thumb|180x180px|[[Lea Salonga]] won for ''Miss Saigon'' (1991)]]
[[File:Donna Murphy.jpg|thumb|120px|[[Donna Murphy]] won twice: for ''Passion'' (1994) and ''The King and I'' (1996)]]
[[File:CCH Pounder & Glenn Close 2006 (cropped).jpg|thumb|120px|[[Glenn Close]] won for ''Sunset Boulevard'' (1995)]]
[[File:Bebe Neuwirth 1991 - close.jpg|thumb|120px|[[Bebe Neuwirth]] won for ''Chicago'' (1997)]]
[[File:Idina Menzel Defense.gov Crop.png|thumb|120px|[[Idina Menzel]] won for ''Wicked'' (2004)]]
[[File:Christine Ebersole and our new friend2.jpg|thumb|120px|[[Christine Ebersole]] won twice: for ''42nd Street'' (2001) and ''Grey Gardens'' (2007)]]
[[File:SuttonFoster-byPhilipRomano.jpg|thumb|120px|[[Sutton Foster]] won twice: for ''Thoroughly Modern Millie'' (2002) and ''Anything Goes'' (2011)]]
[[File:VictoriaClark-byPhilipRomano.jpg|thumb|120px|[[Victoria Clark]] won twice: for ''The Light in the Piazza'' (2005) and ''Kimberly Akimbo'' (2023)]]
[[File:LaChanze, 2006 cropped.jpg|thumb|120px|[[LaChanze]] won for ''The Color Purple'' (2006)]]
[[File:Catherine Zeta-Jones in 2010.jpg|thumb|120px|[[Catherine Zeta-Jones]] won for ''A Little Night Music'' (2010)]]
[[File:Audra mcdonald 2021 2.jpg|thumb|120px|[[Audra McDonald]] won for ''Porgy and Bess'' (2012)]]
[[File:Patina miller 2021 2.jpg|thumb|120px|[[Patina Miller]] won for ''Pippin'' (2013)]]
[[File:Kelli o'hara 2021 1.jpg|thumb|120px|[[Kelli O'Hara]] won for ''The King and I'' (2015)]]
[[File:Cynthia Erivo (82023) (cropped).jpg|thumb|120px|[[Cynthia Erivo]] won for ''The Color Purple'' (2016)]]
[[File:Bette Midler 2021 Kennedy Center Honors (cropped).jpg|thumb|120px|[[Bette Midler]] won for ''Hello Dolly!'' (2017)]]
[[File:Katrina Lenk, May 2018-1.jpg|thumb|120px|[[Katrina Lenk]] won for ''The Band's Visit'' (2018)]]
[[File:Adrienne Warren.jpg|thumb|120px|[[Adrienne Warren]] won for ''Tina'' (2020)]]
[[File:Joaquina kalukango 2022 1.jpg|thumb|120px|[[Joaquina Kalukango]] won for ''Paradise Square'' (2022)]]
[[File:Maleah joi moon 2024 2.jpg|thumb|120px|[[Maleah Joi Moon]] won for ''Hell's Kitchen'' (2024)]]
[[File:Nicole Scherzinger, 2011.jpg|thumb|120px|[[Nicole Scherzinger]] won for ''Sunset Blvd.'' (2025)]]

===1940s===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! scope="col" style="width:8%;"| Year
! scope="col" style="width:30%;"| Actress
! scope="col" style="width:30%;"| Musical
! scope="col" style="width:30%;"| Role(s)
! scope="col" style="width:2%;" class="unsortable"| {{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}}
|-
| align="center"| '''1947''' <br> {{small|([[1st Tony Awards|1st]])}}
! colspan="4"| Not awarded
|-
| rowspan="2" align="center"| '''1948''' <br> {{small|([[2nd Tony Awards|2nd]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Grace Hartman (actress)|Grace Hartman]]'''
| '''''[[Angel in the Wings]]'''''
| '''Nettie / Mrs. Blodgett / Ruth / Mrs. Hutchinson'''
|
|-
| rowspan="2" align="center"| '''1949''' <br> {{small|([[3rd Tony Awards|3rd]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Nanette Fabray]]'''
| '''''[[Love Life (musical)|Love Life]]'''''
| '''Susan Cooper'''
|
|}

===1950s===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! scope="col" style="width:8%;"| Year
! scope="col" style="width:30%;"| Actress
! scope="col" style="width:30%;"| Musical
! scope="col" style="width:30%;"| Role(s)
! scope="col" style="width:2%;" class="unsortable"| {{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}}
|-
| rowspan="2" align="center"| '''1950''' <br> {{small|([[4th Tony Awards|4th]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Mary Martin]]'''
| '''''[[South Pacific (musical)|South Pacific]]'''''
| '''Ensign Nellie Forbush'''
|
|-
| rowspan="2" align="center"| '''1951''' <br> {{small|([[5th Tony Awards|5th]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Ethel Merman]]'''
| '''''[[Call Me Madam]]'''''
| '''Sally Adams'''
|
|-
| rowspan="2" align="center"| '''1952''' <br> {{small|([[6th Tony Awards|6th]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Gertrude Lawrence]]'''
| '''''[[The King and I]]'''''
| '''[[Anna Leonowens]]'''
|
|-
| rowspan="2" align="center"| '''1953''' <br> {{small|([[7th Tony Awards|7th]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Rosalind Russell]]'''
| '''''[[Wonderful Town]]'''''
| '''[[Ruth McKenney|Ruth Sherwood]]'''
|
|-
| rowspan="2" align="center"| '''1954''' <br> {{small|([[8th Tony Awards|8th]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Dolores Gray]]'''
| '''''[[Carnival in Flanders (musical)|Carnival in Flanders]]'''''
| '''Cornelia'''
|
|-
| rowspan="2" align="center"| '''1955''' <br> {{small|([[9th Tony Awards|9th]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Mary Martin]]'''
| '''''[[Peter Pan (1954 musical)|Peter Pan]]'''''
| '''[[Peter Pan (character)|Peter Pan]]'''
|
|-
| rowspan="4" align="center"| '''1956''' <br> {{small|([[10th Tony Awards|10th]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Gwen Verdon]]'''
| '''''[[Damn Yankees]]'''''
| '''Lola'''
| rowspan="4" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/1956/category/any/show/any/|title=1956 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 11, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Carol Channing]]
| ''[[The Vamp]]''
| Flora Weems / [[Delilah]]
|-
| [[Nancy Walker]]
| ''Phoenix '55''
| Various Characters
|-
| rowspan="4" align="center"| '''1957''' <br> {{small|([[11th Tony Awards|11th]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Judy Holliday]]'''
| '''''[[Bells Are Ringing (musical)|Bells Are Ringing]]'''''
| '''Ella Peterson'''
| rowspan="4" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/1957/category/any/show/any/|title=1957 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 11, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Julie Andrews]]
| ''[[My Fair Lady]]''
| [[Eliza Doolittle]]
|-
| [[Ethel Merman]]
| ''[[Happy Hunting (musical)|Happy Hunting]]''
| Liz Livingstone
|-
| rowspan="5" align="center"| '''1958''' <br> {{small|([[12th Tony Awards|12th]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Thelma Ritter]]'''
| rowspan="2"| '''''[[New Girl in Town]]'''''
| '''Marthy Owen'''
| rowspan="5" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/1958/category/any/show/any/|title=1958 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 11, 2023}}</ref>
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Gwen Verdon]]'''
| '''Anna Christopherson'''
|-
| [[Lena Horne]]
| ''[[Jamaica (musical)|Jamaica]]''
| Savannah
|-
| [[Beatrice Lillie]]
| ''[[Ziegfeld Follies|Ziegfeld Follies of 1957]]''
| Various Characters
|-
| rowspan="3" align="center"| '''1959''' <br> {{small|([[13th Tony Awards|13th]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Gwen Verdon]]'''
| '''''[[Redhead (musical)|Redhead]]'''''
| '''Essie Whimple'''
| rowspan="3" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/1959/category/any/show/any/|title=1959 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 11, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Miyoshi Umeki]]
| ''[[Flower Drum Song]]''
| Mei-Li
|}

===1960s===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! scope="col" style="width:8%;"| Year
! scope="col" style="width:30%;"| Actress
! scope="col" style="width:30%;"| Musical
! scope="col" style="width:30%;"| Role(s)
! scope="col" style="width:2%;" class="unsortable"| {{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}}
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| '''1960''' <br> {{small|([[14th Tony Awards|14th]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Mary Martin]]'''
| '''''[[The Sound of Music]]'''''
| '''[[Maria von Trapp]]'''
| rowspan="6" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/1960/category/any/show/any/|title=1960 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 11, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Carol Burnett]]
| ''[[Once Upon a Mattress]]''
| Princess Winnifred
|-
| [[Dolores Gray]]
| ''[[Destry Rides Again (musical)|Destry Rides Again]]''
| Frenchy
|-
| [[Eileen Herlie]]
| ''[[Take Me Along]]''
| Lily Miller
|-
| [[Ethel Merman]]
| ''[[Gypsy (musical)|Gypsy]]''
| [[Rose Thompson Hovick|Rose]]
|-
| rowspan="5" align="center"| '''1961''' <br> {{small|([[15th Tony Awards|15th]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Elizabeth Seal]]'''
| '''''[[Irma La Douce (musical)|Irma La Douce]]'''''
| '''Irma La Douce'''
| rowspan="5" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/1961/category/any/show/any/|title=1961 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 11, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Julie Andrews]]
| ''[[Camelot (musical)|Camelot]]''
| [[Guinevere|Guenevere]]
|-
| [[Carol Channing]]
| ''Show Girl''
| Various Characters
|-
| [[Nancy Walker]]
| ''[[Do Re Mi (musical)|Do Re Mi]]''
| Kay Cram
|-
| rowspan="5" align="center"| '''1962''' <br> {{small|([[16th Tony Awards|16th]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Anna Maria Alberghetti]]'''
| '''''[[Carnival!]]'''''
| '''Lili Daurier'''
| rowspan="5" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/1962/category/any/show/any/|title=1962 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 11, 2023}}</ref>
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Diahann Carroll]]'''
| '''''[[No Strings]]'''''
| '''Barbara Woodruff'''
|-
| [[Molly Picon]]
| ''[[Milk and Honey (musical)|Milk and Honey]]''
| Clara Weiss
|-
| [[Elaine Stritch]]
| ''[[Sail Away (musical)|Sail Away]]''
| Mimi Paragon
|-
| rowspan="5" align="center"| '''1963''' <br> {{small|([[17th Tony Awards|17th]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Vivien Leigh]]'''
| '''''[[Tovarich (musical)|Tovarich]]'''''
| '''Tatiana Petrovna'''
| rowspan="5" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/1963/category/any/show/any/|title=1963 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 11, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Georgia Brown (English singer)|Georgia Brown]]
| ''[[Oliver!]]''
| [[Nancy (Oliver Twist)|Nancy]]
|-
| [[Nanette Fabray]]
| ''[[Mr. President (musical)|Mr. President]]''
| Nell Henderson
|-
| [[Sally Ann Howes]]
| ''[[Brigadoon]]''
| Fiona MacLaren
|-
| rowspan="5" align="center"| '''1964''' <br> {{small|([[18th Tony Awards|18th]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Carol Channing]]'''
| '''''[[Hello, Dolly! (musical)|Hello, Dolly!]]'''''
| '''[[Dolly Gallagher Levi]]'''
| rowspan="5" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/1964/category/any/show/any/|title=1964 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 11, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Beatrice Lillie]]
| ''[[High Spirits (musical)|High Spirits]]''
| Madame Arcati
|-
| [[Barbra Streisand]]
| ''[[Funny Girl (musical)|Funny Girl]]''
| [[Fanny Brice]]
|-
| [[Inga Swenson]]
| ''[[110 in the Shade]]''
| Lizzie Curry
|-
| rowspan="5" align="center"| '''1965''' <br> {{small|([[19th Tony Awards|19th]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Liza Minnelli]]'''
| '''''[[Flora the Red Menace]]'''''
| '''Flora Mezaros'''
| rowspan="5" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/1965/category/any/show/any/|title=1965 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 11, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Elizabeth Allen (actress)|Elizabeth Allen]]
| ''[[Do I Hear a Waltz?]]''
| Leona Samish
|-
| [[Nancy Dussault]]
| ''[[Bajour (musical)|Bajour]]''
| Emily Kirsten
|-
| [[Inga Swenson]]
| ''[[Baker Street (musical)|Baker Street]]''
| [[Irene Adler]]
|-
| rowspan="5" align="center"| '''1966''' <br> {{small|([[20th Tony Awards|20th]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Angela Lansbury]]'''
| '''''[[Mame (musical)|Mame]]'''''
| '''Mame Dennis'''
| rowspan="5" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/1966/category/any/show/any/|title=1966 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 11, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Barbara Harris (actress)|Barbara Harris]]
| ''[[On a Clear Day You Can See Forever]]''
| Daisy Gamble / Melinda Wells
|-
| [[Julie Harris (American actress)|Julie Harris]]
| ''[[Skyscraper (musical)|Skyscraper]]''
| Georgina Allerton
|-
| [[Gwen Verdon]]
| ''[[Sweet Charity]]''
| Charity Hope Valentine
|-
| rowspan="5" align="center"| '''1967''' <br> {{small|([[21st Tony Awards|21st]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Barbara Harris (actress)|Barbara Harris]]'''
| '''''[[The Apple Tree]]'''''
| '''Eve / Princess Barbara / Ella and Passionella'''
| rowspan="5" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/1967/category/any/show/any/|title=1967 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 11, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Lotte Lenya]]
| '' [[Cabaret (musical)|Cabaret]]''
| Fraulein Schneider 
|-
| [[Mary Martin]]
| ''[[I Do! I Do!]]''
| She (Agnes)
|-
| [[Louise Troy]]
| ''[[Walking Happy]]''
| Maggie Hobson
|-
| rowspan="5" align="center"| '''1968''' <br> {{small|([[22nd Tony Awards|22nd]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Patricia Routledge]]'''
| '''''[[Darling of the Day]]'''''
| '''Alice Challice'''
| rowspan="5" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/1968/category/any/show/any/|title=1968 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 11, 2023}}</ref>
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Leslie Uggams]]'''
| '''''[[Hallelujah, Baby!]]'''''
| '''Georgina'''
|-
| [[Melina Mercouri]]
| ''[[Illya Darling]]''
| Illya
|-
| [[Brenda Vaccaro]]
| ''[[How Now, Dow Jones]]''
| Cynthia Pike
|-
| rowspan="5" align="center"| '''1969''' <br> {{small|([[23rd Tony Awards|23rd]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Angela Lansbury]]'''
| '''''[[Dear World]]'''''
| '''Countess Aurelia'''
| rowspan="5" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/1969/category/any/show/any/|title=1969 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 11, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Maria Karnilova]]
| ''[[Zorba (musical)|Zorba]]''
| Madame Hortense
|-
| [[Dorothy Loudon]]
| ''[[The Fig Leaves Are Falling]]''
| Lillian Stone
|-
| [[Jill O'Hara]]
| ''[[Promises, Promises (musical)|Promises, Promises]]''
| Fran Kubelik
|}

===1970s===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! scope="col" style="width:8%;"| Year
! scope="col" style="width:30%;"| Actress
! scope="col" style="width:30%;"| Musical
! scope="col" style="width:30%;"| Role (s)
! scope="col" style="width:2%;" class="unsortable"| {{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}}
|-
| rowspan="4" align="center"| '''1970''' <br> {{small|([[24th Tony Awards|24th]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Lauren Bacall]]'''
| '''''[[Applause (musical)|Applause]]'''''
| '''Margo Channing'''
| rowspan="4" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/1970/category/any/show/any/|title=1970 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 11, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Katharine Hepburn]]
| ''[[Coco (musical)|Coco]]''
| [[Coco Chanel]]
|-
| [[Dilys Watling]]
| ''[[Georgy (musical)|Georgy]]''
| Georgina "Georgy" Parkin
|-
| rowspan="5" align="center"| '''1971''' <br> {{small|([[25th Tony Awards|25th]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Helen Gallagher]]'''
| '''''[[No, No, Nanette]]'''''
| '''Lucille Early'''
| rowspan="5" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/1971/category/any/show/any/|title=1971 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 11, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Susan Browning]]
| ''[[Company (musical)|Company]]''
| April
|-
| [[Sandy Duncan]]
| ''[[The Boy Friend (musical)|The Boy Friend]]''
| Maisie
|-
| [[Elaine Stritch]]
| ''[[Company (musical)|Company]]''
| Joanne
|-
| rowspan="5" align="center"| '''1972''' <br> {{small|([[26th Tony Awards|26th]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Alexis Smith]]'''
| '''''[[Follies]]'''''
| '''Phyllis Rogers Stone'''
| rowspan="5" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/1972/category/any/show/any/|title=1972 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 11, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Jonelle Allen]]
| ''[[Two Gentlemen of Verona (musical)|Two Gentlemen of Verona]]''
| Silvia
|-
| [[Dorothy Collins]]
| ''[[Follies]]''
| Sally Durant Plummer
|-
| [[Mildred Natwick]]
| ''[[70, Girls, 70]]''
| Ida Dodd
|-
| rowspan="5" align="center"| '''1973''' <br> {{small|([[27th Tony Awards|27th]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Glynis Johns]]'''
| '''''[[A Little Night Music]]'''''
| '''Desiree Armfeldt'''
| rowspan="5" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/1973/category/any/show/any/|title=1973 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 11, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Leland Palmer (actress)|Leland Palmer]]
| ''[[Pippin (musical)|Pippin]]''
| [[Fastrada]]
|-
| [[Debbie Reynolds]]
| ''[[Irene (musical)|Irene]]''
| Irene O'Dare
|-
| [[Marcia Rodd]]
| ''[[Shelter (musical)|Shelter]]''
| Maud
|-
| rowspan="4" align="center"| '''1974''' <br> {{small|([[28th Tony Awards|28th]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Virginia Capers]]'''
| '''''[[Raisin (musical)|Raisin]]'''''
| '''Lena Younger'''
| rowspan="4" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/1974/category/any/show/any/|title=1974 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 11, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Carol Channing]]
| ''[[Lorelei (musical)|Lorelei]]''
| Lorelei Lee
|-
| [[Michele Lee]]
| ''[[Seesaw (musical)|Seesaw]]''
| Gittel Mosca
|-
| rowspan="5" align="center"| '''1975''' <br> {{small|([[29th Tony Awards|29th]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Angela Lansbury]]'''
| '''''[[Gypsy (musical)|Gypsy]]'''''
| '''[[Rose Thompson Hovick|Rose]]'''
| rowspan="5" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/1975/category/any/show/any/|title=1975 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 11, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Lola Falana]]
| ''[[Doctor Jazz (musical)|Doctor Jazz]]''
| Edna Mae Sheridan
|-
| [[Bernadette Peters]]
| ''[[Mack & Mabel]]''
| [[Mabel Normand]]
|-
| [[Ann Reinking]]
| ''[[Goodtime Charley]]''
| [[Joan of Arc]]
|-
| rowspan="5" align="center"| '''1976''' <br> {{small|([[30th Tony Awards|30th]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Donna McKechnie]]'''
| '''''[[A Chorus Line]]'''''
| '''Cassie Ferguson'''
| rowspan="5" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/1976/category/any/show/any/|title=1976 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 11, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Vivian Reed (musical theatre actress)|Vivian Reed]]
| ''[[Bubbling Brown Sugar]]''
| Marsha / Young Irene
|-
| [[Chita Rivera]]
| rowspan="2"| ''[[Chicago (musical)|Chicago]]''
| [[Velma Kelly]]
|-
| [[Gwen Verdon]]
| [[Roxie Hart]]
|-
| rowspan="5" align="center"| '''1977''' <br> {{small|([[31st Tony Awards|31st]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Dorothy Loudon]]'''
| '''''[[Annie (musical)|Annie]]'''''
| '''Miss Hannigan'''
| rowspan="5" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/1977/category/any/show/any/|title=1977 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 11, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Clamma Dale]]
| ''[[Porgy and Bess]]''
| Bess
|-
| [[Ernestine Jackson]]
| ''[[Guys and Dolls]]''
| Sarah Brown
|-
| [[Andrea McArdle]]
| ''[[Annie (musical)|Annie]]''
| Annie
|-
| rowspan="5" align="center"| '''1978''' <br> {{small|([[32nd Tony Awards|32nd]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Liza Minnelli]]'''
| '''''[[The Act (musical)|The Act]]'''''
| '''Michelle Craig'''
| rowspan="5" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/1978/category/any/show/any/|title=1978 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 11, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Madeline Kahn]]
| ''[[On the Twentieth Century]]''
| Lily Garland / Mildred Plotka
|-
| [[Eartha Kitt]]
| ''[[Timbuktu!]]''
| Shaleem La Lume
|-
| [[Frances Sternhagen]]
| ''[[Angel (musical)|Angel]]''
| Eliza Gant
|-
| rowspan="5" align="center"| '''1979''' <br> {{small|([[33rd Tony Awards|33rd]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Angela Lansbury]]'''
| '''''[[Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street]]'''''
| '''[[Mrs. Lovett]]'''
| rowspan="5" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/1979/category/any/show/any/|title=1979 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 11, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Tovah Feldshuh]]
| ''[[Saravá (musical)|Saravá]]''
| Dona Flor
|-
| [[Dorothy Loudon]]
| '' [[Ballroom (musical)|Ballroom]]''
| Bea Asher
|-
| [[Alexis Smith]]
| ''[[Platinum (musical)|Platinum]]''
| Lila Halliday
|}

===1980s===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! scope="col" style="width:8%;"| Year
! scope="col" style="width:30%;"| Actress
! scope="col" style="width:30%;"| Musical
! scope="col" style="width:30%;"| Role(s)
! scope="col" style="width:2%;" class="unsortable"| {{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}}
|-
| rowspan="5" align="center"| '''1980''' <br> {{small|([[34th Tony Awards|34th]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Patti LuPone]]'''
| '''''[[Evita (musical)|Evita]]'''''
| '''[[Eva Perón]]'''
| rowspan="5" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/1980/category/any/show/any/|title=1980 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 11, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Christine Andreas]]
| ''[[Oklahoma!]]''
| Laurey Williams
|-
| [[Sandy Duncan]]
| ''[[Peter Pan (1954 musical)|Peter Pan]]''
| [[Peter Pan (character)|Peter Pan]]
|-
| [[Ann Miller]]
| ''[[Sugar Babies (musical)|Sugar Babies]]''
| Ann
|-
| rowspan="5" align="center"| '''1981''' <br> {{small|([[35th Tony Awards|35th]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Lauren Bacall]]'''
| '''''[[Woman of the Year (musical)|Woman of the Year]]'''''
| '''Tess Harding'''
| rowspan="5" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/1981/category/any/show/any/|title=1981 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 11, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Meg Bussert]]
| ''[[Brigadoon]]''
| Fiona MacLaren
|-
| [[Chita Rivera]]
| ''[[Bring Back Birdie]]''
| Rosie Alvarez
|-
| [[Linda Ronstadt]]
| ''[[The Pirates of Penzance]]''
| Mabel
|-
| rowspan="5" align="center"| '''1982''' <br> {{small|([[36th Tony Awards|36th]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Jennifer Holliday]]'''
| '''''[[Dreamgirls]]'''''
| '''Effie White'''
| rowspan="5" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/1982/category/any/show/any/|title=1982 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 11, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Lisa Mordente]]
| ''[[Marlowe (musical)|Marlowe]]''
| [[Emilia Lanier|Emelia Bossano]]
|-
| [[Mary Gordon Murray]]
| ''[[Little Me (musical)|Little Me]]''
|  Maybelle Schlumpfert / Belle Poitrine
|-
| [[Sheryl Lee Ralph]]
| ''[[Dreamgirls]]''
| Deena Jones
|-
| rowspan="5" align="center"| '''1983''' <br> {{small|([[37th Tony Awards|37th]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Natalia Makarova]]'''
| '''''[[On Your Toes]]'''''
| '''Vera Barnova'''
| rowspan="5" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/1983/category/any/show/any/|title=1983 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 11, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Lonette McKee]]
| ''[[Show Boat]]''
| [[Julie Dozier|Julie La Verne]]
|-
| [[Chita Rivera]]
| ''[[Merlin (musical)|Merlin]]''
| The Queen
|-
| [[Twiggy]]
| ''[[My One and Only (musical)|My One and Only]]''
| Edith Herbert
|-
| rowspan="5" align="center"| '''1984''' <br> {{small|([[38th Tony Awards|38th]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Chita Rivera]]'''
| '''''[[The Rink (musical)|The Rink]]'''''
| '''Anna'''
| rowspan="4" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/1984/category/any/show/any/|title=1984 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 11, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Rhetta Hughes]]
| ''[[Amen Corner (musical)|Amen Corner]]''
| Sister Margaret Alexander
|-
| [[Liza Minnelli]]
| ''[[The Rink (musical)|The Rink]]''
| Angel
|-
| [[Bernadette Peters]]
| ''[[Sunday in the Park with George]]''
| Dot / Marie
|-
| align="center"| '''1985''' <br> {{small|([[39th Tony Awards|39th]])}}
! colspan="3"| Not awarded<ref group=note>The category was not given due to an insufficient number of musicals during the season.</ref>
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite news|last1=Winship|first1=Frederick M.|title='Big River,' 'Biloxi Blues' win Tony Awards |url=http://www.upi.com/Archives/1985/06/03/Big-River-Biloxi-Blues-win-Tony-Awards/6591486619200/|access-date=2016-12-03|agency=[[United Press International|UPI]]|date=1985-06-03}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="5" align="center"| '''1986''' <br> {{small|([[40th Tony Awards|40th]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Bernadette Peters]]'''
| '''''[[Song and Dance]]'''''
| '''Emma'''
| rowspan="5" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/1986/category/any/show/any/|title=1986 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 11, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Debbie Allen]]
| ''[[Sweet Charity]]''
| Charity Hope Valentine
|-
| [[Cleo Laine]]
| ''[[Drood|The Mystery of Edwin Drood]]''
| Angela Prysock / The Princess Puffer
|-
| [[Chita Rivera]]
| ''[[Jerry's Girls]]''
| Various Characters
|-
| rowspan="4" align="center"| '''1987''' <br> {{small|([[41st Tony Awards|41st]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Maryann Plunkett]]'''
| '''''[[Me and My Girl]]'''''
| '''Sally Smith'''
| rowspan="4" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/1987/category/any/show/any/|title=1987 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 11, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Catherine Cox (actress)|Catherine Cox]]
| ''[[Oh, Coward!]]''
| Various Characters
|-
| [[Teresa Stratas]]
| ''[[Rags (musical)|Rags]]''
| Rebecca Hershkowitz
|-
| rowspan="5" align="center"| '''1988''' <br> {{small|([[42nd Tony Awards|42nd]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Joanna Gleason]]'''
| '''''[[Into the Woods]]'''''
| '''The Baker's Wife'''
| rowspan="5" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/1988/category/any/show/any/|title=1988 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 11, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Alison Fraser]]
| ''[[Romance/Romance]]''
| Josefine Weninger / Monica
|-
| [[Judy Kuhn]]
| '' [[Chess (musical)|Chess]]''
| Florence Vassy
|-
| [[Patti LuPone]]
| ''[[Anything Goes]]''
| Reno Sweeney
|-
| rowspan="5" align="center"| '''1989''' <br> {{small|([[43rd Tony Awards|43rd]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Ruth Brown]]'''
| '''''[[Black and Blue (musical)|Black and Blue]]'''''
| '''Various Characters'''
| rowspan="5" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/1989/category/any/show/any/|title=1989 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 11, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Charlotte d'Amboise]]
| ''[[Jerome Robbins' Broadway]]''
| Anita / [[Peter Pan (character)|Peter Pan]] / Company 
|-
| [[Linda Hopkins]]
| ''[[Black and Blue (musical)|Black and Blue]]''
| Various Characters
|-
| [[Sharon McNight]]
| ''[[Starmites]]''
| Diva / Mother
|}

===1990s===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! scope="col" style="width:8%;"| Year
! scope="col" style="width:30%;"| Actress
! scope="col" style="width:30%;"| Musical
! scope="col" style="width:30%;"| Role(s)
! scope="col" style="width:2%;" class="unsortable"| {{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}}
|-
| rowspan="5" align="center"| '''1990''' <br> {{small|([[44th Tony Awards|44th]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Tyne Daly]]'''
| '''''[[Gypsy (musical)|Gypsy]]'''''
| '''[[Rose Thompson Hovick|Rose]]'''
| rowspan="5" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/1990/category/any/show/any/|title=1990 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 11, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Georgia Brown (English singer)|Georgia Brown]]
| ''[[The Threepenny Opera]]''
| Celia Peachum
|-
| [[Beth Fowler]]
| ''[[Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street]]''
| [[Mrs. Lovett]]
|-
| [[Liliane Montevecchi]]
| ''[[Grand Hotel (musical)|Grand Hotel]]''
| Elizaveta Grushinskaya 
|-
| rowspan="5" align="center"| '''1991''' <br> {{small|([[45th Tony Awards|45th]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Lea Salonga]]'''
| '''''[[Miss Saigon]]'''''
| '''Kim'''
| rowspan="5" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/1991/category/any/show/any/|title=1991 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 11, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[June Angela]]
| ''[[Shōgun: The Musical]]''
| [[Hosokawa Gracia|Lady Mariko]]
|-
| [[Dee Hoty]]
| ''[[The Will Rogers Follies]]''
| Betty Blake
|-
| [[Cathy Rigby]]
| ''[[Peter Pan (1954 musical)|Peter Pan]]''
| [[Peter Pan (character)|Peter Pan]]
|-
| rowspan="5" align="center"| '''1992''' <br> {{small|([[46th Tony Awards|46th]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Faith Prince]]'''
| '''''[[Guys and Dolls]]'''''
| '''Miss Adelaide'''
| rowspan="5" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/1992/category/any/show/any/|title=1992 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 11, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Jodi Benson]]
| ''[[Crazy for You (musical)|Crazy for You]]''
| Polly Baker
|-
| [[Josie de Guzman]]
| ''[[Guys and Dolls]]''
| Sarah Brown
|-
| [[Sophie Hayden]]
| ''[[The Most Happy Fella]]''
| Rosabella
|-
| rowspan="5" align="center"| '''1993''' <br> {{small|([[47th Tony Awards|47th]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Chita Rivera]]'''
| '''''[[Kiss of the Spider Woman (musical)|Kiss of the Spider Woman]]'''''
| '''Aurora / Spider Woman'''
| rowspan="5" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/1993/category/any/show/any/|title=1993 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 11, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Ann Crumb]]
| ''[[Anna Karenina (musical)|Anna Karenina]]''
| Anna Karenina
|-
| [[Stephanie Lawrence]]
| ''[[Blood Brothers (musical)|Blood Brothers]]''
| Mrs. Johnstone
|-
| [[Bernadette Peters]]
| ''[[The Goodbye Girl (musical)|The Goodbye Girl]]''
| Paula McFadden
|-
| rowspan="5" align="center"| '''1994''' <br> {{small|([[48th Tony Awards|48th]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Donna Murphy]]'''
| '''''[[Passion (musical)|Passion]]'''''
| '''Fosca'''
| rowspan="5" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/1994/category/any/show/any/|title=1994 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 11, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Susan Egan]]
| ''[[Beauty and the Beast (musical)|Beauty and the Beast]]''
| [[Belle (Disney character)|Belle]]
|-
| [[Dee Hoty]]
| ''[[The Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public]]''
| Mona Stangley
|-
| [[Judy Kuhn]]
| ''[[She Loves Me]]''
| Amalia Balash
|-
| rowspan="3" align="center"| '''1995''' <br> {{small|([[49th Tony Awards|49th]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Glenn Close]]'''
| '''''[[Sunset Boulevard (musical)|Sunset Boulevard]]'''''
| '''Norma Desmond'''
| rowspan="3" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/1995/category/any/show/any/|title=1995 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 11, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Rebecca Luker]]
| ''[[Show Boat]]''
| Magnolia Hawks
|-
| rowspan="5" align="center"| '''1996''' <br> {{small|([[50th Tony Awards|50th]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Donna Murphy]]'''
| '''''[[The King and I]]'''''
| '''[[Anna Leonowens]]'''
| rowspan="5" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/1996/category/any/show/any/|title=1996 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 11, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Julie Andrews]] {{small|(nomination declined)}}<ref>Viagas, Robert. [http://www.playbill.com/article/julie-andrews-declines-tony-nomination-com-328894 "Julie Andrews Declines Tony Nomination"] playbill.com, May 8, 1996</ref>
| ''[[Victor/Victoria (musical)|Victor/Victoria]]''
| Victoria Grant / Count Victor Grazinski
|-
| [[Crista Moore]]
| ''[[Big: The Musical]]''
| Susan Lawrence
|-
| [[Daphne Rubin-Vega]]
| ''[[Rent (musical)|Rent]]''
| Mimi Marquez 
|-
| rowspan="5" align="center"| '''1997''' <br> {{small|([[51st Tony Awards|51st]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Bebe Neuwirth]]'''
| '''''[[Chicago (musical)|Chicago]]'''''
| '''[[Velma Kelly]]'''
| rowspan="5" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/1997/category/any/show/any/|title=1997 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 11, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Pamela Isaacs]]
| ''[[The Life (musical)|The Life]]''
| Queen
|-
| [[Tonya Pinkins]]
| ''[[Play On!|Play On]]''
| [[Viola (Twelfth Night)|Lady Liv]]
|-
| [[Karen Ziemba]]
| ''[[Steel Pier (musical)|Steel Pier]]''
| Rita Racine
|-
| rowspan="5" align="center"| '''1998''' <br> {{small|([[52nd Tony Awards|52nd]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Natasha Richardson]]'''
| '''''[[Cabaret (musical)|Cabaret]]'''''
| '''[[Sally Bowles]]'''
| rowspan="5" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/1998/category/any/show/any/|title=1998 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 11, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Betty Buckley]]
| ''[[Triumph of Love (musical)|Triumph of Love]]''
| Hesione
|-
| [[Marin Mazzie]]
| ''[[Ragtime (musical)|Ragtime]]''
| Mother
|-
| [[Alice Ripley]] & [[Emily Skinner (actress, born 1970)|Emily Skinner]]
| ''[[Side Show (musical)|Side Show]]''
| [[Daisy and Violet Hilton|Violet and Daisy Hilton]]
|-
| rowspan="5" align="center"| '''1999''' <br> {{small|([[53rd Tony Awards|53rd]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Bernadette Peters]]'''
| '''''[[Annie Get Your Gun (musical)|Annie Get Your Gun]]'''''
| '''[[Annie Oakley]]'''
| rowspan="5" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/1999/category/any/show/any/|title=1999 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 11, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Carolee Carmello]]
| ''[[Parade (musical)|Parade]]''
| Lucille Frank
|-
| [[Dee Hoty]]
| ''[[Footloose (musical)|Footloose]]''
| Vi Moore
|-
| [[Siân Phillips]]
| ''[[Marlene (musical)|Marlene]]''
| [[Marlene Dietrich]]
|}

===2000s===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! scope="col" style="width:8%;"| Year
! scope="col" style="width:30%;"| Actress
! scope="col" style="width:30%;"| Musical
! scope="col" style="width:30%;"| Role(s)
! scope="col" style="width:2%;" class="unsortable"| {{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}}
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| '''2000''' <br> {{small|([[54th Tony Awards|54th]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Heather Headley]]'''
| '''''[[Aida (musical)|Aida]]'''''
| '''Aida'''
| rowspan="6" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/2000/category/any/show/any/|title=2000 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 11, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Toni Collette]]
| ''[[The Wild Party (LaChiusa musical)|The Wild Party]]''
| Queenie
|-
| [[Rebecca Luker]]
| ''[[The Music Man]]''
| Marian Paroo
|-
| [[Marin Mazzie]]
| ''[[Kiss Me, Kate]]''
| Lilli Vanessi / [[Katherina (Kate) Minola|Katharine]]
|-
| [[Audra McDonald]]
| ''[[Marie Christine]]''
| [[Marie Laveau|Marie Christine L'Adrese]]
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| '''2001''' <br> {{small|([[55th Tony Awards|55th]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Christine Ebersole]]'''
| '''''[[42nd Street (musical)|42nd Street]]'''''
| '''Dorothy Brock'''
| rowspan="6" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/2001/category/any/show/any/|title=2001 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 11, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Blythe Danner]]
| ''[[Follies]]''
| Phyllis Rogers Stone
|-
| [[Randy Graff]]
| ''[[A Class Act]]''
| Sophie
|-
| [[Faith Prince]]
| ''[[Bells Are Ringing (musical)|Bells Are Ringing]]''
| Ella Peterson
|-
| [[Marla Schaffel]]
| ''[[Jane Eyre (musical)|Jane Eyre]]''
| [[Jane Eyre (character)|Jane Eyre]]
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| '''2002''' <br> {{small|([[56th Tony Awards|56th]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Sutton Foster]]'''
| '''''[[Thoroughly Modern Millie (musical)|Thoroughly Modern Millie]]'''''
| '''Millie Dillmount'''
| rowspan="6" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/2002/category/any/show/any/|title=2002 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 11, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Louise Pitre]]
| ''[[Mamma Mia! (musical)|Mamma Mia!]]''
| Donna Sheridan
|-
| [[Nancy Opel]]
| rowspan="2"| ''[[Urinetown]]''
| Penelope Pennywise
|-
| [[Jennifer Laura Thompson]]
| Hope Cladwell
|-
| [[Vanessa Williams]]
| ''[[Into the Woods]]''
| The Witch
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| '''2003''' <br> {{small|([[57th Tony Awards|57th]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Marissa Jaret Winokur]]'''
| '''''[[Hairspray (musical)|Hairspray]]'''''
| '''Tracy Turnblad'''
| rowspan="6" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/2003/category/any/show/any/|title=2003 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 11, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Melissa Errico]]
| ''[[Amour (musical)|Amour]]''
| Isabella
|-
| [[Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio]]
| ''[[Man of La Mancha]]''
| Aldonza / [[Dulcinea del Toboso|Dulcinea]]
|-
| [[Elizabeth Parkinson]]
| ''[[Movin' Out (musical)|Movin' Out]]''
| Brenda
|-
| [[Bernadette Peters]]
| ''[[Gypsy (musical)|Gypsy]]''
| [[Rose Thompson Hovick|Rose]]
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| '''2004''' <br> {{small|([[58th Tony Awards|58th]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Idina Menzel]]'''
| '''''[[Wicked (musical)|Wicked]]'''''
| '''[[Elphaba]]'''
| rowspan="6" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/2004/category/any/show/any/|title=2004 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 11, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Kristin Chenoweth]]
| ''[[Wicked (musical)|Wicked]]''
| [[Glinda the Good Witch|Glinda]]
|-
| [[Stephanie D'Abruzzo]]
| ''[[Avenue Q]]''
| Kate Monster / Lucy the Slut / Company
|-
| [[Donna Murphy]]
| ''[[Wonderful Town]]''
| [[Ruth McKenney|Ruth Sherwood]]
|-
| [[Tonya Pinkins]]
| ''[[Caroline, or Change]]''
| Caroline Thibodeaux 
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| '''2005''' <br> {{small|([[59th Tony Awards|59th]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Victoria Clark]]'''
| '''''[[The Light in the Piazza (musical)|The Light in the Piazza]]'''''
| '''Margaret Johnson'''
| rowspan="6" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/2005/category/any/show/any/|title=2005 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 11, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Christina Applegate]]
| ''[[Sweet Charity]]''
| Charity Hope Valentine
|-
| [[Erin Dilly]]
| ''[[Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (musical)|Chitty Chitty Bang Bang]]''
| [[Truly Scrumptious]]
|-
| [[Sutton Foster]]
| ''[[Little Women (musical)|Little Women]]''
| [[Little Women#Josephine "Jo" March|Josephine 'Jo' March]]
|-
| [[Sherie Rene Scott]]
| ''[[Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (musical)|Dirty Rotten Scoundrels]]''
| Christine Colgate
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| '''2006''' <br> {{small|([[60th Tony Awards|60th]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[LaChanze]]'''
| '''''[[The Color Purple (musical)|The Color Purple]]'''''
| '''Celie Harris Johnson'''
| rowspan="6" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/2006/category/any/show/any/|title=2006 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 11, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Sutton Foster]]
| ''[[The Drowsy Chaperone]]''
| Janet Van De Graaff
|-
| [[Patti LuPone]]
| ''[[Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street]]''
| [[Mrs. Lovett]]
|-
| [[Kelli O'Hara]]
| ''[[The Pajama Game]]''
| Catherine 'Babe' Williams
|-
| [[Chita Rivera]]
| ''[[Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life]]''
| [[Chita Rivera]]
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| '''2007''' <br> {{small|([[61st Tony Awards|61st]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Christine Ebersole]]'''
| '''''[[Grey Gardens (musical)|Grey Gardens]]'''''
| '''[[Edith Bouvier Beale|'Little Edie' Beale]]'''
| rowspan="6" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/2007/category/any/show/any/|title=2007 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 11, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Laura Bell Bundy]]
| ''[[Legally Blonde (musical)|Legally Blonde]]''
| [[Elle Woods]]
|-
| [[Audra McDonald]]
| ''[[110 in the Shade]]''
| Lizzie Curry
|-
| [[Debra Monk]]
| ''[[Curtains (musical)|Curtains]]''
| Carmen Bernstein
|-
| [[Donna Murphy]]
| ''[[LoveMusik]]''
| [[Lotte Lenya]]
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| '''2008''' <br> {{small|([[62nd Tony Awards|62nd]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Patti LuPone]]'''
| '''''[[Gypsy (musical)|Gypsy]]'''''
| '''[[Rose Thompson Hovick|Rose]]'''
| rowspan="6" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/2008/category/any/show/any/|title=2008 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 11, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Kerry Butler]]
| ''[[Xanadu (musical)|Xanadu]]''
| Kira / [[Clio]]
|-
| [[Kelli O'Hara]]
| ''[[South Pacific (musical)|South Pacific]]''
| Ensign Nellie Forbush
|-
| [[Faith Prince]]
| ''[[A Catered Affair]]''
| Agnes 'Aggie' Hurley
|-
| [[Jenna Russell]]
| ''[[Sunday in the Park with George]]''
| Dot / Marie
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| '''2009''' <br> {{small|([[63rd Tony Awards|63rd]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Alice Ripley]]'''
| '''''[[Next to Normal]]'''''
| '''Diana Goodman'''
| rowspan="6" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/2009/category/any/show/any/|title=2009 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 11, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Stockard Channing]]
| ''[[Pal Joey (musical)|Pal Joey]]''
| Vera Simpson
|-
| [[Sutton Foster]]
| ''[[Shrek the Musical]]''
| [[Princess Fiona]]
|-
| [[Allison Janney]]
| ''[[9 to 5 (musical)|9 to 5]]''
| Violet Newstead
|-
| [[Josefina Scaglione]]
| ''[[West Side Story]]''
| Maria
|}

===2010s===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! scope="col" style="width:8%;"| Year
! scope="col" style="width:30%;"| Actress
! scope="col" style="width:30%;"| Musical
! scope="col" style="width:30%;"| Role(s)
! scope="col" style="width:2%;" class="unsortable"| {{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}}
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| '''2010''' <br> {{small|([[64th Tony Awards|64th]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Catherine Zeta-Jones]]'''
| '''''[[A Little Night Music]]'''''
| '''Desiree Armfeldt'''
| rowspan="6" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/2010/category/any/show/any/|title=2010 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 10, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Kate Baldwin]]
| ''[[Finian's Rainbow]]''
| Sharon McLonergan 
|-
| [[Montego Glover]]
| ''[[Memphis (musical)|Memphis]]''
| Felicia Farrell
|-
| [[Christiane Noll]]
| ''[[Ragtime (musical)|Ragtime]]''
| Mother
|-
| [[Sherie Rene Scott]]
| ''[[Everyday Rapture]]''
| [[Sherie Rene Scott]]
|-
| rowspan="5" align="center"| '''2011''' <br> {{small|([[65th Tony Awards|65th]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Sutton Foster]]'''
| '''''[[Anything Goes]]'''''
| '''Reno Sweeney'''
| rowspan="5" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/2011/category/any/show/any/|title=2011 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 10, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Beth Leavel]]
| ''[[Baby It's You!]]''
| [[Florence Greenberg]]
|-
| [[Patina Miller]]
| ''[[Sister Act (musical)|Sister Act]]''
| Deloris Van Cartier
|-
| [[Donna Murphy]]
| ''[[The People in the Picture]]''
| Bubbie / Raisel
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| '''2012''' <br> {{small|([[66th Tony Awards|66th]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Audra McDonald]]'''
| '''''[[Porgy and Bess]]'''''
| '''Bess'''
| rowspan="6" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/2012/category/any/show/any/|title=2012 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 10, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Jan Maxwell]]
| ''[[Follies]]''
| Phyllis Rogers Stone
|-
| [[Cristin Milioti]]
| ''[[Once (musical)|Once]]''
| Girl
|-
| [[Kelli O'Hara]]
| ''[[Nice Work If You Can Get It (musical)|Nice Work If You Can Get It]]''
| Billie Bendix
|-
| [[Laura Osnes]]
| ''[[Bonnie & Clyde (musical)|Bonnie and Clyde]]''
| [[Bonnie and Clyde|Bonnie Parker]]
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| '''2013''' <br> {{small|([[67th Tony Awards|67th]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Patina Miller]]'''
| '''''[[Pippin (musical)|Pippin]]'''''
| '''The Leading Player'''
| rowspan="6" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/press/2013-tony-award-nominations/|title=2013 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 10, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Stephanie J. Block]]
| ''[[Drood|The Mystery of Edwin Drood]]''
| Edwin Drood / Miss Alice Nutting
|-
| [[Carolee Carmello]]
| ''[[Scandalous: The Life and Trials of Aimee Semple McPherson|Scandalous]]''
| [[Aimee Semple McPherson]]
|-
| [[Valisia LeKae]]
| ''[[Motown: The Musical]]''
| [[Diana Ross]]
|-
| [[Laura Osnes]]
| ''[[Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella (Beane musical)|Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella]]''
| Ella
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| '''2014''' <br> {{small|([[68th Tony Awards|68th]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Jessie Mueller]]'''
| '''''[[Beautiful: The Carole King Musical]]'''''
| '''[[Carole King]]'''
| rowspan="6" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/press/the-2014-tony-award-nominations/|title=2014 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 10, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Mary Bridget Davies]]
| ''[[A Night with Janis Joplin]]''
| [[Janis Joplin]]
|-
| [[Sutton Foster]]
| ''[[Violet (musical)|Violet]]''
| Violet Karl 
|-
| [[Idina Menzel]]
| ''[[If/Then]]''
| Elizabeth Vaughan
|-
| [[Kelli O'Hara]]
| ''[[The Bridges of Madison County (musical)|The Bridges of Madison County]]''
| Francesca Johnson
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| '''2015''' <br> {{small|([[69th Tony Awards|69th]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Kelli O'Hara]]'''
| '''''[[The King and I]]'''''
| '''[[Anna Leonowens]]'''
| rowspan="6" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2015/legit/awards/tony-nominations-2015-full-list-tony-award-nominees-1201480979/|title=Tony Nominations 2015: Full List|date=April 28, 2015|author=<!--Not stated-->|website=Variety|access-date=August 10, 2023}}</ref>
|- 
| [[Kristin Chenoweth]]
| ''[[On the Twentieth Century]]''
| Lily Garland / Mildred Plotka
|-
| [[Leanne Cope]]
| ''[[An American in Paris (musical)|An American in Paris]]''
| Lise Dassin
|-
| [[Beth Malone]]
| ''[[Fun Home (musical)|Fun Home]]''
| [[Alison Bechdel]]
|-
| [[Chita Rivera]]
| ''[[The Visit (musical)|The Visit]]''
| Claire Zachanassian
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| '''2016''' <br> {{small|([[70th Tony Awards|70th]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Cynthia Erivo]]'''
| '''''[[The Color Purple (musical)|The Color Purple]]'''''
| '''Celie Harris Johnson'''
| rowspan="6" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/press/2016-tony-award-nominations/|title=2016 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 10, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Laura Benanti]]
| ''[[She Loves Me]]''
| Amalia Balash
|- 
| [[Carmen Cusack]]
| ''[[Bright Star (musical)|Bright Star]]''
| Alice Murphy
|-
| [[Jessie Mueller]]
| ''[[Waitress (musical)|Waitress]]''
| Jenna Hunterson
|-
| [[Phillipa Soo]]
| ''[[Hamilton (musical)|Hamilton]]''
| [[Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton|Eliza Hamilton]]
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| '''2017''' <br> {{small|([[71st Tony Awards|71st]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Bette Midler]]'''
| '''''[[Hello, Dolly! (musical)|Hello, Dolly!]]'''''
| '''[[Dolly Gallagher Levi]]'''
| rowspan="6" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/press/2017-tony-award-nominations/|title=2017 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 10, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Denée Benton]]
| ''[[Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812]]''
| [[Natasha Rostova]]
|-
| [[Christine Ebersole]]
| rowspan="2"| ''[[War Paint (musical)|War Paint]]''
| [[Elizabeth Arden]]
|-
| [[Patti LuPone]]
| [[Helena Rubinstein]]
|-
| [[Eva Noblezada]]
| ''[[Miss Saigon]]''
| Kim
|-
| rowspan="7" align="center"| '''2018''' <br> {{small|([[72nd Tony Awards|72nd]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Katrina Lenk]]'''
| '''''[[The Band's Visit (musical)|The Band's Visit]]'''''
| '''Dina'''
| rowspan="7" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/press/2018-tony-award-nominations/|title=2018 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 10, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Lauren Ambrose]]
| ''[[My Fair Lady]]''
| [[Eliza Doolittle]]
|-
| [[Hailey Kilgore]]
| ''[[Once on This Island]]''
| Ti Moune
|-
| [[LaChanze]]
| ''[[Summer: The Donna Summer Musical]]''
| [[Donna Summer|Diva Donna]] / Mary Gaines
|-
| [[Taylor Louderman]]
| ''[[Mean Girls (musical)|Mean Girls]]''
| [[Regina George (Mean Girls)|Regina George]]
|-
| [[Jessie Mueller]]
| ''[[Carousel (musical)|Carousel]]''
| Julie Jordan
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| '''2019''' <br> {{small|([[73rd Tony Awards|73rd]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Stephanie J. Block]]'''
| '''''[[The Cher Show (musical)|The Cher Show]]'''''
| '''[[Cher|Star]]'''
| rowspan="6" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/press/2019-tony-award-nominations/|title=2019 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 10, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Caitlin Kinnunen]]
| rowspan="2"| ''[[The Prom (musical)|The Prom]]''
| Emma Nolan
|-
| [[Beth Leavel]]
| Dee Dee Allen
|-
| [[Eva Noblezada]]
| ''[[Hadestown (musical)|Hadestown]]''
| [[Eurydice]]
|-
| [[Kelli O'Hara]]
| ''[[Kiss Me, Kate]]''
| Lilli Vanessi / [[Katherina (Kate) Minola|Katharine]]	
|}

===2020s===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! scope="col" style="width:8%;"| Year
! scope="col" style="width:30%;"| Actress
! scope="col" style="width:32%;”| Musical
! scope="col" style="width:28%;"| Role(s)
! scope="col" style="width:2%;" class="unsortable"| {{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}}
|-
| rowspan="4" align="center"| '''2020''' <br> {{small|([[74th Tony Awards|74th]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Adrienne Warren]]'''
| '''''[[Tina (musical)|Tina]]'''''
| '''[[Tina Turner]]'''
| rowspan="3" align="center"| <ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/26/entertainment/tony-awards-2021-full-list/index.html|title=See who won at the Tony Awards|last=Garvey|first=Marianne|date=September 26, 2021|accessdate=September 27, 2021|work=[[CNN]]}}</ref>
|-
| [[Karen Olivo]]
| ''[[Moulin Rouge! (musical)|Moulin Rouge!]]''
| Satine
|-
| [[Elizabeth Stanley (actress)|Elizabeth Stanley]]
| ''[[Jagged Little Pill (musical)|Jagged Little Pill]]''
| Mary Jane Healy
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| '''2022''' <br> {{small|([[75th Tony Awards|75th]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Joaquina Kalukango]]'''
| '''''[[Paradise Square (musical)|Paradise Square]]'''''
| '''Annabelle "Nelly" Freeman'''
| rowspan="6" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/news/2022-tony-awards-nominations/|title=2022 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 10, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[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 (musical)|Girl from the North Country]]''
| Elizabeth Laine
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| '''2023''' <br> {{small|([[76th Tony Awards|76th]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Victoria Clark]]'''
| '''''[[Kimberly Akimbo (musical)|Kimberly Akimbo]]'''''
| '''Kimberly Levaco'''
| rowspan="5" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/news/2023-tony-awards-nominees/|title=2023 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|date=May 2, 2023|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 10, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Annaleigh Ashford]]
| ''[[Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street]]''
| [[Mrs. Lovett]]
|-
| [[Sara Bareilles]]
| ''[[Into the Woods]]''
| The Baker's Wife
|-
| [[Lorna Courtney]]
| ''[[& Juliet]]''
| [[Juliet]]
|-
| [[Micaela Diamond]]
| ''[[Parade (musical)|Parade]]''
| Lucille Frank
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| '''2024''' <br> {{small|([[77th Tony Awards|77th]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Maleah Joi Moon]]'''
| '''''[[Hell's Kitchen (musical)|Hell's Kitchen]]'''''
| '''[[Alicia Keys|Ali]]'''
| rowspan="5" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/news/2023-tony-awards-nominees/|title=2023 Tony Awards Nominees|author=<!--Not stated-->|date=May 2, 2023|publisher=[[American Theatre Wing]]|access-date=August 10, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Eden Espinosa]]
| ''[[Lempicka (musical)|Lempicka]]''
| [[Tamara de Lempicka]]
|-
| [[Kelli O'Hara]]
| ''[[Days of Wine and Roses (musical)|Days of Wine and Roses]]''
| Kirsten Arnesen-Clay
|-
| [[Maryann Plunkett]]
| ''[[The Notebook (musical)|The Notebook]]''
| Allison "Allie" Calhoun (older)
|-
| [[Gayle Rankin]]
| ''[[Cabaret (musical)|Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club]]''
| [[Sally Bowles]]
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| '''2025''' <br> {{small|([[78th Tony Awards|78th]])}}
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| '''[[Nicole Scherzinger]]'''
| '''''[[Sunset Boulevard (musical)|Sunset Boulevard]]'''''
| '''Norma Desmond'''
| rowspan=6|
|-
| [[Megan Hilty]]
| ''[[Death Becomes Her (musical)|Death Becomes Her]]''
| Madeline Ashton
|-
| [[Audra McDonald]]
| ''[[Gypsy (musical)|Gypsy]]''
| [[Rose Thompson Hovick|Rose]]
|-
| [[Jasmine Amy Rogers]]
| ''[[Boop! The Musical]]''
| [[Betty Boop]]
|-
| [[Jennifer Simard]]
| ''[[Death Becomes Her (musical)|Death Becomes Her]]''
| Helen Sharp
|-
|}

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==Statistics==
===Most wins===
{{columns-list|colwidth=35em|
; 4 wins
* [[Angela Lansbury]]

; 3 wins
* [[Mary Martin]]
* [[Gwen Verdon]]

; 2 wins
* [[Lauren Bacall]]
* [[Victoria Clark]]
* [[Christine Ebersole]]
* [[Sutton Foster]]
* [[Patti LuPone]]
* [[Liza Minnelli]]
* [[Donna Murphy]]
* [[Bernadette Peters]]
* [[Chita Rivera]]
}}

===Most nominations===
{{columns-list|colwidth=20em|
; 8 nominations
* [[Chita Rivera]]

; 7 nominations
* [[Sutton Foster]]
* [[Kelli O'Hara]]

; 6 nominations
* [[Bernadette Peters]]

; 5 nominations
* [[Patti LuPone]]
* [[Donna Murphy]]
* [[Gwen Verdon]]

; 4 nominations
* [[Carol Channing]]
* [[Angela Lansbury]]
* [[Mary Martin]]
* [[Audra McDonald]]

; 3 nominations
* [[Julie Andrews]]
* [[Jessie Mueller]]
* [[Christine Ebersole]]
* [[Dee Hoty]]
* [[Dorothy Loudon]]
* [[Ethel Merman]]
* [[Liza Minnelli]]
* [[Faith Prince]]

; 2 nominations
* [[Lauren Bacall]]
* [[Stephanie J. Block]]
* [[Georgia Brown (English singer)|Georgia Brown]]
* [[Carolee Carmello]]
* [[Kristin Chenoweth]]
* [[Victoria Clark]]
* [[Carmen Cusack]]
* [[Sandy Duncan]]
* [[Nanette Fabray]]
* [[Dolores Gray]]
* [[Barbara Harris (actress)|Barbara Harris]]
* [[Judy Kuhn]]
* [[LaChanze]]
* [[Beth Leavel]]
* [[Beatrice Lillie]]
* [[Rebecca Luker]]
* [[Marin Mazzie]]
* [[Patina Miller]]
* [[Idina Menzel]]
* [[Eva Noblezada]]
* [[Laura Osnes]]
* [[Tonya Pinkins]]
* [[Maryann Plunkett]]
* [[Alice Ripley]]
* [[Sherie Rene Scott]]
* [[Alexis Smith]]
* [[Elaine Stritch]]
* [[Inga Swenson]]
* [[Nancy Walker]]
}}

===Character win total===
; 3 wins
* [[Anna Leonowens]] from ''[[The King and I]]''
* [[Rose Thompson Hovick|Rose]] from ''[[Gypsy (musical)|Gypsy]]''

; 2 wins
* Desiree Armfeldt from ''[[A Little Night Music]]''
* Norma Desmond from ''[[Sunset Boulevard (musical)|Sunset Boulevard]]''
* Celie Harris Johnson from  ''[[The Color Purple (musical)|The Color Purple]]''
* [[Dolly Gallagher Levi]] from ''[[Hello, Dolly! (musical)|Hello, Dolly!]]''

===Character nomination total===
{{columns-list|colwidth=35em|
; 6 nominations
* [[Rose Thompson Hovick|Rose]] from ''[[Gypsy (musical)|Gypsy]]''

; 4 nominations
* [[Mrs. Lovett]] from ''[[Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street|Sweeney Todd]]''
* [[Peter Pan (character)|Peter Pan]] from ''[[Peter Pan (1954 musical)|Peter Pan]]'' and ''[[Jerome Robbins' Broadway]]''

; 3 nominations
* [[Anna Leonowens]] from ''[[The King and I]]''
* Charity Hope Valentine from ''[[Sweet Charity]]''
* Phyllis Rogers Stone from ''[[Follies]]''

; 2 nominations
* Amalia Balash from ''[[She Loves Me]]''
* The Baker's Wife from ''[[Into the Woods]]''
* Bess from ''[[Porgy and Bess]]''
* Caroline Thibodeaux from ''[[Caroline, or Change]]''
* Celie Harris Johnson from ''[[The Color Purple (musical)|The Color Purple]]''
* Desiree Armfeldt from ''[[A Little Night Music]]''
* [[Dolly Gallagher Levi]] from ''[[Hello, Dolly! (musical)|Hello, Dolly!]]''
* Dot / Marie from ''[[Sunday in the Park with George]]''
* [[Eliza Doolittle]] from ''[[My Fair Lady]]''
* Ella Peterson from ''[[Bells Are Ringing (musical)|Bells Are Ringing]]''
* Ensign Nellie Forbush from ''[[South Pacific (musical)|South Pacific]]''
* Fiona MacLaren from ''[[Brigadoon]]''
* Kim from ''[[Miss Saigon]]''
* Lilli Vanessi / [[Katherina (Kate) Minola|Katharine]] from ''[[Kiss Me, Kate]]''
* Lily Garland / Mildred Plotka from ''[[On the Twentieth Century]]''
* Lizzie Curry from ''[[110 in the Shade]]''
* Lucille Frank from ''[[Parade (musical)|Parade]]''
* Marian Paroo from ''[[The Music Man]]''
* Mother from ''[[Ragtime (musical)|Ragtime]]''
* Norma Desmond from ''[[Sunset Boulevard (musical)|Sunset Boulevard]]''
* Reno Sweeney from ''[[Anything Goes]]''
* [[Ruth McKenney|Ruth Sherwood]] from ''[[Wonderful Town]]''
* [[Sally Bowles]] from ''[[Cabaret (musical)|Cabaret]]''
* Sarah Brown from ''[[Guys and Dolls]]''
* [[Velma Kelly]] from ''[[Chicago (musical)|Chicago]]''
}}

===Characters nominated for both the [[Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play]] and the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical===
{{columns-list|colwidth=35em|
* [[Joan of Arc]] from ''[[Goodtime Charley]]'', ''[[Saint Joan (play)|Saint Joan]]'', ''[[Joan of Lorraine]]'' and ''[[The Lark (play)|The Lark]]''
* Countess Aurelia from ''[[The Madwoman of Chaillot]]'' and ''[[Dear World]]''
* [[Sally Bowles]] from ''[[I Am a Camera]]'' and ''[[Cabaret (musical)|Cabaret]]''
* Leona Samish from ''[[The Time of the Cuckoo]]'' and ''[[Do I Hear a Waltz?]]''
* [[Dolly Gallagher Levi]] from ''[[The Matchmaker (play)|The Matchmaker]]'' and ''[[Hello, Dolly! (musical)|Hello Dolly!]]''
* Lena Younger from ''[[A Raisin in the Sun]]'' and ''[[Raisin (musical)|Raisin]]''
* Mame Dennis from ''[[Auntie Mame (play)|Auntie Mame]]'' and ''[[Mame (musical)|Mame]]''
* Eliza Gant from ''[[Look Homeward, Angel (play)|Look Homeward, Angel]]'' and ''[[Angel (musical)|Angel]]''
* Claire Zachanassian ''[[The Visit (play)]]'' and ''[[The Visit (musical)]]''
* Sister Margaret Alexander from ''[[The Amen Corner]]'' and ''[[Amen Corner (musical)]]''
* [[Eliza Doolittle]] from ''[[Pygmalion (play)|Pygmalion]]'' and ''[[My Fair Lady]]''
* Lizzie Curry from ''[[The Rainmaker (play)|The Rainmaker]]'' and ''[[110 in the Shade]]''.
* Lily Garland / Mildred Plotka from ''[[Twentieth Century (play)|Twentieth Century]]'' and ''[[On the Twentieth Century]]''
* Madame Arcati from ''[[Blithe Spirit (play)|Blithe Spirit]]'' and ''[[High Spirits (musical)|High Spirits]]''
* Anna Christopherson from ''[[Anna Christie]]'' and ''[[New Girl in Town]]''
}}

===Productions with multiple nominations===
'''boldface'''=winner
* ''[[New Girl in Town]]'' – '''[[Thelma Ritter]]''' and '''[[Gwen Verdon]]''' {{small|(tie)}}
* ''[[Company (musical)|Company]]'' – [[Susan Browning]] and [[Elaine Stritch]]
* ''[[Follies]]'' – [[Dorothy Collins]] and '''[[Alexis Smith]]'''
* ''[[Chicago (musical)|Chicago]]'' – [[Chita Rivera]] and [[Gwen Verdon]]
* ''[[Annie (musical)|Annie]]'' – '''[[Dorothy Loudon]]''' and [[Andrea McArdle]]
* ''[[Dreamgirls]]'' – '''[[Jennifer Holliday]]''' and [[Sheryl Lee Ralph]]
* ''[[The Rink (musical)|The Rink]]'' – [[Liza Minnelli]] and '''[[Chita Rivera]]'''
* ''[[Black and Blue (musical)|Black and Blue]]'' – '''[[Ruth Brown]]''' and [[Linda Hopkins]]
* ''[[Guys and Dolls]]'' – [[Josie de Guzman]] and '''[[Faith Prince]]'''
* ''[[Urinetown]]'' – [[Nancy Opel]] and [[Jennifer Laura Thompson]]
* ''[[Wicked (musical)|Wicked]]'' – [[Kristin Chenoweth]] and '''[[Idina Menzel]]'''
* ''[[War Paint (musical)|War Paint]]'' – [[Christine Ebersole]] and [[Patti LuPone]]
* ''[[The Prom (musical)|The Prom]]'' – [[Caitlin Kinnunen]] and [[Beth Leavel]]
* [[Death Becomes Her (musical)|''Death Becomes Her'']] – [[Megan Hilty]] and [[Jennifer Simard]]

===Multiple awards and nominations===
; Actresses who have been nominated multiple times in any acting categories
{|
|-
| valign="top" |
{| class="wikitable unsortable" style="font-size:90%;"
|-
! style="width:50px;"| Awards
! Nominations
! Recipient
|-
| align="center"| 6
| align="center"| 11
| [[Audra McDonald]]
|-
| rowspan="2" align="center"| 5
| align="center"| 10
| [[Julie Harris (actress)|Julie Harris]]
|-
| align="center"| 7
| [[Angela Lansbury]]
|-
| rowspan="2" align="center"| 4
| align="center"| 6
| [[Gwen Verdon]]
|-
| align="center"| 4
| [[Zoe Caldwell]]
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| 3
| align="center"| 8
| [[Patti LuPone]]
|-
| rowspan="2" align="center"| 5
| [[Irene Worth]]
|-
| [[Jessica Tandy]]
|-
| rowspan="2" align="center"| 4
| [[Glenn Close]]
|-
| [[Mary Martin]]
|-
| align="center"| 3
| [[Shirley Booth]]
|-
| rowspan="33" align="center"| 2
| align="center"| 10
| [[Chita Rivera]]
|-
| align="center"| 8
| [[Colleen Dewhurst]]
|-
| rowspan="3" align="center"| 7
| [[Bernadette Peters]]
|-
| [[Frances Sternhagen]]
|-
| [[Sutton Foster]]
|-
| rowspan="3" align="center"| 6
| [[Andrea Martin]]
|-
| [[Laurie Metcalf]]
|-
| [[Maureen Stapleton]]
|-
| rowspan="5" align="center"| 5
| [[Victoria Clark]]
|-
| [[Cherry Jones]]
|-
| [[Donna Murphy]]
|-
| [[Mary-Louise Parker]]
|-
| [[Swoosie Kurtz]]
|-
| rowspan="5" align="center"| 4
| [[Christine Ebersole]]
|-
| [[Cynthia Nixon]]
|-
| [[Judith Ivey]]
|-
| [[Judy Kaye]]
|-
| [[Margaret Leighton]]
|-
| rowspan="9" align="center"| 3
| [[Anne Bancroft]]
|-
| [[Bebe Neuwirth]]
|-
| [[Helen Gallagher]]
|-
| [[Helen Hayes]]
|-
| [[Jennifer Ehle]]
|-
| [[Judith Light]]
|-
| [[Liza Minnelli]]
|-
| [[Phylicia Rashad]]
|-
| [[Viola Davis]]
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| 2
| [[Christine Baranski]]
|-
| [[Katie Finneran]]
|-
| [[Lauren Bacall]]
|-
| [[Sandy Dennis]]
|-
| [[Tammy Grimes]]
|-
| [[Uta Hagen]]
|-
| rowspan="92" align="center" | 1
| align="center"| 9
| [[Rosemary Harris]]
|-
| rowspan="3" align="center"| 8
| [[Jane Alexander]]
|-
| [[Stockard Channing]]
|-
| [[Kelli O'Hara]]
|-
| align="center"| 6
| [[Linda Lavin]]
|-
| rowspan="5" align="center"| 5
| [[Celia Keenan-Bolger]]
|-
| [[Glenda Jackson]]
|-
| [[Jayne Houdyshell]]
|-
| [[Laura Benanti]]
|-
| [[Marian Seldes]]
|-
| rowspan="12" align="center"| 4
| [[Blythe Danner]]
|-
| [[Carol Channing]]
|-
| [[Carole Shelley]]
|-
| [[Debra Monk]]
|-
| [[Diana Rigg]]
|-
| [[Faith Prince]]
|-
| [[Jessie Mueller]]
|-
| [[Julie White]]
|-
| [[Kara Young (actress)|Kara Young]]
|-
| [[Karen Ziemba]]
|-
| [[LaChanze]]
|-
| [[Madeline Kahn]]
|-
| rowspan="22" align="center" | 3
| [[Amanda Plummer]]
|-
| [[Annaleigh Ashford]]
|-
| [[Barbara Harris (actress)|Barbara Harris]]
|-
| [[Beth Leavel]]
|-
| [[Dorothy Loudon]]
|-
| [[Elizabeth Ashley]]
|-
| [[Elizabeth Franz]]
|-
| [[Ethel Merman]]
|-
| [[Helen Mirren]]
|-
| [[Idina Menzel]]
|-
| [[Jane Krakowski]]
|-
| [[Janet McTeer]]
|-
| [[Joanna Gleason]]
|-
| [[Kristin Chenoweth]]
|-
| [[Lois Smith]]
|-
| [[Maggie Smith]]
|-
| [[Mercedes Ruehl]]
|-
| [[Rae Allen]]
|-
| [[Stephanie J. Block]]
|-
| [[Tonya Pinkins]]
|-
| [[Tyne Daly]]
|-
| [[Vanessa Redgrave]]
|-
| rowspan="48" align="center"| 2
| [[Adriane Lenox]]
|-
| [[Adrienne Warren]]
|-
| [[Alexis Smith]]
|-
| [[Alice Ghostly]]
|-
| [[Alice Ripley]]
|-
| [[Anika Noni Rose]]
|-
| [[Anna Manahan]]
|-
| [[Barbara Cook]]
|-
| [[Betty Buckley]]
|-
| [[Cady Huffman]]
|-
| [[Dolores Gray]]
|-
| [[Frances McDormand]]
|-
| [[Gretha Boston]]
|-
| [[Jessica Lange]]
|-
| [[Jo Van Fleet]]
|-
| [[Joan Allen]]
|-
| [[Joaquina Kalukango]]
|-
| [[Judith Anderson]]
|-
| [[Karen Olivo]]
|-
| [[Leora Dana]]
|-
| [[Leslie Uggams]]
|-
| [[Liliane Montevecchi]]
|-
| [[Lillias White]]
|-
| [[Linda Hopkins]]
|-
| [[Lindsay Duncan]]
|-
| [[Lindsay Mendez]]
|-
| [[Lotte Lenya]]
|-
| [[Lynne Thigpen]]
|-
| [[Marcia Gay Harden]]
|-
| [[Margaret Tyzack]]
|-
| [[Maria Karnilova]]
|-
| [[Mary Alice]]
|-
| [[Maryann Plunkett]]
|-
| [[Mary Louise Wilson]]
|-
| [[Nanette Fabray]]
|-
| [[Natasha Richardson]]
|-
| [[Nikki M. James]]
|-
| [[Nina Arianda]]
|-
| [[Patina Miller]]
|-
| [[Patricia Elliott]]
|-
| [[Patsy Kelly]]
|-
| [[Phyllis Newman]]
|-
| [[Priscilla Lopez]]
|-
| [[Randy Graff]]
|-
| [[Rosalind Russell]]
|-
| [[Ruthie Ann Miles]]
|-
| [[Shirley Knight]]
|-
| [[Sophie Okonedo]]
|-
|}
| valign="top" |
{| class="wikitable unsortable" style="font-size:90%;"
|-
! Nominations
! Recipient
|-
| rowspan="4" align="center"| 5
| [[Dana Ivey]]
|-
| [[Laura Linney]]
|-
| [[Estelle Parsons]]
|-
| [[Jan Maxwell]]
|-
| rowspan="8" align="center"| 4
| [[Condola Rashad]]
|-
| [[Eileen Atkins]]
|-
| [[Elaine Stritch]]
|-
| [[Geraldine Page]]
|-
| [[Judy Kuhn]]
|-
| [[Kate Nelligan]]
|-
| [[Tovah Feldshuh]]
|-
| [[Zoë Wanamaker]]
|-
| rowspan="19" align="center" | 3
| [[Amy Ryan]]
|-
| [[Brenda Vaccaro]]
|-
| [[Carolee Carmello]]
|-
| [[Dee Hoty]]
|-
| [[Eileen Heckart]]
|-
| [[Jennifer Simard]]
|-
| [[Jessica Hecht]]
|-
| [[Julie Andrews]]
|-
| [[Kate Burton (actress)|Kate Burton]]
|-
| [[Linda Emond]]
|-
| [[Louise Troy]]
|-
| [[Lynn Redgrave]]
|-
| [[Marin Mazzie]]
|-
| [[Martha Plimpton]]
|-
| [[Mary Beth Hurt]]
|-
| [[Mary Testa]]
|-
| [[Rebecca Luker]]
|-
| [[Rosemary Murphy]]
|-
| [[Sandy Duncan]]
|-
| rowspan="69" align="center"| 2
| [[Alison Fraser]]
|-
| [[Allison Janney]]
|-
| [[Amy Morton]]
|-
| [[Ann Reinking]]
|-
| [[Anne Pitoniak]]
|-
| [[Annette Bening]]
|-
| [[Barbara Bel Geddes]]
|-
| [[Barbra Streisand]]
|-
| [[Beatrice Lillie]]
|-
| [[Beth Fowler]]
|-
| [[Carmen Cusack]]
|-
| [[Carol Burnett]]
|-
| [[Charlotte d'Amboise]]
|-
| [[Charlotte Rae]]
|-
| [[Christine Andreas]]
|-
| [[Claudia McNeil]]
|-
| [[Crista Moore]]
|-
| [[Daphne Rubin-Vega]]
|-
| [[Debbie Allen]]
|-
| [[Diana Sands]]
|-
| [[Eartha Kitt]]
|-
| [[Elizabeth Allen (actress)|Elizabeth Allen]]
|-
| [[Ernestine Jackson]]
|-
| [[Eva Noblezada]]
|-
| [[Eve Best]]
|-
| [[Fionnula Flanagan]]
|-
| [[Georgia Brown (English singer)|Georgia Brown]]
|-
| [[Gladys Cooper]]
|-
| [[Inga Swenson]]
|-
| [[Jane Fonda]]
|-
| [[Jayne Atkinson]]
|-
| [[Johanna Day]]
|-
| [[Josephine Premice]]
|-
| [[Josie de Guzman]]
|-
| [[Julienne Marie]]
|-
| [[Kate Baldwin]]
|-
| [[Kate Reid]]
|-
| [[Katharine Hepburn]]
|-
| [[Kathleen Turner]]
|-
| [[Kim Stanley]]
|-
| [[Kristine Nielsen]]
|-
| [[LaTanya Richardson Jackson]]
|-
| [[Laura Donnelly]]
|-
| [[Laura Osnes]]
|-
| [[Leland Palmer (actress)|Leland Palmer]]
|-
| [[Liv Ullmann]]
|-
| [[Marcia Lewis]]
|-
| [[Mare Winningham]]
|-
| [[Mary Beth Peil]]
|-
| [[Megan Hilty]]
|-
| [[Michele Lee]]
|-
| [[Mildred Natwick]]
|-
| [[Millicent Martin]]
|-
| [[Nancy Dussault]]
|-
| [[Nancy Walker]]
|-
| [[Penny Fuller]]
|-
| [[Pert Kelton]]
|-
| [[Ruth Wilson]]
|-
| [[S. Epatha Merkerson]]
|-
| [[Sarah Stiles]]
|-
| [[Sherie Rene Scott]]
|-
| [[Shoshana Bean]]
|-
| [[Sinéad Cusack]]
|-
| [[Siobhán McKenna]]
|-
| [[Spencer Kayden]]
|-
| [[Susan Browning]]
|-
| [[Tammy Blanchard]]
|-
| [[Vivian Reed (musical theatre actress)|Vivian Reed]]
|-
| [[Zohra Lampert]]
|-
|}
|}

==See also==
{{Portal|Theatre}}
* [[Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play]]
* [[Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play]]
* [[Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical]]
* [[Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical]]
* [[Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical]]
* [[Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical]]
* [[List of Tony Award-nominated productions]]

==References==
{{reflist|3}}

==External links==
* [https://www.ibdb.com/awards Internet Broadway Database Awards Archive]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120204062042/http://www.tonyawards.com/en_US/archive/pastwinners/index.html Official Tony Awards Website Archive]

{{TonyAward MusicalLeadActress}}
{{TonyAwardsbyYear}}

[[Category:Theatre acting awards]]
[[Category:Tony Awards]]
[[Category:Awards established in 1948]]
[[Category:1948 establishments in the United States]]
[[Category:Awards for actresses]]