Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical

Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical
Victoria Clark, 2022 winner
Awarded for	Outstanding Actress in a Musical
Location	New York City
Presented by	Outer Critics Circle
Status	Retired
Currently held by	Victoria Clark, Kimberly Akimbo (2022)
Website	OuterCriticsCircle.org

The Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical was an annual award given to the best leading actress in a musical on Broadway or Off-Broadway, as determined by Outer Critics Circle. The award was named Best Actress in a Musical until 1999.

The award was preceded by an award for Best Performance, but the newly gendered award for musical performance was first given out the 1987–1988 season through the season. The award was retired in 2022 and replaced by Outstanding Lead Performer in a Broadway Musical and Outstanding Lead Performer in an Off-Broadway Musical in gender-neutral performance categories. ^[1]

Prior to its retirement, both Audra McDonald and Sutton Foster won the award the most times, with three wins each, followed closely by Donna Murphy, Christine Ebersole and Victoria Clark with two wins each. Kelli O'Hara leads with the most nominations with six, but never won.

Awards winners

Key

  and bold indicates the winner.

1980s

Year	Actor	Work	Role	Ref.
1988
	Joanna Gleason	Into the Woods	Baker's Wife	[2]
1989
	Ruth Brown	Black and Blue	Performer	[3]

1990s

Year	Actor	Work	Role	Ref.
1990
	Tyne Daly	Gypsy	Rose Hovick	[4] [5]
	Beth Fowler	Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street	Mrs. Lovett
	Randy Graff	City of Angels	Donna/Oolie
	Dee Hoty		Carla Haywood/Alaura Kingsley
	Sally Mayes	Closer Than Ever	Performer
1991
	Lea Salonga	Miss Saigon	Kim	[6]
	Daisy Eagan	The Secret Garden	Mary Lennox
	LaChanze	Once on This Island	Ti Moune
1992
	Faith Prince	Guys and Dolls and Nick & Nora	Miss Adelaide and Lorraine Bixby	[7]
	Sophie Hayden	The Most Happy Fella	Rosabella
	Liz Larsen		Cleo
	Donna Murphy	Song of Singapore	Rose
1993
	Tonya Pinkins	Jelly's Last Jam	Anita	[8] [9]
	Laura Bell Bundy	Ruthless!	Tina Denmark
	Lainie Kazan	My Favorite Year	Belle May Steinberg Carroca
	Bernadette Peters	The Goodbye Girl	Paula McFadden
1994 (tie)
	Audra McDonald	Carousel	Carrie Pipperidge	[10]
Chita Rivera	Kiss of the Spider Woman	Aurora
1995
	Glenn Close	Sunset Boulevard	Norma Desmond	[11] [12]
1996
	Julie Andrews	Victor/Victoria	Victoria Grant/Count Victor Grezhinski	[13]
1997
	Bebe Neuwirth	Chicago	Velma Kelly	[14] [15]
	Linda Eder	Jekyll & Hyde	Lucy Harris
	Pamela Isaacs	The Life	Queen
	Karen Ziemba	Steel Pier	Rita Racine
1998
	Natasha Richardson	Cabaret	Sally Bowles	[16] [17]
	Melissa Errico	High Society	Tracy Samantha Lord
	Rebecca Luker	The Sound of Music	Maria Rainer
	Marin Mazzie	Ragtime	Mother
1999 (tie)
	Bernadette Peters	Annie Get Your Gun	Annie Oakley	[18] [19]
	Cathy Rigby	Peter Pan	Peter Pan
	Valarie Pettiford	Fosse	Performer
Sara Ramirez	The Gershwins’ Fascinating Rhythm	Performer

2000s

Year	Actor	Work	Role	Ref.
2000
	Marin Mazzie	Kiss Me, Kate	Lilli Vanessi/Katharine	[20] [21]
	Toni Collette	The Wild Party	Queenie
	Heather Headley	Aida	Aida
	Rebecca Luker	The Music Man	Marian
2001 (tie)
	Christine Ebersole	42nd Street	Lilli Vanessi/Katharine	[22] [23]
	Marla Schaffel	Jane Eyre	Jane Eyre
	Randy Graff	A Class Act	Sophie
Faith Prince	Bells are Ringing	Ella Peterson
2002
	Sutton Foster	Thoroughly Modern Millie	Millie Dillmount	[24] [25]
	Josefina Gabrielle	Oklahoma!	Laurey Williams
	Kerry O’Malley	Into the Woods	Baker's Wife
	Louise Pitre	Mamma Mia!	Donna Sheridan
2003
	Marissa Jaret Winokur	Hairspray	Tracy Turnblad	[26] [27]
	Jenn Colella	Urban Cowboy	Performer
	Melissa Errico	Amour	Isabelle
	Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio	Man of La Mancha	Aldonza/Dulcinea
	Chita Rivera	Nine	Liliane La Fleur
2004
	Donna Murphy	Wonderful Town	Ruth Sherwood	[28] [29]
	Kerry Butler	Little Shop of Horrors	Audrey
	Kristin Chenoweth	Wicked	Glinda
	Idina Menzel		Elphaba
	Tonya Pinkins	Caroline, Or Change	Caroline
2005
	Victoria Clark	The Light in the Piazza	Margaret Johnson	[30] [31]
	Erin Dilly	Chitty Chitty Bang Bang	Truly Scrumptious
	Sutton Foster	Little Women	Jo March
	Jenn Gambatese	All Shook Up	Natalie Haller/"Ed"
	Sherie Rene Scott	Dirty Rotten Scoundrels	Christine Colgate
2006
	Christine Ebersole	Grey Gardens	"Little" Edie Beale	[32] [33]
	LaChanze	The Color Purple	Celie
	Patti Lupone	Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street	Mrs. Lovett
	Kelli O’Hara	The Pajama Game	Katherine "Babe" Williams
2007
	Donna Murphy	LoveMusik	Lotte Lenya	[34] [35]
	Ashley Brown	Mary Poppins	Mary Poppins
	Kristin Chenoweth	The Apple Tree	Performer
	Audra McDonald	110 in the Shade	Lizzie Curry
2008
	Patti LuPone	Gypsy	Rose Hovick	[36] [37]
	Alice Ripley	Next to Normal	Diana Goodman
	Faith Prince	A Catered Affair	Aggie Hurley
	Kelli O'Hara	South Pacific	Nellie Forbush
2009 (tie)
	Josefina Scaglione	West Side Story	Maria	[38] [39]
	Sutton Foster	Shrek the Musical	Princess Fiona
	Leslie Kritzer	Rooms: A Rock Romance	Monica
	Megan Hilty	9 to 5	Doralee
Nancy Opel	The Toxic Avenger	Mayor Babs Belgoody/Ma Ferd

2010s

Year	Actor	Work	Role	Ref.
2010 (tie)
	Catherine Zeta-Jones	A Little Night Music	Desiree Armfeldt	[40] [41]
	Montego Glover	Memphis	Felicia Farrell
	Barbara Cook	Sondheim on Sondheim	Performer
	Bebe Neuwirth	The Addams Family	Morticia Addams
Kate Baldwin	Finian's Rainbow	Finian/Sharon
2011
	Sutton Foster	Anything Goes	Reno Sweeney	[42] [43]
	Beth Leavel	Baby It's You!	Florence Greenberg
	Donna Murphy	The People in the Picture	Bubbie/Raisel
	Patina Miller	Sister Act	Deloris Van Cartier
	Victoria Clark		Mother Superior
2012
	Audra McDonald	Porgy and Bess	Bess	[44] [45]
	Cristin Milioti	Once	Girl
	Jan Maxwell	Follies	Phyllis Rogers Stone
	Kelli O'Hara	Nice Work If You Can Get It	Billie Bendix
	Marin Mazzie	Carrie	Margaret White
2013
	Patina Miller	Pippin	Leading Player	[46] [47]
	Laura Osnes	Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella	Cinderella
	Lilla Crawford	Annie	Annie
	Lindsay Mendez	Dogfight	Rose Fenny
	Valisia LeKae	Motown	Diana Ross
2014
	Audra McDonald	Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill	Billie Holiday	[48] [49]
	Sutton Foster	Violet	Violet Karl
	Jessie Mueller	Beautiful: The Carole King Musical	Carole King
	Kelli O'Hara	The Bridges of Madison County	Francesca Johnson
	Michelle Williams	Cabaret	Sally Bowles
2015
	Kristin Chenoweth	On the Twentieth Century	Lily Garland (Mildred Plotka)	[50] [51]
	Leanne Cope	An American in Paris	Lise Dassin
	Tyne Daly	It Shoulda Been You	Judy Steinberg
	Kelli O'Hara	The King and I	Anna Leonowens
	Chita Rivera	The Visit	Claire Zachanassian
2016
	Cynthia Erivo	The Color Purple	Celie	[52] [53] [54]
	Laura Benanti	She Loves Me	Amalia Balash
	Carmen Cusack	Bright Star	Alice Murphy
	Jessie Mueller	Waitress	Jenna Hunterson
	Ana Villafañe	On Your Feet!	Gloria Estefan
2017
	Bette Midler	Hello, Dolly!	Dolly Gallagher Levi	[55] [56]
	Christy Altomare	Anastasia	Anastasia
	Christine Ebersole	War Paint	Elizabeth Arden
	Katrina Lenk	The Band's Visit	Dina
	Patti LuPone	War Paint	Helena Rubinstein
2018
	Lauren Ambrose	My Fair Lady	Eliza Doolittle	[57] [58]
	Erika Henningsen	Mean Girls	Cady Heron
	Hailey Kilgore	Once on This Island	Ti Moune
	Taylor Louderman	Mean Girls	Regina George
	Patti Murin	Frozen	Princess Anna
2019
	Stephanie J. Block	The Cher Show	Star	[59] [60]
	Kelli O'Hara	Kiss Me, Kate	Lilli Vanessi/Katharine
	Beth Leavel	The Prom	Dee Dee Allen
	Anika Noni Rose	Carmen Jones	Carmen Jones
	Mare Winningham	Girl from the North Country	Elizabeth Laine

2020s

Year	Actor	Work	Role	Ref.
2020 (Hon.)	Beth Malone	The Unsinkable Molly Brown	Molly Brown	[61] [62]
	Janelle McDermoth	We're Gonna Die	Singer
	Karen Olivo	Moulin Rouge!	Satine
	Shereen Pimentel	West Side Story	Maria
	Elizabeth Stanley	Jagged Little Pill	Mary Jane "MJ" Healy
	Adrienne Warren	Tina: The Tina Turner Musical	Tina Turner
2021	No award given due to COVID-19 pandemic.
2022
	Victoria Clark	Kimberly Akimbo	Kimberly Akimbo	[63]
	Kearstin Piper Brown	Intimate Apparel: A New Opera	Esther
	Sharon D. Clarke	Caroline, Or Change	Caroline
	Carmen Cusack	Flying Over Sunset	Clare Boothe Luce
	Joaquina Kalukango	Paradise Square	Nelly O'Brien

Multiple wins

3 wins

• Audra McDonald
• Sutton Foster

2 wins

• Donna Murphy
• Christine Ebersole
• Victoria Clark

Multiple nominations

6 nominations

• Kelli O'Hara

5 nominations

• Sutton Foster

4 nominations

• Donna Murphy
• Audra McDonald

3 nominations

• Faith Prince
• Chita Rivera
• Marin Mazzie
• Christine Ebersole
• Kristin Chenoweth
• Patti LuPone
• Victoria Clark

2 nominations

• Tyne Daly
• Randy Graff
• LaChanze
• Tonya Pinkins
• Bernadette Peters
• Bebe Neuwirth
• Melissa Errico
• Rebecca Luker
• Beth Leavel
• Patina Miller
• Jessie Mueller
• Carmen Cusack

See also

• Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical
• Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical
• Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical

References

1. Andrew Gans (January 24, 2023). "Dates Set for 2023 Outer Critics Circle Awards; Gender Removed From Acting Categories". Playbill.
2. "1987–1988 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
3. "1988–1989 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
4. "1989–1990 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
5. Rich, Frank (May 1, 1990). "Outer Critics Awards to Grapes and Angels". The New York Times. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
6. "1990–1991 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
7. "1990–1991 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
8. "1992–1993 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
9. Rich, Frank (April 27, 1993). "Outer Critics Circle Names Award Winners". The New York Times. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
10. "1993-1994 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
11. "1994–1995 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
12. "Outer Critics Float Show Boat". Variety. April 1995. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
13. "1995–1996 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
14. "1996–1997 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
15. Lefkowitz, David (May 5, 1997). "Outer Critics Circle Award Winners Announced". Playbill. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
16. "1997–1998 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
17. Viagas & Lefkowitz (April 27, 1998). "Lion King Roars With Six Outer Critics Circle Awards". Playbill. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
18. "1998-1999 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
19. "Nightingales, Wit, Iceman & Fosse Win Outer Critics Awards; Ceremony May 28". Playbill. April 26, 1999. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
20. "1999–2000 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
21. "Contact and Kiss Me, Kate Big Winners of 2000 Outer Critics Awards". Playbill. April 30, 2000. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
22. "2000–2001 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
23. Simonson & Lefkowitz (May 24, 2001). "2001 Outer Critics Circle Awards Held at Sardi's, May 24". Playbill. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
24. "2001–2002 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
25. "The 2001–2002 Outer Critics Circle Award Winners". TheaterMania. April 29, 2002. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
26. "2002–2003 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
27. Gans, Andrew (May 5, 2003). "Outer Critics Circle Award Winners Announced; Hairspray Leads the Pack". Playbill. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
28. "2003–2004 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
29. "Wicked, Wonderful Town, I Am My Own Wife Top 2004 Outer Critics Circle Awards". Playbill. May 2, 2004. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
30. "2004–2005 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
31. "2005 Outer Critics Circle Award Winners Announced". New York Theatre Guide. May 9, 2005. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
32. "2005–2006 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
33. Hernandez, Ernio (May 14, 2006). "The Drowsy Chaperone and The History Boys Top Outer Critics Awards". Playbill. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
34. "2006–2007 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
35. Gans, Andrew (May 24, 2007). "Outer Critics Circle Awards Are Presented by Clark, Young and Mitchell May 24". Playbill. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
36. "2007–2008 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
37. Gans, Andrew (May 12, 2008). "South Pacific Is Big Winner in Outer Critics Circle Awards". Playbill. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
38. "2008–2009 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
39. "Outer Critics Circle 2008–09 Award Winners". New York Theatre Guide. May 11, 2009. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
40. "2009–2010 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
41. "MEMPHIS & LA CAGE Top Outer Critics Circle Winners". BroadwayWorld. May 17, 2010. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
42. "2010–2011 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
43. "The Book of Mormon, War Horse and Anything Goes Top 2011 Outer Critics Circle Awards". Broadway.com. May 16, 2011. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
44. "2011–2012 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
45. Gans, Andrew (May 14, 2012). "Outer Critics Circle Winners Announced; Once and One Man, Two Guvnors Are Top Winners". Playbill. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
46. "2012–2013 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
47. "Outer Critics Circle 2013 Award Winners". New York Theatre Guide. May 13, 2013. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
48. "2013–2014 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
49. Gans, Andrew (May 12, 2014). "64th Annual Outer Critics Circle Award Winners Announced; Gentleman's Guide Wins Four Awards". Playbill. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
50. "2014–2015 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
51. "Outer Critics Circle Awards 2015: Full List". Variety. April 27, 2015. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
52. "2015–2016 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
53. "Outer Critics Circle Honors 'She Loves Me' and 'Long Day's Journey Into Night'". The New York Times. May 9, 2016. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
54. Viagas, Robert (May 9, 2016). "Bright Star and The Humans Win Top 2016 NY Outer Critics Circle Awards". Playbill. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
55. "2016–2017 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
56. Lefkowitz, Andy (May 8, 2017). "2017 Outer Critics Circle Awards: Come From Away & More Win Top Prizes". Broadway.com. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
57. "2017–2018 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
58. McPhee, Ryan (May 7, 2018). "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, My Fair Lady Win Big at 2018 Outer Critics Circle Awards". Playbill. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
59. "2018–2019 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
60. Lefkowitz, Andy (May 13, 2019). "Hadestown Leads Winners of 2019 Outer Critics Circle Awards". Broadway.com. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
61. "2019–2020 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
62. Clement, Olivia (May 11, 2020). "Moulin Rouge! Leads 2020 Outer Critics Circle Award Honorees". Playbill. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
63. Culwell-Block, Logan (May 17, 2022). "The Lehman Trilogy Leads 2022 Outer Critics Circle Awards, Six Wins Best Musical; See the Complete List of Winners". Playbill. Retrieved September 3, 2025.