Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play | |
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Awarded for | Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play |
Location | New York City |
Presented by | American Theatre Wing, The Broadway League |
Currently held by | Sarah Paulson for Appropriate (2024) |
Website | TonyAwards.com |
The Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play 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 Broadway play. The awards are named after Antoinette Perry, an American actress who died in 1946.
Honors in several categories are presented at the ceremony annually by the Tony Award Productions, a joint venture of The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing, to "honor the best performances and stage productions of the previous year." [1] [2]
The award was originally called the Tony Award for Actress—Play. It was first presented to Ingrid Bergman and Helen Hayes at the 1st Tony Awards for their portrayals of Mary Grey / Joan of Arc and Addie Bemis in Joan of Lorraine and Happy Birthday , respectively. Before 1956, nominees' names were not made public; [3] the change was made by the awards committee to "have a greater impact on theatregoers". [4]
There have been two ties and one three-way tie in this category. Julie Harris holds the record for having the most wins and nominations in this category, with a total of five wins from nine nominations. Medea in the play of the same name is the character to take the award the most times, winning three times.
Year | Actress | Play | Role(s) | Ref. |
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1947 (1st) | ||||
Ingrid Bergman | Joan of Lorraine | Mary Grey / Joan of Arc | ||
Helen Hayes | Happy Birthday | Addie Bemis | ||
1948 (2nd) | ||||
Judith Anderson | Medea | Medea | ||
Katharine Cornell | Antony and Cleopatra | Cleopatra | ||
Jessica Tandy | A Streetcar Named Desire | Blanche DuBois | ||
1949 (3rd) | ||||
Martita Hunt | The Madwoman of Chaillot | Countess Aurelia |
Year | Actress | Play | Role(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2020 (74th) | ||||
Mary-Louise Parker | The Sound Inside | Bella Baird | [69] | |
Joaquina Kalukango | Slave Play | Kaneisha | ||
Laura Linney | My Name Is Lucy Barton | Lucy Barton | ||
Audra McDonald | Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune | Frankie | ||
2021 | No ceremony | |||
2022 (75th) | ||||
Deirdre O'Connell | Dana H. | Dana H. | [70] | |
Gabby Beans | The Skin of Our Teeth | Sabina | ||
LaChanze | Trouble in Mind | Wiletta Mayer | ||
Ruth Negga | Macbeth | Lady Macbeth | ||
Mary-Louise Parker | How I Learned to Drive | Li'l Bit | ||
2023 (76th) | ||||
Jodie Comer | Prima Facie | Tessa Ensler | [71] | |
Jessica Chastain | A Doll's House | Nora Helmer | ||
Jessica Hecht | Summer, 1976 | Alice | ||
Audra McDonald | Ohio State Murders | Suzanne Alexander | ||
2024 (77th) | ||||
Sarah Paulson | Appropriate | Antoinette "Toni" Lafayette | [72] | |
Betsy Aidem | Prayer for the French Republic | Marcelle Salomon Benhamou | ||
Jessica Lange | Mother Play | Phyllis | ||
Rachel McAdams | Mary Jane | Mary Jane | ||
Amy Ryan | Doubt: A Parable | Sister Aloysius Beauvier |
Characters nominated for both the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical and Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play
boldface=Winner
Julia Ann Harris was an American actress. Renowned for her classical and contemporary roles, she earned numerous accolades including the record five Tony Awards for Best Actress in a Play, three Emmy Awards, and a Grammy Award in addition to nominations for an Academy Award, and a BAFTA Award. She was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame in 1979, received the National Medal of Arts in 1994, the Special Lifetime Achievement Tony Award, and the Kennedy Center Honor in 2005.
The Tony Award for Best Musical is given annually to the best new Broadway musical, as determined by Tony Award voters. The award is one of the ceremony's longest-standing awards, having been presented each year since 1949. The award goes to the producers of the winning musical. A musical is eligible for consideration in a given year if it has not previously been produced on Broadway and is not "determined... to be a 'classic' or in the historical or popular repertoire", otherwise it may be considered for Best Revival of a Musical.
The Tony Award for Best Play is an annual award given to the best new (non-musical) play on Broadway, as determined by Tony Award voters. There was no award in the Tonys' first year. The award goes to the authors and the producers of the play. Plays that have appeared in previous Broadway productions are instead eligible for Best Revival of a Play.
The Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical has been awarded since 1994. Before that time, both plays and musicals were considered together for the Tony Award for Best Revival. The award is given to the producers of the best musical play which has already appeared on Broadway in a previous production, or is regarded as being in the common theatrical repertoire. Like Best Musical, excerpts from the musicals that are nominated for this award are usually performed during the ceremony before this award is presented.
The Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical is an honor presented at the Tony Awards, a ceremony established in 1947 as the Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, to actresses for quality leading roles in a musical play, whether a new production or a revival. The awards are named after Antoinette Perry, an American actress who died in 1946.
Phylicia Rashad is an American actress. She was most recently dean of the College of Fine Arts at Howard University before her three-year contract ended in May 2024. She is best known for her role as Clair Huxtable on the sitcom The Cosby Show (1984–1992) which earned her two Primetime Emmy Award nominations in 1985 and 1986. She also played Ruth Lucas on Cosby (1996–2000).
The Tony Award for Best Original Score is the Tony Award given to the composers and lyricists of the best original score written for a musical or play in that year. The score consists of music and/or lyrics. To be eligible, a score must be written specifically for the theatre and must be original; compilations of non-theatrical music or compilations of earlier theatrical music are not eligible for consideration.
Sophie Okonedo is a British actress and narrator. The recipient of a Tony Award, she has been nominated for an Academy Award, three BAFTA TV Awards, an Emmy Award, two Laurence Olivier Awards, and a Golden Globe Award. She was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2010 and Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2019, both for services to drama.
Victoria Clark is an American actress, musical theatre soprano, and director. Clark has performed in numerous Broadway musicals and in other theatre, film and television works. Her voice can also be heard on various cast albums and in several animated films. In 2008, she released her first solo album titled Fifteen Seconds of Grace. A five-time Tony Award nominee, Clark won her first Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical in 2005 for The Light in the Piazza. She also won the Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics Circle Award, and the Joseph Jefferson Award for the role. She won a second Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical in 2023 for Kimberly Akimbo.
The Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play is an honor presented at the Tony Awards, a ceremony established in 1947 as the Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, to actors for quality leading roles in a Broadway play. The awards are named after Antoinette Perry, an American actress who died in 1946.
The Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured 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 featured roles in a musical play, whether a new production or a revival. The awards are named after Antoinette Perry, an American actress who died in 1946.
The Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor 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 actors for quality leading roles in a musical play, whether a new production or a revival. The awards are named after Antoinette Perry, an American actress who died in 1946.
The Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor 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 actors for quality featured roles in a musical play, whether a new production or a revival. The awards are named after Antoinette Perry, an American actress who died in 1946.
The Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play has been given since 1960. Before 1960 there was only one award for both play direction and musical direction, then in 1960 the award was split into two categories: Dramatic and Musical. In 1976 the Dramatic category was renamed to Play. For pre-1960 direction awards please reference Tony Award for Best Director.
The Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play is an honor presented at the Tony Awards, a ceremony established in 1947 as the Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, to actors for quality supporting roles in a Broadway play. 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."
The Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play 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 supporting roles in a Broadway play. 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."
Kenny Leon is an American actor, director and producer. He is notable for his extensive work on Broadway, on television, and in regional theater. He has received a Tony Award and a Drama League Award as well as nominations for three Primetime Emmy Awards and a Drama Desk Award.
The Tony Awards for Best Sound Design of a Play and Best Sound Design of a Musical recognize excellence in sound design for Broadway theatre. They were first given in the 2007–2008 season. In 2014, the Tony Awards Administration Committee announced that starting with the 2014–2015 season the Tony Awards for Best Sound Design of a Play and of a Musical would be eliminated. In 2017, the committee announced that the two Sound Design awards would again be presented starting in the 2017–2018 season.
Tony Award for Best Costume Design in a Play is an award for outstanding costume design of a play. The award was first presented in 1961 after the category of Best Costume Design was divided into Costume Design in a Play and Costume Design in a Musical with each genre receiving its own award.
This is a list of winners and nominations for the Tony Award for Best Costume Design in a Musical for outstanding costume design of a musical. The award was first presented in 1961 after the category of Best Costume Design was divided into Costume Design in a Play and Costume Design in a Musical with each genre receiving its own award. That lasted for only one year, but the Costume Design category was split in two again in 2005 and has remained that way since.