The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical was an annual award presented by Drama Desk in recognition of achievements in theatre across collective Broadway, off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway productions in New York City. The award was one of eight new acting awards first presented in 1975, when Drama Desk retired an earlier award that had made no distinction between work in plays and musicals, nor between actors and actresses, nor between lead performers and featured performers.
After the 2022 ceremony, all eight acting categories introduced in 1975 were retired. The award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical, along with Outstanding Actor in a Musical, were replaced in 2023 with the gender neutral category of Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical.
Winners and nominees Key
1960s Year Actress Musical Character 1964 Imelda de Martin The Amorous Flea Agnes 1965–68 1969 Dorothy Loudon The Fig Leaves Are Falling Lillian Stone Bernadette Peters Dames at Sea Ruby
1970s Year Actress Musical Character 1970 Lauren Bacall Applause † Margo Channing Sandy Duncan The Boyfriend ‡ Maisie Ethel Merman Hello Dolly Dolly Gallagher Levi 1971 Helen Gallagher No, No, Nanette † Lucille Early Alexis Smith Follies ‡ Phyllis Rogers Stone 1972 Jonelle Allen The Two Gentlemen of Verona Silvia 1973 Glynis Johns A Little Night Music Desiree Armfeldt Michele Lee Seesaw Gittel Mosca 1974 Ruby Lynn Reyner La Bohemia Trilby 1975 Angela Lansbury Gypsy Mama Rose Marcia McClain Where's Charley? Amy Spettigue Stephanie Mills The Wiz Dorothy Gale Bernadette Peters Mack and Mabel Mabel Normand Ann Reinking Goodtime Charley Joan of Arc 1976 Kelly Bishop A Chorus Line Sheila Bryant Donna McKechnie A Chorus Line Cassie Ferguson Penny Fuller Rex Anne Boleyn / Elizabeth I Patti LuPone The Robber Bridegroom Rosamund Musgrove Virginia Seidel Very Good Eddie Elsie Darling Elizabeth Wilson The Threepenny Opera Celia Peachum 1977 Clamma Dale Porgy and Bess Bess Joan Copeland Pal Joey Vera Simpson Catherine Cox Music Is Viola Esther Hinds Porgy and Bess Bess Julia McKenzie Side by Side by Sondheim Various Characters Meryl Streep Happy End Lillian Holiday 1978 Nell Carter Ain't Misbehavin Nell Carlin Glynn The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas Mona Stangley Judy Kaye On the Twentieth Century Agnes Angela Lansbury The King and I Anna Leonowens Phyllis Newman My Mother was a Fortune Teller Phyllis Charlayne Woodard Ain't Misbehavin Charlayne 1979 Angela Lansbury Sweeney Todd Mrs. Lovett Lucie Arnaz They're Playing Our Song Sonia Walsk Dorothy Loudon Ballroom Bea Asher
1980s Year Actress Musical Character 1980 Patti LuPone Evita Eva Perón Sandy Duncan Peter Pan Peter Pan Ann Miller Sugar Babies Ann Sigourney Weaver Das Lusitania Songspiel Unknown 1981 Lena Horne Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music Herself Chita Rivera Bring Back Birdie Rosie Alvarez 1982 Jennifer Holliday Dreamgirls Effie White Sheryl Lee Ralph Dreamgirls Deena Jones 1983 Natalia Makarova On Your Toes Vera Barnova Mara Beckerman Charlotte Sweet Charlotte Sweet Betty Buckley Cats Grizabella Ellen Greene Little Shop of Horrors Audrey Twiggy My One and Only Edith Herbert 1984 Chita Rivera The Rink Anna Shirley MacLaine Shirley MacLaine on Broadway Herself Liza Minnelli The Rink Angel Bernadette Peters Sunday in the Park with George Dot / Marie Alyson Reed Marilyn Marilyn Monroe 1985 1986 Bernadette Peters Song and Dance Emma Debbie Allen Sweet Charity Charity Hope Valentine Patti Cohenour The Mystery of Edwin Drood Miss Deirdre Peregrine / Rosa Bud Terri Klausner Goblin Market Laura Cleo Laine The Mystery of Edwin Drood Angela Prysock / The Princess Puffer Ann Morrison Goblin Market Lizzie 1987 Teresa Stratas Rags Rebecca Hershkowitz Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio The Knife Jenny Lonette McKee Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill Billie Holiday Maryann Plunkett Me and My Girl Sally Smith 1988 Patti LuPone Anything Goes Reno Sweeney Sarah Brightman The Phantom of the Opera Christine Daaé Judy Kuhn Chess Florence Vassy Bernadette Peters Into the Woods The Witch 1989 Toni diBuono Forbidden Broadway Various Characters Beth Fowler Sweeney Todd Mrs. Lovett Debbie Shapiro Gravitte Jerome Robbins' Broadway Various Characters Roxie Lucas Forbidden Broadway Various Characters Faith Prince Jerome Robbins' Broadway Ma / Tessie / Company
1990s Year Actress Musical Character 1990 Tyne Daly Gypsy Mama Rose Debby Boone The Sound of Music Maria von Trapp Lynne Wintersteller Closer Than Ever Various Characters 1991 Lea Salonga Miss Saigon Kim June Angela Shogun Lady Mariko Daisy Eagan The Secret Garden Mary Lennox LaChanze Once on This Island Ti Moune 1992 Faith Prince Guys and Dolls Miss Adelaide Sophie Hayden The Most Happy Fella Rosabella Donna Murphy Song of Singapore Rose 1993 Chita Rivera Kiss of the Spider Woman Aurora / Spider Woman Laura Bell Bundy Ruthless! Tina Denmark Donna English Ruthless! Judy Denmark / Ginger Del Marco Helen Schneider Frida Frida Kahlo Linda Stephens Wings Emily Stilson 1994 Donna Murphy Passion Fosca Susan Egan Beauty and the Beast Belle Melissa Errico My Fair Lady Eliza Doolittle Margaret Illman The Red Shoes Victoria Page 1995 Glenn Close Sunset Boulevard Norma Desmond Candy Buckley The Petrified Prince Queen Katarina Julie Johnson Das Barbecü Various Characters Lonette McKee Show Boat Julie LaVerne Elaine Stritch Show Boat Parthy Ann Hawks 1996 Julie Andrews Victor/Victoria Victoria Grant Terri Klausner Bed and Sofa Ludmilla Crista Moore Big Susan Lawrence Donna Murphy The King and I Anna Leonowens Daphne Rubin-Vega Rent Mimi Marquez Karen Ziemba I Do! I Do! She (Agnes) 1997 Bebe Neuwirth Chicago Velma Kelly Linda Eder Jekyll & Hyde Lucy Harris Pamela Isaacs The Life Queen Lauren Ward Violet Violet Karl Karen Ziemba Steel Pier Rita Racine 1998 Natasha Richardson Cabaret Sally Bowles Melissa Errico High Society Tracy Samantha Lord Marin Mazzie Ragtime Mother Alice Ripley and Emily Skinner Side Show Violet and Daisy Hilton 1999 Carolee Carmello Parade Lucille Frank Bernadette Peters Annie Get Your Gun Annie Oakley Siân Phillips Marlene Marlene Dietrich
2000s Year Actress Musical Character 2000 Heather Headley Aida Aida Toni Collette The Wild Party Queenie Rebecca Luker The Music Man Marian Paroo Marin Mazzie Kiss Me Kate Lilli Vanessi / Katherine Audra McDonald Marie Christine Marie Christine L'Adrese Julia Murney The Wild Party Queenie 2001 Marla Schaffel Jane Eyre Jane Eyre Christine Ebersole 42nd Street Dorothy Brock Kaitlin Hopkins Bat Boy: The Musical Meredith Parker LaChanze The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin Viveca Sally Mayes Pete 'n' Keely Keely Faith Prince Bells Are Ringing Ella Peterson 2002 Sutton Foster Thoroughly Modern Millie Millie Dillmount Laura Benanti Into the Woods Cinderella Garrett Long The Spitfire Grill Percy Talbott Louise Pitre Mamma Mia Donna Sheridan Sherie Rene Scott The Last Five Years Cathy Hyatt Vanessa Williams Into the Woods The Witch 2003 Marissa Jaret Winokur Hairspray Tracy Turnblad Stephanie D'Abruzzo Avenue Q Kate Monster / Lucy the Slut Ann Duquesnay Cookin' at the Cookery Alberta Hunter / Various Characters Wei Huang La bohème Mimi Elizabeth Parkinson Movin' Out Brenda Bernadette Peters Gypsy Mama Rose 2004 Donna Murphy Wonderful Town Ruth Sherwood Kristin Chenoweth Wicked Glinda Judy McLane Johnny Guitar Vienna Idina Menzel Wicked Elphaba Elaine Paige Sweeney Todd Mrs. Lovett Tonya Pinkins Caroline, or Change Caroline Thibodeaux 2005 Victoria Clark The Light in the Piazza Margaret Johnson Christina Applegate Sweet Charity Charity Hope Valentine Sutton Foster Little Women Josephine 'Jo' March LaChanze Dessa Rose Dessa Rose Sherie Rene Scott Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Christine Colgate Rachel York Dessa Rose Ruth 2006 Christine Ebersole Grey Gardens 'Little Edie' Beale Nancy Anderson Fanny Hill Fanny Hill Sutton Foster The Drowsy Chaperone Janet Van De Graaff Patti LuPone Sweeney Todd Mrs. Lovett Idina Menzel See What I Wanna See Kesa / Wife / Actress Kelli O'Hara The Pajama Game Catherine 'Babe' Williams 2007 Audra McDonald 110 in the Shade Lizzie Curry Donna Murphy Lovemusik Lotte Lenya Laura Bell Bundy Legally Blonde Elle Woods Ashley Brown Mary Poppins Mary Poppins Kristin Chenoweth The Apple Tree Eve / Princess Barbara / Ella and Passionella Lea Michele Spring Awakening Wendla Bergmann 2008 Patti LuPone Gypsy Mama Rose Sierra Boggess The Little Mermaid Princess Ariel Kelli O'Hara South Pacific Ensign Nellie Forbush Faith Prince A Catered Affair Agnes 'Aggie' Hurley Alice Ripley Next to Normal Diana Goodman Jenna Russell Sunday in the Park with George Dot / Marie 2009 Allison Janney 9 to 5 Violet Newstead Stephanie J. Block 9 to 5 Judy Bernly Stockard Channing Pal Joey Vera Simpson Sutton Foster Shrek Princess Fiona Megan Hilty 9 to 5 Doralee Rhodes Karen Murphy My Vaudeville Man! Mud Donahue
2010s Year Actress Musical Character 2010 Montego Glover Memphis Felicia Farrell Catherine Zeta-Jones A Little Night Music Desiree Armfeldt Kate Baldwin Finian's Rainbow Sharon McLonergan Jayne Houdyshell Coraline Coraline Christiane Noll Ragtime Mother Sherie Rene Scott Everyday Rapture Sherie Rene Scott 2011 Sutton Foster Anything Goes Reno Sweeney Beth Leavel Baby It's You! Florence Greenberg Patina Miller Sister Act Deloris Van Cartier Donna Murphy The People in the Picture Bubbie / Raisel Sherie Rene Scott Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown Pepa 2012 Audra McDonald Porgy and Bess Bess Miche Braden The Devil's Music Bessie Smith Jan Maxwell Follies Phyllis Rogers Stone Kelli O'Hara Nice Work If You Can Get It Billie Bendix Bernadette Peters Follies Sally Durant Plummer Molly Ranson Carrie Carrie White 2013 Laura Osnes Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella Ella Kate Baldwin Giant Leslie Lynnton Benedict Stephanie J. Block The Mystery of Edwin Drood Edwin Drood / Miss Alice Nutting Carolee Carmello Scandalous Aimee Semple McPherson Lindsay Mendez Dogfight Rose Fenny Donna Murphy Into the Woods The Witch Jenny Powers Donnybrook! Mary Kate Danaher 2014 Jessie Mueller Beautiful: The Carole King Musical Carole King Sutton Foster Violet Violet Karl Idina Menzel If/Then Elizabeth Vaughn Kelli O'Hara The Bridges of Madison County Francesca Johnson Margo Seibert Tamar of the River Tamar Barrett Wilbert Weed Heathers Veronica Sawyer 2015 Kristin Chenoweth On the Twentieth Century Lily Garland / Mildred Plotka Kate Baldwin John & Jen Jen Leanne Cope An American in Paris Lise Dassin Erin Davie Side Show Violet Hilton Lisa Howard It Shoulda Been You Jenny Steinberg Chita Rivera The Visit Claire Zachanassian 2016 Cynthia Erivo The Color Purple Celie Harris Johnson Laura Benanti She Loves Me Amalia Balash Carmen Cusack Bright Star Alice Murphy Jessie Mueller Waitress Jenna Hunterson Annette O'Toole Southern Comfort Robert Eads2017Bette MidlerHello, Dolly!Dolly Gallagher Levi Christy AltomareAnastasiaAnyaChristine EbersoleWar PaintElizabeth Arden Sutton FosterSweet CharityCharity Hope ValentinePatti LuPoneWar PaintHelena Rubinstein Laura OsnesBandstandJulia Trojan2018Jessie MuellerCarouselJulie Jordan Gizel JiménezMiss You Like HellOliviaLaChanzeSummerDiva Donna Ashley ParkKPOPMwEDaphne Rubin-VegaMiss You Like HellBeatriz2019Stephanie J. BlockThe Cher ShowStar Beth LeavelThe PromDee Dee Allen Rebecca Naomi JonesRodgers & Hammerstein's Oklahoma!Laurey WilliamsAnika Noni RoseCarmen JonesCarmen JonesStacey SargeantRags Parkland Sings the Songs of the FutureBeaux Weathers
2020s