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 supporting 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.
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 award was originally called the Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured or Supporting Role in a Musical. It was first presented to Juanita Hall at the 4th Tony Awards for her portrayal of Bloody Mary in South Pacific. Before 1956, nominees' names were not made public; the change was made by the awards committee to "have a greater impact on theatregoers". The category was renamed to its current title in 1976.
Judy Kaye, Andrea Martin and Audra McDonald share the record for having the most wins in this category, with a total of two. Carrie Pipperidge in Carousel and Marge MacDougall in Promises, Promises are the characters to take the award the most times, winning twice. Louise from Gypsy is currently the character with the most nominations in this category, with six. Additionally, each eligible Louise has been nominated for this award.
Winners and nominees
1950s Year Actor Musical Role(s) 1950 Juanita Hall South Pacific Bloody Mary 1951 Isabel Bigley Guys and Dolls Sarah Brown 1952 Helen Gallagher Pal Joey Gladys Bumps 1953 Sheila Bond Wish You Were Here Fay Fromkin 1954 Gwen Verdon Can-Can Claudine 1955 Carol Haney The Pajama Game Gladys Hotchkiss 1956 Lotte Lenya The Threepenny Opera Jenny Diver Rae Allen Damn Yankees Gloria Thorpe Pat Carroll Catch a Star! Various Characters Judy Tyler Pipe Dream Suzy 1957 Edie Adams Lil' Abner Daisy Mae Virginia Gibson Happy Hunting Beth Livingstone Irra Petina Candide The Old Lady / Madame Sofronia Jo Sullivan Loesser The Most Happy Fella Rosabella 1958 Barbara Cook The Music Man Marian Paroo Susan Johnson Oh, Captain! Mae Carol Lawrence West Side Story Maria Jackie McKeever Oh, Captain! Mrs. Maud St.James Josephine Premice Jamaica Ginger 1959 Pat Stanley Goldilocks Lois Lee Julienne Marie Whoop-Up Mary Champlain
1960s Year Actor Musical Role(s) 1960 Patricia Neway The Sound of Music The Mother Abbess Sandra Church Gypsy Louise Pert Kelton Greenwillow Gramma Briggs Lauri Peters and Kathy Dunn, Evanna Lien, Mary Susan Locke, Marilyn Robers, William Snowden and Joseph Stewart The Sound of Music Liesl von Trapp and the other six von Trapp children 1961 Tammy Grimes The Unsinkable Molly Brown Molly Tobin Nancy Dussault Do Re Mi Tilda Mullen Chita Rivera Bye Bye Birdie Rosie Alvarez 1962 Phyllis Newman Subways Are for Sleeping Martha Vail Elizabeth Allen The Gay Life Magda Barbara Harris From the Second City Various Characters Barbra Streisand I Can Get It for You Wholesale Miss Marmelstein 1963 Anna Quayle Stop the World – I Want to Get Off Evie / Anya / Ilse / Ginnie Ruth Kobart A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum Domina Virginia Martin Little Me Young Belle Poitrine Louise Troy Tovarich Natalia Mayovskaya 1964 Tessie O'Shea The Girl Who Came to Supper Ada Cockle Julienne Marie Foxy Celia Kay Medford Funny Girl Rose Brice Louise Troy High Spirits Ruth Condomine 1965 Maria Karnilova Fiddler on the Roof Golde Luba Lisa I Had a Ball Addie Carrie Nye Half a Sixpence Helen Walsingham Barbara Windsor Oh, What a Lovely War! Various Characters 1966 Bea Arthur Mame Vera Charles Helen Gallagher Sweet Charity Nickie Patricia Marand It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman Lois Lane Charlotte Rae Pickwick Mrs. Bardell 1967 Peg Murray Cabaret Fraulein Kost Leland Palmer A Joyful Noise Miss Jimmie Josephine Premice A Hand Is on the Gate Various Characters Susan Watson A Joyful Noise Jenny Lee 1968 Lillian Hayman Hallelujah, Baby! Momma Geula Gill The Grand Music Hall of Israel Various Characters Julie Gregg The Happy Time Laurie Mannon Alice Playten Henry, Sweet Henry Lillian 'Lili' Kafritz 1969 Marian Mercer Promises, Promises Marge MacDougall Sandy Duncan Canterbury Tales Molly / Allison / May / The Sweetheart Lorraine Serabian Zorba Leader Virginia Vestoff 1776 Abigail Adams
1970s Year Actor Musical Role(s) 1970 Melba Moore Purlie Lutiebell Gussie Mae Jenkins Bonnie Franklin Applause Bonnie the Gypsy Penny Fuller Eve Harrington Melissa Hart Georgy Meredith 1971 Patsy Kelly No, No, Nanette Pauline Barbara Barrie Company Sarah Pamela Myers Marta 1972 Linda Hopkins Inner City Various Characters Adrienne Barbeau Grease Betty Rizzo Bernadette Peters On the Town Hildy Esterhazy Beatrice Winde Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death Various Characters 1973 Patricia Elliott A Little Night Music Countess Charlotte Malcolm Hermione Gingold A Little Night Music Madame Armfeldt Patsy Kelly Irene Mrs. O'Dare Irene Ryan Pippin Berthe 1974 Janie Sell Over Here! Mitzi Leigh Beery Cyrano Roxana Maureen Brennan Candide Cunégonde June Gable The Old Lady Ernestine Jackson Raisin Ruth Younger 1975 Dee Dee Bridgewater The Wiz Glinda Susan Browning Goodtime Charley Agnès Sorel Zan Charisse Gypsy Louise Taina Elg Where's Charley? Donna Lucia D'Alvadorez Kelly Garrett The Night That Made America Famous Various Characters Donna Theodore Shenandoah Ann Anderson 1976 Kelly Bishop A Chorus Line Sheila Bryant Priscilla Lopez A Chorus Line Diana Morales Patti LuPone The Robber Bridegroom Rosamund Musgrove Virginia Seidel Very Good Eddie Elsie Darling 1977 Delores Hall Your Arms Too Short to Box with God Various Characters Ellen Greene The Threepenny Opera Jenny Millicent Martin Side by Side by Sondheim Various Characters Julia McKenzie Various Characters 1978 Nell Carter Ain't Misbehavin' Nell Imogene Coca On the Twentieth Century Letitia Primrose Ann Reinking Dancin' Various Characters Charlayne Woodard Ain't Misbehavin' Charlayne 1979 Carlin Glynn The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas Mona Stangley Joan Ellis The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas Shy Millicent Martin King of Hearts Madame Madeleine Maxine Sullivan My Old Friends Mrs. Cooper
1980s Year Actor Musical Role(s) 1980 Priscilla Lopez A Day in Hollywood / A Night in the Ukraine Gino / Usherette Debbie Allen West Side Story Anita Glenn Close Barnum Charity 'Chairy' Barnum Josie de Guzman West Side Story Maria 1981 Marilyn Cooper Woman of the Year Jan Donovan Phyllis Hyman Sophisticated Ladies Various Characters Wanda Richert 42nd Street Peggy Sawyer Lynne Thigpen Tintypes Sussanah 1982 Liliane Montevecchi Nine Liliane La Fleur Karen Akers Nine Luisa Contini Laurie Beechman Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat The Narrator Anita Morris Nine Carla Albanese 1983 Betty Buckley Cats Grizabella Christine Andreas On Your Toes Frankie Frayne Karla Burns Show Boat Queenie Denny Dillon My One and Only Mickey 1984 Lila Kedrova Zorba Madame Hortense Martine Allard The Tap Dance Kid Emma Liz Callaway Baby Lizzie Fields Dana Ivey Sunday in the Park with George Yvonne / Naomi Eisen 1985 Leilani Jones Grind Satin Evalyn Baron Quilters Daughter of the Frontier Mary Beth Peil The King and I Anna Leonowens Lenka Peterson Quilters Sarah 1986 Bebe Neuwirth Sweet Charity Nickie Patti Cohenour The Mystery of Edwin Drood Rosa Bud / Deirdre Peregrine Jana Schneider Helena Landless / Janet Conover Elisabeth Welch Jerome Kern Goes to Hollywood Various Characters 1987 Frances Ruffelle Les Misérables Éponine Jane Connell Me and My Girl Duchess Maria Judy Kuhn Les Misérables Cosette Jane Summerhays Me and My Girl Jaqueline 'Jackie' Carstone 1988 Judy Kaye The Phantom of the Opera Carlotta Guidicelli Leleti Khumalo Sarafina! Sarafina Alyson Reed Cabaret Sally Bowles Regina Resnik Fraulein Schneider 1989 Debbie Gravitte Jerome Robbins' Broadway Hildy Esterhazy / Mazeppa / Rosalia / Company Jane Lanier Jerome Robbins' Broadway Various Characters Faith Prince Ma / Tessie / Company Julie Wilson Legs Diamond Flo
1990s Year Actor Musical Role(s) 1990 Randy Graff City of Angels Oolie / Donna Jane Krakowski Grand Hotel Freida Flamm / Flaemmchen Kathleen Rowe McAllen Aspects of Love Giulietta Trapani Crista Moore Gypsy Louise 1991 Daisy Eagan The Secret Garden Mary Lennox Alison Fraser The Secret Garden Martha Sowerby Cady Huffman The Will Rogers Follies Ziegfeld's Favorite LaChanze Once on This Island Ti Moune 1992 Tonya Pinkins Jelly's Last Jam Anita Liz Larsen The Most Happy Fella Cleo Vivian Reed The High Rollers Social and Pleasure Club Enchantress Barbara Walsh Falsettos Trina 1993 Andrea Martin My Favorite Year Alice Miller Marcia Mitzman Gaven The Who's Tommy Nora Walker Jan Graveson Blood Brothers Linda Lainie Kazan My Favorite Year Belle Carroca 1994 Audra McDonald Carousel Carrie Pipperidge Marcia Lewis Grease Miss Lynch Sally Mayes She Loves Me Ilona Ritter Marin Mazzie Passion Clara 1995 Gretha Boston Show Boat Queenie Brenda Braxton Smokey Joe's Cafe Various Characters B.J. Crosby DeLee Lively 1996 Ann Duquesnay Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk 'da Singer / The Chanteuse Joohee Choi The King and I Tuptim Veanne Cox Company Amy Idina Menzel Rent Maureen Johnson 1997 Lillias White The Life Sonja Marcia Lewis Chicago Matron Mama Morton Andrea Martin Candide The Old Lady Debra Monk Steel Pier Shelby Stevens 1998 Audra McDonald Ragtime Sarah Anna Kendrick High Society Dinah Lord Tsidii Le Loka The Lion King Rafiki Mary Louise Wilson Cabaret Fraulein Schneider 1999 Kristin Chenoweth You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown Sally Brown Gretha Boston It Ain't Nothin' But the Blues Various Characters Valarie Pettiford Fosse Various Characters Mary Testa On the Town Madame Maude P. Dilly
2000s