The Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy is a Golden Globe Award first presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. It is given in honor of an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role in a musical or comedy film. Previously, there was a single award for "Best Actor in a Motion Picture", but the creation of the category in 1951 allowed for recognition of it and the Best Actor – Drama.
The formal title has varied since its inception. In 2006, it was officially called: "Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy". , the wording is "Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy".
Winners and nominees
1950s Year Actor Role(s) Film 1950 Fred Astaire Bert Kalmar Three Little Words The nominees' names are not listed for this year. 1951 Danny Kaye Jack Martin / Henri Duran On the Riviera The nominees' names are not listed for this year. Gene Kelly Jerry Mulligan An American in Paris 1952 Donald O'Connor Cosmo Brown Singin' in the Rain The nominees' names are not listed for this year. 1953 David Niven David Slater The Moon Is Blue The nominees' names are not listed for this year. 1954 James Mason Norman Maine A Star Is Born The nominees' names are not listed for this year. 1955 Tom Ewell Richard Sherman The Seven Year Itch The nominees' names are not listed for this year. 1956 Cantinflas Passepartout Around the World in 80 Days Marlon Brando Sakini The Teahouse of the August Moon Glenn Ford Captain Fisby Yul Brynner King Mongkut of Siam The King and I Danny Kaye Hubert Hawkins The Court Jester 1957 Frank Sinatra Joey Evans Pal Joey Maurice Chevalier Claude Chavasse Love in the Afternoon Glenn Ford Lt. J. G. Max Siegel Don't Go Near the Water David Niven Godfrey Smith My Man Godfrey Tony Randall Rockwell P. Hunter Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? 1958 Danny Kaye S. L. Jacobowsky Me and the Colonel Maurice Chevalier Honoré Lachaille Gigi Louis Jourdan Gaston Lachaille Clark Gable James Gannon Teacher's Pet Cary Grant Philip Adams Indiscreet 1959 Jack Lemmon Jerry / Daphne Some Like It Hot Clark Gable Russell Ward But Not for Me Cary Grant Lt. Cmdr. Matt T. Sherman Operation Petticoat Dean Martin Michael Haney Who Was That Lady? Sidney Poitier Porgy Porgy and Bess
1960s Year Actor Role(s) Film 1960 Jack Lemmon C. C. Baxter The Apartment Dirk Bogarde Franz Liszt Song Without End Cantinflas Pepe Pepe Cary Grant Victor, Earl of Rhyall The Grass Is Greener Bob Hope Larry Gilbert The Facts of Life 1961 Glenn Ford Dave, the Dude Pocketful of Miracles Fred Astaire Pogo Poole The Pleasure of His Company Richard Beymer Tony West Side Story Bob Hope Adam Niles Bachelor in Paradise Fred MacMurray Ned Brainard The Absent-Minded Professor 1962 Marcello Mastroianni Ferdinando Cefalù Divorce Italian Style Stephen Boyd Sam Rawlins Billy Rose's Jumbo Jimmy Durante Anthony Wonder / Pop Cary Grant Philip Shayne That Touch of Mink Charlton Heston Captain Paul MacDougall / Benny the Snatch / Narrator The Pigeon That Took Rome Karl Malden Herbie Sommers Gypsy Robert Preston Harold Hill The Music Man James Stewart Roger Hobbs Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation 1963 Alberto Sordi Amedeo Ferretti To Bed or Not to Bed Albert Finney Tom Jones Tom Jones James Garner Henry Tyroon The Wheeler Dealers Cary Grant Brian Cruikshank Charade Jack Lemmon Nestor Paptu / Lord X Irma la Douce Mr. Hogan Under the Yum Yum Tree Frank Sinatra Alan Barker Come Blow Your Horn Terry-Thomas Spender The Mouse on the Moon Jonathan Winters Lennie Pike It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World 1964 Rex Harrison Henry Higgins My Fair Lady Marcello Mastroianni Domenico Soriano Marriage Italian-Style Peter Sellers Inspector Jacques Clouseau The Pink Panther Peter Ustinov Arthur Simpson Topkapi Dick Van Dyke Bert / Mr. Dawes Sr. Mary Poppins 1965 Lee Marvin Kid Shelleen / Tim Strawn Cat Ballou Jack Lemmon Professor Fate / Prince Hapnick The Great Race Jerry Lewis Robert Reed Boeing Boeing Jason Robards Murray Burns A Thousand Clowns Alberto Sordi Count Emilio Ponticelli Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines 1966 Alan Arkin Lt. Yuri Rozanov The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming Alan Bates Jos Jones Georgy Girl Michael Caine Harry Dean Gambit Lionel Jeffries Stanley Farquhar The Spy with a Cold Nose Walter Matthau Willie Gingrich The Fortune Cookie 1967 Richard Harris King Arthur Camelot Richard Burton Petruchio The Taming of the Shrew Rex Harrison Doctor John Dolittle Doctor Dolittle Dustin Hoffman Benjamin Braddock The Graduate Ugo Tognazzi Sergio Masini The Climax 1968 Ron Moody Fagin Oliver! Jack Lemmon Felix Ungar The Odd Couple Walter Matthau Oscar Madison Fred Astaire Finian McLonergan Finian's Rainbow Zero Mostel Max Bialystock The Producers 1969 Peter O'Toole Arthur Chipping Goodbye, Mr. Chips Dustin Hoffman John John and Mary Lee Marvin Ben Rumson Paint Your Wagon Steve McQueen Boon Hogganbeck The Reivers Anthony Quinn Italo Bombolini The Secret of Santa Vittoria
1970s Year Actor Role(s) Film 1970 Albert Finney Ebenezer Scrooge Scrooge Elliott Gould Captain John "Trapper" McIntyre M*A*S*H Donald Sutherland Captain Benjamin "Hawkeye" Pierce Richard Benjamin Jonathan Balser Diary of a Mad Housewife Jack Lemmon George Kellerman The Out-of-Towners 1971 Topol Tevye Fiddler on the Roof Bud Cort Harold Chasen Harold and Maude Dean Jones Professor Dooley The Million Dollar Duck Walter Matthau Joseph P. Kotcher Kotch Gene Wilder Willy Wonka Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory 1972 Jack Lemmon Wendell Armbruster Avanti! Edward Albert Don Baker Butterflies Are Free Charles Grodin Lenny Cantrow The Heartbreak Kid Walter Matthau Pete Pete 'n' Tillie Peter O'Toole Don Quixote de la Mancha / Miguel de Cervantes Man of La Mancha 1973 George Segal Steve Blackburn A Touch of Class Carl Anderson Judas Iscariot Jesus Christ Superstar Ted Neeley Jesus Christ Richard Dreyfuss Curt Henderson American Graffiti Ryan O'Neal Moses Pray Paper Moon 1974 Art Carney Harry Coombes Harry and Tonto Jack Lemmon Hildy Johnson The Front Page Walter Matthau Walter Burns James Earl Jones Rupert Marshall Claudine Burt Reynolds Paul "Wrecking" Crewe The Longest Yard 1975 George Burns Al Lewis The Sunshine Boys Walter Matthau Willy Clark Warren Beatty George Roundy Shampoo James Caan Billy Rose Funny Lady Peter Sellers Inspector Jacques Clouseau The Return of the Pink Panther 1976 Kris Kristofferson John Howard A Star Is Born Mel Brooks Mel Funn Silent Movie Peter Sellers Inspector Jacques Clouseau The Pink Panther Strikes Again Jack Weston Gaetano Proclo The Ritz Gene Wilder George Caldwell Silver Streak 1977 Richard Dreyfuss Elliott Garfield The Goodbye Girl Woody Allen Alvy Singer Annie Hall Mel Brooks Dr. Richard H. Thorndyke High Anxiety Robert De Niro Jimmy Doyle New York, New York John Travolta Tony Manero Saturday Night Fever 1978 Warren Beatty Joe Pendleton Heaven Can Wait Alan Alda George Same Time, Next Year Gary Busey Buddy Holly The Buddy Holly Story Chevy Chase Detective Tony Carlson Foul Play George C. Scott Gloves Malloy / Spats Baxter Movie Movie John Travolta Danny Zuko Grease 1979 Peter Sellers Chance Being There George Hamilton Count Dracula Love at First Bite Dudley Moore George Webber 10 Burt Reynolds Phil Potter Starting Over Roy Scheider Joe Gideon All That Jazz
1980s Year Actor Role(s) Film 1980 Ray Sharkey Vinnie Vacarri The Idolmaker Neil Diamond Yussel Rabinovitch The Jazz Singer Tommy Lee Jones Doolittle Mooney Lynn Coal Miner's Daughter Paul Le Mat Melvin Dummar Melvin and Howard Walter Matthau Miles Kendig Hopscotch 1981 Dudley Moore Arthur Bach Arthur Alan Alda Jack Burroughs The Four Seasons George Hamilton Don Diego Vega / Zorro / Wigglesworth / Ramon Vega Zorro, The Gay Blade Steve Martin Arthur Parker Pennies from Heaven Walter Matthau Dan Snow First Monday in October 1982 Dustin Hoffman Michael Dorsey / Dorothy Michaels Tootsie Peter O'Toole Alan Swann My Favorite Year Al Pacino Ivan Travalian Author! Author! Robert Preston Caroll "Toddy" Todd Victor Victoria Henry Winkler Chuck Lumley Night Shift 1983 Michael Caine Frank Bryant Educating Rita Woody Allen Leonard Zelig Zelig Tom Cruise Joel Goodson Risky Business Eddie Murphy Billy Ray Valentine Trading Places Mandy Patinkin Avigdor Yentl 1984 Dudley Moore Rob Salinger Micki & Maude Steve Martin Roger Cobb All of Me Eddie Murphy Axel Foley Beverly Hills Cop Bill Murray Peter Venkman Ghostbusters Robin Williams Vladimir Ivanoff Moscow on the Hudson 1985 Jack Nicholson Charley Partanna Prizzi's Honor Jeff Daniels Tom Baxter / Gil Sheperd The Purple Rose of Cairo Griffin Dunne Paul Hackett After Hours Michael J. Fox Marty McFly Back to the Future James Garner Murphy Jones Murphy's Romance 1986 Paul Hogan Michael J. "Crocodile" Dundee Crocodile Dundee Matthew Broderick Ferris Bueller Ferris Bueller's Day Off Jeff Daniels Charles Driggs Something Wild Danny DeVito Sam Stone Ruthless People Jack Lemmon Harvey Fairchild That's Life! 1987 Robin Williams Adrian Cronauer Good Morning, Vietnam Nicolas Cage Ronny Cammareri Moonstruck Danny DeVito Owen Lift Throw Momma from the Train William Hurt Tom Grunick Broadcast News Steve Martin C. D. Bales Roxanne Patrick Swayze Johnny Castle Dirty Dancing 1988 Tom Hanks Josh Baskin Big Michael Caine Lawrence Jamieson Dirty Rotten Scoundrels John Cleese Archie Leach A Fish Called Wanda Robert De Niro Jack Walsh Midnight Run Bob Hoskins Eddie Valliant Who Framed Roger Rabbit 1989 Morgan Freeman Hoke Colburn Driving Miss Daisy Billy Crystal Harry Burns When Harry Met Sally... Michael Douglas Oliver Rose The War of the Roses Steve Martin Gil Buckman Parenthood Jack Nicholson Jack Napier / The Joker Batman
1990s