The Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical is awarded to the actor who was voted as the best actor in a musical play, whether a new production or a revival. The award has been announced since 1948, but the nominees who did not win have only been announced since 1956.

Award winners

1940s

• 1948 Paul Hartman in Angel in the Wings as "Horace" / "Mr. Blodgett" / "George" / "Dr. Hutchinson, W.T." / "The Stranger"
• 1949 Ray Bolger in Where's Charley? as "Charley Wykeham"

1950s

• 1950 Ezio Pinza in South Pacific as "Emile De Beque"
• 1951 Robert Alda in Guys and Dolls as "Sky Masterson"
• 1952 Phil Silvers in Top Banana as "Jerry Biffle"
• 1953 Thomas Mitchell in Hazel Flagg as "Dr. Downer"
• 1954 Alfred Drake in Kismet as "Hajj"
• 1955 Walter Slezak in Fanny as "Panisse"

• 1956 Ray Walston in Damn Yankees as "Mr. Applegate"
  • Stephen Douglass in Damn Yankees as "Joe Hardy"
  • William Johnson in Pipe Dream as "Doc"

• 1957 Rex Harrison in My Fair Lady as "Henry Higgins"
  • Fernando Lamas in Happy Hunting as "Duke of Granada"
  • Robert Weede in The Most Happy Fella as "Tony"

• 1958 Robert Preston in The Music Man as "Harold Hill"
  • Ricardo Montalban in Jamaica as "Koli"
  • Eddie Foy, Jr. in Rumple as "Rumple"
  • Tony Randall in Oh, Captain! as "Captain Henry St. James"

• 1959 Richard Kiley in Redhead as "Tom Baxter"
  • Larry Blyden in Flower Drum Song as "Sammy Fong"

1960s

• 1960 Jackie Gleason in Take Me Along as "Sid Davis"
  • Robert Morse in Take Me Along as "Richard Miller"
  • Walter Pidgeon in Take Me Along as "Nat Miller"
  • Andy Griffith in Destry Rides Again as "Destry"

• 1961 Richard Burton in Camelot as "Arthur"
  • Phil Silvers in Do Re Mi as "Hubert Cram"
  • Maurice Evans in Tenderloin as "Reverend Brock"

• 1962 Robert Morse in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying as "J. Pierrepont Finch"
  • Ray Bolger in All-American as "Professor Fodorski"
  • Alfred Drake in Kean as "Edmund Kean"
  • Richard Kiley in No Strings as "David Jordan"

• 1963 Zero Mostel in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum as "Pseudolus"
  • Sid Caesar in Little Me as "Fred Poitrine" / "Mr. Pinchley" / "Noble Eggleston" / "Noble Junior" / "Otto Schnitzler" / "Prince Cherney" / "Val du Val"
  • Anthony Newley in Stop the World - I Want to Get Off as "Littlechap"
  • Clive Revill in Oliver! as "Fagin"

• 1964 Bert Lahr in Foxy as "Foxy"
  • Sydney Chaplin in Funny Girl as "Nick Arnstein"
  • Bob Fosse in Pal Joey as "Joey Evans"
  • Steve Lawrence in What Makes Sammy Run? as "Sammy Glick"

• 1965 Zero Mostel in Fiddler on the Roof as "Tevye"
  • Sammy Davis, Jr. in Golden Boy as "Joe Wellington"
  • Cyril Ritchard in The Roar of the Greasepaint - The Smell of the Crowd as "Sir"
  • Tommy Steele in Half a Sixpence as "Arthur Kipps"

• 1966 Richard Kiley in Man of La Mancha as "Don Quixote" / "Cervantes"
  • Jack Cassidy in It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman as "Max Mencken"
  • John Cullum in On a Clear Day You Can See Forever as "Dr. Mark Bruckner"
  • Harry Secombe in Pickwick as "Pickwick"

• 1967 Robert Preston in I Do! I Do! as "Michael"
  • Alan Alda in The Apple Tree as "Adam" / "Captain Sanjar" / "Flip, the Prince Charming"
  • Jack Gilford in Cabaret as "Herr Schultz"
  • Norman Wisdom in Walking Happy as "Will Mossop

• 1968 Robert Goulet in The Happy Time as "Jacques Bonnard"
  • Robert Hooks in Hallelujah, Baby! as "Clem"
  • Tony Roberts in How Now, Dow Jones as "Charley"
  • David Wayne in The Happy Time as "Grandpere Bonnard"

• 1969 Jerry Orbach in Promises, Promises as "Chuck Baxter "
  • Herschel Bernardi in Zorba as "Zorba"
  • Jack Cassidy in Maggie Flynn as "The Clown"
  • Joel Grey in George M! as "George M. Cohan"

1970s

• 1970 Cleavon Little in Purlie as "Purlie"
  • Len Cariou in Applause as "Bill Sampson"
  • Robert Weede in Cry for Us All as "Edward Quinn"

• 1971 Hal Linden in The Rothschilds as "Mayer Rothschild"
  • David Burns in Lovely Ladies, Kind Gentleman as "Col. Wainwright Purdy III"
  • Larry Kert in Company as "Bobby"
  • Bobby Van in No, No Nanette as "Billy Early"

• 1972 Phil Silvers in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum as "Pseudolus"
  • Clifton Davis in Two Gentlemen of Verona as "Valentine"
  • Barry Bostwick in Grease as "Danny Zuko"
  • Raúl Juliá in Two Gentlemen of Verona as "Proteus"

• 1973 Ben Vereen in Pippin as "The Leading Player"
  • Len Cariou in A Little Night Music as "Frederick Egerman"
  • Robert Morse in Sugar as "Jerry"
  • Brock Peters in Lost in the Stars as "Stephen Kumalo"

• 1974 Christopher Plummer in Cyrano as "Cyrano de Bergerac"
  • Alfred Drake in Gigi as "Honore Lachailles"
  • Joe Morton in Raisin as "Walter Lee Younger"
  • Lewis J. Stadlen in Candide as "Dr. Pangloss" / "Governor" / "Host" / "Sage"/ "Voltaire"

• 1975 John Cullum in Shenandoah as "Charlie Anderson"
  • Joel Grey in Goodtime Charley as "Charley"
  • Raúl Juliá in Where's Charley? as "Charley Wykeham"
  • Eddie Mekka in The Lieutenant as "Lieutenant"
  • Robert Preston in Mack & Mabel as "Mack Sennett"

• 1976 George Rose in My Fair Lady as "Alfred P. Doolittle"
  • Makoto Iwamatsu in Pacific Overtures as "Jonathan Goble" / "Reciter" / "Shogun"
  • Jerry Orbach in Chicago as "Billy Flynn"
  • Ian Richardson in My Fair Lady as "Henry Higgins"

• 1977 Barry Bostwick in The Robber Bridegroom as "Jamie Lockhart"
  • Robert Guillaume in Guys and Dolls as "Nathan Detroit"
  • Raúl Juliá in Threepenny Opera as "Macheath"
  • Reid Shelton in Annie as "Oliver Warbucks"

• 1978 John Cullum in On the Twentieth Century as "Oscar Jaffee"
  • Eddie Bracken in Hello, Dolly! as "Horace Vandergelder"
  • Barry Nelson in The Act as "Dan Conners"
  • Gilbert Price in Timbuktu! as "The Mansa of Mali"

• 1979 Len Cariou in Sweeney Todd as "Sweeney Todd"
  • Vincent Gardenia in Ballroom as "Alfred Rossi"
  • Joel Grey in The Grand Tour as "S. L. Jacobowsky"
  • Robert Klein in They're Playing Our Song as "Vernon Gersch"

1980s

• 1980 Jim Dale in Barnum as "P. T. Barnum"
  • Gregory Hines in Comin' Uptown as "Scrooge"
  • Mickey Rooney in Sugar Babies as "Mickey"
  • Giorgio Tozzi in The Most Happy Fella as "Tony"

• 1981 Kevin Kline in The Pirates of Penzance as "The Pirate King"
  • Gregory Hines in Sophisticated Ladies as "Performer"
  • George Rose in The Pirates of Penzance as "Major-General Stanley"
  • Martin Vidnovic in Brigadoon as "Tommy Albright"

• 1982 Ben Harney in Dreamgirls as "Curtis Taylor Jr."
  • Herschel Bernardi in Fiddler on the Roof as "Tevye"
  • Victor Garber in Little Me as "Fred Poitrine" / "Noble Eggleston" / "Noble Junior" / "Val du Val"
  • Raúl Juliá in Nine as "Guido Contini"

• 1983 Tommy Tune in My One and Only as "Captain Billy Buck Chandler"
  • Al Green in Your Arms Too Short to Box with God as "Performer"
  • George Hearn in A Doll's Life as "Actor" / "Johan" / "Torvald"
  • Michael V. Smartt in Porgy and Bess as "Porgy"

• 1984 George Hearn in La Cage aux Folles as "Albin"
  • Gene Barry in La Cage aux Folles as "Georges'
  • Ron Moody in Oliver! as "Fagin"
  • Mandy Patinkin in Sunday in the Park with George as "George"

• 1985 -no awards

• 1986 George Rose in The Mystery of Edwin Drood as "Mayor Thomas Sapsea" / "William Cartwright"
  • Don Correia in Singin' in the Rain as "Don Lockwood"
  • Cleavant Derricks in Big Deal as "Charley"
  • Maurice Hines in Uptown…It's Hot! as "Performer"

• 1987 Robert Lindsay in Me and My Girl as "Bill Snibson"
  • Roderick Cook in Oh Coward! as "Performer"
  • Terrence Mann in Les Misérables as "Inspector Javert"
  • Colm Wilkinson in Les Misérables as "Jean Valjean"

• 1988 Michael Crawford in The Phantom of the Opera as "The Phantom"
  • Scott Bakula in Romance/Romance as "Alfred Von Wilmers" / "Sam"
  • David Carroll in Chess as "Anatoly"
  • Howard McGillin in Anything Goes as "Billy Crocker"

• 1989 Jason Alexander in Jerome Robbins' Broadway as "Cigar" / "Emcee" / "Floy" / "Pa" / "Pseudolus" / "Tevye" / "The Settler"
  • Gabriel Barre in Starmites as "Trinkulus"
  • Brian Lane Green in Starmites as "Spacepunk"
  • Robert La Fosse in Jerome Robbins' Broadway as "3rd Dancer" / "Gaby" / "Tony" / "Company Member of '...Forum'"

1990s

• 1990 James Naughton in City of Angels as "Stone"
  • David Carroll in Grand Hotel as "Felix Von Gaigern"
  • Gregg Edelman in City of Angels as "Stine"
  • Bob Gunton in Sweeney Todd as "Sweeney Todd"

• 1991 Jonathan Pryce in Miss Saigon as "The Engineer"
  • Keith Carradine in The Will Rogers Follies as "Will Rogers"
  • Paul Hipp in Buddy as "Buddy Holly"
  • Topol in Fiddler on the Roof as "Tevye"

• 1992 Gregory Hines in Jelly's Last Jam as "Jelly Roll Morton"
  • Harry Groener in Crazy for You as "Bobby Child"
  • Nathan Lane in Guys and Dolls as "Nathan Detroit"
  • Michael Rupert in Falsettos as "Marvin"

• 1993 Brent Carver in Kiss of the Spider Woman as "Molina"
  • Tim Curry in My Favorite Year as "Alan Swann"
  • Con O'Neill in Blood Brothers as "Mickey"
  • Martin Short in The Goodbye Girl as "Elliot"

• 1994 Boyd Gaines in She Loves Me as "Georg Nowack"'
  • Victor Garber in Damn Yankees as "Mr. Applegate"
  • Terrence Mann in Beauty and the Beast as "The Beast"
  • Jere Shea in Passion as "Giorgio"

• 1995 Matthew Broderick in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying as "J. Pierrepont Finch"
  • Alan Campbell in Sunset Boulevard as "Joe Gillis"
  • Mark Jacoby in Show Boat as "Gaylord Ravenal"
  • John McMartin in Show Boat as "Cap'n Andy"

• 1996 Nathan Lane in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum as "Pseudolus"
  • Savion Glover in Bring in 'da Noise/Bring in 'da Funk as "'da Beat" / "Lil' Dahlin'"
  • Adam Pascal in Rent as "Roger Davis"
  • Lou Diamond Phillips in The King and I as "The King of Siam"

• 1997 James Naughton in Chicago as "Billy Flynn"
  • Robert Cuccioli in Jekyll and Hyde as "Dr. Henry Jekyll" / "Edward Hyde"
  • Jim Dale in Candide as "2nd Gambler" / "Businessman"/ "Dr. Pangloss" / "Governor" / "Sage" / "Voltaire"
  • Daniel McDonald in Steel Pier as "Bill Kelly"

• 1998 Alan Cumming in Cabaret as "The Master of Ceremonies"
  • Peter Friedman in Ragtime as "Tateh"
  • Brian Stokes Mitchell in Ragtime as "Coalhouse Walker, Jr."
  • Douglas Sills in The Scarlet Pimpernel as "Percy Blakeney"

• 1999 Martin Short in Little Me as "Noble Eggleston" / "Amos Pinchley" / "Benny Buchsbaum" / "Val du Val" / "Fred Poitrine" / "Otto Schnitzler" / "Prince Cherney" / "The Drunk"
  • Brent Carver in Parade as "Leo Frank"
  • Adam Cooper in Swan Lake as "Dancer"
  • Tom Wopat in Annie Get Your Gun as "Frank Butler"

2000s

• 2000 Brian Stokes Mitchell in Kiss Me, Kate as "Fred Graham" / "Petruchio"
  • Craig Bierko in The Music Man as "Harold Hill"
  • George Hearn in Putting It Together as "The Husband"
  • Mandy Patinkin in The Wild Party as "Burrs"
  • Christopher Walken in The Dead as "Gabriel Conroy"

• 2001 Nathan Lane in The Producers as "Max Bialystock"
  • Matthew Broderick in The Producers as "Leo Bloom"
  • Kevin Chamberlin in Seussical as "Horton the Elephant"
  • Tom Hewitt in The Rocky Horror Show as "Frank N Furter"
  • Patrick Wilson in The Full Monty as "Jerry Lukowski"

• 2002 John Lithgow in Sweet Smell of Success as "J.J. Hunsecker"
  • Gavin Creel in Thoroughly Modern Millie as "Jimmy Smith"
  • John McMartin in Into the Woods as "Narrator" / "Mysterious Man"
  • Patrick Wilson in Oklahoma! as "Curly"
  • John Cullum in Urinetown The Musical as "Caldwell B. Cladwell"

• 2003 Harvey Fierstein in Hairspray as "Edna Turnblad"
  • Antonio Banderas in Nine, The Musical as "Guido Contini"
  • Malcolm Gets in Amour as "Dusoleil"
  • Brian Stokes Mitchell in Man of La Mancha as "Don Quixote" / "Cervantes"
  • John Selya in Movin' Out as "Eddie"

• 2004 Hugh Jackman in The Boy from Oz as "Peter Allen"
  • Hunter Foster in Little Shop of Horrors as "Seymour"
  • Alfred Molina in Fiddler on the Roof as "Tevye"
  • Euan Morton in Taboo as "George"
  • John Tartaglia in Avenue Q as "Princeton" / "Rod"

• 2005 Norbert Leo Butz in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels as "Freddy Benson"
  • Hank Azaria in Monty Python's Spamalot as "Sir Lancelot" / "The French Taunter" / "Knight of Ni" / "Tim the Enchanter"
  • Gary Beach in La Cage aux Folles as "Albin"
  • Tim Curry in Monty Python's Spamalot as "King Arthur"
  • John Lithgow in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels as "Lawrence Jameson"

• 2006 John Lloyd Young in Jersey Boys as "Frankie Valli"
  • Michael Cerveris in Sweeney Todd as "Sweeney Todd"
  • Harry Connick, Jr. in The Pajama Game as "Sid Sorokin"
  • Stephen Lynch in The Wedding Singer as "Robbie Hart"
  • Bob Martin in The Drowsy Chaperone as "Man in Chair"

• 2007 David Hyde Pierce in Curtains as "Lieutenant Frank Cioffi"
  • Michael Cerveris in LoveMusik as "Kurt Weill"
  • Raúl Esparza in Company as "Robert"
  • Jonathan Groff in Spring Awakening as "Melchior"
  • Gavin Lee in Mary Poppins as "Bert"

• 2008 Paulo Szot in South Pacific as "Emile de Becque"
  • Daniel Evans in Sunday in the Park with George as "Georges Seurat" / "George"
  • Lin-Manuel Miranda in In the Heights as "Usnavi"
  • Stew in Passing Strange as "Narrator"
  • Tom Wopat in A Catered Affair as "Tom Hurley"

Award records

Winners

2 Wins

• John Cullum
• Richard Kiley
• Nathan Lane
• Zero Mostel
• James Naughton
• Robert Preston
• George Rose
• Phil Silvers

Nominees

4 nominations

• John Cullum
• Raúl Juliá

3 nominations

• Len Cariou
• Alfred Drake
• Joel Grey
• George Hearn
• Gregory Hines
• Richard Kiley
• Nathan Lane
• Robert Morse
• Robert Preston
• George Rose
• Phil Silvers
• Brian Stokes Mitchell

2 Nominations

• Herschel Bernardi
• Ray Bolger
• Barry Bostwick
• Matthew Broderick
• David Carroll
• Brent Carver
• Jack Cassidy
• Michael Cerveris
• Tim Curry
• Jim Dale
• Victor Garber
• John Lithgow
• Terrence Mann
• John McMartin
• Zero Mostel
• James Naughton
• Jerry Orbach
• Mandy Patinkin
• Martin Short
• Robert Weede
• Patrick Wilson
• Tom Wopat

Trivia

Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (March 2008)

• The lead role of Pseudolus in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum has earned the Tony Award for the three different actors who have performed the character:
  • 1963 – Zero Mostel
  • 1972 – Phil Silvers
  • 1996 – Nathan Lane
• In 1989, Jason Alexander won the award for portraying several characters in Jerome Robbins' Broadway, amongst them, the role of Pseudolus.
• Two other male roles have produced multiple Tony Award winners: J. Pierrepont Finch in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying:
  • 1962 – Robert Morse
  • 1995 – Matthew Broderick
• and Emile de Beque in South Pacific:
  • 1950 - Ezio Pinza
  • 2008 - Paulo Szot
• Two actors have won for their performances in My Fair Lady, each for a different character:
  • 1957 – Rex Harrison, playing Henry Higgins
  • 1976 – George Rose, playing Alfred P. Doolitle
  • Ian Richardson, who played Henry Higgins in 1976, was also nominated.
• The lead role with most nominations is Tevye, in Fiddler on the Roof. Four actors have been nominated for their portrayals, with one win:
  • 1965 – Zero Mostel (winner)
  • 1982 – Herschel Bernardi
  • 1991 – Chaim Topol
  • 2004 – Alfred Molina
• In 1989, Jason Alexander won for portraying several characters in Jerome Robbins' Broadway, including the role of Tevye.
• Three actors were nominated in this category for roles that had previously been classified as Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical. George Rose won the 1976 Best Actor Award for playing Alfred P. Doolitle in My Fair Lady whereas Stanley Holloway was nominated in the featured category for playing the part in 1956. Similarly, Lou Diamond Phillips was nominated for Best Actor for playing the King of Siam in The King and I in 1996 while Yul Brynner won the Best Featured Actor Tony for the same role in 1951. Also, Alan Cumming won for his role as the Master of Ceremonies in Cabaret in 1998, which Joel Grey won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor for in 1966.
• Harvey Fierstein is the only actor to win the award by portraying a female character, for his 2003 performance as Edna Turnblad in Hairspray.
• There have never been consecutive victories, and only four actors have managed, over the decades, to score consecutive nominations: Gregory Hines (1980/1981), George Hearn (1983/1984), Patrick Wilson (2001/2002) and Michael Cerveris (2006/2007).