Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical
The Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical is an annual award presented by The Society of London Theatre in recognition of achievements in commercial British theatre. The awards were established as the Society of West End Theatre Awards in 1976, and, renamed in 1984 in honour of English actor Lord Olivier.
| Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical | |
|---|---|
| Awarded for | Best Actress in a Musical |
| Location |  United Kingdom |
| Presented by | The Society of London Theatre |
| Currently held by | Miriam-Teak Lee for & Juliet (2020) |
| Website | Olivier Awards.com |
The Olivier Awards are the most prestigious theatrical awards in the United Kingdom and are the UK equivalent of the Tony Awards. In both 1977 and 1978, the Oliviers presented an award for Best Performance in a Musical, this was won by a female performer on both occasions. The 1977 winner was Anna Sharkey for Maggie, while in 1978 it was won by Elaine Paige for Evita. The following year, they created the category for Best Actress in a Musical.
Winners and nominees
1970s
| Year | Actress | Musical | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | |||
| Virginia McKenna | The King and I | Anna Leonowens | |
| Carol Channing | Hello, Dolly! | Dolly Levi | |
| Antonia Ellis | Chicago | Velma Kelly | |
| Liz Robertson | My Fair Lady | Eliza Doolittle |
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
2020s
| Year | Actress | Musical | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | |||
| Miriam-Teak Lee | & Juliet | Juliet Capulet | |
| Audrey Brisson | Amélie | Amélie Poulain | |
| Judy Kuhn | Fiddler on the Roof | Golde | |
| Zizi Strallen | Mary Poppins | Mary Poppins |
Multiple awards and nominations for Best Actress
Awards
- Three awards
- Two awards
Nominations
- Seven nominations
- Six nominations
- Five nominations
- Four nominations
- Three nominations
- Two nominations
- Rosalie Craig
- Janie Dee
- Barbara Dickson
- Haydn Gwynne
- Patricia Hodge
- Nicola Hughes
- Judy Kuhn
- Maureen Lipman
- Patti LuPone
- Siân Phillips
- Samantha Spiro
- Summer Strallen
- Sophie Thompson
- Charlotte Wakefield
- Josie Walker
- Emma Williams
Multiple awards and nominations for a character
Awards
- 2 awards
- Eliza Doolittle from My Fair Lady
- Miss Adelaide from Guys and Dolls
- Mrs. Lovett from Sweeney Todd
- The Baker's Wife from Into the Woods
Nominations
- 5 nominations
- Miss Adelaide from Guys and Dolls
- Norma Desmond from Sunset Boulevard
- 3 nominations
- Eliza Doolittle from My Fair Lady
- Lilli Vanessi / Katharine from Kiss Me, Kate
- Mrs. Johnstone from Blood Brothers
- Mrs. Lovett from Sweeney Todd
- 2 nominations
- Audrey from Little Shop of Horrors
- Caroline Thibodeaux from Caroline, or Change
- Desirée Armfeldt from A Little Night Music
- Dolly Levi from Hello, Dolly!
- Dot / Marie from Sunday in the Park with George
- Édith Piaf from Piaf
- Eva Perón from Evita
- Fosca from Passion
- Maria von Trapp from The Sound of Music
- Mary Flynn from Merrily We Roll Along
- Mary Poppins from Mary Poppins
- Roxie Hart from Chicago
- Sally Durant Plummer from Follies
- Sarah Brown from Guys and Dolls
- The Baker's Wife from Into the Woods
- Velma Kelly from Chicago
See also
References
- London Theatre Guide (2008). "The Laurence Olivier Awards: Full List of Winners, 1976-2008" (.PDF). 1976-2008. The Society of London Theatre: 20. Retrieved 2008-08-30. Cite journal requires
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