Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a MusicalAwarded 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 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 .
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. As of 2021, the actress who holds the most awards in this category is Imelda Staunton , with three.
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 [ ]
Year
Actress
Musical
Character
2010
Samantha Spiro
Hello, Dolly!
Dolly Levi
Melanie Chisholm
Blood Brothers
Mrs. Johnstone
Patina Miller
Sister Act
Deloris Van Cartier
Hannah Waddingham
A Little Night Music
Desirée Armfeldt
Charlotte Wakefield
Spring Awakening
Wendla
2011
Sheridan Smith
Legally Blonde
Elle Woods
Sierra Boggess
Love Never Dies
Christine Daaé
Elena Roger
Passion
Fosca
Emma Williams
Love Story
Jenny
2012
Cleo Demetriou , Kerry Ingram , Sophia Kiely , Eleanor Worthington Cox
Matilda
Matilda Wormwood
Kate Fleetwood
London Road
Julie
Sarah Lancashire
Betty Blue Eyes
Joyce Chilvers
Scarlett Strallen
Singin' in the Rain
Kathy Seldon
2013
Imelda Staunton
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Mrs. Lovett
Heather Headley
The Bodyguard
Rachel Marron
Summer Strallen
Top Hat
Dale Tremont
Hannah Waddingham
Kiss Me, Kate
Lilli Vanessi / Katharine
2014
Zrinka Cvitešić
Once
Girl
Rosalie Craig
The Light Princess
The Light Princess
Jenna Russell
Merrily We Roll Along
Mary Flynn
Charlotte Wakefield
The Sound of Music
Maria von Trapp
2015
Katie Brayben
Beautiful
Carole King
Gemma Arterton
Made in Dagenham
Rita O'Grady
Tamsin Greig
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Pepa Marcos
Beverley Knight
Memphis
Felicia Farrell
2016
Imelda Staunton
Gypsy
Mama Rose
Tracie Bennett
Mrs Henderson Presents
Laura Henderson
Natalie Dew
Bend It Like Beckham
Jess Bhamra
Laura Pitt-Pulford
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
Milly
Sophie Thompson
Guys and Dolls
Miss Adelaide
2017
Amber Riley
Dreamgirls
Effie White
Glenn Close
Sunset Boulevard
Norma Desmond
Debbie Chazen , Sophie-Louise Dann , Michele Dotrice , Claire Machin , Claire Moore and Joanna Riding
The Girls
The Girls
Sheridan Smith
Funny Girl
Fanny Brice
2018
Shirley Henderson
Girl from the North Country
Elizabeth Lane
Janie Dee
Follies
Phyllis Rogers Stone
Imelda Staunton
Sally Durant Plummer
Josie Walker
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie
Margaret New
2019
Sharon D. Clarke
Caroline, or Change
Caroline Thibodeaux
Rosalie Craig
Company
Bobbie
Kelli O'Hara
The King and I
Anna Leonowens
Adrienne Warren
Tina
Tina Turner
2020s [ ]
Multiple awards and nominations for Best Actress in a Musical [ ]
Awards [ ]
Three awards
Two awards
Barbara Dickson
Maria Friedman
Julia McKenzie
Joanna Riding
Samantha Spiro
Nominations [ ]
Seven nominations
Six nominations
Five nominations
Ruthie Henshall
Julia McKenzie
Joanna Riding
Four nominations
Three nominations
Elena Roger
Jenna Russell
Sheridan Smith
Hannah Waddingham
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 [ ]
External links [ ]
Drama Musical Production/Creatives Dance/Opera Special/Other Retired Ceremonies
Merged
Anna Sharkey (1977)
Elaine Paige (1978)
Actress
Virginia McKenna (1979)
Gemma Craven (1980)
Carlin Glynn (1981)
Julia McKenzie (1982)
Barbara Dickson (1983)
Natalia Makarova (1984)
Patti LuPone (1985)
Lesley Mackie (1986)
Nichola McAuliffe (1987)
Patricia Routledge (1988)
Lea Salonga (1989/1990)
Imelda Staunton (1991)
Wilhelmenia Fernandez (1992)
Joanna Riding (1993)
Julia McKenzie (1994)
Ruthie Henshall (1995)
Judi Dench (1996)
Maria Friedman (1997)
Ute Lemper (1998)
Sophie Thompson (1999)
Barbara Dickson (2000)
Samantha Spiro (2001)
Martine McCutcheon (2002)
Joanna Riding (2003)
Maria Friedman (2004)
Laura Michelle Kelly (2005)
Jane Krakowski (2006)
Jenna Russell (2007)
Leanne Jones (2008)
Elena Roger (2009)
Samantha Spiro (2010)
Sheridan Smith (2011)
Cleo Demetriou , Kerry Ingram , Sophia Kiely , and Eleanor Worthington Cox (2012)
Imelda Staunton (2013)
Zrinka Cvitešić (2014)
Katie Brayben (2015)
Imelda Staunton (2016)
Amber Riley (2017)
Shirley Henderson (2018)
Sharon D. Clarke (2019)
Miriam-Teak Lee (2020)