The Tony Award for Best 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.
In the lists below, the winner is displayed first, the non-winning nominees second.
- 1948 Paul Hartman. Angel in the Wings
- 1949 Ray Bolger. Where's Charley
- 1950 Ezio Pinza. South Pacific
- 1951 Robert Alda. Guys and Dolls
- 1952 Phil Silvers. Top Banana
- 1953 Thomas Mitchell. Hazel Flagg
- 1954 Alfred Drake. Kismet
- 1955 Walter Slezak. Fanny
- 1956 Ray Walston. Damn Yankees
- Stephen Douglass. Damn Yankees
- William Johnson. Pipe Dream
- 1957 Rex Harrison. My Fair Lady
- Fernando Lamas. Happy Hunting
- Robert Weede. The Most Happy Fella
- 1958 Robert Preston. The Music Man
- Ricardo Montalban. Jamaica
- Eddie Foy, Jr. Rumple
- Tony Randall. Oh, Captain
- 1959 Richard Kiley. Redhead
- Larry Blyden. Flower Drum Song
- Larry Blyden. Flower Drum Song
- 1960 Jackie Gleason. Take Me Along
- Robert Morse. Take Me Along
- Walter Pidgeon. Take Me Along
- Andy Griffith. Destry Rides Again
- 1961 Richard Burton. Camelot
- Phil Silvers. Do Re Mi
- Maurice Evans. Tenderloin
- 1962 Robert Morse. How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
- Ray Bolger. All American
- Alfred Drake. Kean
- Richard Kiley. No Strings
- 1963 Zero Mostel. A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
- Sid Caesar. Little Me
- Anthony Newley. Stop the World - I Want to Get Off
- Clive Revill. Oliver
- 1964 Bert Lahr. Foxy
- Sydney Chaplin. Funny Girl
- Bob Fosse. Pal Joey
- Steve Lawrence. What Makes Sammy Run
- 1965 Zero Mostel. Fiddler on the Roof
- Sammy Davis, Jr. Golden Boy
- Cyril Ritchard. The Roar of the Greasepaint - The Smell of the Crowd
- Tommy Steele. Half a Sixpence
- 1966 Richard Kiley. Man of La Mancha
- Jack Cassidy. It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman
- John Cullum. On a Clear Day You Can See Forever
- Harry Secombe. Pickwick
- 1967 Robert Preston. I Do! I Do
- Alan Alda. The Apple Tree
- Jack Gilford. Cabaret
- Norman Wisdom. Walking Happy
- 1968 Robert Goulet. The Happy Time
- Robert Hooks. Hallelujah, Baby
- Anthony Roberts. How Now, Dow Jones
- David Wayne. The Happy Time
- 1969 Jerry Orbach. Promises, Promises
- Herschel Bernardi. Zorba
- Jack Cassidy. Maggie Flynn
- Joel Grey. George M
- 1970 Cleavon Little. Purlie
- Len Cariou. Applause
- Robert Weede. Cry for Us All
- 1971 Hal Linden. The Rothschilds
- David Burns. Lovely Ladies, Kind Gentleman
- Larry Kert. Company
- Bobby Van. No, No Nanette
- 1972 Phil Silvers. A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
- Clifton Davis. Two Gentlemen of Verona
- Barry Bostwick. Grease
- Raúl Juliá. Two Gentleman of Verona
- 1973 Ben Vereen. Pippin
- Len Cariou. A Little Night Music
- Robert Morse. Sugar
- Brock Peters. Lost in the Stars
- 1974 Christopher Plummer. Cyrano
- Alfred Drake. Gigi
- Joe Morton. Raisin
- Lewis J. Stadlen. Candide
- 1975 John Cullum. Shenandoah
- Joel Grey. Goodtime Charley
- Raúl Juliá. Where's Charley
- Eddie Mekka. The Lieutenant
- Robert Preston. Mack and Mabel
- 1976 George Rose. My Fair Lady
- Mako. Pacific Overtures
- Jerry Orbach. Chicago
- Ian Richardson. My Fair Lady
- 1977 Barry Bostwick. The Robber Bridegroom
- Robert Guillaume. Guys and Dolls
- Raúl Juliá. Threepenny Opera
- Reid Shelton. Annie
- 1978 John Cullum. On the Twentieth Century
- Eddie Bracken. Hello, Dolly
- Barry Nelson. The Act
- Gilbert Price. Timbuktu
- 1979 Len Cariou. Sweeney Todd
- Vincent Gardenia. Ballroom
- Joel Grey. The Grand Tour
- Robert Klein. They're Playing Our Song
- 1980 Jim Dale. Barnum
- Gregory Hines. Comin' Uptown
- Mickey Rooney. Sugar Babies
- Giorgio Tozzi. The Most Happy Fella
- 1981 Kevin Kline. The Pirates of Penzance
- Gregory Hines. Sophisticated Ladies
- George Rose. The Pirates of Penzance
- Martin Vidnovic. Brigadoon
- 1982 Ben Harney. Dreamgirls
- Herschel Bernardi. Fiddler on the Roof
- Victor Garber. Little Me
- Raúl Juliá. Nine
- 1983 Tommy Tune. My One and Only
- Al Green. Your Arm's Too Short To Box With God
- George Hearn. A Doll's Life
- Michael V. Smartt. Porgy and Bess
- 1984 George Hearn. La Cage aux Folles
- Gene Barry. La Cage aux Folles
- Ron Moody. Oliver
- Mandy Patinkin. Sunday in the Park with George
- 1986 George Rose. The Mystery of Edwin Drood
- Don Correia. Singin' in the Rain
- Cleavant Derricks. Big Deal
- Maurice Hines. Uptown…It's Hot
- 1987 Robert Lindsay. Me and My Girl
- Roderick Cook. Oh Coward
- Terrence Mann. Les Misérables
- Colm Wilkinson. Les Misérables
- 1988 Michael Crawford. Phantom of the Opera
- Scott Bakula. Romance/Romance
- David Carroll. Chess
- Howard McGillin. Anything Goes
- 1989 Jason Alexander. Jerome Robbins' Broadway
- Gabriel Barre. Starmites
- Brian Lane Green. Starmites
- Robert La Fosse. Jerome Robbins' Broadway
- 1990 James Naughton. City of Angels
- David Carroll. Grand Hotel, The Musical
- Gregg Edelman. City of Angels
- Bob Gunton. Sweeney Todd
- 1991 Jonathan Pryce. Miss Saigon
- Keith Carradine. The Will Rogers Follies
- Paul Hipp. Buddy
- Topol. Fiddler on the Roof
- 1992 Gregory Hines. Jelly's Last Jam
- Harry Groener. Crazy for You
- Nathan Lane. Guys and Dolls
- Michael Rupert. Falsettos
- 1993 Brent Carver. Kiss of the Spider Woman--The Musical
- Tim Curry. My Favorite Year
- Con O'Neill. Blood Brothers
- Martin Short. The Goodbye Girl
- 1994 Boyd Gaines. She Loves Me
- Victor Garber. Damn Yankees
- Terrence Mann. Beauty and the Beast
- Jere Shea. Passion
- 1995 Matthew Broderick. How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
- Alan Campbell. Sunset Boulevard
- Mark Jacoby. Show Boat
- John McMartin. Show Boat
- 1996 Nathan Lane. A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
- Savion Glover. Bring in 'da Noise/Bring in 'da Funk
- Adam Pascal. Rent
- Lou Diamond Phillips. The King and I
- 1997 James Naughton. Chicago
- Robert Cuccioli. Jekyll and Hyde
- Jim Dale. Candide
- Daniel McDonald. Steel Pier
- 1998 Alan Cumming. Cabaret
- Peter Friedman. Ragtime
- Brian Stokes Mitchell. Ragtime
- Douglas Sills. The Scarlet Pimpernel
- 1999 Martin Short. Little Me
- Brent Carver. Parade
- Adam Cooper. Swan Lake
- Tom Wopat. Annie Get Your Gun
- 2000 Brian Stokes Mitchell. Kiss Me, Kate
- Craig Bierko. The Music Man
- George Hearn. Putting It Together
- Mandy Patinkin. The Wild Party
- Christopher Walken. James Joyce's The Dead
- 2001 Nathan Lane. The Producers, the new Mel Brooks musical
- Matthew Broderick. The Producers, the new Mel Brooks musical
- Kevin Chamberlin. Seussical
- Tom Hewitt. The Rocky Horror Show
- Patrick Wilson. The Full Monty
- 2002 John Lithgow. Sweet Smell of Success
- Gavin Creel. Thoroughly Modern Millie
- John McMartin. Into the Woods
- Patrick Wilson. Oklahoma
- John Cullum. Urinetown The Musical
- 2003 Harvey Fierstein. Hairspray
- Malcolm Gets. Amour
- Brian Stokes Mitchell. Man of La Mancha
- John Selya. Movin' Out