The

Obie Award The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards originally given by ''The Village Voice'' newspaper to theatre artists and groups in New York City. In September 2014, the awards were jointly presented and administered with the ...

for Distinguished Performance by an Actress was first presented in 1956. The award has no nominees and there is no set number of winners per year. Each performance listed by year below was given an award and they are listed in no particular order. The award can be for a lead or supporting performance and in a play or musical. On occasion, the Obie Awards committee will give an actress an award ''for sustained excellence of performance'' to recognize their contributions to Off-Broadway theatre. There is also a separate ensemble award given to recognize entire casts without singling out a particular performer, as they have below. On occasion, the committee gives an actress an award for ''sustained lifetime achievement'', listings for which are also included below. The Obie Award is for performances

Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer th ...

and Off-Off-Broadway in New York City only, and is one of the most respected theatre awards given in the United States. In 2014,

Sydney Lucas Sydney Ellen Lucas (born July 11, 2003) is an American child actress with credits in musical theatre, film and television. She is best known for her portrayal of Small Alison Bechdel in both the original Off-Broadway and Broadway productions of L ...

became the youngest winner in OBIE history, at age 10."59th Annual Obie Award Winners Announced"
Playbill ‡ – indicates the performance was also nominated for the

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual c ...

after transferring to Broadway.

1950s

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

Winners of more than one award

3 Wins * Gloria Foster *

Marian Seldes Marian Hall Seldes (August 23, 1928 – October 6, 2014) was an American actress. A five-time Tony Award nominee, she won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for '' A Delicate Balance'' in 1967, and received subsequent nomination ...

* Ruth Maleczech * Swoosie Kurtz * Elizabeth Wilson * Laurie Metcalf *

Lola Pashalinski Lola Pashalinski is an American theatre artist known for her work as a founding member of Charles Ludlam's Ridiculous Theatrical Company. Early life Born Regina Hirsch in Brooklyn, New York, Pashalinki's father was an insurance salesman. She s ...

* Elizabeth Marvel * Rosemary Harris * Frances Sternhagen 2 Wins *April Mathis *Cherise Booth * Viola Davis *

Dianne Wiest Dianne Evelyn Wiest (; born March 28, 1948) is an American actress. She has won two Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actress for 1986’s '' Hannah and Her Sisters'' and 1994’s ''Bullets over Broadway'' (both of which were directed by Woo ...

* Deirdre O'Connell * Cherry Jones *

Kathleen Widdoes Kathleen Effie Widdoes (born March 21, 1939) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Emma Snyder in the television soap opera ''As the World Turns'', which earned her four Daytime Emmy Award nominations. Widdoes was also nomin ...

* Nancy Marchand * Peggy Shaw *

Alice Playten Alice Playten (''née'' Plotkin; August 28, 1947 – June 25, 2011) was an American actress known for her high-pitched, child-like voice. Life and career Born in New York City, Playten began her career at age 11 in the Broadway musical '' Gy ...

* Irene Worth * Charlayne Woodard * Kristine Nielsen *Joan MacIntosh *

S. Epatha Merkerson Sharon Epatha Merkerson (born November 28, 1952) is a film, stage, and television actor. Known by her stage name S. Epatha Merkerson, she has received numerous high-profile accolades for her work, including an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a ...

* Linda Lavin * Anna Deavere Smith * Eileen Atkins * Mary Louise Wilson *Karen Evans-Kandel *

Nancy Wickwire Nancy Marie Wickwire (November 20, 1925 – July 10, 1974) was an American stage and television actress known for her roles on several daytime soap operas. Early years Nancy Wickwire was born in 1925 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the younger ch ...

*Priscilla Smith *

Mari Gorman Mari Gorman is an American actress perhaps best known for her work in television, particularly as a frequent guest star on the 1970s and 1980s sitcom ''Barney Miller'', but she is also known for her theater acting. She has won several acting awar ...

* Anne Meacham *

Estelle Parsons Estelle Margaret Parsons (born November 20, 1927) is an American actress, singer and stage director. After studying law, Parsons became a singer before deciding to pursue a career in acting. She worked for the television program '' Today'' and ...

* Pamela Payton-Wright * Lois Smith *

Roberta Maxwell Roberta Farnham Maxwell (born June 17, 1941) is a Canadian stage, film, and television actress. Biography Maxwell began studying for the stage in her early teens. She joined John Clark for two years as the child co-host of his '' Junior Magaz ...

* Sada Thompson *

Dana Ivey Dana Robins Ivey (born August 12, 1941) is an American actress. She is a five-time Tony Award nominee for her work on Broadway, and won the 1997 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play for her work in both ''Sex and Longin ...

Lynne Thigpen Cherlynne Theresa Thigpen (December 22, 1948 – March 12, 2003) was an American actress of stage and screen. She was known for her role as "The Chief" of ACME Crimenet in the game show '' Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?'' and various spi ...

* Kathleen Chalfant * Mary-Louise Parker * Julie Bovasso *

Lisa Gay Hamilton LisaGay Hamilton (born March 25, 1964) is an American actress who has portrayed roles in films, television, and on stage. She is best known for her role as secretary/lawyer Rebecca Washington on the ABC legal drama ''The Practice'' (1997–2003). ...

Jayne Houdyshell Jayne Houdyshell (born September 25, 1953) is an American, Tony-winning actress known for her performances on stage and screen. Houdyshell made her Broadway debut in the 2005 production of ''It's a Wonderful Life''. The following year she earn ...

References

External links

{{Official website *Actress Awards established in 1956 1956 establishments in New York City Awards for actresses