The Obie Award for Distinguished Performance by an Actress is an annual award presented jointly by The Village Voice and the American Theatre Wing in recognition of achievements in Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway theatre productions in New York City. The awards were established in 1956 by The Village Voice.
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, and can recognize an actress for collective performances in more than one production during the same season. On occasion, the Obie Awards committee will give an actress an award "for sustained excellence of performance", recognizing their ongoing contributions.
In 2014, Sydney Lucas became the youngest winner in Obie history, at age 10."59th Annual Obie Award Winners Announced" Playbill In 2025, the American Theatre Wing transferred internal funds to the support of 2025's Obie award winners, with grants totaling US$250,000.
1950s YearWinnersPlay / MusicalCharacter 1956 Peggy McCay Uncle Vanya Sofia Shirlee Emmons The Mother of Us All Susan B. Anthony Nancy Wickwire The Cherry Orchard Varya Julie Bovasso The Maids Claire Frances Sternhagen The Admirable Bashville Lydia Carew 1957 Betty Miller Exiles Beatrice Marguerite Lenert The House of Breath Granny Ganchion Colleen Dewhurst The Taming of the Shrew & The Eagle Has Two Heads & Camille Kate / The Queen / Marguerite Gautier Jutta Wolf Exiles Bertha 1958 Grania O'Malley Guests of the Nation Kate O'Connell Nydia Westman Endgame Nell Anne Meacham Garden District Catharine Holly Tammy Grimes Clerambard The Flounder 1959 Nancy Wickwire A Clearing in the Woods Virginia Kathleen Maguire The Time of the Cuckoo Leona Samish Anne Fielding Ivanov Sasha Rosina Fernhoff Fashion & The Geranium Hat Gertrude / Anne-Betty
1960s
YearWinnersPlay / MusicalCharacter 1960 Eileen Brennan Little Mary Sunshine Mary Potts Patricia Falkenhain Peer Gynt & Henry IV, Part 1 The Greenclad Woman / Doll Tearsheet Elisa Loti Come Share My House – Nancy Marchand The Balcony Irma 1961 Joan Hackett Call Me By My Rightful Name Chris Gerry Jedd She Stoops to Conquer Kate Hardcastle Surya Kamari The King of the Dark Chamber Queen Sudarshana Anne Meacham Hedda Gabler Hedda Gabler 1962 Ruth White Happy Days Winnie Sudie Bond Theatre of the Absurd Nell Barbara Harris Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mamma's Hung You Rosalie Rosemary Harris The Tavern & The School for Scandal & The Seagull Virginia / Lady Teazle / Nina Vinnette Carroll Moon on a Rainbow Shawl Sophia 1963 Olympia Dukakis A Man's a Man Leocadia Begbick Madeleine Sherwood Hey You, Light Man! Lula Roca Jacqueline Brookes Six Characters in Search of an Author The Step/Daughter Anne Jackson The Typists & The Tiger Sylvia Payton / Gloria Fiske Colleen Dewhurst Desire Under the Elms Abbie Putnam 1964 Gloria Foster In White America Claudette Nevins Marian Seldes The Ginger Man Miss Frost Lee Grant The Maids Solange Joyce Ebert The Trojan Women Andromache Estelle Parsons Next Time I'll Sing to You & In the Summer House Lizzie / Gertrude Eastman Cuevas Diana Sands The Living Premise in Living Color Various Characters 1965 Sada Thompson Tartuffe Dorine Rosemary Harris Judith & Man and Superman & War and Peace Judith / Violet Robinson / Natasha Rostova Margaret DePriest The Place for Chance Various Characters Frances Sternhagen The Room & A Slight Ache Rose / Flora 1966 Clarice Blackburn The Exhaustion of Our Son's Love Sara Calendar Florence Tarlow Red Cross & Istanbul & A Beautiful Day The Maid / – / Various Characters Jane White Coriolanus & Love's Labour's Lost Volumnia / Princess of France Mari-Claire Charba Birdbath Velma Sparrow Sharon Gans Soon Jack November – Gloria Foster Medea Medea 1967 Bette Henritze Measure for Measure & The Long Christmas Dinner & Queens of France & The Displaced Person & The Rimers of Eldritch & All's Well That Ends Well Mariana / Ermengarde / Mademoiselle Pointevin / Mrs. Shortley / Mary Windrod / Mariana 1968 Peggy Pope Muzeeka Evelyn Landis Mari Gorman The Memorandum & Walking to Waldheim Maria / Zelda Sher Billie Dixon The Beard Harlow 1969 Arlene Rothlein The Poor Little Match Girl Girl Julie Bovasso Gloria and Esperanza Gloria B. Gilbert Judith Malina Antigone Antigone
1970s ‡ – indicates the performance was also nominated for a Tony Award (any of Actress in a Play or Musical, Featured Actress in a Play or Musical) after transferring to Broadway
YearWinnersPlay / MusicalCharacter 1970 Rue McClanahan Who's Happy Now? Faye Precious Sada Thompson The Effect of Gamma Rays Beatrice Hunsdorfer Roberta Maxwell A Whistle In the Dark Betty Carney Pamela Payton-Wright The Effect of Gamma Rays Matilda "Tillie" Hunsdorfer Fredricka Weber The Last Sweet Days of Isaac Ingrid / Alice 1971 Ruby Dee Boesman and Lena Lena Margaret Braidwood Saved Mary Joan MacIntosh Commune Big Time Clementine Susan Batson AC/DC Sadie 1972 ‡ Elizabeth Wilson Sticks and Bones Harriet Jeanne Hepple The Reliquary of Mr. and Mrs. Potterfield Chloe Potterfield Marilyn Chris Kaddish Naomi Livergant Ginsberg Kathleen Widdoes The Beggar's Opera Polly Peachum Salome Bey Love Me, Love My Children Various Characters Marilyn Sokol The Beggar's Opera Lucy Lockit 1973 Alice Playten National Lampoon Lemmings Various Characters Jessica Tandy Not I The Mouth Mari Gorman The Hot l Baltimore Jackie Lola Pashalinski Corn Lola-Lola ‡ Roxie Roker The River Niger Mattie Williams 1974 Barbara Barrie The Killdeer Sparky Loretta Greene The Sirens Pepper Barbara Montgomery My Sister, My Sister Mama Elizabeth Sturges When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder? Angel Conchata Ferrell The Sea Horse Gertrude Blum Zypora Spaisman Stempenyu – 1975 Cara Duff-MacCormick Craig's Wife Harriet Craig ‡ Tovah Feldshuh Yentl Yentl Priscilla Smith Fragments of a Greek Trilogy Medea / Electra / Andromache Tanya Berezin The Mound Builders D. K. Eriksen 1976 Crystal Field Day Old Bread – Kate Manheim Rhoda in Potatoland Rhoda Pamela Payton-Wright Jesse and the Bandit Queen Belle Starr June Gable The Comedy of Errors Adriana Priscilla Smith The Good Woman of Szechwan Shen Te Joyce Aaron Academics – ‡ Priscilla Lopez A Chorus Line Diana Morales 1977 Marian Seldes Isadora Duncan Sleeps with the Russian Navy Isadora Duncan Jo Henderson Ladyhouse Blues Liz Lucinda Childs Einstein on the Beach Various Characters Anne De Salvo Gemini Lucille Grande Roberta Maxwell Ashes Anne Lola Pashalinski Der Ring Gott Farblonjet Brunnhilda Margaret Wright A Manoir A Woman in White 1978 Swoosie Kurtz Uncommon Women and Others Rita Altabel Kaiulani Lee Safe House – Alma Cuervo Uncommon Women and Others Holly Kaplan ‡ Nell Carter Ain't Misbehavin Nell 1979 Mary Alice Julius Caesar & Nongogo Portia / Queeny Elizabeth Wilson Taken in Marriage Aunt Helen ‡ Constance Cummings Wings Emily Stilson
1980s ‡ – indicates the performance was also nominated for a Tony Award (any of Actress in a Play or Musical, Featured Actress in a Play or Musical) after transferring to Broadway
YearWinnersPlay / MusicalCharacter 1980 Lindsay Crouse Reunion & Dark Pony & The Sanctity of Marriage Carol Mindler / Daughter / Wife Hattie Winston Mother Courage and Her Children & The Michigan Yvette Pottier / – Elizabeth Franz Sister Mary Ignatius Explains & The Actor's Nightmare Sister Mary Ignatius / Sarah Siddons Dianne Wiest The Art of Dining Elizabeth Barrow Colt Madeleine le Roux la Justice – 1981 Meryl Streep Alice in Concert Alice Michele Shay Meetings Jean ‡ Mary Beth Hurt Crimes of the Heart Meg MaGrath Mary McDonnell Still Life Cheryl 1982 Carole Shelley Twelve Dreams Dorothy Trowbridge Irene Worth The Chalk Garden Miss Madrigal Christine Estabrook Pastorale Rachel E. Katherine Kerr Cloud Nine Ellen / Mrs. Saunders 1983 Glenn Close The Singular Life of Albert Nobbs Albert Nobbs Christine Baranski A Midsummer Night's Dream Helena Ruth Maleczech Hajj The Woman 1984 Kathy Baker Fool for Love May Ruth Maleczech Through the Leaves Annette Pamela Reed for sustained excellence of performance Sheila Dabney Sarita Sarita Dianne Wiest Serenading Louie & Other Places Gabby / Deborah 1985 Laurie Metcalf Balm in Gilead Darlene Frances Foster for sustained excellence of performance Meredith Monk for sustained excellence of performance 1986 Norma Aleandro About Love and Other Stories About Love Various Characters Jill Eikenberry Lemon Sky & Life Under Water Ronnie / Jinkx Elizabeth Wilson Anteroom Fay Leland Kathryn Pogson Aunt Dan and Lemon Lemon Helen Stenborg Talley & Son Netta Talley Elisabeth Welch Time to Start Living Various Characters ‡ Swoosie Kurtz The House of Blue Leaves Bananas Shaughnessy 1987 Robin Bartlett The Early Girl Jean Dana Ivey Driving Miss Daisy Daisy Werthan Laura Hicks On the Verge Alexandra Cafuffle Gcina Mhlope Born in the RSA Sindiswa Clarice Taylor Moms Moms Mabley 1988 Kathy Bates Frankie and Johnny Frankie Yvonne Bryceland The Road to Mecca Miss Helen Tina Shepard The Three Lives of Lucie Cabrol Lucie Cabrol Gordana Rashovich A Shayna Maidel Lusia Weiss Pechenik Lauren Tom American Notes Pauline Peggy Shaw Dress Suits to Hire Deeluxe Amy Irving The Road to Mecca Elsa Barlow 1989 Kathy Najimy The Kathy and Mo Show: Parallel Lives Various Characters Irene Worth for sustained excellence of performance Nancy Marchand The Cocktail Hour Ann Gloria Foster The Forbidden City Molly Hoffenburg Mo Gaffney The Kathy and Mo Show: Parallel Lives Various Characters
1990s ‡ – indicates the performance was also nominated for a Tony Award (any of Actress in a Play or Musical, Featured Actress in a Play or Musical) after transferring to Broadway