The Tony Award winners for Best Lighting Design are:

In 2005, the award was split into Best Lighting Design of a Play and Best Lighting Design of a Musical. In previous years, there was only one award.

2000s

• '2005 Brian MacDevitt, The Pillowman'' (play)
  
• '2005 Christopher Akerlind, The Light in the Piazza'' (musical)
  
• '2004 Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer, Assassins (musical)''
  
• '2003 Nigel Levings, La Boheme''
  
• '2002 Brian MacDevitt, Into the Woods''
  
• '2001 Peter Kaczorowski, The Producers''
  
• '2000 Natasha Katz, Aida''
  

1990s

• '1999 Andrew Bridge, Fosse''
  
• '1998 Donald Holder, The Lion King''
  
• '1997 Ken Billington, Chicago (musical)''
  
• '1996 Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer, Bring in 'da Noise/Bring in 'da Funk''
  
• '1995 Andrew Bridge, Sunset Boulevard (musical)''
  
• '1994 Rick Fisher, An Inspector Calls''
  
• '1993 Chris Parry, The Who's Tommy''
  
• '1992 Jules Fisher, Jelly's Last Jam''
  
• '1991 Jules Fisher, The Will Rogers Follies''
  
• '1990 Jules Fisher, Grand Hotel, The Musical''
  

1980s

• '1989 Jennifer Tipton, Jerome Robbins' Broadway''
  
• '1988 Andrew Bridge, The Phantom of the Opera''
  
• '1987 David Hersey, Les Misérables (musical)''
  
• '1986 Pat Collins, I'm Not Rappaport''
  
• '1985 Richard Riddell, Big River''
  
• '1984 Richard Nelson, Sunday in the Park with George''
  
• '1983 David Hersey, Cats (musical)''
  
• '1982 Tharon Musser, Dreamgirls''
  
• '1981 John Bury, Amadeus''
  
• '1980 David Hersey, Evita''
  

1970s

• '1979 Roger Morgan, The Crucifer of Blood''
  
• '1978 Jules Fisher, Dancin'''
  
• '1977 Jennifer Tipton, The Cherry Orchard''
  
• '1976 Tharon Musser, A Chorus Line''
  
• '1975 Neil Peter Jampolis, Sherlock Holmes''
  
• '1974 Jules Fisher, Ulysses in Nighttown''
  
• '1973 Jules Fisher, Pippin (musical)''
  
• '1972 Tharon Musser, Follies''
  
• '1971 R.H. Poindexter, Story Theatre''
  
• '1970 Jo Mielziner, Child's Play''