Academy Award for Best Actress

Award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Academy Award for Best Actress is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It has been awarded since the 1st Academy Awards to an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role in a film released that year. The award was traditionally presented by the previous year's Best Actor winner. However, in recent years, it has shifted towards being presented by previous years' Best Actress winners instead.

Awarded forBest Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
CountryUnited States
Presented byAcademy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS)
First awardMay 16, 1929; 97 years ago (1929-05-16) (for films released during the 1927/1928 film season)
Quick facts Awarded for, Country ...
Academy Award for Best Actress
The 2026 recipient: Jessie Buckley
Awarded forBest Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
CountryUnited States
Presented byAcademy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS)
First awardMay 16, 1929; 97 years ago (1929-05-16) (for films released during the 1927/1928 film season)
Most recent winnerJessie Buckley, Hamnet (2025)
Most awardsKatharine Hepburn (4)
Most nominationsMeryl Streep (17)
Websiteoscars.org
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The Best Actress award has been presented 98 times, to 81 different actresses. The first winner was Janet Gaynor for her roles in 7th Heaven (1927), Street Angel (1928), and Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927), and the most recent winner is Jessie Buckley for her portrayal of Agnes Shakespeare in Hamnet (2025). The record for most wins is four, held by Katharine Hepburn; Frances McDormand has won three times, and thirteen other actresses have won the award twice. Meryl Streep has received the most nominations in the category—seventeen—and has won twice. At the 41st Academy Awards in 1969, Barbra Streisand and Katharine Hepburn received the same number of votes and so shared the award, the only time this has occurred.

Nominations process

Nominees are currently determined by single transferable vote within the actors branch of AMPAS; winners are selected by a plurality vote from the entire eligible voting members of the Academy.[1]

In the first three years of the awards, actors and actresses were nominated as the best individuals in their categories. At that time, all of their work during the qualifying period (as many as three films, in some cases) was listed after the award.[2] Despite this, at the 3rd Academy Awards, held in 1930, only one film was cited in each winner's award regardless of how many they were eligible to be considered for during that span.[3] The current system, in which an actress is nominated for a specific performance in a single film, was introduced for the 4th Academy Awards.[2] Starting with the 9th Academy Awards, held in 1937, the category was limited to a maximum five nominations per year.[2]

Janet Gaynor was the inaugural winner, for three films: 7th Heaven (1927), Street Angel (1928), and Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927).
Mary Pickford won for Coquette (1929).
Norma Shearer won for The Divorcee (1930).
Marie Dressler won for Min and Bill (1930).
Helen Hayes won for The Sin of Madelon Claudet (1931); first actress to complete the EGOT.
Katharine Hepburn won four times, for: Morning Glory (1933), Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967), The Lion in Winter (1968), and On Golden Pond (1981).
Claudette Colbert won for It Happened One Night (1934).
Bette Davis won twice, for Dangerous (1935) and Jezebel (1938).
Luise Rainer was the first to win twice consecutively, for The Great Ziegfeld (1936) and The Good Earth (1937).
Vivien Leigh won twice, for Gone with the Wind (1939) and A Streetcar Named Desire (1951).
Ginger Rogers won for Kitty Foyle (1940).
Joan Fontaine won for Suspicion (1941).
Greer Garson won for Mrs. Miniver (1942).
Jennifer Jones won for The Song of Bernadette (1943).
Ingrid Bergman won twice, for Gaslight (1944) and Anastasia (1956).
Joan Crawford won for Mildred Pierce (1945).
Olivia de Havilland won twice, for To Each His Own (1946) and The Heiress (1949).
Loretta Young won for The Farmer's Daughter (1947).
Jane Wyman won for Johnny Belinda (1948); first winner to utilize ASL.
Judy Holliday won for Born Yesterday (1950).
Shirley Booth won for Come Back, Little Sheba (1952); won Tony for the same role—first actress to accomplish this.
Audrey Hepburn won for Roman Holiday (1953).
Grace Kelly won for The Country Girl (1954).
Anna Magnani won for The Rose Tattoo (1955).
Joanne Woodward won for The Three Faces of Eve (1957).
Susan Hayward won for I Want to Live! (1958).
Simone Signoret won for Room at the Top (1959).
Elizabeth Taylor won twice, for BUtterfield 8 (1960) and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966).
Sophia Loren won for Two Women (1960); first for a non-English (Italian) dialogue role.
Anne Bancroft won for The Miracle Worker (1962).
Patricia Neal won for Hud (1963).
Julie Andrews won for Mary Poppins (1964).
Julie Christie won for Darling (1965).
Barbra Streisand won for Funny Girl (1968), in a tie with Katharine Hepburn.
Maggie Smith won for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969).
Glenda Jackson won twice, for Women in Love (1970) and A Touch of Class (1973).
Jane Fonda won twice, for Klute (1971) and Coming Home (1978).
Liza Minnelli won for Cabaret (1972).
Ellen Burstyn won for Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974).
Louise Fletcher won for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975).
Faye Dunaway won for Network (1976).
Diane Keaton won for Annie Hall (1977).
Sally Field won twice, for Norma Rae (1979) and Places in the Heart (1984).
Sissy Spacek won for Coal Miner's Daughter (1980).
Meryl Streep won twice, for Sophie's Choice (1982) and The Iron Lady (2011).
Shirley MacLaine won for Terms of Endearment (1983).
Geraldine Page won for The Trip to Bountiful (1985).
Marlee Matlin won for Children of a Lesser God (1986); first deaf, and at age 21, this category's youngest winner.
Cher won for Moonstruck (1987).
Jodie Foster won twice, for The Accused (1988) and The Silence of the Lambs (1991).
Jessica Tandy won for Driving Miss Daisy (1989); this category's oldest winner, at age 80.
Kathy Bates won for Misery (1990).
Emma Thompson won for Howards End (1992).
Holly Hunter won for The Piano (1993).
Jessica Lange won for Blue Sky (1994).
Susan Sarandon won for Dead Man Walking (1995).
Frances McDormand won thrice, for Fargo (1996), Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017), and Nomadland (2020).
Helen Hunt won for As Good as It Gets (1997).
Gwyneth Paltrow won for Shakespeare in Love (1998).
Hilary Swank won twice, for Boys Don't Cry (1999) and Million Dollar Baby (2004).
Julia Roberts won for Erin Brockovich (2000).
Halle Berry won for Monster's Ball (2001); first black winner in this category.
Nicole Kidman won for The Hours (2002).
Charlize Theron won for Monster (2003).
Reese Witherspoon won for Walk the Line (2005).
Helen Mirren won for The Queen (2006).
Marion Cotillard won for La Vie en Rose (2007); first French-language performance winner.
Kate Winslet won for The Reader (2008).
Sandra Bullock won for The Blind Side (2009).
Natalie Portman won for Black Swan (2010).
Jennifer Lawrence won for Silver Linings Playbook (2012).
Cate Blanchett won for Blue Jasmine (2013).
Julianne Moore won for Still Alice (2014).
Brie Larson won for Room (2015).
Emma Stone won twice, for La La Land (2016) and Poor Things (2023).
Olivia Colman won for The Favourite (2018).
Renée Zellweger won for Judy (2019).
Jessica Chastain won for The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2021).
Michelle Yeoh won for Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022); first Southeast Asian winner in this category.
Mikey Madison won for Anora (2024).

Winners and nominees

In the following table, the years are listed as per Academy convention, and generally correspond to the year of film release in Los Angeles County; the ceremonies are always held the following year.[4] For the first five ceremonies, the eligibility period spanned twelve months, from August 1 to July 31.[5] For the 6th ceremony held in 1934, the eligibility period lasted from August 1, 1932, to December 31, 1933.[5] Since the 7th ceremony held in 1935, the period of eligibility became the full previous calendar year from January 1 to December 31.[5]

More information ‡, † ...
Table key
‡ Indicates the winner
† Indicates a posthumous nominee
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1920s

More information Year, Actress ...
Year Actress Role(s) Film Ref.
1927/28
(1st) 		Janet Gaynor ‡ Diane 7th Heaven [6]
Angela Street Angel
The Wife Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans
Louise Dresser Mrs. Pleznik A Ship Comes In
Gloria Swanson Sadie Thompson Sadie Thompson
1928/29
(2nd)
[note 1]		 Mary Pickford ‡ Norma Besant Coquette [7]
Ruth Chatterton Jacqueline Floriot Madame X
Betty Compson Carrie The Barker
Jeanne Eagels † Leslie Crosbie The Letter
Corinne Griffith Emma Hamilton The Divine Lady
Bessie Love Harriet "Hank" Mahoney The Broadway Melody
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1930s

More information Year, Actress ...
Year Actress Role(s) Film Ref.
1929/30
(3rd) 		Norma Shearer ‡[A] Jerry Bernard Martin The Divorcee [8]
Nancy Carroll Hallie Hobart The Devil's Holiday
Ruth Chatterton Sarah Storm Sarah and Son
Greta Garbo[A] Anna Christie Anna Christie
Madame Rita Cavallini Romance
Norma Shearer Lucia Marlett Their Own Desire
Gloria Swanson Marion Donnell The Trespasser
1930/31
(4th) 		Marie Dressler ‡ Min Divot Min and Bill [9]
Marlene Dietrich Mademoiselle Amy Jolly Morocco
Irene Dunne Sabra Cravat Cimarron
Ann Harding Linda Seton Holiday
Norma Shearer Jan Ashe A Free Soul
1931/32
(5th) 		Helen Hayes ‡ Madelon Claudet The Sin of Madelon Claudet [10]
Marie Dressler Emma Thatcher Smith Emma
Lynn Fontanne The Actress The Guardsman
1932/33
(6th) 		Katharine Hepburn ‡ Eva Lovelace Morning Glory [11]
May Robson Apple Annie Lady for a Day
Diana Wynyard Jane Marryot Cavalcade
1934
(7th) 		Claudette Colbert ‡ Ellie Andrews It Happened One Night [12]
Bette Davis (Write-in)[B] Mildred Rogers Of Human Bondage
Grace Moore Mary Barrett One Night of Love
Norma Shearer Elizabeth Barrett The Barretts of Wimpole Street
1935
(8th) 		Bette Davis ‡ Joyce Heath Dangerous [13]
Elisabeth Bergner Gemma Jones Escape Me Never
Claudette Colbert Jane Everest Private Worlds
Katharine Hepburn Alice Adams Alice Adams
Miriam Hopkins Becky Sharp Becky Sharp
Merle Oberon Kitty Vane The Dark Angel
1936
(9th) 		Luise Rainer ‡ Anna Held The Great Ziegfeld [14]
Irene Dunne Theodora Lynn / Caroline Adams Theodora Goes Wild
Gladys George Carrie Snyder Valiant Is the Word for Carrie
Carole Lombard Irene Bullock My Man Godfrey
Norma Shearer Juliet Capulet Romeo and Juliet
1937
(10th) 		Luise Rainer ‡ O-Lan The Good Earth [15]
Irene Dunne Lucy Warriner The Awful Truth
Greta Garbo Marguerite Gautier Camille
Janet Gaynor Esther Victoria Blodgett / Vicki Lester A Star Is Born
Barbara Stanwyck Stella Martin Dallas Stella Dallas
1938
(11th) 		Bette Davis ‡ Julie Marsden Jezebel [16]
Fay Bainter Hannah Parmalee White Banners
Wendy Hiller Eliza Doolittle Pygmalion
Norma Shearer Marie Antoinette Marie Antoinette
Margaret Sullavan Patricia "Pat" Hollmann Three Comrades
1939
(12th) 		Vivien Leigh ‡ Scarlett O'Hara Gone with the Wind [17]
Bette Davis Judith Traherne Dark Victory
Irene Dunne Terry McKay Love Affair
Greta Garbo Nina Yakushova "Ninotchka" Ivanoff Ninotchka
Greer Garson Katherine Bridges Goodbye, Mr. Chips
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1940s

More information Year, Actress ...
Year Actress Role(s) Film Ref.
1940
(13th) 		Ginger Rogers ‡ Kitty Foyle Kitty Foyle [18]
Bette Davis Leslie Crosbie The Letter
Joan Fontaine The Second Mrs. de Winter Rebecca
Katharine Hepburn Tracy Lord The Philadelphia Story
Martha Scott Emily Webb Our Town
1941
(14th) 		Joan Fontaine ‡ Lina McLaidlaw Aysgarth Suspicion [19]
Bette Davis Regina Giddens The Little Foxes
Olivia de Havilland Emmy Brown Hold Back the Dawn
Greer Garson Edna Gladney Blossoms in the Dust
Barbara Stanwyck Katherine "Sugarpuss" O'Shea Ball of Fire
1942
(15th) 		Greer Garson ‡ Kay Miniver Mrs. Miniver [20]
Bette Davis Charlotte Vale Now, Voyager
Katharine Hepburn Tess Harding Woman of the Year
Rosalind Russell Ruth Sherwood My Sister Eileen
Teresa Wright Eleanor Twitchell Gehrig The Pride of the Yankees
1943
(16th) 		Jennifer Jones ‡ Bernadette Soubirous The Song of Bernadette [21]
Jean Arthur Constance "Connie" Milligan The More the Merrier
Ingrid Bergman María For Whom the Bell Tolls
Joan Fontaine Tessa Sanger The Constant Nymph
Greer Garson Marie Curie Madame Curie
1944
(17th) 		Ingrid Bergman ‡ Paula Alquist Anton Gaslight [22]
Claudette Colbert Anne Hilton Since You Went Away
Bette Davis Fanny Trellis Mr. Skeffington
Greer Garson Susie "Sparrow" Parkington Mrs. Parkington
Barbara Stanwyck Phyllis Dietrichson Double Indemnity
1945
(18th) 		Joan Crawford ‡ Mildred Pierce Beragon Mildred Pierce [23]
Ingrid Bergman Mary Benedict The Bells of St. Mary's
Greer Garson Mary Rafferty The Valley of Decision
Jennifer Jones Singleton / Victoria Morland Love Letters
Gene Tierney Ellen Berent Harland Leave Her to Heaven
1946
(19th) 		Olivia de Havilland ‡ Josephine "Jody" Norris To Each His Own [24]
Celia Johnson Laura Jesson Brief Encounter
Jennifer Jones Pearl Chavez Duel in the Sun
Rosalind Russell Elizabeth Kenny Sister Kenny
Jane Wyman Orry Baxter The Yearling
1947
(20th) 		Loretta Young ‡ Katrin "Katie" Holstrom The Farmer's Daughter [25]
Joan Crawford Louise Howell Possessed
Susan Hayward Angelica Evans Conway Smash-Up, the Story of a Woman
Dorothy McGuire Kathy Lacy Gentleman's Agreement
Rosalind Russell Lavinia Mannon Mourning Becomes Electra
1948
(21st) 		Jane Wyman ‡ Belinda McDonald Johnny Belinda [26]
Ingrid Bergman Joan of Arc Joan of Arc
Olivia de Havilland Virginia Stuart Cunningham The Snake Pit
Irene Dunne Martha Halvorsen Hanson I Remember Mama
Barbara Stanwyck Leona Cotterell Stevenson Sorry, Wrong Number
1949
(22nd) 		Olivia de Havilland ‡ Catherine Sloper The Heiress [27]
Jeanne Crain Patricia "Pinky" Johnson Pinky
Susan Hayward Eloise Winters My Foolish Heart
Deborah Kerr Evelyn Boult Edward, My Son
Loretta Young Sister Margaret Come to the Stable
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1950s

More information Year, Actress ...
Year Actress Role(s) Film Ref.
1950
(23rd) 		Judy Holliday ‡ Emma "Billie" Dawn Born Yesterday [28]
Anne Baxter Gertrude Slojinski / Eve Harrington All About Eve
Bette Davis Margo Channing
Eleanor Parker Marie Allen Caged
Gloria Swanson Norma Desmond Sunset Boulevard
1951
(24th) 		Vivien Leigh ‡ Blanche DuBois A Streetcar Named Desire [29]
Katharine Hepburn Rose Sayer The African Queen
Eleanor Parker Mary McLeod Detective Story
Shelley Winters Alice Tripp A Place in the Sun
Jane Wyman Louise Mason The Blue Veil
1952
(25th) 		Shirley Booth ‡ Lola Delaney Come Back, Little Sheba [30]
Joan Crawford Myra Hudson Blaine Sudden Fear
Bette Davis Margaret Elliot The Star
Julie Harris Frances "Frankie" Addams The Member of the Wedding
Susan Hayward Jane Froman With a Song in My Heart
1953
(26th) 		Audrey Hepburn ‡ Princess Ann Roman Holiday [31]
Leslie Caron Lili Daurier Lili
Ava Gardner Eloise "Honey Bear" Kelly Mogambo
Deborah Kerr Karen Holmes From Here to Eternity
Maggie McNamara Patty O'Neill The Moon Is Blue
1954
(27th) 		Grace Kelly ‡ Georgie Elgin The Country Girl [32]
Dorothy Dandridge Carmen Jones Carmen Jones
Judy Garland Esther Victoria Blodgett / Vicki Lester A Star Is Born
Audrey Hepburn Sabrina Fairchild Sabrina
Jane Wyman Helen Phillips Magnificent Obsession
1955
(28th) 		Anna Magnani ‡ Serafina Delle Rose The Rose Tattoo [33]
Susan Hayward Lillian Roth I'll Cry Tomorrow
Katharine Hepburn Jane Hudson Summertime
Jennifer Jones Han Suyin Love is a Many-Splendored Thing
Eleanor Parker Marjorie Lawrence Interrupted Melody
1956
(29th) 		Ingrid Bergman ‡ Anna Koreff / Anastasia Anastasia [34]
Carroll Baker Baby Doll Meighan Baby Doll
Katharine Hepburn Lizzie Curry The Rainmaker
Nancy Kelly Christine Penmark The Bad Seed
Deborah Kerr Anna Leonowens The King and I
1957
(30th) 		Joanne Woodward ‡ Eve White / Eve Black / Jane The Three Faces of Eve [35]
Deborah Kerr Angela Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison
Anna Magnani Gioia Wild Is the Wind
Elizabeth Taylor Susanna Drake Raintree County
Lana Turner Constance MacKenzie Peyton Place
1958
(31st) 		Susan Hayward ‡ Barbara Graham I Want to Live! [36]
Deborah Kerr Sibyl Railton-Bell Separate Tables
Shirley MacLaine Ginnie Moorehead Some Came Running
Rosalind Russell Mame Dennis Auntie Mame
Elizabeth Taylor Margaret "Maggie the Cat" Pollitt Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
1959
(32nd) 		Simone Signoret ‡ Alice Aisgill Room at the Top [37]
Doris Day Jan Morrow Pillow Talk
Audrey Hepburn Gabrielle van der Mal The Nun's Story
Katharine Hepburn Violet Venable Suddenly, Last Summer
Elizabeth Taylor Catherine Holly
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1960s

More information Year, Actress ...
Year Actress Role(s) Film Ref.
1960
(33rd) 		Elizabeth Taylor ‡ Gloria Wandrous BUtterfield 8 [38]
Greer Garson Eleanor Roosevelt Sunrise at Campobello
Deborah Kerr Ida Carmody The Sundowners
Shirley MacLaine Fran Kubelik The Apartment
Melina Mercouri Ilya Never on Sunday
1961
(34th) 		Sophia Loren ‡ Cesira Two Women[39] [40]
Audrey Hepburn Holly Golightly / Lula Mae Barnes Breakfast at Tiffany's
Piper Laurie Sarah Packard The Hustler
Geraldine Page Alma Winemiller Summer and Smoke
Natalie Wood Wilma Dean "Deanie" Loomis Splendor in the Grass
1962
(35th) 		Anne Bancroft ‡ Annie Sullivan The Miracle Worker [41]
Bette Davis Baby Jane Hudson What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
Katharine Hepburn Mary Cavan Tyrone Long Day's Journey into Night
Geraldine Page Alexandra Del Lago Sweet Bird of Youth
Lee Remick Kirsten Arnesen Clay Days of Wine and Roses
1963
(36th) 		Patricia Neal ‡ Alma Brown Hud [42]
Leslie Caron Jane Fossett The L-Shaped Room
Shirley MacLaine Irma La Douce Irma la Douce
Rachel Roberts Margaret Hammond This Sporting Life
Natalie Wood Angie Rossini Love with the Proper Stranger
1964
(37th) 		Julie Andrews ‡ Mary Poppins Mary Poppins [43]
Anne Bancroft Jo Armitage The Pumpkin Eater
Sophia Loren Filumena Marturano Marriage Italian Style
Debbie Reynolds Molly Brown The Unsinkable Molly Brown
Kim Stanley Myra Savage Séance on a Wet Afternoon
1965
(38th) 		Julie Christie ‡ Diana Scott Darling [44]
Julie Andrews Maria von Trapp The Sound of Music
Samantha Eggar Miranda Grey The Collector
Elizabeth Hartman Selina D'Arcy A Patch of Blue
Simone Signoret La Condesa Ship of Fools
1966
(39th) 		Elizabeth Taylor ‡ Martha Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? [45]
Anouk Aimée Anne Gauthier A Man and a Woman
Ida Kamińska Rozalie Lautmann The Shop on Main Street
Lynn Redgrave Georgina "Georgy" Parkin Georgy Girl
Vanessa Redgrave Leonie Delt Morgan!
1967
(40th) 		Katharine Hepburn ‡ Christina Drayton Guess Who's Coming to Dinner [46]
Anne Bancroft Mrs. Robinson The Graduate
Faye Dunaway Bonnie Parker Bonnie and Clyde
Edith Evans Maggie Ross The Whisperers
Audrey Hepburn Susy Hendrix Wait Until Dark
1968
(41st) 		Katharine Hepburn ‡ (TIE)[C] Eleanor of Aquitaine The Lion in Winter [47]
Barbra Streisand ‡ (TIE)[C] Fanny Brice Funny Girl
Patricia Neal Nettie Cleary The Subject Was Roses
Vanessa Redgrave Isadora Duncan Isadora
Joanne Woodward Rachel Cameron Rachel, Rachel
1969
(42nd) 		Maggie Smith ‡ Jean Brodie The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie [48]
Geneviève Bujold Anne Boleyn Anne of the Thousand Days
Jane Fonda Gloria Beatty They Shoot Horses, Don't They?
Liza Minnelli Mary Ann "Pookie" Adams The Sterile Cuckoo
Jean Simmons Mary Wilson The Happy Ending
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1970s

More information Year, Actress ...
Year Actress Role(s) Film Ref.
1970
(43rd) 		Glenda Jackson ‡ Gudrun Brangwen Women in Love [49]
Jane Alexander Eleanor Backman The Great White Hope
Ali MacGraw Jennifer Cavalleri-Barrett Love Story
Sarah Miles Rosy Ryan Ryan's Daughter
Carrie Snodgress Bettina "Tina" Balser Diary of a Mad Housewife
1971
(44th) 		Jane Fonda ‡ Bree Daniels Klute [50]
Julie Christie Constance Miller McCabe & Mrs. Miller
Glenda Jackson Alex Greville Sunday Bloody Sunday
Vanessa Redgrave Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots
Janet Suzman Empress Alexandra of Russia Nicholas and Alexandra
1972
(45th) 		Liza Minnelli ‡ Sally Bowles Cabaret [51]
Diana Ross Billie Holiday Lady Sings the Blues
Maggie Smith Augusta Bertram Travels with My Aunt
Cicely Tyson Rebecca Morgan Sounder
Liv Ullmann Kristina Nilsson The Emigrants
1973
(46th) 		Glenda Jackson ‡ Vickie Allessio A Touch of Class [52]
Ellen Burstyn Chris MacNeil The Exorcist
Marsha Mason Maggie Paul Cinderella Liberty
Barbra Streisand Katie Morosky The Way We Were
Joanne Woodward Rita Walden Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams
1974
(47th) 		Ellen Burstyn ‡ Alice Hyatt Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore [53]
Diahann Carroll Claudine Price Claudine
Faye Dunaway Evelyn Cross Mulwray Chinatown
Valerie Perrine Harriett Jolliff / Honey Bruce Lenny
Gena Rowlands Mabel Longhetti A Woman Under the Influence
1975
(48th) 		Louise Fletcher ‡ Nurse Mildred Ratched One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest [54]
Isabelle Adjani Adèle Hugo / Adèle Lewly The Story of Adele H.
Ann-Margret Nora Walker Tommy
Glenda Jackson Hedda Gabler Hedda
Carol Kane Gitl Hester Street
1976
(49th) 		Faye Dunaway ‡ Diana Christensen Network [55]
Marie-Christine Barrault Marthe Cousin Cousine
Talia Shire Adrian Pennino Rocky
Sissy Spacek Carrie White Carrie
Liv Ullmann Jenny Isaksson Face to Face
1977
(50th) 		Diane Keaton ‡ Annie Hall Annie Hall [56]
Anne Bancroft Emma Jacklin The Turning Point
Jane Fonda Lillian Hellman Julia
Shirley MacLaine Deedee Rodgers The Turning Point
Marsha Mason Paula McFadden The Goodbye Girl
1978
(51st) 		Jane Fonda ‡ Sally Hyde Coming Home [57]
Ingrid Bergman Charlotte Andergast Autumn Sonata
Ellen Burstyn Doris Same Time, Next Year
Jill Clayburgh Erica Benton An Unmarried Woman
Geraldine Page Eve Interiors
1979
(52nd) 		Sally Field ‡ Norma Rae Webster Norma Rae [58]
Jill Clayburgh Marilyn Holmberg Starting Over
Jane Fonda Kimberly Wells The China Syndrome
Marsha Mason Jennie MacLaine Chapter Two
Bette Midler Mary Rose "The Rose" Foster The Rose
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1980s

More information Year, Actress ...
Year Actress Role(s) Film Ref.
1980
(53rd) 		Sissy Spacek ‡ Loretta Lynn Coal Miner's Daughter [59]
Ellen Burstyn Edna Mae Harper-McCauley Resurrection
Goldie Hawn Judy Benjamin Private Benjamin
Mary Tyler Moore Beth Jarrett Ordinary People
Gena Rowlands Gloria Swenson Gloria
1981
(54th) 		Katharine Hepburn ‡ Ethel Thayer On Golden Pond [60]
Diane Keaton Louise Bryant Reds
Marsha Mason Georgia Hines Only When I Laugh
Susan Sarandon Sally Matthews Atlantic City
Meryl Streep Sara Woodruff and Anna The French Lieutenant's Woman
1982
(55th) 		Meryl Streep ‡ Sophie Zawistowski Sophie's Choice [61]
Julie Andrews Victor Grazinski / Victoria Grant Victor/Victoria
Jessica Lange Frances Farmer Frances
Sissy Spacek Beth Horman Missing
Debra Winger Paula Pokrifki An Officer and a Gentleman
1983
(56th) 		Shirley MacLaine ‡ Aurora Greenway Terms of Endearment [62]
Jane Alexander Carol Wetherly Testament
Meryl Streep Karen Silkwood Silkwood
Julie Walters Susan White / Rita Educating Rita
Debra Winger Emma Greenway Horton Terms of Endearment
1984
(57th) 		Sally Field ‡ Edna Spalding Places in the Heart [63]
Judy Davis Adela Quested A Passage to India
Jessica Lange Jewell Ivy Country
Vanessa Redgrave Olive Chancellor The Bostonians
Sissy Spacek Mae Garvey The River
1985
(58th) 		Geraldine Page ‡ Carrie Watts The Trip to Bountiful [64]
Anne Bancroft Miriam Ruth / Anna Maria Burchetti Agnes of God
Whoopi Goldberg Celie Harris-Johnson The Color Purple
Jessica Lange Patsy Cline Sweet Dreams
Meryl Streep Karen Blixen Out of Africa
1986
(59th) 		Marlee Matlin ‡ Sarah Norman Children of a Lesser God [65]
Jane Fonda Alex Sternbergen / Viveca Van Loren The Morning After
Sissy Spacek Babe Botrelle / Rebecca MaGrath Crimes of the Heart
Kathleen Turner Peggy Sue Kelcher-Bodell Peggy Sue Got Married
Sigourney Weaver Ellen Ripley Aliens
1987
(60th) 		Cher ‡ Loretta Castorini Moonstruck [66]
Glenn Close Alex Forrest Fatal Attraction
Holly Hunter Jane Craig Broadcast News
Sally Kirkland Anna Anna
Meryl Streep Helen Archer Ironweed
1988
(61st) 		Jodie Foster ‡ Sarah Tobias The Accused [67]
Glenn Close Marquise Isabelle de Merteuil Dangerous Liaisons
Melanie Griffith Tess McGill Working Girl
Meryl Streep Lindy Chamberlain A Cry in the Dark
Sigourney Weaver Dian Fossey Gorillas in the Mist
1989
(62nd) 		Jessica Tandy ‡ Daisy Werthan Driving Miss Daisy [68]
Isabelle Adjani Camille Claudel Camille Claudel
Pauline Collins Shirley Valentine-Bradshaw Shirley Valentine
Jessica Lange Ann Talbot Music Box
Michelle Pfeiffer Susie Diamond The Fabulous Baker Boys
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1990s

More information Year, Actress ...
Year Actress Role(s) Film Ref.
1990
(63rd) 		Kathy Bates ‡ Annie Wilkes Misery [69]
Anjelica Huston Lilly Dillon The Grifters
Julia Roberts Vivian Ward Pretty Woman
Meryl Streep Suzanne Vale Postcards from the Edge
Joanne Woodward India Bridge Mr. & Mrs. Bridge
1991
(64th) 		Jodie Foster ‡ Clarice Starling The Silence of the Lambs [70]
Geena Davis Thelma Dickinson Thelma & Louise
Laura Dern Rose Rambling Rose
Bette Midler Dixie Leonard For the Boys
Susan Sarandon Louise Sawyer Thelma & Louise
1992
(65th) 		Emma Thompson ‡ Margaret Schlegel Howards End [71]
Catherine Deneuve Éliane Devries Indochine
Mary McDonnell May-Alice Culhane Passion Fish
Michelle Pfeiffer Louise Irene "Lurene" Hallett Love Field
Susan Sarandon Michaela Murphy Odone Lorenzo's Oil
1993
(66th) 		Holly Hunter ‡ Ada McGrath The Piano [72]
Angela Bassett Anna Mae Bullock / Tina Turner What's Love Got to Do with It
Stockard Channing Louisa "Ouisa" Kittredge Six Degrees of Separation
Emma Thompson Sarah "Sally" Kenton The Remains of the Day
Debra Winger Joy Davidman Shadowlands
1994
(67th) 		Jessica Lange ‡ Carly Marshall Blue Sky [73]
Jodie Foster Nell Kellty Nell
Miranda Richardson Vivienne Haigh-Wood Tom & Viv
Winona Ryder Josephine "Jo" March Little Women
Susan Sarandon Regina "Reggie" Love The Client
1995
(68th) 		Susan Sarandon ‡ Helen Prejean Dead Man Walking [74]
Elisabeth Shue Sera Leaving Las Vegas
Sharon Stone Ginger McKenna Casino
Meryl Streep Francesca Johnson The Bridges of Madison County
Emma Thompson Elinor Dashwood Sense and Sensibility
1996
(69th) 		Frances McDormand ‡ Marge Gunderson Fargo [75]
Brenda Blethyn Cynthia Rose Purley Secrets & Lies
Diane Keaton Bessie Wakefield Marvin's Room
Kristin Scott Thomas Katharine Clifton The English Patient
Emily Watson Bess McNeill Breaking the Waves
1997
(70th) 		Helen Hunt ‡ Carol Connelly As Good as It Gets [76]
Helena Bonham Carter Kate Croy The Wings of the Dove
Julie Christie Phyllis Hart Afterglow
Judi Dench Queen Victoria Mrs Brown
Kate Winslet Rose DeWitt Bukater Titanic
1998
(71st) 		Gwyneth Paltrow ‡ Viola de Lesseps Shakespeare in Love [77]
Cate Blanchett Queen Elizabeth I Elizabeth
Fernanda Montenegro Isadora "Dora" Teixeira Central Station
Meryl Streep Kate Gulden One True Thing
Emily Watson Jacqueline du Pré Hilary and Jackie
1999
(72nd) 		Hilary Swank ‡ Brandon Teena Boys Don't Cry [78]
Annette Bening Carolyn Burnham American Beauty
Janet McTeer Mary Jo Walker Tumbleweeds
Julianne Moore Sarah Miles The End of the Affair
Meryl Streep Roberta Guaspari Music of the Heart
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2000s

More information Year, Actress ...
Year Actress Role(s) Film Ref.
2000
(73rd) 		Julia Roberts ‡ Erin Brockovich Erin Brockovich [79]
Joan Allen Laine Hanson The Contender
Juliette Binoche Vianne Rocher Chocolat
Ellen Burstyn Sara Goldfarb Requiem for a Dream
Laura Linney Samantha "Sammy" Prescott You Can Count on Me
2001
(74th) 		Halle Berry ‡ Leticia Musgrove Monster's Ball [80]
Judi Dench Iris Murdoch Iris
Nicole Kidman Satine Moulin Rouge!
Sissy Spacek Ruth Fowler In the Bedroom
Renée Zellweger Bridget Jones Bridget Jones's Diary
2002
(75th) 		Nicole Kidman ‡ Virginia Woolf The Hours [81]
Salma Hayek Frida Kahlo Frida
Diane Lane Constance "Connie" Sumner Unfaithful
Julianne Moore Cathy Whitaker Far from Heaven
Renée Zellweger Roxie Hart Chicago
2003
(76th) 		Charlize Theron ‡ Aileen Wuornos Monster [82]
Keisha Castle-Hughes Paikea Apirana Whale Rider
Diane Keaton Erica Jane Barry Something's Gotta Give
Samantha Morton Sarah Sullivan In America
Naomi Watts Cristina Williams-Peck 21 Grams
2004
(77th) 		Hilary Swank ‡ Maggie Fitzgerald Million Dollar Baby [83]
Annette Bening Julia Lambert Being Julia
Catalina Sandino Moreno María Álvarez Maria Full of Grace
Imelda Staunton Vera Rose Drake Vera Drake
Kate Winslet Clementine Kruczynski Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
2005
(78th) 		Reese Witherspoon ‡ June Carter Cash Walk the Line [84]
Judi Dench Laura Forster-Henderson Mrs Henderson Presents
Felicity Huffman Sabrina "Bree" Osbourne Transamerica
Keira Knightley Elizabeth Bennet Pride & Prejudice
Charlize Theron Josey Aimes North Country
2006
(79th) 		Helen Mirren ‡ Queen Elizabeth II The Queen [85]
Penélope Cruz Raimunda Volver
Judi Dench Barbara Covett Notes on a Scandal
Meryl Streep Miranda Priestly The Devil Wears Prada
Kate Winslet Sarah Pierce Little Children
2007
(80th) 		Marion Cotillard ‡ Édith Piaf La Vie en Rose [86]
Cate Blanchett Queen Elizabeth I Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Julie Christie Fiona Anderson Away from Her
Laura Linney Wendy Savage The Savages
Elliot Page[D] Juno MacGuff Juno
2008
(81st) 		Kate Winslet ‡ Hanna Schmitz The Reader [87]
Anne Hathaway Kym Buchman Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie Christine Collins Changeling
Melissa Leo Ray Eddy Frozen River
Meryl Streep Sister Aloysius Beauvier Doubt
2009
(82nd) 		Sandra Bullock ‡ Leigh Anne Tuohy The Blind Side [88]
Helen Mirren Countess Sophia Tolstaya The Last Station
Carey Mulligan Jenny Mellor An Education
Gabourey Sidibe Claireece "Precious" Jones Precious
Meryl Streep Julia Child Julie & Julia
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2010s

More information Year, Actress ...
Year Actress Role(s) Film Ref.
2010
(83rd) 		Natalie Portman ‡ Nina Sayers Black Swan [89]
Annette Bening Dr. Nicole "Nic" Allgood The Kids Are All Right
Nicole Kidman Becca Corbett Rabbit Hole
Jennifer Lawrence Ree Dolly Winter's Bone
Michelle Williams Cynthia "Cindy" Heller Blue Valentine
2011
(84th) 		Meryl Streep ‡ Margaret Thatcher The Iron Lady [90]
Glenn Close Albert Nobbs Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis Aibileen Clark The Help
Rooney Mara Lisbeth Salander The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Michelle Williams Marilyn Monroe My Week with Marilyn
2012
(85th) 		Jennifer Lawrence ‡ Tiffany Maxwell Silver Linings Playbook [91]
Jessica Chastain Maya Harris Zero Dark Thirty
Emmanuelle Riva Anne Laurent Amour
Quvenzhané Wallis Hushpuppy Beasts of the Southern Wild
Naomi Watts Maria Bennett The Impossible
2013
(86th) 		Cate Blanchett ‡ Jeanette "Jasmine" Francis Blue Jasmine [92]
Amy Adams Sydney Prosser / Lady Edith Greensly American Hustle
Sandra Bullock Ryan Stone Gravity
Judi Dench Philomena Lee Philomena
Meryl Streep Violet Weston August: Osage County
2014
(87th) 		Julianne Moore ‡ Alice Howland Still Alice [93]
Marion Cotillard Sandra Bya Two Days, One Night
Felicity Jones Jane Wilde Hawking The Theory of Everything
Rosamund Pike Amy Elliott-Dunne Gone Girl
Reese Witherspoon Cheryl Strayed Wild
2015
(88th) 		Brie Larson ‡ Joy "Ma" Newsome Room [94]
Cate Blanchett Carol Aird Carol
Jennifer Lawrence Joy Mangano Joy
Charlotte Rampling Kate Mercer 45 Years
Saoirse Ronan Eilis Lacey Brooklyn
2016
(89th) 		Emma Stone ‡ Mia Dolan La La Land [95]
Isabelle Huppert Michèle Leblanc Elle
Ruth Negga Mildred Loving Loving
Natalie Portman Jacqueline "Jackie" Kennedy Jackie
Meryl Streep Florence Foster Jenkins Florence Foster Jenkins
2017
(90th) 		Frances McDormand ‡ Mildred Hayes Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri [96]
Sally Hawkins Elisa Esposito The Shape of Water
Margot Robbie Tonya Harding I, Tonya
Saoirse Ronan Christine "Lady Bird" McPherson Lady Bird
Meryl Streep Katharine Graham The Post
2018
(91st) 		Olivia Colman ‡ Queen Anne The Favourite [97]
Yalitza Aparicio Cleodegaria "Cleo" Gutiérrez Roma
Glenn Close Joan Castleman The Wife
Lady Gaga Ally Maine A Star Is Born
Melissa McCarthy Leonore Carol "Lee" Israel Can You Ever Forgive Me?
2019
(92nd) 		Renée Zellweger ‡ Judy Garland Judy [98]
Cynthia Erivo Harriet Tubman Harriet
Scarlett Johansson Nicole Barber Marriage Story
Saoirse Ronan Josephine "Jo" March Little Women
Charlize Theron Megyn Kelly Bombshell
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2020s

More information Year, Actress ...
Year Actress Role(s) Film Ref.
2020/21
(93rd)[99]		 Frances McDormand ‡ Fern Nomadland [100]
Viola Davis Gertrude "Ma" Rainey Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
Andra Day Billie Holiday The United States vs. Billie Holiday
Vanessa Kirby Martha Weiss Pieces of a Woman
Carey Mulligan Cassandra "Cassie" Thomas Promising Young Woman
2021
(94th)		 Jessica Chastain ‡ Tammy Faye Bakker The Eyes of Tammy Faye [101]
Olivia Colman Leda Caruso The Lost Daughter
Penélope Cruz Janis Martínez Moreno Parallel Mothers
Nicole Kidman Lucille Ball Being the Ricardos
Kristen Stewart Diana, Princess of Wales Spencer
2022
(95th)		 Michelle Yeoh ‡ Evelyn Quan Wang Everything Everywhere All at Once [102]
Cate Blanchett Lydia Tár Tár
Ana de Armas Norma Jeane / Marilyn Monroe Blonde
Andrea Riseborough Leslie Rowland To Leslie
Michelle Williams Mitzi Fabelman The Fabelmans
2023
(96th)		 Emma Stone ‡ Bella Baxter Poor Things [103]
Annette Bening Diana Nyad Nyad
Lily Gladstone Mollie Burkhart Killers of the Flower Moon
Sandra Hüller Sandra Voyter Anatomy of a Fall
Carey Mulligan Felicia Montealegre Maestro
2024
(97th)		 Mikey Madison ‡ Anora "Ani" Mikheeva Anora [104]
Cynthia Erivo Elphaba Thropp Wicked
Karla Sofía Gascón Emilia Pérez / Juan "Manitas" Del Monte Emilia Pérez
Demi Moore Elisabeth Sparkle The Substance
Fernanda Torres Eunice Paiva I'm Still Here
2025
(98th)		 Jessie Buckley ‡ Agnes Shakespeare Hamnet [105]
Rose Byrne Linda If I Had Legs I'd Kick You
Kate Hudson Claire Sardina Song Sung Blue
Renate Reinsve Nora Borg Sentimental Value
Emma Stone Michelle Fuller Bugonia
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Multiple wins and nominations

See also: List of superlative Academy Award winners and nominees § Best Actress in a Leading Role

The following individuals won two or more Academy Awards for Best Actress:

More information Wins, Actress ...
Wins Actress Nominations Years won
4 Katharine Hepburn 12 1932-33, 1967, 1968, 1981
3 Frances McDormand 3 1996, 2017, 2020-21
2 Meryl Streep 17 1982, 2011
Bette Davis 11 1935, 1938
Ingrid Bergman 6 1944, 1956
Jane Fonda 1971, 1978
Elizabeth Taylor 5 1960, 1966
Olivia de Havilland 4 1946, 1949
Glenda Jackson 1970, 1973
Jodie Foster 3 1988, 1991
Emma Stone 2016, 2023
Sally Field 2 1979, 1984
Vivien Leigh 1939, 1951
Luise Rainer 1936, 1937
Hilary Swank 1999, 2004
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Main article: List of actors with more than one Academy Award nomination in the acting categories § Most nominations by category (actress)

The following individuals received three or more Best Actress nominations:

More information Nominations, Actress ...
Nominations Actress
17 Meryl Streep
12 Katharine Hepburn
11 Bette Davis
7 Greer Garson
6 Ingrid Bergman
Jane Fonda
Deborah Kerr
Sissy Spacek
5 Anne Bancroft
Cate Blanchett
Ellen Burstyn
Judi Dench
Irene Dunne
Susan Hayward
Audrey Hepburn
Jessica Lange
Shirley MacLaine
Susan Sarandon
Norma Shearer
Elizabeth Taylor
4 Annette Bening
Julie Christie
Glenn Close
Olivia de Havilland
Glenda Jackson
Jennifer Jones
Diane Keaton
Nicole Kidman
Marsha Mason
Geraldine Page
Vanessa Redgrave
Rosalind Russell
Barbara Stanwyck
Kate Winslet
Joanne Woodward
Jane Wyman
3 Julie Andrews
Claudette Colbert
Joan Crawford
Faye Dunaway
Joan Fontaine
Jodie Foster
Greta Garbo
Jennifer Lawrence
Frances McDormand
Julianne Moore
Carey Mulligan
Eleanor Parker
Saoirse Ronan
Emma Stone
Gloria Swanson
Charlize Theron
Emma Thompson
Michelle Williams
Debra Winger
Renée Zellweger
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Age superlatives

Main article: List of oldest and youngest Academy Award winners and nominees § Best Actress in a Leading Role
More information Record, Actor ...
Record Actor Film Year Age Ref.
Oldest Winner Jessica Tandy Driving Miss Daisy 1990 80 [106]
Oldest Nominee Emmanuelle Riva Amour 2013 85 [106]
Youngest Winner Marlee Matlin Children of a Lesser God 1987 21 [106]
Youngest Nominee Quvenzhané Wallis Beasts of the Southern Wild 2013 9 [106]
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Films with multiple Leading Actress nominations

Winners are in bold.

Multiple character nominations

The following were nominated for their portrayals of the same fictional or non-fictional character in separate films (including variations of the original).

See also

Notes

  1. [1]
    The 2nd Academy Awards is unique in being the only occasion where there were no official nominees. Subsequent research by AMPAS has resulted in a list of unofficial or de facto nominees, based on records of which films were evaluated by the judges.
A1 2 : Rules at the time of the first three ceremonies allowed for a performer to receive a single nomination which could honor their work in more than one film. Greta Garbo and Norma Shearer were both nominated for two different roles in the same category. Current Academy rules forbid this from happening. No official reason was ever given as to why Shearer won the award for only one of the two films she was listed for.[107]
B^: Bette Davis's performance in Of Human Bondage was not nominated for an Oscar.[108] Several influential people at the time campaigned to have her name included on the list, so for that year (and the following year also) the Academy relaxed its rules and allowed a write-in vote.[109] Technically this meant that any performance was eligible to win the award, whether or not the person was an official nominee. While the Academy does not officially recognize this as a nomination for Davis,[110][111] it has included her in the list of nominees for the 1935 ceremony on its official website.[12]
C1 2 : Katharine Hepburn and Barbra Streisand received the same number of votes, resulting in both actresses receiving the award, according to Academy rules.[112]
D^: Elliot Page was nominated as Ellen Page, before his gender transition in 2020.[113]

References

Bibliography

External links

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