Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actress

The Golden Globe for New Star of the Year – Actress was an award presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) at the annual Golden Globes award ceremony. New Star of the Year – Actress was first presented at the 5th Golden Globes held in 1948, alongside the New Star of the Year – Actor category, and awarded to Lois Maxwell for her performance in That Hagen Girl (1947); the award was absent from the following year's ceremony. From the 7th Golden Globes onwards, New Star of the Year – Actress was presented in every ceremony, excluding the 34th Golden Globes, until the 40th Golden Globes held in 1983, with the final winner being Sandahl Bergman for Conan the Barbarian (1982).

The New Star of the Year – Actress award was presented 32 times, to 57 actresses. In 1951 and 1982, the award was merged with its male counterpart to create a unisex New Star of the Year category; the former was won by Gene Nelson for Tea for Two (1950) and the latter by Pia Zadora for Butterfly (1982). From the 11th to 22nd Golden Globes the award was traditionally given to three actresses; starting with the 23rd ceremony, only one actress was declared the winner.

Zadora's 1982 win for Butterfly was viewed as "controversial", with the Golden Globes facing scrutiny over their decision.^[1][2] Her husband and the producer of Butterfly, Israeli businessman Meshulam Riklis, had invited members of the HFPA over to the Riviera — a hotel and casino he owned in Las Vegas — where he hosted them, treating them to wine and dinner;^[2][3] at the hotel, Riklis employed Zadora as an entertainer and singer.^[4][5] While at the Riviera, the HFPA members were also shown a private screening of Butterfly and saw Zadora perform her nightclub act.^[1][4][6][a] Six weeks later, Riklis invited another group to his and Zadora's home in Beverly Hills for one more private screening of the film.^[1][6] It was presumed that Riklis had bought the award for Zadora; after the following year's ceremony, the New Star of the Year awards were discontinued by the Golden Globes.^[1][4]

Pat Crowley, Bella Darvi, and Carroll Baker are the only actresses to have received the award for two separate performances in the same ceremony; Crowley won for Forever Female and Money from Home, Darvi for The Egyptian and Hell and High Water, and Baker for Baby Doll and Giant. Carol Lynley was the only actress to be nominated twice in two separate ceremonies; first in 1959 for The Light in the Forest and then again the following year for Blue Denim.