NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture
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American annual film award
Awarded forOutstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role in a Motion Picture
Presented byNAACP
First awardEstelle Evans for The Learning Tree (1969)
Currently held byCynthia Erivo for Wicked: For Good (2026)
| NAACP Image Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture | |
|---|---|
.jpg) The 2026 recipient: Cynthia Erivo | |
| Awarded for | Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role in a Motion Picture |
| Presented by | NAACP |
| First award | Estelle Evans for The Learning Tree (1969) |
| Currently held by | Cynthia Erivo for Wicked: For Good (2026) |
| Most awards | Angela Bassett (5) |
| Most nominations | Halle Berry (11) |
This article lists the winners and nominees for the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture. The award has also been called Outstanding Lead Actress in a Motion Picture. Out of 12 films which featured African-Americans in leading roles in 1980, Cicely Tyson was the only female in that category. She played opposite Richard Pryor in Bustin' Loose. Because of this, she and officials at the annual NAACP Image Awards program decided that she should not accept the award.
1960s
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For each year in the tables below, the winner is listed first and highlighted in bold.
| Year | Actress | Film | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Estelle Evans | The Learning Tree |
1970s
| Year | Actress | Film | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Barbara McNair | If He Hollers Let Him Go | |
| 1971 | Jane Fonda | Klute | [1] |
| Virginia Capers | Big Jake | ||
| Susan Clark | Skin Game | ||
| Rosalind Cash | The Omega Man | ||
| Stephanie Faulkner | The Bus Is Coming | ||
| Diana Sands | Doctors' Wives | ||
| 1972 | Diana Ross | Lady Sings The Blues | |
| 1973 | —N/a | ||
| 1974 | Ester Anderson | A Warm December | [2] |
| Yvonne Elliman | Jesus Christ Superstar | ||
| Paula Kelly | The Spook Who Sat by the Door | ||
| Janet MacLachlan | Maurie | ||
| Paulene Myers | Maurie | ||
| 1975 | Diahann Carroll | Claudine | [3] |
| Rosalind Cash | Uptown Saturday Night | ||
| Vonetta McGee | Thomasine & Bushrod | ||
| Madge Sinclair | Conrack | ||
| Clarice Taylor | Five on the Black Hand Side | ||
| 1976 | Denise Nicholas | Let's Do It Again | |
| 1977 | Cicely Tyson | The River Niger | |
| 1978 | Cicely Tyson | A Hero Ain't Nothin' but a Sandwich | |
| 1979 | Mavis Washington | Fastbreak | |
1980s
1990s
2000s
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2010s
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2020s
Multiple wins and nominations
Wins
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Nominations
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References
- ↑ "1971 Image Award Winners". IMDb. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
- ↑ "1974 Image Award Winners". IMDb. Retrieved May 17, 2016.
- ↑ "1975 Image Award Winners". IMDb. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
- ↑ Snow, Shaun (11 November 1988). "1988 Image Award Nominees". LA Times. Retrieved August 3, 2016.
- ↑ "Nominees for 21st Image Awards Announced". Los Angeles Times. 11 November 1988.
- ↑ Snow, Shauna (11 November 1988). "Nominees for 21st Image Awards Announced". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
- ↑ "NAACP Image Award Nominees Announced". Associated Press News.
- ↑ "NAACP Image Award Nominees Announced". The Associated Press. October 16, 1991. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
- ↑ "1994 Image Award Winners". IMDb. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
- ↑ "1995 Image Award Winners". IMDb. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
- ↑ Snow, Shauna (22 February 1996). "5 Films Head Nominations for NAACP Image Awards". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
- ↑ "1997 Image Award Winners". IMDb. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
- ↑ "The Crisis". The Crisis Publishing Company, Inc. 1 April 1999. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
- ↑ "2004 Image Award Winners". IMDb. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
- ↑ Couch, Aaron (February 1, 2013). "2013 Image Winners". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
- ↑ Couch, Aaron (February 22, 2014). "2014 Image Winners". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
- ↑ Washington, Arlene (February 6, 2015). "2015 Image Winners". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
- ↑ "2016 Image Winners". Variety. 6 February 2016. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
- ↑ Hipes, Patrick (December 13, 2016). "Ruth Negga, Angela Bassett and Taraji P. Henson nominated". Deadline. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
- ↑ Variety Staff (January 15, 2018). "NAACP Image Awards: The Complete Winners List". Variety. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
- ↑ "2021 NAACP Image Awards: The Complete Winners List". Entertainment Tonight. March 29, 2021.
- ↑ "NAACP Image Awards 2022 Full Winners List: 'The Harder They Fall,' Jennifer Hudson and Will Smith Take Top Honors". Variety. February 26, 2022. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
- ↑ "Angela Bassett, 'Abbott Elementary' Win Top Honors at 2023 NAACP Image Awards". Variety. February 25, 2023. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
- ↑ "Fantasia Barrino Brings NAACP Image Awards Crowd To Their Feet With 1 Electric Song". HuffPost. 2024-03-17. Retrieved 2024-03-17.
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