Academy Award for Best Actress

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. 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.

Infobox

Awarded for

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

Country

United States

Presented by

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS)

First award

May 16, 1929 (1929-05-16) (for films released during the 1927/1928 film season)

Most recent winner

Jessie Buckley, Hamnet (2025)

Most awards

Katharine Hepburn (4)

Most nominations

Meryl Streep (17)

Website

oscars

Tables

Table key · Winners and nominees

†

‡

†

Indicates the winner

Indicates a posthumous nominee

‡	Indicates the winner
†	Indicates a posthumous nominee

· Winners and nominees › 1920s

Year	Actress	Role(s)	Film	Ref.
1927/28 (1st)	Janet Gaynor ‡	Diane	7th Heaven
		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)	Mary Pickford ‡	Norma Besant	Coquette
	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

· Winners and nominees › 1930s

Year	Actress	Role(s)	Film	Ref.
1929/30 (3rd)	Norma Shearer ‡[A]	Jerry Bernard Martin	The Divorcee
	Nancy Carroll	Hallie Hobart	The Devil's Holiday
	Ruth Chatterton	Sarah Storm	Sarah and Son
	Greta Garbo[A]	Anna Christie	Anna Christie
	Greta Garbo[A]	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
	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
	Marie Dressler	Emma Thatcher Smith	Emma
	Lynn Fontanne	The Actress	The Guardsman
1932/33 (6th)	Katharine Hepburn ‡	Eva Lovelace	Morning Glory
	May Robson	Apple Annie	Lady for a Day
	Diana Wynyard	Jane Marryot	Cavalcade
1934 (7th)	Claudette Colbert ‡	Ellie Andrews	It Happened One Night
	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
	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
	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
	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
	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
	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

· Winners and nominees › 1940s

Year	Actress	Role(s)	Film	Ref.
1940 (13th)	Ginger Rogers ‡	Kitty Foyle	Kitty Foyle
	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
	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
	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
	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
	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
	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
	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
	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
	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
	Jeanne Crain	Patricia "Pinky" Johnson	Pinky
	Susan Hayward	Eloise Winters	My Foolish Heart
	Deborah Kerr	Evelyn Boult	Edward, My Son

· Winners and nominees › 1950s

Year	Actress	Role(s)	Film	Ref.
1950 (23rd)	Judy Holliday ‡	Emma "Billie" Dawn	Born Yesterday
	Anne Baxter	Gertrude Slojinski / Eve Harrington	All About Eve
	Bette Davis	Margo Channing	All About Eve
	Eleanor Parker	Marie Allen	Caged
	Gloria Swanson	Norma Desmond	Sunset Boulevard
1951 (24th)	Vivien Leigh ‡	Blanche DuBois	A Streetcar Named Desire
	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
	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
	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
	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
	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
	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
	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!
	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
	Doris Day	Jan Morrow	Pillow Talk
	Audrey Hepburn	Gabrielle van der Mal	The Nun's Story
	Katharine Hepburn	Violet Venable	Suddenly, Last Summer

References

The 2nd Academy Awards is unique in being the only occasion where there were no official nominees. Subsequent research b
"Rule Six: Special Rules for the Acting Awards"
https://web.archive.org/web/20141021054540/http://www.oscars.org/sites/default/files/87aa_rules.pdf
Levy 2003, p. 56
Filmsite
http://www.filmsite.org/aa29.html
Crouse 2005, p. 257
Levy 2003, p. 52
"The 1st Academy Awards (1929) Nominees and Winners"
http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1929
"The 2nd Academy Awards (1930) Nominees and Winners"
http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1930
"The 3rd Academy Awards (1931) Nominees and Winners"
http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1931
"The 4th Academy Awards (1932) Nominees and Winners"
http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1932
"The 5th Academy Awards (1933) Nominees and Winners"
http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1933
"The 6th Academy Awards (1934) Nominees and Winners"
http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1934
"The 7th Academy Awards (1935) Nominees and Winners"
http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1935
"The 8th Academy Awards (1936) Nominees and Winners"
http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1936
"The 9th Academy Awards (1937) Nominees and Winners"
http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1937
"The 10th Academy Awards (1938) Nominees and Winners"
http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1938
"The 11th Academy Awards (1939) Nominees and Winners"
http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1939
"The 12th Academy Awards (1940) Nominees and Winners"
http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1940
"The 13th Academy Awards (1941) Nominees and Winners"
http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1941
"The 14th Academy Awards (1942) Nominees and Winners"
http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1942