BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role
| BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role | |
|---|---|
 The 2020 recipient: Frances McDormand (holding a SAG Award) | |
| Awarded for | Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Presented by | British Academy of Film and Television Arts |
| First awarded | Vivien Leigh for A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) Simone Signoret for Golden Helmet (1952) |
| Currently held by | Frances McDormand for Nomadland (2020) |
| Website | http://www.bafta.org/ |
Best Actress in a Leading Role is a British Academy Film Award presented annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding leading performance in a film.
- From 1952 to 1967, there were two Best Actress awards presented, Best British Actress and Best Foreign Actress.
- From 1968 onwards, the two awards merged into one award, which from 1968 to 1984 was known as Best Actress.[1]
- From 1985 to present, the award has been known by its current name of Best Actress in a Leading Role.[2]
Winners and nominees[]
indicates the winner
Vivien Leigh was the first winner in this category for A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
Rachel Roberts won twice for Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1960) and This Sporting Life (1963)
Shirley MacLaine won for Ask Any Girl (1959) and The Apartment (1960)
Julie Christie won for Darling (1965)
Katharine Hepburn won twice for The Lion in Winter (1968) and On Golden Pond (1981)
Maggie Smith has the most wins in this category for her roles in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969), A Private Function (1984), A Room with a View (1985), and The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne (1987)
Katharine Ross won for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
Liza Minnelli won for Cabaret (1972)
Joanne Woodward won for Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams (1973)
Diane Keaton won for Annie Hall (1977)
Meryl Streep has received 12 nominations in this category, winning twice for The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981) and The Iron Lady (2011)
Cate Blanchett won twice for Elizabeth (1998) and Blue Jasmine (2013)
Annette Bening won for American Beauty (1999)
Julia Roberts won for Erin Brockovich (2000)
Nicole Kidman won for The Hours (2002)
Scarlett Johansson won for Lost in Translation (2003)
Reese Witherspoon won for her portrayal of June Carter Cash in Walk the Line (2005)
Helen Mirren won for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in The Queen (2006)
Kate Winslet won for The Reader (2008)
Carey Mulligan won for An Education (2009)
Natalie Portman won for Black Swan (2010)
Emmanuelle Riva won for Amour (2012)
Julianne Moore won for Still Alice (2014)
Emma Stone won for La La Land (2016).
Frances McDormand won twice for her roles in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) and Nomadland (2020)
Olivia Colman won for her portrayal of Queen Anne in The Favourite (2018)
Best British Actress (1952–1967)[]
| Year | Actress | Film | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 6th | |||
| Vivien Leigh | A Streetcar Named Desire | Blanche DuBois | |
| Phyllis Calvert | Mandy | Christine Garland | |
| Celia Johnson | I Believe in You | Matty Matheson | |
| Ann Todd | The Sound Barrier | Susan Garthwaite | |
| 1953 7th | |||
| Audrey Hepburn | Roman Holiday | Princess Ann | |
| Celia Johnson | The Captain's Paradise | Maud | |
| 1954 8th | |||
| Yvonne Mitchell | The Divided Heart | Sonja | |
| Brenda de Banzie | Hobson's Choice | Maggie Hobson | |
| Audrey Hepburn | Sabrina | Sabrina Fairchild | |
| Margaret Leighton | Carrington V.C. | Valerie Carrington | |
| Noelle Middleton | Alison L. Graham | ||
| 1955 9th | |||
| Katie Johnson | The Ladykillers | Louisa Wilberforce | |
| Margaret Johnston | Touch and Go | Helen Fletcher | |
| Deborah Kerr | The End of the Affair | Sarah Miles | |
| Margaret Lockwood | Cast a Dark Shadow | Freda Jefferies | |
| 1956 10th | |||
| Virginia McKenna | A Town Like Alice | Jean Paget | |
| Dorothy Alison | Reach for the Sky | Nurse Brace | |
| Audrey Hepburn | War and Peace | Natasha Rostova | |
| 1957 11th | |||
| Heather Sears | The Story of Esther Costello | Esther Costello | |
| Deborah Kerr | Tea and Sympathy | Laura Reynolds | |
| Sylvia Syms | Woman in a Dressing Gown | Georgie Harlow | |
| 1958 12th | |||
| Irene Worth | Orders to Kill | Léonie | |
| Hermione Baddeley | Room at the Top | Elspeth | |
| Karuna Banerjee | Aparajito | Sarbajaya Roy | |
| Virginia McKenna | Carve Her Name with Pride | Violette Szabo | |
| 1959 13th | |||
| Audrey Hepburn | The Nun's Story | Sister Luke (Gabrielle van der Mal) | |
| Peggy Ashcroft | The Nun's Story | Mother Mathilde | |
| Yvonne Mitchell | Sapphire | Mildred | |
| Sylvia Syms | No Trees in the Street | Hetty | |
| Kay Walsh | The Horse's Mouth | Miss. Coker | |
| Wendy Hiller | Separate Tables | Pat Cooper | |
| 1960 14th | |||
| Rachel Roberts | Saturday Night and Sunday Morning | Brenda | |
| Hayley Mills | Pollyanna | Pollyanna | |
| Wendy Hiller | Sons and Lovers | Gertrude Morel | |
| 1961 15th | |||
| Dora Bryan | A Taste of Honey | Helen | |
| Deborah Kerr | The Sundowners | Ida Carmody | |
| Hayley Mills | Whistle Down the Wind | Kathy Bostock | |
| 1962 16th | |||
| Leslie Caron | The L-Shaped Room | Jane Fosset | |
| Virginia Maskell | The Wild and the Willing | Virginia Chown | |
| Janet Munro | Life for Ruth | Pat Harris | |
| 1963 17th | |||
| Rachel Roberts | This Sporting Life | Margaret Hammond | |
| Julie Christie | Billy Liar | Liz | |
| Edith Evans | Tom Jones | Miss Western | |
| Sarah Miles | The Servant | Vera | |
| Barbara Windsor | Sparrows Can't Sing | Maggie Gooding | |
| 1964 18th | |||
| Audrey Hepburn | Charade | Regina Lampert | |
| Edith Evans | The Chalk Garden | Mrs. St. Maugham | |
| Deborah Kerr | Mrs. Madrigal | ||
| Rita Tushingham | Girl with Green Eyes | Kate Brady | |
| 1965 19th | |||
| Julie Christie | Darling | Diana Scott | |
| Julie Andrews | The Americanization of Emily The Sound of Music |
Emily Barham Maria von Trapp | |
| Maggie Smith | Young Cassidy | Nora | |
| Rita Tushingham | The Knack ...and How to Get It | Nancy Jones | |
| 1966 20th | |||
| Elizabeth Taylor | Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? | Martha | |
| Julie Christie | Doctor Zhivago Fahrenheit 451 |
Lara Antipova Linda Montag / Clarisse | |
| Lynn Redgrave | Georgy Girl | Georgina "Georgy" Parkin | |
| Vanessa Redgrave | Morgan – A Suitable Case for Treatment | Leonie Delt | |
| 1967 21st | |||
| Edith Evans | The Whisperers | Mrs. Ross | |
| Barbara Jefford | Ulysses | Molly Bloom | |
| Elizabeth Taylor | The Taming of the Shrew | Katharina |
Best Foreign Actress (1952–1967)[]
| Year | Actress | Film | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 6th | |||
| Simone Signoret | Golden Helmet | Marie | |
| Edwige Feuillère | The Pit of Loneliness | Julie | |
| Katharine Hepburn | Pat and Mike | Patricia "Pat" Pemberton | |
| Judy Holliday | The Marrying Kind | Florence Keefer | |
| Nicole Stéphane | The Terrible Children | Elisabeth | |
| 1953 7th | |||
| Leslie Caron | Lili | Lili Daurier | |
| Shirley Booth | Come Back, Little Sheba | Lola Delaney | |
| Marie Powers | The Medium | Flora | |
| Maria Schell | The Heart of the Matter | Helen Rolt | |
| 1954 8th | |||
| Cornell Borchers | The Divided Heart | Inga Hartl | |
| Shirley Booth | About Mrs. Leslie | Vivien Leslie | |
| Judy Holliday | Phffft | Nina Tracey | |
| Grace Kelly | Dial M for Murder | Margot Wendice | |
| Gina Lollobrigida | Bread, Love and Dreams | Maria de Ritis | |
| 1955 9th | |||
| Betsy Blair | Marty | Clara Snyder | |
| Dorothy Dandridge | Carmen Jones | Carmen Jones | |
| Judy Garland | A Star Is Born | Esther Blodgett | |
| Julie Harris | I Am a Camera | Sally Bowles | |
| Katharine Hepburn | Summertime | Jane Hudson | |
| Grace Kelly | The Country Girl | Georgie Elgin | |
| Giulietta Masina | The Road | Gelsomina | |
| Marilyn Monroe | The Seven Year Itch | The Girl | |
| 1956 10th | |||
| Anna Magnani | The Rose Tattoo | Serafina Delle Rose | |
| Carroll Baker | Baby Doll | Baby Doll Meighan | |
| Eva Dahlbeck | Smiles of a Summer Night | Desiree Armfeldt | |
| Ava Gardner | Bhowani Junction | Victoria Jones | |
| Susan Hayward | I'll Cry Tomorrow | Lillian Roth | |
| Shirley MacLaine | The Trouble with Harry | Jennifer Rogers | |
| Kim Novak | Picnic | Marjorie Owens | |
| Marisa Pavan | The Rose Tattoo | Rose Delle Rose | |
| Maria Schell | Gervaise | Gervaise Macquart Coupeau | |
| Jean Simmons | Guys and Dolls | Sister Sarah Brown | |
| 1957 11th | |||
| Simone Signoret | The Crucible | Elizabeth Proctor | |
| Augusta Dabney | That Night! | Maggie Bowden | |
| Katharine Hepburn | The Rainmaker | Lizzie Curry | |
| Lilli Palmer | The Story of Anastasia | Anna Anderson | |
| Eva Marie Saint | A Hatful of Rain | Celia Pope | |
| Marilyn Monroe | The Prince and the Showgirl | Elsie Marina | |
| Joanne Woodward | The Three Faces of Eve | Eve White | |
| 1958 12th | |||
| Simone Signoret | Room at the Top | Alice Aisgill | |
| Ingrid Bergman | The Inn of the Sixth Happiness | Gladys Aylward | |
| Anna Magnani | Wild Is the Wind | Gioia | |
| Giulietta Masina | Nights of Cabiria | Cabiria Ceccarelli | |
| Tatiana Samoilova | The Cranes Are Flying | Veronika | |
| Elizabeth Taylor | Cat on a Hot Tin Roof | Maggie Pollitt | |
| Joanne Woodward | No Down Payment | Leola Boone | |
| 1959 13th | |||
| Shirley MacLaine | Ask Any Girl | Meg Wheeler | |
| Ava Gardner | On the Beach | Moira Davidson | |
| Susan Hayward | I Want to Live! | Barbara Graham | |
| Ellie Lambeti | A Matter of Dignity | Chloe Pella | |
| Rosalind Russell | Auntie Mame | Mame Dennis | |
| 1960 14th | |||
| Shirley MacLaine | The Apartment | Fran Kubelik | |
| Pier Angeli | The Angry Silence | Anna Curtis | |
| Melina Mercouri | Never on Sunday | Illya | |
| Emmanuelle Riva | Hiroshima mon amour | Elle | |
| Jean Simmons | Elmer Gantry | Sharon Falconer | |
| Monica Vitti | The Adventure | Claudia | |
| 1961 15th | |||
| Sophia Loren | Two Women | Cesira | |
| Annie Girardot | Rocco and His Brothers | Nadia | |
| Piper Laurie | The Hustler | Sarah Packard | |
| Claudia McNeil | A Raisin in the Sun | Lena Younger | |
| Jean Seberg | Breathless | Patricia Franchini | |
| 1962 16th | |||
| Anne Bancroft | The Miracle Worker | Annie Sullivan | |
| Harriet Andersson | Through a Glass Darkly | Katrin | |
| Anouk Aimée | Lola | Lola | |
| Melina Mercouri | Phaedra | Phaedra | |
| Jeanne Moreau | Jules and Jim | Catherine | |
| Geraldine Page | Sweet Bird of Youth | Alexandra del Lago | |
| Natalie Wood | Splendor in the Grass | Deanie Loomis | |
| 1963 17th | |||
| Patricia Neal | Hud | Alma Brown | |
| Joan Crawford | What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? | Blanche Hudson | |
| Bette Davis | Baby Jane Hudson | ||
| Lee Remick | Days of Wine and Roses | Kirsten Arnesen Clay | |
| Daniela Rocca | Divorce Italian Style | Rosalia Cefalù | |
| 1964 18th | |||
| Anne Bancroft | The Pumpkin Eater | Jo Armitage | |
| Kim Stanley | Séance on a Wet Afternoon | Myra Savage | |
| Ava Gardner | The Night of the Iguana | Maxine Faulk | |
| Shirley MacLaine | Irma la Douce What a Way to Go! |
Irma la Douce Louisa Foster | |
| 1965 19th | |||
| Patricia Neal | In Harm's Way | Maggie Haines | |
| Jane Fonda | Cat Ballou | Catherine Ballou | |
| Lila Kedrova | Zorba the Greek | Madame Hortense | |
| Simone Signoret | Ship of Fools | La Condesa | |
| 1966 20th | |||
| Jeanne Moreau | Viva Maria! | Maria I | |
| Brigitte Bardot | Viva Maria! | Maria II | |
| Joan Hackett | The Group | Dottie Renfrew | |
| Simone Signoret | The Sleeping Car Murders | Éliane Darrès | |
| 1967 21st | |||
| Anouk Aimée | A Man and a Woman | Anne Gauthier | |
| Bibi Andersson | My Sister, My Love Persona |
Charlotte / Sister Alma | |
| Jane Fonda | Barefoot in the Park | Corie Bratter | |
| Simone Signoret | The Deadly Affair | Elsa Fennan |
Best Actress in a Leading Role (1968–present)[]
1968–1979[]
| Year | Actress | Film | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 22nd | |||
| Katharine Hepburn | Guess Who's Coming to Dinner The Lion in Winter |
Christina Drayton Eleanor of Aquitaine | |
| Anne Bancroft | The Graduate | Mrs. Robinson | |
| Catherine Deneuve | Beauty of the Day | Séverine Serizy | |
| Joanne Woodward | Rachel, Rachel | Rachel Cameron | |
| 1969 23rd | |||
| Maggie Smith | The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie | Jean Brodie | |
| Mia Farrow | John and Mary Rosemary's Baby Secret Ceremony |
Mary Rosemary Woodhouse Cenci | |
| Glenda Jackson | Women in Love | Gudrun Brangwen | |
| Barbra Streisand | Funny Girl Hello Dolly! |
Fanny Brice Dolly Gallagher Levi | |
| 1970 24th | |||
| Katharine Ross | Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here |
Etta Place Lola | |
| Jane Fonda | They Shoot Horses, Don't They? | Gloria Beatty | |
| Goldie Hawn | Cactus Flower There's a Girl in My Soup |
Toni Simmons Marion | |
| Sarah Miles | Ryan's Daughter | Rosy Ryan | |
| 1971 25th | |||
| Glenda Jackson | Sunday Bloody Sunday | Alex Greville | |
| Lynn Carlin | Taking Off | Lynn Tyne | |
| Julie Christie | The Go-Between | Marian | |
| Jane Fonda | Klute | Bree Daniels | |
| Nanette Newman | The Raging Moon | Jill Matthews | |
| 1972 26th | |||
| Liza Minnelli | Cabaret | Sally Bowles | |
| Stéphane Audran | The Butcher | Hélène | |
| Anne Bancroft | Young Winston | Lady Randolph Churchill | |
| Dorothy Tutin | Savage Messiah | Sophie Brzeska | |
| 1973 27th | |||
| Stéphane Audran | The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie Just Before Nightfall |
Alice Sénéchal Hélène Masson | |
| Julie Christie | Don't Look Now | Laura Baxter | |
| Glenda Jackson | A Touch of Class | Vicki Allessio | |
| Diana Ross | Lady Sings the Blues | Billie Holiday | |
| 1974 28th | |||
| Joanne Woodward | Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams | Rita Walden | |
| Faye Dunaway | Chinatown | Evelyn Mulwray | |
| Barbra Streisand | The Way We Were | Katie Morosky | |
| Cicely Tyson | The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman | Jane Pittmann | |
| 1975 29th | |||
| Ellen Burstyn | Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore | Alice Hyatt | |
| Anne Bancroft | The Prisoner of Second Avenue | Edna Edison | |
| Valerie Perrine | Lenny | Honey Harlow | |
| Liv Ullmann | Scenes from a Marriage | Marianne | |
| 1976 30th | |||
| Louise Fletcher | One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest | Nurse Ratched | |
| Lauren Bacall | The Shootist | Bond Rogers | |
| Rita Moreno | The Ritz | Googie Gomez | |
| Liv Ullmann | Face to Face | Jenny Isaksson | |
| 1977 31st | |||
| Diane Keaton | Annie Hall | Annie Hall | |
| Faye Dunaway | Network | Diana Christensen | |
| Shelley Duvall | 3 Women | Millie Lammoreaux | |
| Lily Tomlin | The Late Show | Margo Sperling | |
| 1978 32nd | |||
| Jane Fonda | Julia | Lillian Hellman | |
| Anne Bancroft | The Turning Point | Emma Jacklin | |
| Jill Clayburgh | An Unmarried Woman | Erica Benton | |
| Marsha Mason | The Goodbye Girl | Paula McFadden | |
| 1979 33rd | |||
| Jane Fonda | The China Syndrome | Kimberly Wells | |
| Diane Keaton | Manhattan | Mary Wilkie | |
| Maggie Smith | California Suite | Diana Barrie | |
| Meryl Streep | The Deer Hunter | Linda |
1980s[]
| Year | Actress | Film | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 34th | |||
| Judy Davis | My Brilliant Career | Sybylla Melvyn | |
| Shirley MacLaine | Being There | Eve Rand | |
| Bette Midler | The Rose | Mary Rose Foster | |
| Meryl Streep | Kramer vs. Kramer | Joanna Kramer | |
| 1981 35th | |||
| Meryl Streep | The French Lieutenant's Woman | Sara Woodruff and Anna | |
| Mary Tyler Moore | Ordinary People | Beth Jarrett | |
| Maggie Smith | Quartet | Lois Heidler | |
| Sissy Spacek | Coal Miner's Daughter | Loretta Lynn | |
| 1982 36th | |||
| Katharine Hepburn | On Golden Pond | Ethel Thayer | |
| Diane Keaton | Reds | Louise Bryant | |
| Jennifer Kendal | 36 Chowringhee Lane | Violet Stoneham | |
| Sissy Spacek | Missing | Beth Horman | |
| 1983 37th | |||
| Julie Walters | Educating Rita | Susan "Rita" White | |
| Jessica Lange | Tootsie | Julie Nichols | |
| Phyllis Logan | Another Time, Another Place | Janie | |
| Meryl Streep | Sophie's Choice | Zofia "Sophie" Zawistowski | |
| 1984 38th | |||
| Maggie Smith | A Private Function | Joyce Chilvers | |
| Shirley MacLaine | Terms of Endearment | Aurora Greenaway | |
| Helen Mirren | Cal | Marcella | |
| Meryl Streep | Silkwood | Karen Silkwood | |
| 1985 39th | |||
| Peggy Ashcroft | A Passage to India | Mrs. Moore | |
| Mia Farrow | The Purple Rose of Cairo | Cecilia | |
| Kelly McGillis | Witness | Rachel Lapp | |
| Alexandra Pigg | Letter to Brezhnev | Elaine | |
| 1986 40th | |||
| Maggie Smith | A Room with a View | Charlotte Bartlett | |
| Mia Farrow | Hannah and Her Sisters | Hannah | |
| Meryl Streep | Out of Africa | Karen Blixen | |
| Cathy Tyson | Mona Lisa | Simone | |
| 1987 41st | |||
| Anne Bancroft | 84 Charing Cross Road | Helene Hanff | |
| Emily Lloyd | Wish You Were Here | Lynda Mansell | |
| Sarah Miles | Hope and Glory | Grace Rowan | |
| Julie Walters | Personal Services | Christine Painter | |
| 1988 42nd | |||
| Maggie Smith | The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne | Judith Hearne | |
| Stéphane Audran | Babette's Feast | Babette Hersant | |
| Cher | Moonstruck | Loretta Castorini | |
| Jamie Lee Curtis | A Fish Called Wanda | Wanda Gershwitz | |
| 1989 43rd | |||
| Pauline Collins | Shirley Valentine | Shirley Valentine | |
| Glenn Close | Dangerous Liaisons | Marquise de Merteuil | |
| Jodie Foster | The Accused | Sarah Tobias | |
| Melanie Griffith | Working Girl | Tess McGill |
1990s[]
| Year | Actress | Film | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 44th | |||
| Jessica Tandy | Driving Miss Daisy | Daisy Werthan | |
| Shirley MacLaine | Postcards from the Edge | Doris Mann | |
| Michelle Pfeiffer | The Fabulous Baker Boys | Susie Diamond | |
| Julia Roberts | Pretty Woman | Vivian Ward | |
| 1991 45th | |||
| Jodie Foster | The Silence of the Lambs | Clarice Starling | |
| Geena Davis | Thelma & Louise | Thelma Dickinson | |
| Susan Sarandon | Louise Sawyer | ||
| Juliet Stevenson | Truly, Madly, Deeply | Nina | |
| 1992 46th | |||
| Emma Thompson | Howards End | Margaret Schlegel | |
| Judy Davis | Husbands and Wives | Sally Simmons | |
| Tara Morice | Strictly Ballroom | Fran | |
| Jessica Tandy | Fried Green Tomatoes | Ninny Threadgoode | |
| 1993 47th | |||
| Holly Hunter | The Piano | Ada McGrath | |
| Miranda Richardson | Tom & Viv | Vivienne Haigh-Wood Eliot | |
| Emma Thompson | The Remains of the Day | Sarah Kenton | |
| Debra Winger | Shadowlands | Joy Davidman Gresham | |
| 1994 48th | |||
| Susan Sarandon | The Client | Regina "Reggie" Love | |
| Linda Fiorentino | The Last Seduction | Bridget Gregory | |
| Irène Jacob | Three Colours: Red (Trois couleurs : Rouge) | Valentine Dussaut | |
| Uma Thurman | Pulp Fiction | Mia Wallace | |
| 1995 49th | |||
| Emma Thompson | Sense and Sensibility | Elinor Dashwood | |
| Nicole Kidman | To Die For | Suzanne Stone-Maretto | |
| Helen Mirren | The Madness of King George | Queen Charlotte | |
| Elisabeth Shue | Leaving Las Vegas | Sera | |
| 1996 50th | |||
| Brenda Blethyn | Secrets & Lies | Cynthia Purley | |
| Frances McDormand | Fargo | Marge Gunderson | |
| Kristin Scott Thomas | The English Patient | Katharine Clifton | |
| Emily Watson | Breaking the Waves | Bess McNeill | |
| 1997 51st | |||
| Judi Dench | Mrs Brown | Queen Victoria | |
| Kim Basinger | L.A. Confidential | Lynn Bracken | |
| Kathy Burke | Nil by Mouth | Valerie | |
| Helena Bonham Carter | The Wings of the Dove | Kate Croy | |
| 1998 52nd | |||
| Cate Blanchett | Elizabeth | Queen Elizabeth I | |
| Jane Horrocks | Little Voice | Laurie Hoff / Little Voice "LV" | |
| Gwyneth Paltrow | Shakespeare in Love | Viola de Lesseps | |
| Emily Watson | Hilary and Jackie | Jacqueline du Pré | |
| 1999 53rd [3] | |||
| Annette Bening | American Beauty | Carolyn Burnham | |
| Linda Bassett | East Is East | Ella Khan | |
| Julianne Moore | The End of the Affair | Sarah Miles | |
| Emily Watson | Angela's Ashes | Angela Sheehan McCourt |
2000s[]
| Year | Actress | Film | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 54th [4][5] | |||
| Julia Roberts | Erin Brockovich | Erin Brockovich | |
| Juliette Binoche | Chocolat | Vivianne Rocher | |
| Kate Hudson | Almost Famous | Penny Lane | |
| Hilary Swank | Boys Don't Cry | Brandon Teena | |
| Michelle Yeoh | Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon | Yu Shu Lien | |
| 2001 55th [6] | |||
| Judi Dench | Iris | Iris Murdoch | |
| Nicole Kidman | The Others | Grace Stewart | |
| Sissy Spacek | In the Bedroom | Ruth Fowler | |
| Audrey Tautou | Amélie | Amélie Poulain | |
| Renée Zellweger | Bridget Jones's Diary | Bridget Jones | |
| 2002 56th [7] | |||
| Nicole Kidman | The Hours | Virginia Woolf | |
| Halle Berry | Monster's Ball | Leticia Musgrove | |
| Salma Hayek | Frida | Frida Kahlo | |
| Meryl Streep | The Hours | Clarissa Vaughan | |
| Renée Zellweger | Chicago | Roxie Hart | |
| 2003 57th [8] | |||
| Scarlett Johansson | Lost in Translation | Charlotte | |
| Scarlett Johansson | Girl with a Pearl Earring | Griet | |
| Anne Reid | The Mother | May | |
| Uma Thurman | Kill Bill: Volume 1 | Beatrix Kiddo | |
| Naomi Watts | 21 Grams | Cristina Peck | |
| 2004 58th [9] | |||
| Imelda Staunton | Vera Drake | Vera Drake | |
| Charlize Theron | Monster | Aileen Wuornos | |
| Kate Winslet | Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind | Clementine Kruczynski | |
| Finding Neverland | Sylvia Llewelyn Davies | ||
| Zhang Ziyi | House of Flying Daggers | Mei | |
| 2005 59th [10] | |||
| Reese Witherspoon | Walk the Line | June Carter Cash | |
| Judi Dench | Mrs Henderson Presents | Laura Henderson | |
| Charlize Theron | North Country | Josey Aimes | |
| Rachel Weisz | The Constant Gardener | Tessa Abbott-Quayle | |
| Zhang Ziyi | Memoirs of a Geisha | Chiyo Sakamoto / Sayuri Nitta | |
| 2006 60th [11] | |||
| Helen Mirren | The Queen | Queen Elizabeth II | |
| Penélope Cruz | Volver | Raimunda | |
| Judi Dench | Notes on a Scandal | Barbara Covett | |
| Meryl Streep | The Devil Wears Prada | Miranda Priestly | |
| Kate Winslet | Little Children | Sarah Pierce | |
| 2007 61st [12] | |||
| Marion Cotillard | La Vie en Rose | Édith Piaf | |
| Cate Blanchett | Elizabeth: The Golden Age | Queen Elizabeth I | |
| Julie Christie | Away from Her | Fiona Anderson | |
| Keira Knightley | Atonement | Cecilia Tallis | |
| Elliot Page | Juno | Juno MacGuff | |
| 2008 62nd [13] | |||
| Kate Winslet | The Reader | Hanna Schmitz | |
| Angelina Jolie | Changeling | Christine Collins | |
| Meryl Streep | Doubt | Sister Aloysius Beauvier | |
| Kristin Scott Thomas | I've Loved You So Long | Juliette Fontaine | |
| Kate Winslet | Revolutionary Road | April Wheeler | |
| 2009 63rd [14] | |||
| Carey Mulligan | An Education | Jenny Mellor | |
| Saoirse Ronan | The Lovely Bones | Susie Salmon | |
| Gabourey Sidibe | Precious | Claireece "Precious" Jones | |
| Meryl Streep | Julie & Julia | Julia Child | |
| Audrey Tautou | Coco Before Chanel | Coco Chanel |
2010s[]
| Year | Actress | Film | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 64th [15] | |||
| Natalie Portman | Black Swan | Nina Sayers | |
| Annette Bening | The Kids Are All Right | Dr. Nicole "Nic" Allgood | |
| Julianne Moore | Jules Allgood | ||
| Noomi Rapace | The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo | Lisbeth Salander | |
| Hailee Steinfeld | True Grit | Mattie Ross | |
| 2011 65th [16] | |||
| Meryl Streep | The Iron Lady | Margaret Thatcher | |
| Bérénice Bejo | The Artist | Peppy Miller | |
| Viola Davis | The Help | Aibleen Clark | |
| Tilda Swinton | We Need to Talk About Kevin | Eva Khatchadourian | |
| Michelle Williams | My Week with Marilyn | Marilyn Monroe | |
| 2012 66th [17] | |||
| Emmanuelle Riva | Amour | Anne Laurent | |
| Jessica Chastain | Zero Dark Thirty | Maya Harris | |
| Marion Cotillard | Rust and Bone | Stéphanie | |
| Jennifer Lawrence | Silver Linings Playbook | Tiffany Maxwell | |
| Helen Mirren | Hitchcock | Alma Reville Hitchcock | |
| 2013 67th [18] | |||
| Cate Blanchett | Blue Jasmine | Jeanette "Jasmine" Francis | |
| Amy Adams | American Hustle | Sydney Prosser / Lady Edith Greensly | |
| Sandra Bullock | Gravity | Dr. Ryan Stone | |
| Judi Dench | Philomena | Philomena Lee | |
| Emma Thompson | Saving Mr. Banks | P. L. Travers | |
| 2014 68th [19] | |||
| Julianne Moore | Still Alice | Dr. Alice Howland | |
| Amy Adams | Big Eyes | Margaret Keane | |
| Felicity Jones | The Theory of Everything | Jane Wilde Hawking | |
| Rosamund Pike | Gone Girl | Amy Elliott-Dunne | |
| Reese Witherspoon | Wild | Cheryl Strayed | |
| 2015 69th [20] | |||
| Brie Larson | Room | Joy "Ma" Newsome | |
| Cate Blanchett | Carol | Carol Aird | |
| Saoirse Ronan | Brooklyn | Eilis Lacey | |
| Maggie Smith | The Lady in the Van | Mary Shepherd / Margaret Fairchild | |
| Alicia Vikander | The Danish Girl | Gerda Wegener | |
| 2016 70th [21] | |||
| Emma Stone | La La Land | Mia Dolan | |
| Amy Adams | Arrival | Dr. Louise Banks | |
| Emily Blunt | The Girl on the Train | Rachel Watson | |
| Natalie Portman | Jackie | Jackie Kennedy | |
| Meryl Streep | Florence Foster Jenkins | Florence Foster Jenkins | |
| 2017 71st [22] | |||
| Frances McDormand | Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri | Mildred Hayes | |
| Annette Bening | Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool | Gloria Grahame | |
| Sally Hawkins | The Shape of Water | Elisa Esposito | |
| Margot Robbie | I, Tonya | Tonya Harding | |
| Saoirse Ronan | Lady Bird | Christine "Lady Bird" McPherson | |
| 2018 72nd [23]
| |||
| Olivia Colman | The Favourite | Queen Anne | |
| Glenn Close | The Wife | Joan Castleman | |
| Viola Davis | Widows | Veronica Rawlings | |
| Lady Gaga | A Star Is Born | Ally Maine | |
| Melissa McCarthy | Can You Ever Forgive Me? | Lee Israel | |
| 2019 73rd [24] | |||
| Renée Zellweger | Judy | Judy Garland | |
| Jessie Buckley | Wild Rose | Rose-Lynn Harlan | |
| Scarlett Johansson | Marriage Story | Nicole Barber | |
| Saoirse Ronan | Little Women | Josephine "Jo" March | |
| Charlize Theron | Bombshell | Megyn Kelly |
2020s[]
| Year | Actress | Film | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 74th [25] | |||
| Frances McDormand | Nomadland | Fern | |
| Bukky Bakray | Rocks | Olushola "Rocks" Omotoso | |
| Radha Blank | The Forty-Year-Old Version | Radha Blank | |
| Vanessa Kirby | Pieces of a Woman | Martha Weiss | |
| Wunmi Mosaku | His House | Rial Majur | |
| Alfre Woodard | Clemency | Bernardine Williams |
Note: Between 1964–1973, several actresses were nominated for multiple performances in a single year, these each count as one nomination.[26] Scarlett Johansson's two mentions in 2003 count as two separate nominations.[27] The two mentions received by Kate Winslet in both 2004 and 2008 count as two separate nominations each time.
Note: The 2013 ceremony was the first time in the history of BAFTA that two French actresses were nominated for French-language performances in this category: Marion Cotillard for Rust and Bone and Emmanuelle Riva for Amour; the latter won.[28]
Superlatives[]
| Superlative | Best Actress in a Leading Role | Best Supporting Actress | Overall | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Actress with most awards | Maggie Smith | 4 | Judi Dench | 3 | Judi Dench Maggie Smith |
5 |
| Actress with most British Actress Awards (until 1967) | Audrey Hepburn | 3 | — | — | Audrey Hepburn | 3 |
| Actress with most Foreign Actress Awards (until 1967) | Simone Signoret | 3 | — | — | Simone Signoret | 3 |
| Actress with most nominations | Meryl Streep | 12 | Judi Dench | 9 | Meryl Streep | 15 |
| Actress with most British Actress Award nominations (until 1967) | Audrey Hepburn | 5 | — | — | Audrey Hepburn | 5 |
| Actress with most Foreign Actress Award nominations (until 1967) | Shirley MacLaine | 5 | — | — | Shirley MacLaine | 5 |
Note: Meryl Streep and Judi Dench tie for the record of a total of 15 BAFTA Film nominations, with Streep having 12 Best Actress nominations and 3 Best Supporting Actress nominations. Dench has 5 Best Actress nominations and 9 Best Supporting Actress nominations. Dench's 15th nomination is for Best Newcomer in 1966 (which she won). This gives her 6 BAFTA Film wins. In addition, she has won 4 BAFTA TV awards (from 12 nominations). In total, she has received 27 BAFTA Film & TV nominations with 10 wins. In 2001, Dench also received an honorary BAFTA: The BAFTA Fellowship.
Note: Maggie Smith has a total of 13 BAFTA Film nominations, for Best Actress (8), Best Supporting Actress (4) and Best Newcomer (1), winning 5. She also has 5 BAFTA TV nominations. This gives her a total of 18 BAFTA Film and TV nominations. In addition, Smith has received two honorary awards: The BAFTA Special Award (1993) and BAFTA Fellowship (1996).
Multiple nominations[]
- 12 nominations
- Meryl Streep
- 8 nominations
- Maggie Smith
- 7 nominations
- Anne Bancroft
- Shirley MacLaine
- 6 nominations
- Julie Christie
- Jane Fonda
- Simone Signoret
- 5 nominations
- Judi Dench
- Audrey Hepburn
- Katharine Hepburn
- Kate Winslet
- 4 nominations
- Cate Blanchett
- Deborah Kerr
- Helen Mirren
- Saoirse Ronan
- Emma Thompson
- Joanne Woodward
- 3 nominations
- Amy Adams
- Stéphane Audran
- Annette Bening
- Edith Evans
- Mia Farrow
- Ava Gardner
- Glenda Jackson
- Scarlett Johansson
- Diane Keaton
- Nicole Kidman
- Frances McDormand
- Sarah Miles
- Julianne Moore
- Sissy Spacek
- Elizabeth Taylor
- Charlize Theron
- Emily Watson
- Renée Zellweger
- 2 nominations
- Anouk Aimée
- Julie Andrews
- Peggy Ashcroft
- Leslie Caron
- Glenn Close
- Marion Cotillard
- Judy Davis
- Viola Davis
- Faye Dunaway
- Jodie Foster
- Goldie Hawn
- Susan Hayward
- Judy Holliday
- Celia Johnson
- Grace Kelly
- Anna Magnani
- Giulietta Masina
- Virginia McKenna
- Melina Mercouri
- Hayley Mills
- Yvonne Mitchell
- Marilyn Monroe
- Jeanne Moreau
- Patricia Neal
- Natalie Portman
- Emmanuelle Riva
- Julia Roberts
- Rachel Roberts
- Susan Sarandon
- Maria Schell
- Kristin Scott Thomas
- Jean Simmons
- Barbra Streisand
- Sylvia Syms
- Jessica Tandy
- Audrey Tautou
- Uma Thurman
- Rita Tushingham
- Liv Ullmann
- Julie Walters
- Reese Witherspoon
- Ziyi Zhang
Multiple wins[]
|
|
See also[]
- Academy Award for Best Actress
- Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Actress
- Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead
- Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama
- Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical
- BIFA Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a British Independent Film
- Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
References[]
- ^ "BAFTA Awards".
- ^ "BAFTA Awards".
- ^ "American Beauty shines at Baftas". BBC News. 9 April 2000. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
- ^ "Gladiator, Crouching Tiger do battle in Bafta nominations". The Guardian. 31 January 2001. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
- ^ "Gladiator conquers the Baftas". BBC News. 25 February 2001. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
- ^ "'Lord of the Rings' dominates BAFTAs, wins best film award". The Irish Times. 22 February 2002. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
- ^ Hernandez, Eugene (24 February 2003). "Top BAFTA Awards For "The Pianist"". Indiewire. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
- ^ "Rings rule at Bafta film awards". BBC News. 16 February 2004. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
- ^ "Aviator flies off with Bafta for Best Film". The Scotsman. 13 February 2005. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
- ^ Hernandez, Eugene (20 February 2006). ""Brokeback Mountain" Wins 4 BAFTA Awards, Including Best Picture". Indiewire. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
- ^ "Baftas 2007: The winners". BBC News. 11 February 2007. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
- ^ Dawtrey, Adam (10 February 2008). "'Atonement' tops BAFTA Awards". Variety. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
- ^ Turner, Mimi (8 February 2009). "'Slumdog Millionaire' wins 7 BAFTA nods". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
- ^ King, Susan (21 February 2010). "'Hurt Locker' wins big at BAFTA Awards". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
- ^ Brown, Mark (14 February 2011). "Baftas 2011: The King's Speech sweeps the board". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
- ^ Reynolds, Simon (12 February 2012). "Orange BAFTA Film Awards 2012 winners list - in full". Digital Spy. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
- ^ Brooks, Xan (11 February 2013). "Baftas 2013 – as it happened". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
- ^ "Baftas: Gravity and 12 Years a Slave share glory". BBC News. 17 February 2014. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
- ^ Brown, Mark (8 February 2015). "Baftas 2015: Boyhood wins top honours but Grand Budapest Hotel checks out with most". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
- ^ Lodderhose, Diana (14 February 2016). "'The Revenant,' Leonardo DiCaprio Dominate BAFTA Awards". Variety. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
- ^ Grater, Tom. "Baftas 2017: 'La La Land' scoops five as 'Moonlight', 'Nocturnal Animals' are shutout". Screendaily. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
- ^ "Bafta Film Awards 2018: Three Billboards wins top prizes". BBC. 19 February 2018. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
- ^ Nordine, Michael (10 February 2019). "BAFTA Awards 2019: 'Roma' Wins Best Film as 'The Favourite' Takes Home the Most Prizes". Indiewire. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
- ^ "Baftas 2020: Sam Mendes film 1917 dominates awards". BBC. 2 February 2020. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
- ^ Shoard, Catherine (12 April 2021). "Baftas 2021: Nomadland wins big as Promising Young Woman and Anthony Hopkins surprise". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
- ^ "[award_type] in [year] | BAFTA Awards". Archived from the original on 24 December 2013. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
- ^ "[award_type] in [year] | BAFTA Awards". Archived from the original on 24 December 2013. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
- ^ "Film | Leading Actress in 2013".
External links[]
Categories:
- British Academy Film Awards
- Best Actress BAFTA Award winners
- Film awards for lead actress