# Empire Award for Best Actress

The Empire Award for Best Actress was an Empire Award presented annually by the British film magazine Empire to honor an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role, while working within the film industry. The Empire Award for Best Actress was one of five ongoing awards which were first introduced at the 1st Empire Awards ceremony in 1996 (the others being Best Actor, Best Director, Best Film, and Best British Film), with Nicole Kidman receiving the award for her role in To Die For. Winners were chosen by the readers of Empire magazine.
Since its inception, the award was given to 20 actresses. Nicole Kidman has received the most awards in this category, with two awards. Cate Blanchett and Nicole Kidman were nominated on five occasions, more than any other actress. Daisy Ridley was the most recent winner in this category, for her role in Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

## Winners and nominees

In the list below, winners are listed first in the colored row in boldface, followed by the other nominees. The number of the ceremony (1st, 2nd, etc.) appears in parentheses after the awards year, linked to the article (if any) on that ceremony.
Table key :
| Key | Description |
| | Indicates the winner |

### 1990s

| Year | Actress | Character | Film |
| 1996 (1st) | Nicole Kidman | Suzanne Stone-Maretto | To Die For |
| 1997 (2nd) | Frances McDormand | Marge Gunderson | Fargo |
| 1998 (3rd) | Joan Allen | Elizabeth Proctor | The Crucible |
| 1999 (4th) | Cate Blanchett | Queen Elizabeth I | Elizabeth |
| 1999 (4th) | Gwyneth Paltrow | Helen Quilley | Sliding Doors |
| 1999 (4th) | Helen Hunt | Carol Connelly | As Good as It Gets |
| 1999 (4th) | Jennifer Lopez | Karen Sisco | Out of Sight |
| 1999 (4th) | Pam Grier | Jackie Brown | Jackie Brown |

### 2000s

| Year | Actress | Character | Film | Ref. |
| 2000 (5th) | Gwyneth Paltrow | Viola de Lesseps | Shakespeare in Love | |
| 2000 (5th) | Nicole Kidman | Alice Harford | Eyes Wide Shut | |
| 2000 (5th) | Rene Russo | Catherine Banning | The Thomas Crown Affair | |
| 2000 (5th) | Sophie Marceau | Elektra King | The World Is Not Enough | |
| 2000 (5th) | Toni Collette | Lynn Sear | The Sixth Sense | |
| 2001 (6th) | Connie Nielsen | Lucilla | Gladiator | |
| 2001 (6th) | Angelina Jolie | Lisa Rowe | Girl, Interrupted | |
| 2001 (6th) | Hilary Swank | Brandon Teena | Boys Don't Cry | |
| 2001 (6th) | Julia Roberts | Erin Brockovich | Erin Brockovich | |
| 2001 (6th) | Kate Winslet | Madeleine "Maddy" LeClerc | Quills | |
| 2002 (7th) | Nicole Kidman | Satine | Moulin Rouge! | [10][11] [12] |
| 2002 (7th) | Audrey Tautou | Amélie Poulain | Amélie | [10][11] [12] |
| 2002 (7th) | Frances O'Connor | Monica Swinton | A.I. Artificial Intelligence | [10][11] [12] |
| 2002 (7th) | Nicole Kidman | Grace Stewart | The Others | [10][11] [12] |
| 2002 (7th) | Renée Zellweger | Bridget Jones | Bridget Jones's Diary | [10][11] [12] |
| 2003 (8th) | Kirsten Dunst | Mary Jane Watson | Spider-Man | |
| 2003 (8th) | Halle Berry | Giacinta "Jinx" Johnson | Die Another Day | |
| 2003 (8th) | Hilary Swank | Det. Ellie Burr | Insomnia | |
| 2003 (8th) | Jennifer Connelly | Alicia Nash | A Beautiful Mind | |
| 2003 (8th) | Miranda Otto | Éowyn | The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers | |
| 2004 (9th) | Uma Thurman | The Bride | Kill Bill: Volume 1 | |
| 2004 (9th) | Cate Blanchett | Veronica Guerin | Veronica Guerin | |
| 2004 (9th) | Julianne Moore | Cathy Whitaker | Far from Heaven | |
| 2004 (9th) | Maggie Gyllenhaal | Lee Holloway | Secretary | |
| 2004 (9th) | Nicole Kidman | Ada Monroe | Cold Mountain | |
| 2005 (10th) | Julie Delpy | Céline | Before Sunset | |
| 2005 (10th) | Bryce Dallas Howard | Ivy Elizabeth Walker | The Village | |
| 2005 (10th) | Cate Blanchett | Katharine Hepburn | The Aviator | |
| 2005 (10th) | Kirsten Dunst | Mary Jane Watson | Spider-Man 2 | |
| 2005 (10th) | Uma Thurman | The Bride / Beatrix Kiddo | Kill Bill: Volume 2 | |
| 2006 (11th) | Thandiwe Newton | Christine Thayer | Crash | [16][17] [18] |
| 2006 (11th) | Hilary Swank | Mary Margaret "Maggie" Fitzgerald | Million Dollar Baby | [16][17] [18] |
| 2006 (11th) | Keira Knightley | Elizabeth Bennet | Pride & Prejudice | [16][17] [18] |
| 2006 (11th) | Naomi Watts | Ann Darrow | King Kong | [16][17] [18] |
| 2006 (11th) | Renée Zellweger | Mae Braddock | Cinderella Man | [16][17] [18] |
| 2007 (12th) | Penélope Cruz | Raimunda | Volver | |
| 2007 (12th) | Helen Mirren | Queen Elizabeth II | The Queen | |
| 2007 (12th) | Kate Winslet | Sarah Pierce | Little Children | |
| 2007 (12th) | Keira Knightley | Elizabeth Swann | Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest | |
| 2007 (12th) | Reese Witherspoon | June Carter | Walk the Line | |
| 2008 (13th) | Keira Knightley | Cecilia Tallis | Atonement | |
| 2008 (13th) | Angelina Jolie | Mariane Pearl | A Mighty Heart | |
| 2008 (13th) | Cate Blanchett | Queen Elizabeth I | Elizabeth: The Golden Age | |
| 2008 (13th) | Emma Watson | Hermione Granger | Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix | |
| 2008 (13th) | Katherine Heigl | Alison Scott | Knocked Up | |
| 2009 (14th) | Helena Bonham Carter | Mrs. Lovett | Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street | |
| 2009 (14th) | Angelina Jolie | Christine Collins | Changeling | |
| 2009 (14th) | Elliot Page | Juno MacGuff | Juno | |
| 2009 (14th) | Olga Kurylenko | Camille Montes | Quantum of Solace | |
| 2009 (14th) | Sally Hawkins | Pauline "Poppy" Cross | Happy-Go-Lucky | |

### 2010s

| Year | Actress | Character | Film |
| 2010 (15th) | Zoe Saldana | Neytiri | Avatar |
| 2010 (15th) | Anne-Marie Duff | Julia Lennon | Nowhere Boy |
| 2010 (15th) | Carey Mulligan | Jenny Mellor | An Education |
| 2010 (15th) | Emily Blunt | Queen Victoria | The Young Victoria |
| 2010 (15th) | Mélanie Laurent | Shosanna Dreyfus / Emmanuelle Mimieux | Inglourious Basterds |
| 2011 (16th) | Noomi Rapace | Lisbeth Salander | The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo |
| 2011 (16th) | Emma Watson | Hermione Granger | Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 |
| 2011 (16th) | Helena Bonham Carter | Queen Elizabeth | The King's Speech |
| 2011 (16th) | Natalie Portman | Nina Sayers / The Swan Queen | Black Swan |
| 2011 (16th) | Olivia Williams | Ruth Lang | The Ghost Writer |
| 2012 (17th) | Olivia Colman | Hannah | Tyrannosaur |
| 2012 (17th) | Carey Mulligan | Irene | Drive |
| 2012 (17th) | Meryl Streep | Margaret Thatcher | The Iron Lady |
| 2012 (17th) | Michelle Williams | Marilyn Monroe | My Week with Marilyn |
| 2012 (17th) | Rooney Mara | Lisbeth Salander | The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo |
| 2013 (18th) | Jennifer Lawrence | Katniss Everdeen | The Hunger Games |
| 2013 (18th) | Anne Hathaway | Selina Kyle / Catwoman | The Dark Knight Rises |
| 2013 (18th) | Jessica Chastain | Maya | Zero Dark Thirty |
| 2013 (18th) | Judi Dench | M | Skyfall |
| 2013 (18th) | Naomi Watts | Maria Bennett | The Impossible |
| 2014 (19th) | Emma Thompson | P. L. Travers | Saving Mr. Banks |
| 2014 (19th) | Amy Adams | Sydney Prosser | American Hustle |
| 2014 (19th) | Cate Blanchett | Jeanette "Jasmine" Francis | Blue Jasmine |
| 2014 (19th) | Jennifer Lawrence | Katniss Everdeen | The Hunger Games: Catching Fire |
| 2014 (19th) | Sandra Bullock | Dr. Ryan Stone | Gravity |
| 2015 (20th) | Rosamund Pike | Amy Elliott Dunne | Gone Girl |
| 2015 (20th) | Alicia Vikander | Ava | Ex Machina |
| 2015 (20th) | Emily Blunt | Sergeant Rita Vrataski | Edge of Tomorrow |
| 2015 (20th) | Felicity Jones | Jane Hawking | The Theory of Everything |
| 2015 (20th) | Keira Knightley | Joan Clarke | The Imitation Game |
| 2016 (21st) | Alicia Vikander | Gerda Wegener | The Danish Girl |
| 2016 (21st) | Emily Blunt | Kate Macer | Sicario |
| 2016 (21st) | Brie Larson | Joy "Ma" Newsome | Room |
| 2016 (21st) | Jennifer Lawrence | Katniss Everdeen | The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 |
| 2016 (21st) | Charlize Theron | Imperator Furiosa | Mad Max: Fury Road |
| 2017 (22nd) | Felicity Jones | Jyn Erso | Rogue One: A Star Wars Story |
| 2017 (22nd) | Emma Stone | Mia Dolan | La La Land |
| 2017 (22nd) | Ruth Negga | Mildred Loving | Loving |
| 2017 (22nd) | Natalie Portman | Jacqueline "Jackie" Kennedy | Jackie |
| 2017 (22nd) | Amy Adams | Louise Banks | Arrival |
| 2018 (23rd) | Daisy Ridley | Rey | Star Wars: The Last Jedi |
| 2018 (23rd) | Gal Gadot | Diana Prince / Wonder Woman | Wonder Woman |
| 2018 (23rd) | Frances McDormand | Mildred Hayes | Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri |
| 2018 (23rd) | Tiffany Haddish | Dina | Girls Trip |
| 2018 (23rd) | Emma Watson | Belle | Beauty and the Beast |

## Multiple awards and nominations
### Multiple awards

The following individual received two or more Best Actress awards:
| Awards | Film |
| 2 | Nicole Kidman |

### Multiple nominations

The following individuals received two or more Best Actress nominations:
| Nominations | Film |
| 5 | Cate Blanchett |
| 5 | Nicole Kidman |
| 4 | Keira Knightley |
| 3 | Angelina Jolie |
| 3 | Emily Blunt |
| 3 | Emma Watson |
| 3 | Hilary Swank |
| 3 | Jennifer Lawrence |
| 2 | Alicia Vikander |
| 2 | Amy Adams |
| 2 | Carey Mulligan |
| 2 | Felicity Jones |
| 2 | Frances McDormand |
| 2 | Gwyneth Paltrow |
| 2 | Helena Bonham Carter |
| 2 | Kate Winslet |
| 2 | Kirsten Dunst |
| 2 | Naomi Watts |
| 2 | Natalie Portman |
| 2 | Renée Zellweger |
| 2 | Uma Thurman |