# European Film Award for Best Actress

The European Film Award for Best Actress is an award given out at the annual European Film Awards to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding leading performance in a film industry. The awards are presented by the European Film Academy (EFA) and was first presented in 1988 to Spanish actress Carmen Maura for her role as Pepa in Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown.
Juliette Binoche, Isabelle Huppert, Carmen Maura, Charlotte Rampling, and Sandra Hüller are the only actresses who have received this award more than once, with two wins each. Penélope Cruz is the most nominated actress in the category with five nominations.

## Winners and nominees
### 1980s

| Year | Winner and nominees | English title | Original title | Character |
| 1988 (1st) | Carmen Maura | Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown | Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios | Pepa Marcos |
| 1988 (1st) | Tinna Gunnlaugsdóttir | In the Shadow of the Raven | Í skugga hrafnsins | Isold |
| 1988 (1st) | Ornella Muti | Private Access | Codice privato | Anna |
| 1988 (1st) | Carol Scanlan | Reefer and the Model | Reefer and the Model | Teresa 'the Model' |
| 1989 (2nd) | Ruth Sheen | High Hopes | High Hopes | Shirley |
| 1989 (2nd) | Sabine Azéma | Life and Nothing But | La vie et rien d'autre | Irène de Courtil |
| 1989 (2nd) | Snežana Bogdanović | Kuduz | Kuduz | Badema Kuduz |
| 1989 (2nd) | Corinna Harfouch | Treffen in Travers | Treffen in Travers | Therese Forster |
| 1989 (2nd) | Natalya Negoda | Little Vera | Ма́ленькая Ве́ра (Malenkaya Vera) | Vera |

### 1990s

| Year | Winner and nominees | English title | Original title | Character |
| 1990 (3rd) | Carmen Maura | ¡Ay Carmela! | ¡Ay Carmela! | Carmela |
| 1990 (3rd) | Anne Brochet | Cyrano de Bergerac | Cyrano de Bergerac | Roxane |
| 1990 (3rd) | Krystyna Janda | Interrogation | Przesłuchanie | Antonina 'Tonia' Dziwisz |
| 1991 (4th) | Clotilde Courau | The Little Gangster | Le petit criminel | Nathalie |
| 1991 (4th) | Julie Delpy | Voyager | Homo Faber | Sabeth |
| 1991 (4th) | Sigríður Hagalín | Children of Nature | Börn náttúrunnar | Stella |
| 1992 (5th) | Juliette Binoche | The Lovers on the Bridge | Les amants du Pont-Neuf | Michèle |
| 1992 (5th) | Johanna ter Steege | Dear Emma, Sweet Böbe | Édes Emma, drága Böbe | Emma |
| 1992 (5th) | Barbara Sukowa | Europa | Europa | Katharina Hartmann |
| 1993 (6th) | Maia Morgenstern | The Oak | Balanta | Nela |
| 1993 (6th) | Carla Gravina | The Long Silence | Il lungo silenzio | Carla Aldrovandi |
| 1993 (6th) | Tilda Swinton | Orlando | Orlando | Orlando |
| 1994 (7th) | No award given | No award given | No award given | No award given |
| 1995 (8th) | No award given | No award given | No award given | No award given |
| 1996 (9th) | Emily Watson | Breaking the Waves | Breaking the Waves | Bess McNeill |
| 1997 (10th) | Juliette Binoche | The English Patient | The English Patient | Hana |
| 1997 (10th) | Katrin Cartlidge | Career Girls | Career Girls | Hannah Mills |
| 1997 (10th) | Brigitte Roüan | Post Coitum | Post coïtum animal triste | Diane Clovier |
| 1997 (10th) | Emma Thompson | The Winter Guest | The Winter Guest | Frances |
| 1998 (11th) | Elodie Bouchez Natacha Régnier | The Dreamlife of Angels | La vie rêvée des anges | Isabelle 'Isa' Tostin Marie Thomas |
| 1998 (11th) | Dinara Drukarova | Of Freaks and Men | Про уродов и людей (Pro urodov i lyudey) | Liza |
| 1998 (11th) | Annet Malherbe | Little Tony | Kleine Teun | Keet |
| 1999 (12th) | Cecilia Roth | All About My Mother | Todo sobre mi madre | Manuela Echevarria |
| 1999 (12th) | Nathalie Baye | A Pornographic Affair | Une liaison pornographique | Her |
| 1999 (12th) | Penélope Cruz | The Girl of Your Dreams | La niña de tus ojos | Macarena Granada |
| 1999 (12th) | Emilie Dequenne | Rosetta | Rosetta | Rosetta |
| 1999 (12th) | Iben Hjejle | Mifune's Last Song | Mifune | Liva |

### 2000s

| Year | Winner and nominees | English title | Original title | Character | Ref |
| 2000 (13th) | Björk | Dancer in the Dark | Dancer in the Dark | Selma Ježková | [13] [14] |
| 2000 (13th) | Bibiana Beglau | The Legend of Rita | Die Stille nach dem Schuß | Rita Vogt | [13] [14] |
| 2000 (13th) | Lena Endre | Faithless | Trolösa | Marianne | [13] [14] |
| 2000 (13th) | Sylvie Testud | La Captive | La Captive | Ariane | [13] [14] |
| 2000 (13th) | Julie Walters | Billy Elliot | Billy Elliot | Sandra Wilkinson | [13] [14] |
| 2001 (14th) | Isabelle Huppert | The Piano Teacher | La pianiste | Erika Kohut | [15] [16] |
| 2001 (14th) | Ariane Ascaride | The Town Is Quiet | La ville est tranquille | Michèle | [15] [16] |
| 2001 (14th) | Laura Morante | The Son's Room | La stanza del figlio | Paola | [15] [16] |
| 2001 (14th) | Charlotte Rampling | Under the Sand | Sous le sable | Marie Drillon | [15] [16] |
| 2001 (14th) | Stefania Sandrelli | The Last Kiss | L'ultimo bacio | Anna | [15] [16] |
| 2001 (14th) | Audrey Tautou | Amélie | Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain | Amélie Poulain | [15] [16] |
| 2002 (15th) | Catherine Deneuve Isabelle Huppert Emmanuelle Béart Fanny Ardant Virginie Ledoyen Danielle Darrieux Ludivine Sagnier Firmine Richard | 8 Women | 8 femmes | Gaby Augustine Louise Pierrette Suzon Mamy Catherine Madame Chanel | [17] [18] |
| 2002 (15th) | Oksana Akinshina | Lilja 4-Ever | Lilja 4-Ever | Lilya Michailova | [17] [18] |
| 2002 (15th) | Emmanuelle Devos | Read My Lips | Sur mes lèvres | Carla Behm | [17] [18] |
| 2002 (15th) | Martina Gedeck | Mostly Martha | Bella Martha | Martha Klein | [17] [18] |
| 2002 (15th) | Laura Morante | A Journey Called Love | Un viaggio chiamato amore | Sibilla Aleramo | [17] [18] |
| 2002 (15th) | Samantha Morton | Morvern Callar | Morvern Callar | Morvern Callar | [17] [18] |
| 2002 (15th) | Kati Outinen | The Man Without a Past | Mies vailla menneisyyttä | Irma | [17] [18] |
| 2003 (16th) | Charlotte Rampling | Swimming Pool | Swimming Pool | Sarah Morton | [19] [20] |
| 2003 (16th) | Diana Dumbrava | Maria | Maria | Maria | [19] [20] |
| 2003 (16th) | Helen Mirren | Calendar Girls | Calendar Girls | Chris Harper | [19] [20] |
| 2003 (16th) | Anne Reid | The Mother | The Mother | May | [19] [20] |
| 2003 (16th) | Katja Riemann | Rosenstrasse | Rosenstrasse | Lena Fischer | [19] [20] |
| 2003 (16th) | Katrin Sass | Good Bye, Lenin! | Good Bye, Lenin! | Christiane Kerner | [19] [20] |
| 2004 (17th) | Imelda Staunton | Vera Drake | Vera Drake | Vera Drake | [21] [22] |
| 2004 (17th) | / Sarah Adler | Notre musique | Notre musique | Judith Lerner | [21] [22] |
| 2004 (17th) | / Valeria Bruni Tedeschi | 5x2 | 5x2 | Marion | [21] [22] |
| 2004 (17th) | Penélope Cruz | Don't Move | Non ti muovere | Italia | [21] [22] |
| 2004 (17th) | Sibel Kekilli | Head-On | Gegen die Wand | Sibel Güner | [21] [22] |
| 2004 (17th) | Asi Levi | Stones | Avanim | Michale | [21] [22] |
| 2005 (18th) | Julia Jentsch | Sophie Scholl - The Final Days | Sophie Scholl – Die letzten Tage | Sophia Magdalena 'Sophie' Scholl | [23] [24] |
| 2005 (18th) | Juliette Binoche | Caché | Caché | Anne Laurent | [23] [24] |
| 2005 (18th) | Sandra Ceccarelli | The Life I Want | La vita che vorrei | Laura / Eleonora | [23] [24] |
| 2005 (18th) | Natalie Press | My Summer of Love | My Summer of Love | Mona | [23] [24] |
| 2005 (18th) | Connie Nielsen | Brothers | Brødre | Sarah | [23] [24] |
| 2005 (18th) | Judi Dench Maggie Smith | Ladies in Lavender | Ladies in Lavender | Ursula Widdington Janet Widdington | [23] [24] |
| 2005 (18th) | Audrey Tautou | A Very Long Engagement | Un long dimanche de fiançailles | Mathilde Donnay | [23] [24] |
| 2006 (19th) | Penélope Cruz | Volver | Volver | Raimunda | [25] [26] |
| 2006 (19th) | Nathalie Baye | The Young Lieutenant | Le petit lieutenant | Caroline Vaudieu | [25] [26] |
| 2006 (19th) | Martina Gedeck | The Lives Of Others | Das Leben der Anderen | Christa-Maria Sieland | [25] [26] |
| 2006 (19th) | Sandra Hüller | Requiem | Requiem | Michaela Klingler | [25] [26] |
| 2006 (19th) | Mirjana Karanović | Grbavica | Grbavica | Esma Halilović | [25] [26] |
| 2006 (19th) | Sarah Polley | The Secret Life of Words | The Secret Life of Words | Hanna | [25] [26] |
| 2007 (20th) | Helen Mirren | The Queen | The Queen | Queen Elizabeth II | [27] [28] |
| 2007 (20th) | Marion Cotillard | La Vie en Rose | La môme | Édith Piaf | [27] [28] |
| 2007 (20th) | Marianne Faithfull | Irina Palm | Irina Palm | Maggie | [27] [28] |
| 2007 (20th) | Carice van Houten | Black Book | Zwartboek | Rachel Stein | [27] [28] |
| 2007 (20th) | Anamaria Marinca | 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days | 4 luni, 3 saptamani si 2 zile | Otilia Mihartescu | [27] [28] |
| 2007 (20th) | Kseniya Rappoport | The Unknown Woman | La sconosciuta | Irena | [27] [28] |
| 2008 (21st) | / Kristin Scott Thomas | I've Loved You So Long | Il y a longtemps que je t'aime | Juliette Fontaine | [29] [30] |
| 2008 (21st) | / Hiam Abbass | Lemon Tree | Etz Limon | Salma Zidane | [29] [30] |
| 2008 (21st) | / Arta Dobroshi | Lorna's Silence | Le silence de Lorna | Lorna | [29] [30] |
| 2008 (21st) | Sally Hawkins | Happy-Go-Lucky | Happy-Go-Lucky | Pauline "Poppy" Cross | [29] [30] |
| 2008 (21st) | Belén Rueda | The Orphanage | El orfanato | Laura | [29] [30] |
| 2008 (21st) | Ursula Werner | Cloud Nine | Wolke Neun | Inge | [29] [30] |
| 2009 (22nd) | Kate Winslet | The Reader | The Reader | Hanna Schmitz | [31] [32] |
| 2009 (22nd) | Penélope Cruz | Broken Embraces | Los abrazos rotos | Magdalena "Lena" Rivas | [31] [32] |
| 2009 (22nd) | / Charlotte Gainsbourg | Antichrist | Antichrist | She | [31] [32] |
| 2009 (22nd) | Katie Jarvis | Fish Tank | Fish Tank | Mia Williams | [31] [32] |
| 2009 (22nd) | Yolande Moreau | Séraphine | Séraphine | Séraphine Louis | [31] [32] |
| 2009 (22nd) | Noomi Rapace | The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo | Män som hatar kvinnor | Lisbeth Salander | [31] [32] |

### 2010s

| Year | Winner and nominees | English title | Original title | Character | Ref |
| 2010 (23rd) | Sylvie Testud | Lourdes | Lourdes | Christine | [33] [34] |
| 2010 (23rd) | Zrinka Cvitešić | On the Path | Na putu | Luna | [33] [34] |
| 2010 (23rd) | Sibel Kekilli | When We Leave | Die Fremde | Umay | [33] [34] |
| 2010 (23rd) | Lesley Manville | Another Year | Another Year | Mary Smith | [33] [34] |
| 2010 (23rd) | Lotte Verbeek | Nothing Personal | Nothing Personal | Annie | [33] [34] |
| 2011 (24th) | Tilda Swinton | We Need to Talk About Kevin | We Need to Talk About Kevin | Eva Khatchadourian | [35] [36] |
| 2011 (24th) | Cécile de France | The Kid with a Bike | Le gamin au vélo | Samantha | [35] [36] |
| 2011 (24th) | / Kirsten Dunst | Melancholia | Melancholia | Justine | [35] [36] |
| 2011 (24th) | / Charlotte Gainsbourg | Melancholia | Melancholia | Claire | [35] [36] |
| 2011 (24th) | Nadezhda Markina | Elena | Елена | Elena | [35] [36] |
| 2012 (25th) | Emmanuelle Riva | Amour | Amour | Anne Laurent | [37] [38] |
| 2012 (25th) | Émilie Dequenne | Our Children | À perdre la raison | Murielle | [37] [38] |
| 2012 (25th) | Nina Hoss | Barbara | Barbara | Barbara Wolff | [37] [38] |
| 2012 (25th) | Margarethe Tiesel | Paradise: Love | Paradies: Liebe | Teresa | [37] [38] |
| 2012 (25th) | Kate Winslet | Carnage | Carnage | Nancy Cowan | [37] [38] |
| 2013 (26th) | Veerle Baetens | The Broken Circle Breakdown | The Broken Circle Breakdown | Elise Vandevelde / Alabama | [39] [40] |
| 2013 (26th) | Luminița Gheorghiu | Child's Pose | Poziția copilului | Cornelia Keneres | [39] [40] |
| 2013 (26th) | Keira Knightley | Anna Karenina | Anna Karenina | Anna Arkadievna Karenina | [39] [40] |
| 2013 (26th) | Barbara Sukowa | Hannah Arendt | Hannah Arendt | Hannah Arendt | [39] [40] |
| 2013 (26th) | / Naomi Watts | The Impossible | Lo Imposible | María | [39] [40] |
| 2014 (27th) | Marion Cotillard | Two Days, One Night | Deux jours, une nuit | Sandra Bya | [41] [42] |
| 2014 (27th) | Marian Álvarez | Wounded | La herida | Ana | [41] [42] |
| 2014 (27th) | / Charlotte Gainsbourg | Nymphomaniac | Nymphomaniac | Joe | [41] [42] |
| 2014 (27th) | / Valeria Bruni Tedeschi | Human Capital | Il capitale umano | Carla Bernaschi | [41] [42] |
| 2014 (27th) | Agata Kulesza | Ida | Ida | Wanda Gruz | [41] [42] |
| 2014 (27th) | Agata Trzebuchowska | Ida | Ida | Anna / Ida Lebenstein | [41] [42] |
| 2015 (28th) | Charlotte Rampling | 45 Years | 45 Years | Kate Mercer | [43] [44] |
| 2015 (28th) | Margherita Buy | Mia Madre | Mia Madre | Margherita | [43] [44] |
| 2015 (28th) | Laia Costa | Victoria | Victoria | Victoria | [43] [44] |
| 2015 (28th) | Alicia Vikander | Ex Machina | Ex Machina | Ava | [43] [44] |
| 2015 (28th) | / Rachel Weisz | Youth | Youth | Lena Ballinger | [43] [44] |
| 2016 (29th) | Sandra Hüller | Toni Erdmann | Toni Erdmann | Ines Conradi | [45] [46] |
| 2016 (29th) | Valeria Bruni Tedeschi | Like Crazy | La pazza gioia | Beatrice Morandini Valdirana | [45] [46] |
| 2016 (29th) | Trine Dyrholm | The Commune | Kollektivet | Anna | [45] [46] |
| 2016 (29th) | Isabelle Huppert | Elle | Elle | Michèle Leblanc | [45] [46] |
| 2016 (29th) | Emma Suárez Adriana Ugarte | Julieta | Julieta | Julieta Arcos Younger Julieta Arcos | [45] [46] |
| 2017 (30th) | Alexandra Borbély | On Body and Soul | Testről és lélekről | Mária | [47] [48] |
| 2017 (30th) | Juliette Binoche | Let the Sunshine In | Un beau soleil intérieur | Isabelle | [47] [48] |
| 2017 (30th) | Paula Beer | Frantz | Frantz | Anna | [47] [48] |
| 2017 (30th) | Isabelle Huppert | Happy End | Happy End | Anne Laurent | [47] [48] |
| 2017 (30th) | Florence Pugh | Lady Macbeth | Lady Macbeth | Katherine Lester | [47] [48] |
| 2018 (31st) | Joanna Kulig | Cold War | Zimna wojna | Zuzanna "Zula" Lichoń | [49] [50] |
| 2018 (31st) | Marie Bäumer | 3 Days in Quiberon | 3 Tage in Quiberon | Romy Schneider | [49] [50] |
| 2018 (31st) | Halldóra Geirharðsdóttir | Woman at War | Kona fer í stríð | Halla | [49] [50] |
| 2018 (31st) | Bárbara Lennie | Petra | Petra | Petra | [49] [50] |
| 2018 (31st) | Eva Melander | Border | Gräns | Tina | [49] [50] |
| 2018 (31st) | Alba Rohrwacher | Happy as Lazzaro | Lazzaro felice | Antonia | [49] [50] |
| 2019 (32nd) | Olivia Colman | The Favourite | The Favourite | Queen Anne | [51] [52] |
| 2019 (32nd) | Trine Dyrholm | Queen of Hearts | Dronningen | Anne | [51] [52] |
| 2019 (32nd) | Adèle Haenel Noémie Merlant | Portrait of a Lady on Fire | Portrait de la jeune fille en feu | Héloïse Marianne | [51] [52] |
| 2019 (32nd) | Viktoria Miroshnichenko | Beanpole | Дылда (Dylda) | Beanpole | [51] [52] |
| 2019 (32nd) | Helena Zengel | System Crasher | Systemsprenger | Bernadette | [51] [52] |

### 2020s

| Year | Winner and nominees | English title | Original title | Character | Ref |
| 2020 (33rd) | Paula Beer | Undine | Undine | Undine Wibeau | [53] [54] |
| 2020 (33rd) | Natasha Berezhnaya | DAU. Natasha | ДАУ. Наташа | Natasha | [53] [54] |
| 2020 (33rd) | Andrea Bræin Hovig | Hope | Håp | Anja | [53] [54] |
| 2020 (33rd) | Nina Hoss | My Little Sister | Schwesterlein | Lisa | [53] [54] |
| 2020 (33rd) | Marta Nieto | Mother | Madre | Elena | [53] [54] |
| 2020 (33rd) | Ane Dahl Torp | Charter | Charter | Alice | [53] [54] |
| 2021 (34th) | Jasna Đuričić | Quo Vadis, Aida? | Quo Vadis, Aida? | Aida Selmanagić | [55] [56] |
| 2021 (34th) | Seidi Haarla | Compartment No. 6 | Hytti nro 6 | Laura | [55] [56] |
| 2021 (34th) | Carey Mulligan | Promising Young Woman | Promising Young Woman | Cassandra "Cassie" Thomas | [55] [56] |
| 2021 (34th) | Renate Reinsve | The Worst Person in the World | Verdens verste menneske | Julie | [55] [56] |
| 2021 (34th) | Agathe Rousselle | Titane | Titane | Alexia / Adrien | [55] [56] |
| 2022 (35th) | / Vicky Krieps | Corsage | Corsage | Empress Elisabeth of Austria | |
| 2022 (35th) | Penélope Cruz | Parallel Mothers | Madres Paralelas | Janis Martínez | |
| 2022 (35th) | / Zar Amir Ebrahimi | Holy Spider | Holy Spider | Arezoo Rahimi | |
| 2022 (35th) | / Meltem Kaptan | Rabiye Kurnaz vs. George W. Bush | Rabiye Kurnaz gegen George W. Bush | Rabiye Kurnaz | |
| 2022 (35th) | Léa Seydoux | One Fine Morning | Un Beau Matin | Sandra | |
| 2023 (36th) | Sandra Hüller | Anatomy of a Fall | Anatomie d'une chute | Sandra Voyter | |
| 2023 (36th) | Eka Chavleishvili | Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry | Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry | Etero | |
| 2023 (36th) | Alma Pöysti | Fallen Leaves | Kuolleet lehdet | Ansa | |
| 2023 (36th) | Mia McKenna-Bruce | How to Have Sex | How to Have Sex | Tara | |
| 2023 (36th) | Leonie Benesch | The Teachers' Lounge | Das Lehrerzimmer | Carla Nowak | |
| 2023 (36th) | Sandra Hüller | The Zone of Interest | The Zone of Interest | Hedwig Höss | |
| 2024 (37th) | Karla Sofía Gascón | Emilia Pérez | Emilia Pérez | Emilia Pérez / Juan "Manitas" Del Monte | |
| 2024 (37th) | Renate Reinsve | Armand | Armand | Elisabeth | |
| 2024 (37th) | Trine Dyrholm | The Girl with the Needle | Pigen med nålen | Dagmar Overbye | |
| 2024 (37th) | Vic Carmen Sonne | The Girl with the Needle | Pigen med nålen | Karoline | |
| 2024 (37th) | Tilda Swinton | The Room Next Door | La habitación de al lado | Martha / Michelle | |

## Multiple wins and nominations
### Multiple wins

| Wins | Actress |
| 2 | Juliette Binoche |
| 2 | Sandra Hüller |
| 2 | Isabelle Huppert |
| 2 | Carmen Maura |
| 2 | Charlotte Rampling |

### Multiple nominations

| Nominations | Actress |
| 5 | Penélope Cruz |
| 4 | Juliette Binoche |
| 4 | Sandra Hüller |
| 4 | Isabelle Huppert |
| 3 | / Valeria Bruni Tedeschi |
| 3 | Trine Dyrholm |
| 3 | / Charlotte Gainsbourg |
| 3 | Charlotte Rampling |
| 3 | Tilda Swinton |
| 2 | Nathalie Baye |
| 2 | Paula Beer |
| 2 | Marion Cotillard |
| 2 | Émilie Dequenne |
| 2 | Martina Gedeck |
| 2 | Nina Hoss |
| 2 | Sibel Kekilli |
| 2 | Carmen Maura |
| 2 | Helen Mirren |
| 2 | Laura Morante |
| 2 | Renate Reinsve |
| 2 | Barbara Sukowa |
| 2 | Audrey Tautou |
| 2 | Sylvie Testud |
| 2 | Kate Winslet |

## Superlatives
### Age superlatives

| Record | Actress | Film | Age (in years) |
| Oldest winner | Emmanuelle Riva | Amour | 85 |
| Oldest nominee | Emmanuelle Riva | Amour | 85 |
| Youngest winner | Clotilde Courau | The Little Gangster | 22 |
| Youngest nominee | Helena Zengel | System Crasher | 11 |

### Multiple nominations from the same film

| Year | Actress | Film |
| 1998 | Elodie Bouchez and Natacha Regnier | The Dreamlife of Angels |
| 2002 | Fanny Ardant, Emmanuelle Béart, Danielle Darrieux, Catherine Deneuve, Isabelle Huppert, Virginie Ledoyen, Firmine Richard and Ludivine Sagnier | 8 Women |
| 2005 | Judi Dench and Maggie Smith | Ladies in Lavender |
| 2011 | Kirsten Dunst and Charlotte Gainsbourg | Melancholia |
| 2013 | Agata Kulesza and Agata Trzebuchowska | Ida |
| 2016 | Emma Suárez and Adriana Ugarte | Julieta |
| 2019 | Adèle Haenel and Noémie Merlant | Portrait of a Lady on Fire |
| 2024 | Trine Dyrholm and Vic Carmen Sonne | The Girl with the Needle |