# International Emmy Award for Best Actress

The International Emmy Award for Best Performance by an Actress is an award presented annually by the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (IATAS). The award honors the best performance by an actress in a made for-television fiction program (i.e. movie, mini-series, drama series, telenovela, or comedy series).
Since its inception, the award has been given to 18 actresses. Karla Souza is the current recipient of the award, for her portrayal of Mariel in La caída. Julie Walters has won the most awards in this category, with two awards.

## Rules and regulations

The International Emmy Award for Best Actress is awarded to a female performance in a made-for-television fiction program (it can be a television film, mini-series, drama series, telenovela, or comedy series). Under International Academy rules, only performances from a program entered in the competition are eligible. The same actress can be featured for different productions, as separate submissions. More than one female performance of the same production may also be presented. A performer must appear for at least 10% of the total airtime of the featured episode to be eligible. If the performance is part of a series, only one episode must have its first broadcast within the listed eligibility dates.

## History

The first actress to win the International Emmy was the Chinese He Lin for Slave Mother, a television film produced by the CCTV6 channel. Dutch Maryam Hassouni won in 2006 for her performance as Laila al Gatawi in Offers, a drama thriller directed by Dana Nechushtan. In 2007, the International Emmy for best actress was given to French Muriel Robin for her role as Marie Besnard in the Belgian-French film The Poisoner.
British actresses Lucy Cohu, Julie Walters and Helena Bonham Carter won in subsequent years, Walters being the only two-time winner, in 2009 for her role as Anne Turner in A Short Stay in Switzerland, and in 2011 for her performance in the biographical film Mo, which tells the life story of Labour Party politician Mo Mowlam.
The first Emmy for best actress for Latin America was won by Argentina's Cristina Banegas, for her role in miniseries Televisión por la Inclusión, followed by the Brazilian Fernanda Montenegro in 2013. In 2014, Dutch Bianca Krijgsman was honored for her performance in A New World, a film that talks about a chance encounter between her character and an African refugee that leads her to an unexpected relationship. Norwegian actress Anneke von der Lippe won the 2015 Emmy for her role in Øyevitne, a thriller noir created and directed by Jarl Emsell Larsen. She had already received an award nomination in 2005 for her performance in the miniseries Ved Kongens Bord, but lost to Chinese He Lin at the time.
In 2016, Christiane Paul won the Emmy for her portrayal of Elke Seeberg in Unterm Radar, a German television film based on a book written by Henriette Bruegger. In the film, her daughter is suspected of having participated in a terrorist attack in Berlin. Anna Friel won her first Emmy for her character Marcella Backland in the British Nordic-noir drama series Marcella in 2017.
Anna Schudt played comedian Gaby Köster in Ein Schnupfen hätte auch gereicht, a biopic based on her homonymous autobiography. In 2019, Marina Gera won Hungary's first International Emmy Award for her lead role in Eternal Winter.

## Winners and nominees
### 2000s

| Year | Recipient | Character | English title | Original title | Country |
| 2005 | He Lin | A'Xiu | Slave Mother | 為奴隸的母親 / Wèi núlì de mǔqīn | People's Republic of China |
| 2005 | Anneke von der Lippe | Tove Steen | At the King's Table | Ved kongens bord | Norway |
| 2005 | Carolina Oliveira | Maria | Today is Maria's Day | Hoje É Dia de Maria | Brazil |
| 2005 | Catherine Tate | Multiple roles | The Catherine Tate Show | The Catherine Tate Show | United Kingdom |
| 2006 | Maryam Hassouni | Laila al Gatawi | Offers | Offers | Netherlands |
| 2006 | Heike Makatsch | Margarete Steiff | Margarete Steiff | Margarete Steiff | Germany |
| 2006 | Imelda Staunton | Louisa Durrell | My Family and Other Animals | My Family and Other Animals | United Kingdom |
| 2006 | Lucy Cohu | Princess Margaret | The Queen's Sister | The Queen's Sister | | United Kingdom |
| 2007 | Muriel Robin | Marie Besnard | The Poisoner | Marie Besnard, l'empoisonneuse | France |
| 2007 | Lília Cabral | Marta Toledo Flores | Pages of Life | Páginas da Vida | Brazil |
| 2007 | Brenda Ngxoli | Vuyo Radebe | Home Affairs | Home Affairs | South Africa |
| 2007 | Victoria Wood | Nella Last | Housewife, 49 | Housewife, 49 | United Kingdom |
| 2008 | Lucy Cohu | Liz | Forgiven | Forgiven | United Kingdom |
| 2008 | Irene Ravache | Loreta O'Neill | Eternal Magic | Eterna Magia | Brazil |
| 2008 | Sofie Gråbøl | Sarah Lund | The Killing | Forbrydelsen | Denmark |
| 2008 | Zhibo Yuan | Runyue | Wait for the Birth of the Husband | Wait for the Birth of the Husband | People's Republic of China |
| 2009 | Julie Walters | Dr Anne Turner | A Short Stay in Switzerland | A Short Stay in Switzerland | United Kingdom |
| 2009 | Cecilia Suárez | La Bambi | Capadocia | Capadocia | Mexico |
| 2009 | Angel Locsin | Lyka Raymundo-Ortega | Lobo | Lobo | Philippines |
| 2009 | Emma de Caunes | Marie Manikowski | Night Birds | Rien dans les poches | France |

### 2010s

| Year | Recipient | Character | English title | Original title | Country |
| 2010 | Helena Bonham Carter | Enid Blyton | Enid | Enid | United Kingdom |
| 2010 | Lília Cabral | Teresa | Seize the Day | Viver a Vida | Brazil |
| 2010 | Iris Berben | Bertha Krupp | Krupp: A Family Between War and Peace | Krupp – Eine deutsche Familie | Germany |
| 2010 | Lerato Mvelase | Katlego Mbatha | Home Affairs | Home Affairs | South Africa |
| 2011 | Julie Walters | Mo Mowlam | Mo | Mo | United Kingdom |
| 2011 | Adriana Esteves | Dalva de Oliveira | Songs of Betrayal | Dalva e Herivelto: uma Canção de Amor | Brazil |
| 2011 | Noomi Rapace | Lisbeth Salander | Millennium | Millennium | Sweden |
| 2011 | Athena Chu | Tai Mung | A Wall-less World | 沒有牆的世界 / Méiyǒu qiáng de shìjiè | Hong Kong |
| 2012 | Cristina Banegas | Paula | Televisión por la inclusión | Televisión por la inclusión | Argentina |
| 2012 | Sidse Babett Knudsen | Birgitte Nyborg | Borgen | Borgen | Denmark |
| 2012 | Rina Sa | Zhao Lao Ga's wife | Zhong Guo Di | Zhong Guo Di | People's Republic of China |
| 2012 | Joanna Vanderham | Cathy Connor | The Runaway | The Runaway | United Kingdom |
| 2013 | Fernanda Montenegro | Dona Picucha | Sweet Mother | Doce de Mãe | Brazil |
| 2013 | Sun Li | Zhen Huan | The Back Palace: Legend of Zhen Huan | 后宫·甄嬛传 / Hòugōng·zhēnhuán chuán | People's Republic of China |
| 2013 | Sheridan Smith | Charmian Biggs | Mrs Biggs | Mrs Biggs | United Kingdom |
| 2013 | Lotta Tejle | Majlis | 30 Degrees in February | 30° i februari | Sweden |
| 2014 | Bianca Krijgsman | Mirte | The New World | De Nieuwe Wereld | Netherlands |
| 2014 | Tuba Büyüküstün | Melek Halaskar | 20 Minutes | 20 Dakika | Turkey |
| 2014 | Olivia Colman | Ellie Miller | Broadchurch | Broadchurch | United Kingdom |
| 2014 | Romina Gaetani | Jorgelina | Televisión por la justicia | Televisión por la justicia | Argentina |
| 2015 | Anneke von der Lippe | Helen Sikkeland | Eyewitness | Øyevitne | Norway |
| 2015 | Fernanda Montenegro | Dona Picucha | Sweet Mother | Doce de Mãe | Brazil |
| 2015 | Sheridan Smith | Cilla Black | Cilla | Cilla | United Kingdom |
| 2016 | Christiane Paul | Elke Seeberg | Under the Radar | Unterm Radar | Germany |
| 2016 | Grazi Massafera | Larissa Ramos | Hidden Truths | Verdades Secretos | Brazil |
| 2016 | Jodi Sta. Maria | Amor de Jesus-Powers | The Promise | Pangako Sa 'Yo | Philippines |
| 2016 | Judi Dench | Mrs Lavinia Silver | Roald Dahl's Esio Trot | Roald Dahl's Esio Trot | United Kingdom |
| 2017 | Anna Friel | Marcella Backland | Marcella | Marcella | United Kingdom |
| 2017 | Adriana Esteves | Fátima | Above Justice | Justiça | Brazil |
| 2017 | Sonja Gerhardt | Monika Schöllack | Ku'damm 56 | Ku'damm 56 | Germany |
| 2017 | Thuso Mbedu | Winnie | Is'Thunzi | Is'Thunzi | South Africa |
| 2018 | Anna Schudt | Gaby Köster | Ein Schnupfen hätte auch gereicht | Ein Schnupfen hätte auch gereicht | Germany |
| 2018 | Thuso Mbedu | Winnie | Is'Thunzi | Is'Thunzi | South Africa |
| 2018 | Emily Watson | Dr Yvonne Carmichael | Apple Tree Yard | Apple Tree Yard | United Kingdom |
| 2018 | Denise Weinberg | Denise Dell Pizzo | Psi | Psi | Brazil |
| 2019 | Marina Gera | Irén | Eternal Winter | Örök tél | Hungary |
| 2019 | Radhika Apte | Kalindi | Lust Stories | Lust Stories | India |
| 2019 | Jenna Coleman | Joanna Lindsay | The Cry | The Cry | United Kingdom |
| 2019 | Marjorie Estiano | Dr Carolina Alencar | Under Pressure | Sob Pressão | Brazil |

### 2020s

| Year | Recipient | Character | English title | Original title | Country |
| 2020 | Glenda Jackson | Maud Horsham | Elizabeth Is Missing | Elizabeth Is Missing | United Kingdom |
| 2020 | Emma Bading | Jennifer Reitwein | Play | Play | Germany |
| 2020 | Andréa Beltrão | Hebe Camargo | Hebe | Hebe: A Estrela do Brasil | Brazil |
| 2020 | Yeo Yann Yann | Lian | Invisible Stories | Invisible Stories | Singapore |
| 2021 | Hayley Squires | Jolene Dollar | Adult Material | Adult Material | United Kingdom |
| 2021 | Valeria Bertuccelli | María "Marie" Vázquez | Notes for My Son | El cuarderno de Tomy | Argentina |
| 2021 | Ane Gabarain | Miren Uzkudun | Patria | Patria | Spain |
| 2021 | Menna Shalabi | Nour | Every week has a Friday | Every week has a Friday | Egypt |
| 2022 | Lou de Laâge | Eugénie Cléry | The Mad Women's Ball | Le bal des folles | France |
| 2022 | Céline Buckens | Talitha Campbell | Showtrial | Showtrial | United Kingdom |
| 2022 | Letícia Colin | Dr. Amanda Vergueiro Meireles | Where My Heart Is | Onde Está Meu Coração | Brazil |
| 2022 | Kim Engelbrecht | Reyka Gama | Reyka | Reyka | South Africa |
| 2023 | Karla Souza | Mariel Saenz | Dive | La Caída | Mexico |
| 2023 | Connie Nielsen | Karen Blixen | The Dreamer – Becoming Karen Blixen | Drømmeren – Karen Blixen Bliver Til | Denmark |
| 2023 | Billie Piper | Suzie Pickles | I Hate Suzie Too | I Hate Suzie Too | United Kingdom |
| 2023 | Shefali Shah | DCP Vartika Chaturvedi | Delhi Crime | Delhi Crime | India |
| 2024 | Chutimon Chuengcharoensukying | Aoy | Hunger | Hunger | Thailand |
| 2024 | Sara Giraudeau | Marion Lafarge | Everything is Fine | Tout va bien | France |
| 2024 | Jessica Hynes | Emily Yates | There She Goes | There She Goes | United Kingdom |
| 2024 | Adriana Barraza | Teacher Georgina | Where the Tracks End | El Último Vagón | Mexico |

## Photo gallery

* Maryam Hassouni, winner in 2006
* Muriel Robin, winner in 2007
* Julie Walters, winner in 2009 and 2011
* Helena Bonham Carter, winner in 2010
* Cristina Banegas, winner in 2012
* Fernanda Montenegro, winner in 2013
* Christiane Paul, winner in 2016
* Anna Friel, winner in 2017
* Anna Schudt, winner in 2018
* Glenda Jackson, winner in 2020
* Hayley Squires, winner in 2021
* Lou de Laâge, winner in 2022
* Karla Souza, winner in 2023
* Chutimon Chuengcharoensukying, winner in 2024

## Multiple nominations
### Most nominations by a female actor

| Number | Actress |
| 2 | Adriana Esteves |
| 2 | Anneke von der Lippe |
| 2 | Fernanda Montenegro |
| 2 | Julie Walters |
| 2 | Lilia Cabral |
| 2 | Lucy Cohu |
| 2 | Sheridan Smith |
| 2 | Thuso Mbedu |

### Most nominations by a Program

| Number | Program |
| 2 | Home Affairs |
| 2 | Is'Thunzi |

### Most nominations by country

| Number | Country |
| 18 | United Kingdom |
| 12 | Brazil |
| 6 | Germany |
| 4 | South Africa |
| 4 | People's Republic of China |
| 3 | Argentina |
| 2 | Denmark |
| 2 | Philippines |
| 2 | France |
| 2 | Norway |
| 2 | Netherlands |
| 2 | Sweden |

## Multiple wins
### Most awards won by a female

| Number | Actress |
| 2 | Julie Walters |

### Most awards won by a country

| Number | Country |
| 5 | United Kingdom |
| 2 | Germany |
| 2 | Netherlands |