# César Award for Best Actress

The César Award for Best Actress (French: César de la meilleure actrice) is one of the César Awards, presented annually by the Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinéma to recognize the outstanding performance in a leading role of an actress who has worked within the French film industry during the year preceding the ceremony. Nominees and winner are selected via a run-off voting by all the members of the Académie.

## Winners and nominees

Following the Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinéma (AATC)'s practice, the films below are listed by year of ceremony, which corresponds to the year following the film's year of release. For example, the César for Best Actress of 2010 was awarded on February 27, 2010 for a performance in a film released between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2009.
Actresses are selected via a two-round vote: first round to choose the nominees, second round to designate the winner. All the members of the Académie, without regard to their branch, are eligible to vote on both rounds. The number of nominees, initially set to four, was expanded to five in 1984 and then to seven in 2012.
Winners are listed first in bold, followed by the other nominees in alphabetic order.

### 1970s

| Year | Winner and Nominees | Film | Original Title | Role(s) |
| 1976 (1st) | Romy Schneider | That Most Important Thing: Love | L'Important c'est d'aimer | Nadine Chevalier |
| 1976 (1st) | Isabelle Adjani (nominated for the Academy Award) | The Story of Adele H. | L'Histoire d'Adèle H. | Adèle Hugo |
| 1976 (1st) | Catherine Deneuve | Lovers Like Us | Le Sauvage | Nelly Ratabou |
| 1976 (1st) | Delphine Seyrig | India Song | India Song | Anne-Marie Stretter |
| 1977 (2nd) | Annie Girardot | Docteur Françoise Gailland | Docteur Françoise Gailland | Françoise Gailland |
| 1977 (2nd) | Isabelle Adjani | Barocco | Barocco | Laure |
| 1977 (2nd) | Miou-Miou | F comme Fairbanks | F comme Fairbanks | Marie |
| 1977 (2nd) | Romy Schneider | Une Femme à sa fenêtre | Une Femme à sa fenêtre | Margot Santorini |
| 1978 (3rd) | Simone Signoret | Madame Rosa | La Vie devant soi | Madame Rosa |
| 1978 (3rd) | Brigitte Fossey | Les Enfants du placard | Les Enfants du placard | Juliette |
| 1978 (3rd) | Isabelle Huppert | The Lacemaker | La Dentellière | Pomme |
| 1978 (3rd) | Miou-Miou | This Sweet Sickness | Dites-lui que je l'aime | Juliette |
| 1978 (3rd) | Delphine Seyrig | Repérages | Repérages | Julie |
| 1979 (4th) | Romy Schneider | A Simple Story | Une Histoire simple | Marie |
| 1979 (4th) | Anouk Aimée | Mon premier amour | Mon premier amour | Jane Romain |
| 1979 (4th) | Annie Girardot | The Key Is in the Door | La Clé sur la porte | Marie Arnault |
| 1979 (4th) | Isabelle Huppert | Violette Nozière | Violette Nozière | Violette Nozière |

### 1980s

| Year | Winner and Nominees | Film | Original Title | Role(s) |
| 1980 (5th) | Miou-Miou | Memoirs of a French Whore | La Dérobade | Marie |
| 1980 (5th) | Nastassja Kinski | Tess | Tess | Tess d'Uberville |
| 1980 (5th) | Dominique Laffin | The Crying Woman | La Femme qui pleure | Dominique |
| 1980 (5th) | Romy Schneider | Clair de femme | Clair de femme | Lydia |
| 1981 (6th) | Catherine Deneuve | The Last Metro | Le Dernier Métro | Marion Steiner |
| 1981 (6th) | Nathalie Baye | A Week's Vacation | Une Semaine de vacances | Laurence |
| 1981 (6th) | Nicole Garcia | My American Uncle | Mon Oncle d'Amérique | Janine Garnier |
| 1981 (6th) | Isabelle Huppert | Loulou | Loulou | Nelly |
| 1982 (7th) | Isabelle Adjani | Possession | Possession | Anna / Helen |
| 1982 (7th) | Fanny Ardant | The Woman Next Door | La Femme d'à côté | Mathilde Bauchard |
| 1982 (7th) | Catherine Deneuve | Hotel America | Hôtel des Amériques | Hélène |
| 1982 (7th) | Isabelle Huppert | Coup de torchon | Coup de torchon | Rose Marcaillou |
| 1983 (8th) | Nathalie Baye | La Balance | La Balance | Nicole Danet |
| 1983 (8th) | Miou-Miou | Josepha | Josepha | Josepha Manet |
| 1983 (8th) | Romy Schneider (posthumous) | The Passerby | La Passante du Sans-Souci | Elsa Wiener / Lina Baumstein |
| 1983 (8th) | Simone Signoret | L'Étoile du Nord | L'Étoile du Nord | Madame Baron |
| 1984 (9th) | Isabelle Adjani | One Deadly Summer | L'Eté meurtrier | Eliane |
| 1984 (9th) | Fanny Ardant | Confidentially Yours | Vivement dimanche! | Barbara Becker |
| 1984 (9th) | Nathalie Baye | J'ai épousé une ombre | J'ai épousé une ombre | Hélène Georges |
| 1984 (9th) | Nicole Garcia | Les Mots pour le dire | Les Mots pour le dire | Marie |
| 1984 (9th) | Miou-Miou | Entre Nous | Coup de foudre | Madeleine |
| 1985 (10th) | Sabine Azéma | A Sunday in the Country | Un Dimanche à la campagne | Irène |
| 1985 (10th) | Jane Birkin | The Pirate | La Pirate | Alma |
| 1985 (10th) | Valérie Kaprisky | The Public Woman | La Femme publique | Ethel |
| 1985 (10th) | Julia Migenes | Carmen | Carmen | Carmen |
| 1985 (10th) | Pascale Ogier (posthumous) | Full Moon in Paris | Les Nuits de la pleine lune | Louise |
| 1986 (11th) | Sandrine Bonnaire | Vagabond | Sans Toit ni loi | Mona Bergeron |
| 1986 (11th) | Isabelle Adjani | Subway | Subway | Helena |
| 1986 (11th) | Juliette Binoche | Rendez-vous | Rendez-vous | Nina / Anne Larrieux |
| 1986 (11th) | Nicole Garcia | Death in a French Garden | Péril en la demeure | Julia Tombsthay |
| 1986 (11th) | Charlotte Rampling | He Died with His Eyes Open | On ne meurt que deux fois | Barbara Spark |
| 1987 (12th) | Sabine Azéma | Mélo | Mélo | Romaine Belcroix |
| 1987 (12th) | Juliette Binoche | Mauvais Sang | Mauvais Sang | Anna |
| 1987 (12th) | Jane Birkin | La Femme de ma vie | La Femme de ma vie | Laura |
| 1987 (12th) | Béatrice Dalle | Betty Blue | 37°2 le matin | Betty |
| 1987 (12th) | Miou-Miou | Ménage | Tenue de soirée | Monique |
| 1988 (13th) | Anémone | The Grand Highway | Le Grand Chemin | Marcelle |
| 1988 (13th) | Sandrine Bonnaire | Under the Sun of Satan | Sous le Soleil de Satan | Mouchette |
| 1988 (13th) | Catherine Deneuve | Agent trouble | Agent trouble | Amanda Webber |
| 1988 (13th) | Nastassja Kinski | Maladie d'amour | Maladie d'amour | Juliette |
| 1988 (13th) | Jeanne Moreau | The Miracle | Le Miraculé | Sabine |
| 1989 (14th) | Isabelle Adjani (nominated for the Academy Award) | Camille Claudel | Camille Claudel | Camille Claudel |
| 1989 (14th) | Catherine Deneuve | A Strange Place to Meet | Drôle d'endroit pour une rencontre | France |
| 1989 (14th) | Charlotte Gainsbourg | The Little Thief | La Petite Voleuse | Janine Castang |
| 1989 (14th) | Isabelle Huppert | Story of Women | Une Affaire de femmes | Marie Latour |
| 1989 (14th) | Miou-Miou | The Reader | La Lectrice | Constance / Marie |

### 1990s

| Year | Winner and Nominees | Film | Original Title | Role(s) |
| 1990 (15th) | Carole Bouquet | Too Beautiful for You | Trop belle pour toi | Florence Barthélémy |
| 1990 (15th) | Sabine Azéma | Life and Nothing But | La Vie et rien d'autre | Irène de Courtil |
| 1990 (15th) | Josiane Balasko | Too Beautiful for You | Trop belle pour toi | Colette Chevassu |
| 1990 (15th) | Emmanuelle Béart | Les Enfants du désordre | Les Enfants du désordre | Marie |
| 1990 (15th) | Sandrine Bonnaire | Monsieur Hire | Monsieur Hire | Alice |
| 1991 (16th) | Anne Parillaud | La Femme Nikita | Nikita | Nikita |
| 1991 (16th) | Nathalie Baye | Every Other Weekend | Un week-end sur deux | Camille Valmont |
| 1991 (16th) | Anne Brochet | Cyrano de Bergerac | Cyrano de Bergerac | Roxane |
| 1991 (16th) | Tsilla Chelton | Tatie Danielle | Tatie Danielle | Danielle Billard |
| 1991 (16th) | Miou-Miou | May Fools | Milou en mai | Camille |
| 1992 (17th) | Jeanne Moreau | The Old Lady Who Walked in the Sea | La Vielle qui marchait dans la mer | Lady M. |
| 1992 (17th) | Emmanuelle Béart | La Belle Noiseuse | La Belle Noiseuse | Marianne |
| 1992 (17th) | Juliette Binoche | The Lovers on the Bridge | Les Amants du Pont-Neuf | Michèle STalens |
| 1992 (17th) | Anouk Grinberg | Merci la vie | Merci la vie | Joëlle |
| 1992 (17th) | Irène Jacob | The Double Life of Véronique | La double vie de Véronique | Weronika / Véronique |
| 1993 (18th) | Catherine Deneuve (nominated for the Academy Award) | Indochine | Indochine | Eliane Devries |
| 1993 (18th) | Anémone | Le petit Prince a dit | Le petit Prince a dit | Mélanie |
| 1993 (18th) | Emmanuelle Béart | A Heart in Winter | Un Cœur en hiver | Camille |
| 1993 (18th) | Juliette Binoche | Damage | Fatale | Anna Barton |
| 1993 (18th) | Caroline Cellier | Le Zèbre | Le Zèbre | Camille |
| 1994 (19th) | Juliette Binoche | Three Colours: Blue | Trois Couleurs: Bleu | Julie Vignon de Courcy |
| 1994 (19th) | Sabine Azéma | Smoking/No Smoking | Smoking/No Smoking | Célia / Sylvie / Irène / Joséphine |
| 1994 (19th) | Josiane Balasko | Not Everybody's Lucky Enough to Have Communist Parents | Tout le monde n'a pas eu la chance d'avoir des parents communistes | Irène |
| 1994 (19th) | Catherine Deneuve | My Favorite Season | Ma Saison préférée | Emilie |
| 1994 (19th) | Anouk Grinberg | 1, 2, 3, Sun | Un, deux, trois, soleil | Victorine |
| 1994 (19th) | Miou-Miou | Germinal | Germinal | Maheude |
| 1995 (20th) | Isabelle Adjani | Queen Margot | La Reine Margot | Marguerite de Valois |
| 1995 (20th) | Anémone | Something Fishy | Pas très catholique | Maxime Chabrier |
| 1995 (20th) | Sandrine Bonnaire | Joan the Maid | Jeanne la Pucelle | Joan of Arc |
| 1995 (20th) | Isabelle Huppert | The Separation | La Séparation | Anne |
| 1995 (20th) | Irène Jacob | Three Colours: Red | Trois Couleurs: Rouge | Valentine Dussaut |
| 1996 (21st) | Isabelle Huppert | The Ceremony | La Cérémonie | Jeanne |
| 1996 (21st) | Sabine Azéma | Happiness Is in the Field | Le Bonheur est dans le pré | Nicole Bergeade |
| 1996 (21st) | Emmanuelle Béart | Nelly and Mr. Arnaud | Nelly et Monsieur Arnaud | Nelly |
| 1996 (21st) | Juliette Binoche | The Horseman on the Roof | Le Hussard sur le toit | Pauline de Théus |
| 1996 (21st) | Sandrine Bonnaire | The Ceremony | La Cérémonie | Sophie |
| 1997 (22nd) | Fanny Ardant | Pédale douce | Pédale douce | Eva |
| 1997 (22nd) | Catherine Deneuve | Thieves | Les Voleurs | Marie Leblanc |
| 1997 (22nd) | Charlotte Gainsbourg | Love, etc. | Love, etc. | Marie |
| 1997 (22nd) | Anouk Grinberg | My Man | Mon Homme | Marie Abarth |
| 1997 (22nd) | Marie Trintignant | Le Cri de la soie | Le Cri de la soie | Marie Benjamin |
| 1998 (23rd) | Ariane Ascaride | Marius and Jeannette | Marius et Jeannette | Jeannette |
| 1998 (23rd) | Sabine Azéma | Same Old Song | On connaît la chanson | Odile Lalande |
| 1998 (23rd) | Marie Gillain | On Guard | Le Bossu | Aurore de Nevers |
| 1998 (23rd) | Sandrine Kiberlain | Seventh Heaven | Le Septième ciel | Mathilde |
| 1998 (23rd) | Miou-Miou | Dry Cleaning | Nettoyage à sec | Nicole |
| 1999 (24th) | Élodie Bouchez | The Dreamlife of Angels | La Vie rêvée des anges | Isa |
| 1999 (24th) | Catherine Deneuve | Place Vendôme | Place Vendôme | Marianne |
| 1999 (24th) | Isabelle Huppert | The School of Flesh | L'Ecole de la chair | Dominique |
| 1999 (24th) | Sandrine Kiberlain | For Sale | A vendre | France Robert |
| 1999 (24th) | Marie Trintignant | Comme elle respire | Comme elle respire | Jeanne |

### 2000s

| Year | Winner and Nominees | Film | Original Title | Role(s) |
| 2000 (25th) | Karin Viard | Haut les cœurs! | Haut les cœurs! | Emma |
| 2000 (25th) | Nathalie Baye | Venus Beauty Institute | Vénus Beauté (Institut) | Angèle |
| 2000 (25th) | Sandrine Bonnaire | East/West | Est-Ouest | Marie Golovine |
| 2000 (25th) | Catherine Frot | La Dilettante | La Dilettante | Pierrette Dumortier |
| 2000 (25th) | Vanessa Paradis | Girl on the Bridge | La Fille sur le pont | Adèle |
| 2001 (26th) | Dominique Blanc | Stand-by | Stand-by | Hélène |
| 2001 (26th) | Emmanuelle Béart | Sentimental Destinies | Les Destinées sentimentales | Pauline |
| 2001 (26th) | Juliette Binoche | The Widow of Saint-Pierre | La Veuve de Saint-Pierre | Madame La |
| 2001 (26th) | Isabelle Huppert | The King's Daughters | Saint-Cyr | Madame de Maintenon |
| 2001 (26th) | Muriel Robin | Marie-Line | Marie-Line | Marie-Line |
| 2002 (27th) | Emmanuelle Devos | Read My Lips | Sur mes lèvres | Carla Behm |
| 2002 (27th) | Catherine Frot | Chaos | Chaos | Hélène |
| 2002 (27th) | Isabelle Huppert | The Piano Teacher | La Pianiste | Erika Kohut |
| 2002 (27th) | Charlotte Rampling | Under the Sand | Sous le sable | Marie Drillon |
| 2002 (27th) | Audrey Tautou | Amélie | Le Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain | Amélie Poulain |
| 2003 (28th) | Isabelle Carré | Beautiful Memories | Se Souvenir des belles choses | Claire Poussin |
| 2003 (28th) | Fanny Ardant | 8 Women | Huit Femmes | Pierrette |
| 2003 (28th) | Ariane Ascaride | Marie-Jo and Her Two Lovers | Marie-Jo et ses deux amours | Marie-Jo |
| 2003 (28th) | Juliette Binoche | Jet Lag | Décalage horaire | Rose |
| 2003 (28th) | Isabelle Huppert | 8 Women | Huit Femmes | Augustine |
| 2004 (29th) | Sylvie Testud | Fear and Trembling | Stupeur et tremblements | Amélie Nothomb |
| 2004 (29th) | Josiane Balasko | That Woman | Cette femme-là | Michèle Varin |
| 2004 (29th) | Nathalie Baye | Feelings | Les Sentiments | Carole |
| 2004 (29th) | Isabelle Carré | Feelings | Les Sentiments | Edith |
| 2004 (29th) | Charlotte Rampling | Swimming Pool | Swimming Pool | Sarah Morton |
| 2005 (30th) | Yolande Moreau | When the Sea Rises | Quand la mer monte... | Irène |
| 2005 (30th) | Maggie Cheung | Clean | Clean | Emily |
| 2005 (30th) | Emmanuelle Devos | Kings and Queen | Rois et reine | Nora |
| 2005 (30th) | Audrey Tautou | A Very Long Engagement | Un long dimanche de fiançailles | Mathilde |
| 2005 (30th) | Karin Viard | The Role of Her Life | Le Rôle de sa vie | Claire Rocher |
| 2006 (31st) | Nathalie Baye | The Young Lieutenant | Le petit lieutenant | Commandant Vaudieu |
| 2006 (31st) | Isabelle Carré | Entre ses mains | Entre ses mains | Claire Gauthier |
| 2006 (31st) | Anne Consigny | Not Here to Be Loved | Je ne suis pas là pour être aimé | Françoise Rubion |
| 2006 (31st) | Isabelle Huppert | Gabrielle | Gabrielle | Gabrielle Hervey |
| 2006 (31st) | Valérie Lemercier | Palais royal! | Palais royal! | Princesse Armelle |
| 2007 (32nd) | Marina Hands | Lady Chatterley | Lady Chatterley | Lady Chatterley |
| 2007 (32nd) | Cécile de France | Avenue Montaigne | Fauteuils d'orchestre | Jessica |
| 2007 (32nd) | Cécile de France | When I Was a Singer | Quand j'étais chanteur | Marion |
| 2007 (32nd) | Catherine Frot | The Page Turner | La Tourneuse de pages | Ariane Fouchécourt |
| 2007 (32nd) | Charlotte Gainsbourg | I Do | Prête-moi ta main | Emma |
| 2008 (33rd) | Marion Cotillard (won the Academy Award) | La Vie en Rose | La môme | Edith Piaf |
| 2008 (33rd) | Isabelle Carré | Anna M. | Anna M. | Anna M. |
| 2008 (33rd) | Cécile de France | A Secret | Un Secret | Tania |
| 2008 (33rd) | Marina Foïs | Darling | Darling | Catherine Nicolle a.k.a. Darling |
| 2008 (33rd) | Catherine Frot | Odette Toulemonde | Odette Toulemonde | Odette Toulemonde |
| 2009 (34th) | Yolande Moreau | Séraphine | Séraphine | Séraphine Louis |
| 2009 (34th) | Catherine Frot | Le crime est notre affaire | Le crime est notre affaire | Prudence Beresford |
| 2009 (34th) | Kristin Scott Thomas | I've Loved You So Long | Il y a longtemps que je t'aime | Juliette Fontaine |
| 2009 (34th) | Tilda Swinton | Julia | Julia | Julia |
| 2009 (34th) | Sylvie Testud | Sagan | Sagan | Françoise Sagan |

### 2010s

| Year | Winner and Nominees | Film | Original Title | Role(s) |
| 2010 (35th) | Isabelle Adjani | Skirt Day | La Journée de la jupe | Sonia Bergerac |
| 2010 (35th) | Dominique Blanc | The Other One | L'Autre | Anne-Marie |
| 2010 (35th) | Sandrine Kiberlain | Mademoiselle Chambon | Mademoiselle Chambon | Véronique Chambon |
| 2010 (35th) | Kristin Scott Thomas | Leaving | Partir | Suzanne |
| 2010 (35th) | Audrey Tautou | Coco Before Chanel | Coco avant Chanel | Gabrielle Chanel |
| 2011 (36th) | Sara Forestier | The Names of Love | Le Nom des gens | Bahia Benmahmoud |
| 2011 (36th) | Isabelle Carré | Romantics Anonymous | Les Emotifs anonymes | Angélique |
| 2011 (36th) | Catherine Deneuve | Potiche | Potiche | Suzanne Pujol |
| 2011 (36th) | Charlotte Gainsbourg | The Tree | L'Arbre | Dawn O'Neil |
| 2011 (36th) | Kristin Scott Thomas | Sarah's Key | Elle s'appelait Sarah | Julia Jarmond |
| 2012 (37th) | Bérénice Bejo (nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress) | The Artist | The Artist | Peppy Miller |
| 2012 (37th) | Ariane Ascaride | The Snows of Kilimanjaro | Les Neiges du Kilimandjaro | Marie-Claire |
| 2012 (37th) | Leïla Bekhti | The Source | La Source des femmes | Leïla |
| 2012 (37th) | Valérie Donzelli | Declaration of War | La Guerre est déclarée | Juliette |
| 2012 (37th) | Marina Foïs | Polisse | Polisse | Iris |
| 2012 (37th) | Marie Gillain | All Our Desires | Toutes nos envies | Claire |
| 2012 (37th) | Karin Viard | Polisse | Polisse | Nadine |
| 2013 (38th) | Emmanuelle Riva (nominated for the Academy Award) | Amour | Amour | Anne Laurent |
| 2013 (38th) | Marion Cotillard | Rust and Bone | De rouille et d'os | Stéphanie |
| 2013 (38th) | Catherine Frot | Haute Cuisine | Les saveurs du Palais | Hortense Laborie |
| 2013 (38th) | Noémie Lvovsky | Camille Rewinds | Camille redouble | Camille Vaillant |
| 2013 (38th) | Corinne Masiero | Louise Wimmer | Louise Wimmer | Louise Wimmer |
| 2013 (38th) | Léa Seydoux | Farewell, My Queen | Les Adieux à la Reine | Sidonie Laborde |
| 2013 (38th) | Hélène Vincent | A Few Hours of Spring | Quelques heures de printemps | Yvette Évrard |
| 2014 (39th) | Sandrine Kiberlain | 9 Month Stretch | 9 mois ferme | Ariane Felder |
| 2014 (39th) | Fanny Ardant | Bright Days Ahead | Les Beaux Jours | Caroline |
| 2014 (39th) | Bérénice Bejo | The Past | Le Passé | Marie Brisson |
| 2014 (39th) | Catherine Deneuve | On My Way | Elle s'en va | Bettie |
| 2014 (39th) | Sara Forestier | Suzanne | Suzanne | Suzanne |
| 2014 (39th) | Emmanuelle Seigner | Venus in Fur | La Vénus à la fourrure | Vanda |
| 2014 (39th) | Léa Seydoux | Blue Is the Warmest Colour | La Vie d'Adèle – Chapitres 1 & 2 | Emma |
| 2015 (40th) | Adèle Haenel | Love at First Fight | Les Combattants | Madeleine |
| 2015 (40th) | Juliette Binoche | Clouds of Sils Maria | Sils Maria | Maria Enders |
| 2015 (40th) | Marion Cotillard (nominated for the Academy Award) | Two Days, One Night | Deux Jours, Une Nuit | Sandra Bya |
| 2015 (40th) | Catherine Deneuve | In the Courtyard | Dans la cour | Mathilde |
| 2015 (40th) | Émilie Dequenne | Not My Type | Pas son genre | Jennifer |
| 2015 (40th) | Sandrine Kiberlain | Elle l'adore | Elle l'adore | Muriel Bayen |
| 2015 (40th) | Karin Viard | The Bélier Family | La Famille Bélier | Gigi Bélier |
| 2016 (41st) | Catherine Frot | Marguerite | Marguerite | Marguerite Dumont |
| 2016 (41st) | Loubna Abidar | Much Loved | Much Loved | Noha |
| 2016 (41st) | Emmanuelle Bercot | Mon roi | Mon roi | Tony |
| 2016 (41st) | Cécile de France | Summertime | La Belle Saison | Carole |
| 2016 (41st) | Catherine Deneuve | Standing Tall | La Tête haute | Florence Blaque |
| 2016 (41st) | Isabelle Huppert | Valley of Love | Valley of Love | Isabelle |
| 2016 (41st) | Soria Zeroual | Fatima | Fatima | Fatima |
| 2017 (42nd) | Isabelle Huppert (nominated for the Academy Award) | Elle | Elle | Michèle Leblanc |
| 2017 (42nd) | Judith Chemla | A Woman's Life | Une vie | Jeanne du Perthuis des Vauds |
| 2017 (42nd) | Marion Cotillard | From the Land of the Moon | Mal de pierres | Gabrielle |
| 2017 (42nd) | Virginie Efira | In Bed with Victoria | Victoria | Victoria Spick |
| 2017 (42nd) | Marina Foïs | Faultless | Irréprochable | Constance |
| 2017 (42nd) | Sidse Babett Knudsen | 150 Milligrams | La Fille de Brest | Irène Frachon |
| 2017 (42nd) | Soko | The Dancer | La Danseuse | Loie Fuller |
| 2018 (43rd) | Jeanne Balibar | Barbara | Barbara | Brigitte |
| 2018 (43rd) | Juliette Binoche | Let the Sunshine In | Un beau soleil intérieur | Isabelle |
| 2018 (43rd) | Emmanuelle Devos | Number One | Numéro une | Emmanuelle Blachey |
| 2018 (43rd) | Marina Foïs | The Workshop | L'Atelier | Olivia |
| 2018 (43rd) | Charlotte Gainsbourg | Promise at Dawn | La Promesse de l’aube | Nina Kacew |
| 2018 (43rd) | Doria Tillier | Mr. & Mrs. Adelman | Monsieur & Madame Adelman | Sarah Adelman |
| 2018 (43rd) | Karin Viard | Jalouse | Jalouse | Nathalie Pécheux |
| 2019 (44th) | Léa Drucker | Custody | Jusqu'à la garde | Miriam Besson |
| 2019 (44th) | Élodie Bouchez | In Safe Hands | Pupille | Alice |
| 2019 (44th) | Cécile de France | Mademoiselle de Joncquières | Mademoiselle de Joncquières | Madame de La Pommeraye |
| 2019 (44th) | Virginie Efira | An Impossible Love | Un amour impossible | Rachel Schwartz |
| 2019 (44th) | Adèle Haenel | The Trouble with You | En liberté ! | Yvonne Santi |
| 2019 (44th) | Sandrine Kiberlain | In Safe Hands | Pupille | Karine |
| 2019 (44th) | Mélanie Thierry | Memoir of War | La douleur | Marguerite Duras |

### 2020s

| Year | Winner and Nominees | Film | Original Title | Role(s) |
| 2020 (45th) | Anaïs Demoustier | Alice and the Mayor | Alice et le Maire | Alice Heimann |
| 2020 (45th) | Eva Green | Proxima | Proxima | Sarah Loreau |
| 2020 (45th) | Adèle Haenel | Portrait of a Lady on Fire | Portrait de la jeune fille en feu | Héloïse |
| 2020 (45th) | Noémie Merlant | Portrait of a Lady on Fire | Portrait de la jeune fille en feu | Marianne |
| 2020 (45th) | Chiara Mastroianni | On a Magical Night | Chambre 212 | Maria Mortemart |
| 2020 (45th) | Doria Tillier | La Belle Époque | La Belle Époque | Margot |
| 2020 (45th) | Karin Viard | The Perfect Nanny | Chanson douce | Louise |
| 2021 (46th) | Laure Calamy | My Donkey, My Lover & I | Antoinette Dans Les Cévennes | Antoinette Lapouge |
| 2021 (46th) | Martine Chevallier | Two of Us | Deux | Madeleine Girard |
| 2021 (46th) | Virginie Efira | Bye Bye Morons | Bye Bye Morons | Suze Trappet |
| 2021 (46th) | Camélia Jordana | Love Affair(s) | Les Choses qu'on dit, les choses qu'on fait | Daphné |
| 2021 (46th) | Barbara Sukowa | Two of Us | Deux | Nina Dorn |
| 2022 (47th) | Valérie Lemercier | Aline | Aline | Aline Dieu |
| 2022 (47th) | Leïla Bekhti | The Restless | Les intranquilles | Leïla |
| 2022 (47th) | Valeria Bruni Tedeschi | The Divide | La fracture | Raphaëlle Catania dite Raf |
| 2022 (47th) | Laure Calamy | Her Way | Une femme du monde | Marie Kriegel |
| 2022 (47th) | Virginie Efira | Benedetta | Benedetta | Benedetta Carlini |
| 2022 (47th) | Vicky Krieps | Hold Me Tight | Serre moi fort | Clarisse |
| 2022 (47th) | Léa Seydoux | France | France | France de Meurs |
| 2023 (48th) | Virginie Efira | Paris Memories | Revoir Paris | Mia |
| 2023 (48th) | Fanny Ardant | The Young Lovers | Les jeunes amants | Shauna Loszinsky |
| 2023 (48th) | Juliette Binoche | Between Two Worlds | Ouistreham | Marianne Winckler |
| 2023 (48th) | Laure Calamy | Full Time | À plein temps | Julie Roy |
| 2023 (48th) | Adèle Exarchopoulos | Zero Fucks Given | Rien à foutre | Cassandre |
| 2024 (49th) | Sandra Hüller (nominated for the Academy Award) | Anatomy of a Fall | Anatomie d'une chute | Sandra Voyter |
| 2024 (49th) | Marion Cotillard | Little Girl Blue | Little Girl Blue | Carole Achache |
| 2024 (49th) | Léa Drucker | Last Summer | L'Été dernier | Anne |
| 2024 (49th) | Virginie Efira | Just the Two of Us | L'Amour et les Forêts | Blanche and Rose |
| 2024 (49th) | Hafsia Herzi | The Rapture | Le Ravissement | Lydia |
| 2025 (50th) | Hafsia Herzi | Borgo | Borgo | Mélissa Dahleb |
| 2025 (50th) | Adèle Exarchopoulos | Beating Hearts | L'Amour ouf | Jackie |
| 2025 (50th) | Karla Sofía Gascón (nominated for the Academy Award) | Emilia Pérez | Emilia Pérez | Emilia Pérez / Juan "Manitas" Del Monte |
| 2025 (50th) | Zoe Saldaña (nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress) | Emilia Pérez | Emilia Pérez | Rita Mora Castro |
| 2025 (50th) | Hélène Vincent | When Fall Is Coming | LQuand vient l'automne | Michelle |

## History
### Superlatives

| Superlative | Best Actress | Best Actress | Best Supporting Actress | Best Supporting Actress | Overall (including Most Promising Actress) | Overall (including Most Promising Actress) |
| Actress with most awards | Isabelle Adjani | 5 | Dominique Blanc | 3 | Isabelle Adjani | 5 |
| Actress with most nominations | Isabelle Huppert | 14 | Noémie Lvovsky Karin Viard | 6 | Isabelle Huppert | 16 |
| Actress with most nominations without ever winning | Emmanuelle Béart Charlotte Gainsbourg Cécile de France | 5 | Noémie Lvovsky | 6 | Noémie Lvovsky | 7 |
| Film with most nominations | 8 Women La Cérémonie Feelings In Safe Hands Polisse Too Beautiful for You Two of Us | 2 | All Your Faces | 4 | 8 Women All Your Faces Polisse Venus Beauty Institute | 4 |
| Oldest winner | Emmanuelle Riva | 85 | Suzanne Flon | 72 | Emmanuelle Riva | 85 |
| Oldest nominee | Emmanuelle Riva | 85 | Claude Gensac | 87 | Claude Gensac | 87 |
| Youngest winner | Sandrine Bonnaire | 18 | Déborah Lukumuena | 22 | Charlotte Gainsbourg | 14 |
| Youngest nominee | Charlotte Gainsbourg | 17 | Christine Pascal | 22 | Charlotte Gainsbourg | 14 |
As of 2019, 82 actresses have been nominated in the category, with a total of 34 different winners. The average age at first nomination is 36 and the average age of winners at first win is 39.
With five wins (1982, 1984, 1989, 1995, 2010), Isabelle Adjani has the most Best Actress Césars. Six actresses have won two Best Actress Césars: Romy Schneider (1976, 1979), Sabine Azéma (1985, 1987), Catherine Deneuve (1981, 1993), Nathalie Baye (1983, 2006), Yolande Moreau (2005, 2009) and Isabelle Huppert (1996, 2017).
Adjani also holds the records for most César Awards in an acting category and for most Césars in a single artistic category. She is followed with 4 Césars by Dominique Blanc (1 Best Actress César and 3 Best Supporting Actress Césars) and Nathalie Baye (2 Best Actress Césars and 2 Best Supporting Actress Césars).
Isabelle Huppert holds the record of most nominations with 14. Including Best Supporting Actress, Huppert has been nominated a total of 16 times, which makes her the overall most-nominated female performer.
Virginie Efira hold the record of most consecutive nominations with 4 (2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024).
Cécile de France is the only actress to have been nominated for two different roles the same year, in 2007 for Avenue Montaigne and for When I Was a Singer. The Académie has since modified the nomination rules to ensure that no one could receive more than one individual nomination by category.
Eight women have won both the César Award for Best Actress and the César Award for Best Supporting Actress:
* Nathalie Baye (Best Supporting Actress in 1981 and 1982, Best Actress in 1983 and 2006)
* Annie Girardot (Best Actress in 1977, Best Supporting Actress in 1996 and 2002),
* Dominique Blanc (Best Supporting Actress in 1991, 1993 and 1999, Best Actress in 2001),
* Karin Viard (Best Actress in 2000, Best Supporting Actress in 2003 and 2019),
* Marion Cotillard (Best Supporting Actress in 2005, Best Actress in 2008),
* Emmanuelle Devos (Best Actress in 2002, Best Supporting Actress in 2010),
* Adèle Haenel (Best Supporting Actress in 2014, Best Actress in 2015),
* Catherine Frot (Best Supporting Actress in 1997, Best Actress in 2016),
* Fanny Ardant (Best Actress in 1997, Best Supporting Actress in 2020).
Nathalie Baye is the only actress with multiple wins in both categories. She is also the only performer to have won an acting César in three consecutive years, in 1981, 1982 and 1983.
Three films have received both accolades: One Deadly Summer in 1984 (Best Actress to Isabelle Adjani, Best Supporting Actress to Suzanne Flon), Indochine in 1993 (Best Actress to Catherine Deneuve, Best Supporting Actress to Dominique Blanc) and Queen Margot in 1995 (Best Actress to Isabelle Adjani, Best Supporting Actress to Virna Lisi).
Six women have won the César Award for Best Actress after previously winning the César Award for Most Promising Actress:
* Sandrine Bonnaire (Most Promising Actress in 1984, Best Actress in 1986),
* Élodie Bouchez (Most Promising Actress in 1995, Best Actress in 1999),
* Sylvie Testud (Most Promising Actress in 2001, Best Actress in 2004),
* Sara Forestier (Most Promising Actress in 2004, Best Actress in 2011),
* Sandrine Kiberlain (Most Promising Actress in 1996, Best Actress in 2014),
* Hafsia Herzi (Most Promissing Actress in 2008; Best Actress in 2025).
Only one film has received both accolades: The Dreamlife of Angels in 1999 (Best Actress to Élodie Bouchez, Most Promising Actress to Natacha Régnier).
Thirteen women have received nominations in the three competitive acting categories: Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress and Most Promising Actress. They are Emmanuelle Béart, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Dominique Blanc, Anne Brochet, Karin Viard, Sandrine Kiberlain, Emmanuelle Devos, Cécile de France, Marion Cotillard, Sylvie Testud, Émilie Dequenne, Sara Forestier and Adèle Haenel. So far, no actress has achieved to win the three awards.
To date, the longest-living winner is Emmanuelle Riva, who died at 89, and the most short-lived is Romy Schneider, who died at 43. The oldest alive winner is Catherine Deneuve, aged 77, and the earliest alive winner is Miou-Miou (Memoirs of a French Whore, 1980).

### Posthumous nominations

There have been only two posthumous nominations for any acting César and both occurred in the Best Actress category. Romy Schneider was nominated in 1983 for The Passerby, seven months after her death possibly by suicide. Pascale Ogier died of a drug overdose at 25, three months before receiving a nomination for Full Moon in Paris in 1985.
Romy Schneider is the only actress to have been presented a posthumous Honorary César, in 2008. Actor Alain Delon presented the César, as the date also corresponded to the forty years of the iconic film La Piscine in which they starred together. During the standing ovation, he turned towards a giant portrait of the actress and declared in German that she was the love of his life.

### International presence

As the César Awards are centered on the French Cinema, the majority of recipients are French and performed in French language. The non-French winners of the Best Actress César include Belgian actress Yolande Moreau (2005, 2009) and German actress Sandra Hüller (2024). Romy Schneider was born German, Virginie Efira was born Belgian and Bérénice Bejo was born Argentine, but all had become French naturalized citizens by the time of their wins.
International actresses who have received nominations are:
* Algeria: Soria Zeroual
* Argentina: Bérénice Bejo
* Belgium: Cécile de France, Marie Gillain, Yolande Moreau, Émilie Dequenne and Virginie Efira
* Denmark: Sidse Babett Knudsen,
* Germany: Nastassja Kinski, Barbara Sukowa and Sandra Hüller
* Hong Kong: Maggie Cheung
* Luxembourg: Vicky Krieps
* Morocco: Loubna Abidar
* Spain: Karla Sofia Gascón
* Switzerland: Irène Jacob
* United Kingdom: Jane Birkin, Charlotte Rampling, Tilda Swinton and Kristin Scott Thomas
* United States: Julia Migenes and Zoe Saldaña
The Best Actress César has been awarded twice for a foreign-language performance: to Isabelle Adjani for her English-language performance in Possession (1982) and to Sylvie Testud for her Japanese-language performance in Fear and Trembing (2004). In addition, Bérénice Bejo is the only performer in the history of the César to receive an award for a silent role, in The Artist (2012).

### Multiple wins and nominations

| Wins | Actress |
| 5 | Isabelle Adjani |
| 2 | Isabelle Huppert |
| 2 | Catherine Deneuve |
| 2 | Nathalie Baye |
| 2 | Sabine Azéma |
| 2 | Romy Schneider |
| 2 | Yolande Moreau |
| Nominations | Actress |
| 14 | Isabelle Huppert |
| 13 | Catherine Deneuve |
| 11 | Juliette Binoche |
| 10 | Miou-Miou |
| 8 | Isabelle Adjani |
| 7 | Nathalie Baye |
| 7 | Catherine Frot |
| 6 | Fanny Ardant |
| 6 | Sabine Azéma |
| 6 | Sandrine Bonnaire |
| 6 | Virginie Efira |
| 6 | Sandrine Kiberlain |
| 6 | Karin Viard |
| 5 | Emmanuelle Béart |
| 5 | Isabelle Carré |
| 5 | Marion Cotillard |
| 5 | Cécile de France |
| 5 | Charlotte Gainsbourg |
| 5 | Romy Schneider |
| 4 | Marina Foïs |
| 3 | Anémone |
| 3 | Ariane Ascaride |
| 3 | Josiane Balasko |
| 3 | Laure Calamy |
| 3 | Emmanuelle Devos |
| 3 | Nicole Garcia |
| 3 | Anouk Grinberg |
| 3 | Adèle Haenel |
| 3 | Charlotte Rampling |
| 3 | Kristin Scott Thomas |
| 3 | Léa Seydoux |
| 3 | Audrey Tautou |