# Goya Award for Best Actress

The Goya Award for Best Actress (Spanish: Premio Goya a la mejor interpretación femenina protagonista) is one of the Goya Awards, Spain's principal national film awards.
Since its inception, the award has been given to 26 actresses. At the 1st Goya Awards ceremony held in 1987, Amparo Rivelles was the first winner of this award for her role as Laura in We Must Undo the House. Carmen Maura has received the most awards in this category with three wins. Penélope Cruz was nominated on twelve occasions, winning two times.
As of the 2025 ceremony, Carolina Yuste is the most recent winner in this category for her role as Mónica / Arantxa in Undercover.

## Winners and nominees

In the following table, the years are listed as per Academy convention, and generally correspond to the year of film release; the ceremonies are always held the following year.
Table key :
| ‡ | Indicates the winner |

### 1980s

| Year | Actress | Role(s) | English title | Original title |
| 1986 (1st) | Amparo Rivelles ‡ | Laura García | We Must Undo the House | Hay que deshacer la casa |
| 1986 (1st) | Victoria Abril | Dorita | Time of Silence | Tiempo de silencio |
| 1986 (1st) | Ángela Molina | Rosa | Half of Heaven | La mitad del cielo |
| 1987 (2nd) | Verónica Forqué ‡ | Ana Chamorro | The Happy Life | La vida alegre |
| 1987 (2nd) | Victoria Abril | Consuelo "Chelo" García | El Lute: Run for Your Life | El lute: camina o revienta |
| 1987 (2nd) | Irene Gutiérrez Caba [es] | Bernarda Alba | The House of Bernarda Alba | La casa de Bernada Alba |
| 1988 (3rd) | Carmen Maura ‡ | Pepa Marcos | Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown | Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios |
| 1988 (3rd) | Victoria Abril | Ana Alonso | Baton Rouge | Baton Rouge |
| 1988 (3rd) | Ana Belén | Alejandra Barrachina | Miss Caribe [ca] | Miss Caribe [ca] |
| 1988 (3rd) | María Fernanda D'Ocón [es] | Sor Mercedes | Caminos de tiza [ca] | Caminos de tiza [ca] |
| 1988 (3rd) | Ángela Molina | Charo | Lights and Shadows | Luces y sombras |
| 1989 (4th) | Rafaela Aparicio ‡ | Grandmother | The Sea and the Weather | El mar y el tiempo |
| 1989 (4th) | Victoria Abril | Ramona / Menchu / Aurora Nin | If They Tell You I Fell | Si te dicen que caí |
| 1989 (4th) | Ana Belén | Paloma | The Flight of the Dove | El vuelo de la paloma |
| 1989 (4th) | Verónica Forqué | Chusa | Going South Shopping | Bajarse al moro |
| 1989 (4th) | Ángela Molina | Pepita Morán | The Things of Love | Las cosas del querer |

### 1990s

| Year | Actress | Role(s) | English title | Original title |
| 1990 (5th) | Carmen Maura ‡ | Carmela | Ay, Carmela! | ¡Ay, Carmela! |
| 1990 (5th) | Victoria Abril | Marina Osorio | Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! | ¡Átame! |
| 1990 (5th) | Charo López | Clara | The Most Natural Thing | Lo más natural |
| 1991 (6th) | Sílvia Munt ‡ | Carmen Galán | Butterfly Wings | Alas de mariposa |
| 1991 (6th) | Victoria Abril | Luisa | Lovers | Amantes |
| 1991 (6th) | Maribel Verdú | Trini | Lovers | Amantes |
| 1992 (7th) | Ariadna Gil ‡ | Violeta | Belle Époque | Belle Époque |
| 1992 (7th) | Penélope Cruz | Silvia | Jamón Jamón | Jamón Jamón |
| 1992 (7th) | Assumpta Serna | Adela de Otero | The Fencing Master | El maestro de esgrima |
| 1993 (8th) | Verónica Forqué ‡ | Kika | Kika | Kika |
| 1993 (8th) | Carmen Maura | Ana | Shadows in a Conflict | Sombras en una batalla |
| 1993 (8th) | Emma Suárez | Lisa / Sofía | The Red Squirrel | La ardilla roja |
| 1994 (9th) | Cristina Marcos ‡ | Yoli | All Men Are the Same | Todos los hombres sois iguales |
| 1994 (9th) | Ana Belén | Desideria Oliván | The Turkish Passion | La pasión turca |
| 1994 (9th) | Ruth Gabriel | Charo | Running Out of Time | Días contados |
| 1995 (10th) | Victoria Abril ‡ | Gloria Duque | Nobody Will Speak of Us When We're Dead | Nadie hablará de nosotras cuando hayamos muerto |
| 1995 (10th) | Ariadna Gil | María | Antarctica | Antártida |
| 1995 (10th) | Marisa Paredes | Leo Macías | The Flower of My Secret | La flor de mi secreto |
| 1996 (11th) | Emma Suárez ‡ | Diana | The Dog in the Manger | El perro del hortelano |
| 1996 (11th) | Ana Torrent | Ángela Márquez | Thesis | Tesis |
| 1996 (11th) | Concha Velasco | Palmira Gadea | Beyond the Garden | Más allá del jardín |
| 1997 (12th) | Cecilia Roth ‡ | Alicia | Martín (Hache) | Martín (Hache) |
| 1997 (12th) | Maribel Verdú | Marina | The Lucky Star | La buena estrella |
| 1997 (12th) | Julia Gutiérrez Caba | Lola | The Color of the Clouds | El color de las nubes |
| 1998 (13th) | Penélope Cruz ‡ | Macarena Granada | The Girl of Your Dreams | La niña de tus ojos |
| 1998 (13th) | Cayetana Guillén Cuervo | Lucrecia Richmond | The Grandfather | El abuelo |
| 1998 (13th) | Najwa Nimri | Ana | Lovers of the Arctic Circle | Los amantes del círculo polar |
| 1998 (13th) | Leonor Watling | Carmen López | A Time for Defiance | La hora de los valientes |
| 1999 (14th) | Cecilia Roth ‡ | Manuela Coleman | All About My Mother | Todo sobre mi madre |
| 1999 (14th) | Ariadna Gil | Isabel | Black Tears | Lágrimas negras |
| 1999 (14th) | Carmen Maura | Berta | Lisbon | Lisboa |
| 1999 (14th) | Mercedes Sampietro | Gloria | By My Side Again | Cuando vuelvas a mi lado |

### 2000s

| Year | Actress | Role(s) | English title | Original title |
| 2000 (15th) | Carmen Maura ‡ | Julia García | Common Wealth | La comunidad |
| 2000 (15th) | Icíar Bollaín | Leo | Leo | Leo |
| 2000 (15th) | Lydia Bosch | Julia | You're the One | Una historia de entonces |
| 2000 (15th) | Adriana Ozores | Susana Grey | Plenilune | Plenilunio |
| 2001 (16th) | Pilar López de Ayala ‡ | Joanna of Castile | Mad Love | Juana la Loca |
| 2001 (16th) | Victoria Abril | Lola Nevado | Don't Tempt Me | Sin noticias de Dios |
| 2001 (16th) | Nicole Kidman | Grace Stewart | The Others | The Others |
| 2001 (16th) | Paz Vega | Angela | Mine Alone | Sólo mía |
| 2002 (17th) | Mercedes Sampietro ‡ | Liliana Rovira | Common Ground | Lugares comunes |
| 2002 (17th) | Ana Fernández | Andrea | Story of a Kiss | Historia de un beso |
| 2002 (17th) | Adriana Ozores | Ágata | Nobody's Life | La vida de nadie |
| 2002 (17th) | Leonor Watling | Elvira | My Mother Likes Women | A mi madre le gustan las mujeres |
| 2003 (18th) | Laia Marull ‡ | Pilar Pérez Villar | Take My Eyes | Te doy mis ojos |
| 2003 (18th) | Ariadna Gil | Lola Cercas | Soldiers of Salamis | Soldados de Salamina |
| 2003 (18th) | Adriana Ozores | Amparo | Sleeping Luck | La suerte dormida |
| 2003 (18th) | Sarah Polley | Ann | My Life Without Me | My Life Without Me |
| 2004 (19th) | Lola Dueñas ‡ | Rosa | The Sea Inside | Mar adentro |
| 2004 (19th) | Pilar Bardem | María Zambrano | Dearest Maria | María querida |
| 2004 (19th) | Ana Belén | Hortensia Ocaña | Things That Make Living Worthwhile | Cosas que hacen que la vida valga la pena |
| 2004 (19th) | Penélope Cruz | Italia | Don't Move | Non ti muovere |
| 2005 (20th) | Candela Peña ‡ | Caye | Princesas | Princesas |
| 2005 (20th) | Adriana Ozores | Pilar | Heroine | Heroína |
| 2005 (20th) | Nathalie Poza | Ana | Hard Times | Malas temporadas |
| 2005 (20th) | Emma Vilarasau | Irene | Something to Remember Me By | Para que no me olvides |
| 2006 (21st) | Penélope Cruz ‡ | Raimunda | Volver | Volver |
| 2006 (21st) | Silvia Abascal | Finea | The Idiot Maiden | La dama boba |
| 2006 (21st) | Marta Etura | Paula | Dark Blue Almost Black | Azuloscurocasinegro |
| 2006 (21st) | Maribel Verdú | Mercedes | Pan's Labyrinth | El laberinto del fauno |
| 2007 (22nd) | Maribel Verdú ‡ | Ángela Montero | Seven Billiard Tables | Siete mesas de billar francés |
| 2007 (22nd) | Belén Rueda | Laura García | The Orphanage | El orfanato |
| 2007 (22nd) | Blanca Portillo | Charo Gil | Seven Billiard Tables | Siete mesas de billar francés |
| 2007 (22nd) | Emma Suárez | Nines | Under the Stars | Bajo las estrellas |
| 2008 (23rd) | Carme Elías ‡ | Gloria Usaola | Camino | Camino |
| 2008 (23rd) | Verónica Echegui | Isa | My Prison Yard | El patio de mi cárcel |
| 2008 (23rd) | Ariadna Gil | Aurora Rodríguez | Just Walking | Sólo quiero caminar |
| 2008 (23rd) | Maribel Verdú | Elena Vadillo | The Blind Sunflowers | Los girasoles ciegos |
| 2009 (24th) | Lola Dueñas ‡ | Laura Valiente | Me Too | Yo, también |
| 2009 (24th) | Penélope Cruz | Magdalena Rivas | Broken Embraces | Los abrazos rotos |
| 2009 (24th) | Maribel Verdú | Miranda | Tetro | Tetro |
| 2009 (24th) | Rachel Weisz | Hypatia | Agora | Ágora |

### 2010s

| Year | Actress | Role(s) | English title | Original title |
| 2010 (25th) | Nora Navas ‡ | Florència | Black Bread | Pa negre |
| 2010 (25th) | Elena Anaya | Alba | Room in Rome | Habitación en Roma |
| 2010 (25th) | Emma Suárez | Alícia | The Mosquito Net | La mosquitera |
| 2010 (25th) | Belén Rueda | Julia Levin / Sara | Julia's Eyes | Los ojos de Julia |
| 2011 (26th) | Elena Anaya ‡ | Vera Cruz / Gal Ledgard | The Skin I Live In | La piel que habito |
| 2011 (26th) | Verónica Echegui | Laia | Kathmandu Lullaby | Katmandú, un espejo en el cielo |
| 2011 (26th) | Salma Hayek | Luisa Gómez | As Luck Would Have It | La chispa de la vida |
| 2011 (26th) | Inma Cuesta | Hortensia Rodríguez | The Sleeping Voice | La voz dormida |
| 2012 (27th) | Maribel Verdú ‡ | Encarna | Blancanieves | Blancanieves |
| 2012 (27th) | Penélope Cruz | Gemma | Twice Born | Venuto al mondo |
| 2012 (27th) | Aida Folch | Mercè | The Artist and the Model | El artista y la modelo |
| 2012 (27th) | Naomi Watts | María Bennet | The Impossible | The Impossible |
| 2013 (28th) | Marian Álvarez ‡ | Ana | Wounded | La herida |
| 2013 (28th) | Inma Cuesta | Ruth Belloso | Three Many Weddings | Tres bodas de más |
| 2013 (28th) | Aura Garrido | Ella | Stockholm | Stockholm |
| 2013 (28th) | Nora Navas | Geni Moncada | We All Want What's Best for Her | Tots volem el millor per a ella |
| 2014 (29th) | Bárbara Lennie ‡ | Bárbara | Magical Girl | Magical Girl |
| 2014 (29th) | María León | Sara | Marseille | Marsella |
| 2014 (29th) | Macarena Gómez | Montse | Shrew's Nest | Musarañas |
| 2014 (29th) | Elena Anaya | Lupe | They Are All Dead | Todos Están Muertos |
| 2015 (30th) | Natalia de Molina ‡ | Rocío Gómez | Food and Shelter | Techo y comida |
| 2015 (30th) | Inma Cuesta | The Bride | The Bride | La novia |
| 2015 (30th) | Penélope Cruz | Magda | Ma Ma | Ma ma |
| 2015 (30th) | Juliette Binoche | Josephine Peary | Nobody Wants the Night | Nadie quiere la noche |
| 2016 (31st) | Emma Suárez ‡ | Julieta Arcos | Julieta | Julieta |
| 2016 (31st) | Penélope Cruz | Macarena Granada | The Queen of Spain | La reina de España |
| 2016 (31st) | Bárbara Lennie | María Funes | María (and Everybody Else) | María (y los demás) |
| 2016 (31st) | Carmen Machi | Rosa | The Open Door | La puerta abierta |
| 2017 (32nd) | Nathalie Poza ‡ | Carla Miralles | Can't Say Goodbye | No sé decir adiós |
| 2017 (32nd) | Emily Mortimer | Florence Green | The Bookshop | The Bookshop |
| 2017 (32nd) | Penélope Cruz | Virginia Vallejo | Loving Pablo | Loving Pablo |
| 2017 (32nd) | Maribel Verdú | Carmen | Abracadabra | Abracadabra |
| 2018 (33rd) | Susi Sánchez ‡ | Anabel Barnuevo | Sunday's Illness | La enfermedad del domingo |
| 2018 (33rd) | Najwa Nimri | Lila Cassen | Quién te cantará | Quién te cantará |
| 2018 (33rd) | Penélope Cruz | Laura | Everybody Knows | Todos lo saben |
| 2018 (33rd) | Lola Dueñas | Estrella Aranda | Journey to a Mother's Room | Viaje al cuarto de una madre |
| 2019 (34th) | Belén Cuesta ‡ | Rosa Domínguez | The Endless Trench | La trinchera infinita |
| 2019 (34th) | Penélope Cruz | Jacinta | Pain and Glory | Dolor y gloria |
| 2019 (34th) | Greta Fernández | Sara Garrido | A Thief's Daughter | La hija de un ladrón |
| 2019 (34th) | Marta Nieto | Elena | Mother | Madre |

### 2020s

| Year | Actress | Role(s) | English title | Original title |
| 2020 (35th) | Patricia López Arnaiz ‡ | Lide Sagasti | Ane Is Missing | Ane |
| 2020 (35th) | Amaia Aberasturi | Ana Ibarguren | Coven | Akelarre |
| 2020 (35th) | Kiti Mánver | Lola Cruz | One Careful Owner | El inconveniente |
| 2020 (35th) | Candela Peña | Rosa Román | Rosa's Wedding | La boda de Rosa |
| 2021 (36th) | Blanca Portillo ‡ | Maixabel Lasa | Maixabel | Maixabel |
| 2021 (36th) | Emma Suárez | Berta | Josephine | Josefina |
| 2021 (36th) | Petra Martínez | María | That Was Life | La vida era eso |
| 2021 (36th) | Penélope Cruz | Janis Martínez Moreno | Parallel Mothers | Madres paralelas |
| 2022 (37th) | Laia Costa ‡ | Amaia | Lullaby | Cinco lobitos |
| 2022 (37th) | Marina Foïs | Olga Denis | The Beasts | As bestas |
| 2022 (37th) | Anna Castillo | Julia | Wild Flowers | Girasoles silvestres |
| 2022 (37th) | Bárbara Lennie | Alice Gould | God's Crooked Lines | Los renglones torcidos de Dios |
| 2022 (37th) | Vicky Luengo | Elena | Cork | Suro |
| 2023 (38th) | Malena Alterio ‡ | Lucía | Something Is About to Happen | Que nadie duerma |
| 2023 (38th) | Patricia López Arnaiz | Ane | 20,000 Species of Bees | 20.000 especies de abejas |
| 2023 (38th) | María Vázquez | Ramona | Matria | Matria |
| 2023 (38th) | Laia Costa | Nat | Un amor | Un amor |
| 2023 (38th) | Carolina Yuste | Conchita | Jokes & Cigarettes | Saben aquell |
| 2024(39th) | Carolina Yuste ‡ | Mónica / Arantxa | Undercover | La infiltrada |
| 2024(39th) | Emma Vilarasau | Montse | A House on Fire | Casa en flames |
| 2024(39th) | Julianne Moore | Ingrid Parker | The Room Next Door | La habitación de al lado |
| 2024(39th) | Tilda Swinton | Martha Hunt | The Room Next Door | La habitación de al lado |
| 2024(39th) | Patricia López Arnaiz | Isabel | Glimmers | Los destellos |

## Multiple wins and nominations

| Wins | Actress |
| 3 | Carmen Maura |
| 2 | Cecilia Roth |
| 2 | Lola Dueñas |
| 2 | Verónica Forqué |
| 2 | Emma Suárez |
| 2 | Maribel Verdú |
| 2 | Penélope Cruz |
| Nominations | Actress |
| 12 | Penélope Cruz |
| 8 | Victoria Abril |
| 8 | Maribel Verdú |
| 6 | Emma Suárez |
| 5 | Carmen Maura |
| 5 | Ariadna Gil |
| 4 | Ana Belén |
| 4 | Adriana Ozores |
| 3 | Elena Anaya |
| 3 | Inma Cuesta |
| 3 | Lola Dueñas |
| 3 | Verónica Forqué |
| 3 | Bárbara Lennie |
| 3 | Ángela Molina |
| 3 | Patricia López Arnaiz |