# ITA Award for Best Actress in a Drama - Popular

ITA Award for Best Actress in a Drama - Popular is an award given by the Indian Television Academy as a part of its annual event to the female actor who receives the highest votes.
First awarded in 2001, the award was originally named Desh Ki Dhadkan but was later renamed.

## Superlatives

As of 2019, Smriti Irani has won the award 5 times out of the 6 nominations she received from 2001 to 2006. Hina Khan, Surbhi Chandna Pranali Rathod have won 2 awards out of the 3 nominations they received. Sakshi Tanwar and Shweta Tiwari have 8 and 7 nominations, but have not won a single award. In 2004, Smriti Irani and Mona Singh, while in 2008 Parul Chauhan and Sara Khan shared the award.

## Winners and nominees
### 2000s

| Year | Actor | Role | Show |
| 2001 | Smriti Irani | Tulsi Virani | Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi |
| 2001 | Sakshi Tanwar | Parvati Aggrawal | Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii |
| 2001 | Neena Gupta | Priya Kapoor | Saans |
| 2001 | Pallavi Joshi | Leela Sharma | Justujoo |
| 2001 | Sandhya Mridul | Kaajal | Koshish - Ek Aasha |
| 2002 | Smriti Irani | Tulsi Virani | Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi |
| 2002 | Sakshi Tanwar | Parvati Aggrawal | Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii |
| 2002 | Shweta Tiwari | Prerna Sharma | Kasautii Zindagii Kay |
| 2002 | Gurdeep Kohli | Dr. Juhi Singh | Sanjivani - a medical boon |
| 2002 | Nausheen Ali Sardar | Kkusum | Kkusum |
| 2003 | Smriti Irani | Tulsi Virani | Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi |
| 2003 | Sakshi Tanwar | Parvati Aggrawal | Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii |
| 2003 | Farida Jalal | Sushma Mehra | Shararat |
| 2003 | Shweta Tiwari | Prerna Sharma | Kasautii Zindagii Kay |
| 2003 | Aamna Shariff | Kashish | Kahiin To Hoga |
| 2004 | Smriti Irani | Tulsi Virani | Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi |
| 2004 | Mona Singh | Jasmeet Walia | Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin |
| 2004 | Sakshi Tanwar | Parvati Aggrawal | Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii |
| 2004 | Geeta Nair | Geeta | Haqeeqat |
| 2004 | Shweta Tiwari | Prerna Sharma | Kasautii Zindagii Kay |
| 2004 | Niki Aneja Walia | Dr. Simran Mathur | Astitva...Ek Prem Kahani |
| 2005 | Smriti Irani | Tulsi Virani | Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi |
| 2005 | Sakshi Tanwar | Parvati Aggrawal | Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii |
| 2005 | Niki Aneja Walia | Dr. Simran Mathur | Astitva...Ek Prem Kahani |
| 2005 | Shweta Tiwari | Prerna Sharma | Kasautii Zindagii Kay |
| 2005 | Mona Singh | Jassi | Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin |
| 2006 | Rajshree Thakur | Saloni Singh | Saat Phere: Saloni Ka Safar |
| 2006 | Shweta Tiwari | Prerna Sharma | Kasautii Zindagii Kay |
| 2006 | Ratna Pathak | Maya Sarabhai | Sarabhai vs Sarabhai |
| 2006 | Supriya Pathak | Hansa Parekh | Instant Khichdi |
| 2006 | Divya Dutta | Shanno | Shanno Ki Shaadi |
| 2007 | Divyanka Tripathi | Vidya Singh | Banoo Main Teri Dulhann |
| 2007 | Shweta Tiwari | Prerna Sharma | Kasautii Zindagii Kay |
| 2007 | Prachi Desai | Bani Walia | Kasamh Se |
| 2007 | Sarita Joshi | Godavari Thakkar | Baa Bahu Aur Baby |
| 2007 | Smriti Irani | Vasudha | Virrudh |
| 2007 | Mugdha Chaphekar | Sanyogita | Dharti Ka Veer Yodha Prithviraj Chauhan |
| 2008 | Parul Chauhan | Ragini Rajvansh | Sapna Babul Ka...Bidaai |
| 2008 | Sara Khan | Sadhna Rajvansh | Sapna Babul Ka...Bidaai |
| 2008 | Divyanka Tripathi | Vidya Singh | Banoo Main Teri Dulhann |
| 2008 | Sarita Joshi | Godavari Thakkar | Baa Bahoo Aur Baby |
| 2008 | Additi Gupta | Heer Juneja | Kis Desh Mein Hai Meraa Dil |
| 2008 | Avika Gor | Anandi | Balika Vadhu |
| 2009 | Hina Khan | Akshara Singhania | Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai |
| 2009 | Ankita Lokhande | Archana Karanjkar | Pavitra Rishta |
| 2009 | Sara Khan | Sadhna Rajvanshi | Sapna Babul Ka...Bidaai |
| 2009 | Ratan Rajput | Laali | Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya Hi Kijo |
| 2009 | Aasiya Kazi | Santo Mahyavanshi | Bandini |

### 2010s

| Year | Actress | Character | Show |
| 2010 | Rashami Desai | Tapasya Thakur | Uttaran |
| 2010 | Ankita Lokhande | Archana Karanjkar | Pavitra Rishta |
| 2010 | Hina Khan | Akshara Singhania | Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai |
| 2010 | Pooja Gor | Pratigya | Mann Kee Awaaz Pratigya |
| 2010 | Ragini Khanna | Suhana Kashyap | Sasural Genda Phool |
| 2011 | Giaa Manek | Gopi Modi | Saath Nibhaana Saathiya |
| 2011 | Ankita Lokhande | Archana Karanjkar | Pavitra Rishta |
| 2011 | Sakshi Tanwar | Priya Kapoor | Bade Achhe Lagte Hain |
| 2011 | Pratyusha Banerjee | Anandi | Balika Vadhu |
| 2011 | Pooja Gor | Pratigya | Mann Kee Awaaz Pratigya |
| 2012 | Nia Sharma | Maanvi Chaudhary | Ek Hazaaron Mein Meri Behna Hai |
| 2012 | Shweta Tiwari | Sweety Kaur Ahluwalia | Parvarrish – Kuchh Khattee Kuchh Meethi |
| 2012 | Sakshi Tanwar | Priya Kapoor | Bade Achhe Lagte Hain |
| 2012 | Rati Pandey | Indira | Hitler Didi |
| 2012 | Drashti Dhami | Madhubala | Madhubala – Ek Ishq Ek Junoon |
| 2013 | Devoleena Bhattacharjee | Gopi Modi | Saath Nibhaana Saathiya |
| 2013 | Paridhi Sharma | Jodhabai | Jodha Akbar |
| 2013 | Deepika Singh | Sandhya Rathi | Diya Aur Baati Hum |
| 2013 | Ankita Lokhande | Archana Deshmukh | Pavitra Rishta |
| 2013 | Sakshi Tanwar | Priya Kapoor | Bade Achhe Lagte Hain |
| 2014 | Deepika Singh | Sandhya Rathi | Diya Aur Baati Hum |
| 2014 | Sriti Jha | Pragya Arora | Kumkum Bhagya |
| 2014 | Divyanka Tripathi | Ishita Iyer | Ye Hai Mohabbatein |
| 2014 | Sanaya Irani | Parvati | Rangrasiya |
| 2014 | Preetika Rao | Aaliya | Beintehaa |
| 2014 | Drashti Dhami | Madhubala | Madhubala – Ek Ishq Ek Junoon |
| 2014 | Pooja Sharma | Draupadi | Mahabharat |
| 2015 | Hina Khan | Akshara Singhania | Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai |
| 2015 | Sriti Jha | Pragya Mehra | Kumkum Bhagya |
| 2015 | Divyanka Tripathi | Ishita Iyer | Ye Hai Mohabbatein |
| 2015 | Kratika Sengar | Tanu Bedi | Kasam Tere Pyaar Ki |
| 2015 | Pallavi Kulkarni | Ragini Khanna | Itna Karo Na Mujhe Pyaar |
| 2016 | Mouni Roy | Shivanya Singh | Naagin 1 |
| 2016 | Sriti Jha | Pragya Mehra | Kumkum Bhagya |
| 2016 | Divyanka Tripathi | Ishita Iyer | Ye Hai Mohabbatein |
| 2016 | Kratika Sengar | Tanu Bedi | Kasam Tere Pyaar Ki |
| 2016 | Rubina Dilaik | Soumya | Shakti - Astitva Ke Ehsaas Ki |
| 2017 | Helly Shah | Devanshi Chaudhary | Devanshi |
| 2017 | Sriti Jha | Pragya Mehra | Kumkum Bhagya |
| 2017 | Mouni Roy | Shivangi Singh | Naagin 2 |
| 2017 | Surbhi Chandna | Anika Trivedi | Ishqbaaaz |
| 2017 | Aditi Rathore | Avni Ayesha | Naamkarann |
| 2018 | Surbhi Chandna | Anika Trivedi | Ishqbaaz |
| 2018 | Jennifer Winget | Zoya Siddiqui Hooda | Bepannah |
| 2018 | Drashti Dhami | Nandini Thakur | Silsila Badalte Rishton Ka |
| 2018 | Rubina Dilaik | Soumya Singh | Shakti - Astitva Ke Ehsaas Ki |
| 2018 | Aditi Rathore | Avni Ayesha | Naamkarann |
| 2019 | Shivangi Joshi | Naira Goenka | Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai |
| 2019 | Shraddha Arya | Preeta Arora | Kundali Bhagya |
| 2019 | Ashi Singh | Naina Agarwal | Yeh Un Dinon Ki Baat Hai |
| 2019 | Erica Fernandes | Prerna Sharma | Kasautii Zindagii Kay |

### 2020s

| Year | Actress | Character | Show |
| 2020 | Surbhi Chandna | Bani Sharma | Naagin 5 |
| 2020 | Shraddha Arya | Preeta Arora | Kundali Bhagya |
| 2020 | Rupali Ganguly | Anupamaa | Anupamaa |
| 2020 | Helly Shah | Riddhima Raisinghania | Ishq Mein Marjawan 2 |
| 2021 | Rupali Ganguly | Anupamaa | Anupamaa |
| 2021 | Shivangi Khedkar | Pallavi Rao | Mehndi Hai Rachne Waali |
| 2021 | Ashi Singh | Meet Hooda | Meet: Badlegi Duniya Ki Reet |
| 2021 | Helly Shah | Riddhima Raisinghania | Ishq Mein Marjawan 2 |
| 2021 | Mallika Singh | Radha | RadhaKrishn |
| 2022 | Pranali Rathod | Akshara Goenka Birla | Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai |
| 2022 | Tejasswi Prakash | Pratha Gujral | Naagin 6 |
| 2022 | Gulki Joshi | Haseena Malik | Maddam Sir |
| 2022 | Niyati Fatnani | Ginni Grewal | Channa Mereya |
| 2022 | Mallika Singh | Radha | RadhaKrishn |
| 2023 | Tejasswi Prakash | Pratha Gujral | Naagin 6 |
| 2023 | Shivangi Joshi | Aradhana Sahni | Barsatein – Mausam Pyaar Ka |
| 2023 | Aditi Sharma | Katha Singh | Katha Ankahee |
| 2023 | Pranali Rathod | Akshara Goenka Sharma | Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai |
| 2023 | Ashi Singh | Meet Hooda | Meet: Badlegi Duniya Ki Reet |
| 2024 | Pranali Rathod | Akshara Goenka Sharma | Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai |
| 2024 | Rupali Ganguly | Anupamaa | Anupamaa |
| 2024 | Sumbul Touqeer | Kavya Bansal | Kavya – Ek Jazbaa, Ek Junoon |
| 2024 | Aditi Rathore | Tanvi Sharma | Aangan – Aapno Kaa |
| 2024 | Samridhii Shukla | Abhira Sharma Poddar | Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai |
| 2024 | Ashi Singh | Meet Hooda | Meet: Badlegi Duniya Ki Reet |