# Best Actress Award (Karlovy Vary IFF)

The Best Actress Award is one of main awards of the Feature Film Competition at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. It is conferred on the best actress, or the best actresses ex aequo.

## Best Actress Award

| Year | Actress | Film | Original Title | Nationality of the Actress |
| 2021 | Éléonore Loiselle | Wars | Guerres | Canadian |
| 2020 | | | | |
| 2019 | | | | |
| 2018 | | | | |
| 2017 | Jowita Budnik (ex aequo) | Birds Are Singing in Kigali | Ptaki śpiewają w Kigali | Polish |
| 2017 | Eliane Umuhire (ex aequo) | Birds Are Singing in Kigali | Ptaki śpiewają w Kigali | Rwandan |
| 2016 | Zuzana Mauréry | The Teacher | Učitelka | Slovakian |
| 2015 | Alena Mihulová | Home Care | Domácí péče | Czech |
| 2014 | Elle Fanning | Low Down | Low Down | United States |
| 2013 | Emily Meade (ex aequo) | Bluebird | Bluebird | United States |
| 2013 | Amy Morton (ex aequo) | Bluebird | Bluebird | United States |
| 2013 | Margo Martindale (ex aequo) | Bluebird | Bluebird | United States |
| 2013 | Louisa Krause (ex aequo) | Bluebird | Bluebird | United States |
| 2012 | Leila Hatami | The Last Step | Pele Akher | Iranian |
| 2011 | Stine Fischer Christensen | Cracks in the Shell | Die Unsichtbare | Danish |
| 2010 | Anaïs Demoustier | Sweet Evil | L'enfance du mal | French |
| 2009 | Paprika Steen | Applause | Applaus | Danish |
| 2008 | Martha Issová | Night Owls | Děti noci | Czech |
| 2007 | Elvira Mínguez | Pudor (Modesty) | Pudor (Modesty) | Spanish |
| 2006 | Maggie Gyllenhaal | Sherrybaby | Sherrybaby | United States |
| 2005 | Krystyna Feldman | My Nikifor | Mój Nikifor | Polish |
| 2004 | Karen-Lise Mynster (ex aequo) | Aftermath | Lad de små børn | Danish |
| 2004 | Marta Larralde (ex aequo) | León and Olvido | León y Olvido | Spanish |
| 2003 | Giovanna Mezzogiorno (ex aequo) | Facing Windows | La Finestra di fronte | Italian |
| 2003 | Sylvie Testud (ex aequo) | Fear and Trembling | Stupeur et tremblements | French |
| 2002 | Ugla Egilsdóttir | The Seagull's Laughter | Mávahlátur | Icelandic |
| 2001 | Viveka Seldahl | A Song for Martin | En sång för Martin | Swedish |
| 2000 | Regina Casé | Me You Them | Et Tu Eles | Brazilian |
| 1999 | Evelyn Kaplun | Yana's Friends | החברים של יאנה (HaHaverim shel Yana) | Israeli |
| 1998 | Julia Stiles | Wicked | Wicked | United States |
| 1997 | Lena Endre | Juloratoriet | Juloratoriet | Swedish |
| 1996 | Marisa Paredes | The Flower of My Secret | La Flor de mi secreto | Spanish |
| 1995 | Ya-lei Kuei | Maiden Rosé | 女兒紅 (Nu er hong) | Taiwanese |
| 1994 | Natasha Richardson | Widows' Peak | Widows' Peak | British |
| 1992 | Evdokiya Germanova | Kiks | Кикс | Russian |
| 1990 | Julie Jézéquel | Tumultes | Tumultes | French |
| 1990 | Clotilde de Bayser | Tumultes | Tumultes | French |
| 1990 | Laure Marsac | Tumultes | Tumultes | French |
| 1988 | Corinna Harfouch | Die Schauspielerin (The Actress) | Die Schauspielerin (The Actress) | German |
| 1986 | Jane Fonda (ex aequo) | Agnes of God | Agnes of God | United States |
| 1986 | Anne Bancroft (ex aequo) | Agnes of God | Agnes of God | United States |
| 1986 | Meg Tilly (ex aequo) | Agnes of God | Agnes of God | United States |
| 1984 | Susú Pecoraro (ex aequo) | Camila | Camila | Argentine |
| 1984 | Marie Colbin [de] (ex aequo) | No Time for Tears: The Bachmeier Case [de] | No Time for Tears: The Bachmeier Case [de] | Austrian |
| 1982 | Not conferred | Not conferred | Not conferred | Not conferred |
| 1980 | Anda Onesa (ex aequo) | Duios Anastasia trecea | Duios Anastasia trecea | Romanian |
| 1980 | Birgit Doll (ex aequo) | Geschichten aus dem Wienerwald | Geschichten aus dem Wienerwald | Austrian |
| 1978 | Marisol (ex aequo) | Los Días del pasado (The Days of The Past) | Los Días del pasado (The Days of The Past) | Spanish |
| 1978 | Marie-José Nat (ex aequo) | The Simple Past | Le Passé simple | French |
| 1976 | Hildegard Knef (ex aequo) | Everyone Dies Alone | Jeder stirbt für sich allein | German |
| 1976 | Karin Schröder (ex aequo) | Kalldorf gegen Mannesmann | Kalldorf gegen Mannesmann | | German |
| 1974 | Marta Vančurová | Lovers in the Year One | Milenci v roce jedna | Czech |
| 1972 | Mari Törőcsik | Dead Landscape | Holt vidék | Hungarian |
| 1970 | Natalya Arinbasarova | By the Lake | У озера (U ozera) | Russian |
| 1968 | Carol White | Poor Cow | Poor Cow | British |
| 1966 | Not conferred | Not conferred | Not conferred | Not conferred |
| 1964 | Jeanne Moreau | Diary of a Chambermaid | Le journal d'une femme de chambre | French |
| 1962 | Not conferred | Not conferred | Not conferred | Not conferred |
| 1960 | Mari Törőcsik | Our Kid | Kölyök | Hungarian |
| 1958 | Nargis | Mother India | Mother India | Indian |
| 1957 | Tzvetana Arnaudova | Urok istorii | Урок истории | Russian |
| 1956 | Rufina Nifontova | Flames on the Volga | Вольница | Russian |
| 1954 | Rosaura Revueltas | Salt of the Earth | Salt of the Earth | Mexican |
| 1952 | Milka Tuykova | Danka | Данка | Bulgarian |
| 1951 | Not conferred | Not conferred | Not conferred | Not conferred |
| 1950 | Che Liang-sing | Zhao Yiman | 赵一曼 | Chinese |
| 1949 | Not conferred | Not conferred | Not conferred | Not conferred |
| 1948 | Madeleine Robinson | Les Frères Bouquinquant | Les Frères Bouquinquant | French |