Best Actor in a Leading Role is a British Academy Film award presented each year by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA).  It is to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding leading performance in a movie.

Winners and nominees 
From 1952 to 1967, there were two Best Actor awards: one for a British actor and another for a foreign actor. In 1968, the two prizes of British and Foreign actor were combined to create a single Best Actor award. Its current title, for Best Actor in a Leading Role, has been used since 1995.

1950s 
 1952
 Best British Actor – Ralph Richardson – The Sound Barrier
 Laurence Olivier – Carrie
 Alastair Sim – Folly to Be Wise
 Jack Hawkins – Mandy
 James Hayter – The Pickwick Papers
 Nigel Patrick – The Sound Barrier
 Best Foreign Actor – Marlon Brando – Viva Zapata!
 Humphrey Bogart – The African Queen
 Fredric March – Death of a Salesman
 Pierre Fresnay – Dieu a besoin des hommes
 Francesco Golisano – Miracolo a Milano

 1953
 Best British Actor – John Gielgud – Julius Caesar
 Jack Hawkins – The Cruel Sea
 Kenneth More – Genevieve
 Trevor Howard – The Heart of the Matter
 Duncan Macrae – The Kidnappers'
 Best Foreign Actor – Marlon Brando – Julius Caesar Spencer Tracy – The Actress Claude Laydu – Journal d'un curé de campagne Marcel Mouloudji – Nous sommes tous des assassins Eddie Albert – Roman Holiday Gregory Peck – Roman Holiday Van Heflin – Shane 1954
 Best British Actor– Kenneth More – Doctor in the House David Niven – Carrington V.C. John Mills – Hobson's Choice Robert Donat – Lease of Life Maurice Denham – The Purple Plain Donald Wolfit – Svengali Best Foreign Actor – Marlon Brando – On the Waterfront José Ferrer – The Caine Mutiny Fredric March – Executive Suite James Stewart – The Glenn Miller Story Neville Brand – Riot in Cell Block 11 1955
 Best British Actor – Laurence Olivier – Richard III Alfie Bass – The Bespoke Overcoat Kenneth More – The Deep Blue Sea Michael Redgrave – The Night My Number Came Up Alec Guinness – The Prisoner Jack Hawkins – The Prisoner Best Foreign Actor – Ernest Borgnine – Marty James Dean – East of Eden Jack Lemmon – Mister Roberts Frank Sinatra – Not as a Stranger Toshirô Mifune – Shichinin no samurai Takashi Shimura – Shichinin no samurai 1956
 Best British Actor – Peter Finch – A Town Like Alice Jack Hawkins – The Long Arm Kenneth More – Reach for the Sky Best Foreign Actor – François Périer – Gervaise Karl Malden – Baby Doll Pierre Fresnay – Le Défroqué Frank Sinatra – The Man with the Golden Arm Spencer Tracy – The Mountain William Holden – Picnic James Dean – Rebel Without a Cause Gunnar Björnstrand – Sommarnattens leende 1957
 Best British Actor – Alec Guinness – The Bridge on the River Kwai Trevor Howard – Manuela Laurence Olivier – The Prince and the Showgirl Michael Redgrave – Time Without Pity Peter Finch – Windom's Way Best Foreign Actor – Henry Fonda – 12 Angry Men Sidney Poitier – Edge of the City Ed Wynn – The Great Man Robert Mitchum – Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison Pierre Brasseur – Porte des Lilas Tony Curtis – Sweet Smell of Success Richard Basehart – Time Limit Jean Gabin – La Traversée de Paris 1958
 Best British Actor – Trevor Howard – The Key I.S. Johar – Harry Black Anthony Quayle – Ice Cold in Alex Laurence Harvey – Room at the Top Donald Wolfit – Room at the Top Michael Craig – Sea of Sand Terry-Thomas – tom thumb Best Foreign Actor – Sidney Poitier – The Defiant Ones Paul Newman – Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Tony Curtis – The Defiant Ones Curd Jürgens – The Enemy Below Curd Jürgens – The Inn of the Sixth Happiness Spencer Tracy – The Last Hurrah Glenn Ford – The Sheepman Victor Sjöström – Smultronstället Charles Laughton – Witness for the Prosecution Marlon Brando – The Young Lions 1959
 Best British Actor – Peter Sellers – I'm All Right Jack Laurence Olivier – The Devil's Disciple Laurence Harvey – Expresso Bongo Richard Burton – Look Back in Anger Peter Finch – The Nun's Story Stanley Baker – Yesterday's Enemy Gordon Jackson – Yesterday's Enemy Best Foreign Actor – Jack Lemmon – Some Like It Hot James Stewart – Anatomy of a Murder Takashi Shimura – Ikiru Jean Desailly – Maigret tend un piège Jean Gabin – Maigret tend un piège Zbigniew Cybulski – Popiól i diament 1960s 
 1960
 Best British Actor – Peter Finch – The Trials of Oscar Wilde Richard Attenborough – The Angry Silence Laurence Olivier – The Entertainer Albert Finney – Saturday Night and Sunday Morning John Fraser – The Trials of Oscar Wilde Alec Guinness – Tunes of Glory John Mills – Tunes of Glory Best Foreign Actor – Jack Lemmon – The Apartment George Hamilton – Crime & Punishment Burt Lancaster – Elmer Gantry Fredric March – Inherit the Wind Spencer Tracy – Inherit the Wind Yves Montand – Let's Make Love 1961
 Best British Actor – Peter Finch – No Love for Johnnie Dirk Bogarde – Victim Best Foreign Actor – Paul Newman – The Hustler Vladimir Ivashov – Ballada o soldate Alberto Sordi – The Best of Enemies Montgomery Clift – Judgment at Nuremberg Maximilian Schell – Judgment at Nuremberg Sidney Poitier – A Raisin in the Sun Philippe Leroy – Le Trou 1962
 Best British Actor – Peter O'Toole – Lawrence of Arabia Richard Attenborough – The Dock Brief Alan Bates – A Kind of Loving James Mason – Lolita Peter Sellers – Only Two Can Play Laurence Olivier – Term of Trial Best Foreign Actor – Burt Lancaster – Birdman of Alcatraz Charles Laughton – Advise and Consent Robert Ryan – Billy Budd Anthony Quinn – Lawrence of Arabia George Hamilton – Light in the Piazza Kirk Douglas – Lonely Are the Brave Jean-Paul Belmondo – Léon Morin, prêtre Georges Wilson – Une aussi longue absence 1963
 Best British Actor – Dirk Bogarde – The Servant Tom Courtenay – Billy Liar Richard Harris – This Sporting Life Albert Finney – Tom Jones Hugh Griffith – Tom Jones Best Foreign Actor – Marcello Mastroianni – Divorzio all'italiana Franco Citti – Accattone Howard Da Silva – David and Lisa Jack Lemmon – Days of Wine and Roses Paul Newman – Hud Gregory Peck – To Kill a Mockingbird 1964
 Best British Actor – Richard Attenborough – Guns at Batasi and Seance on a Wet Afternoon Peter O'Toole – Becket Peter Sellers – Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb Tom Courtenay – King & Country Peter Sellers – The Pink Panther Best Foreign Actor – Marcello Mastroianni – Ieri, oggi, domani Cary Grant – Charade Sterling Hayden – Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb Sidney Poitier – Lilies of the Field 1965
 Best British Actor – Dirk Bogarde – Darling Harry Andrews – The Hill Michael Caine – The Ipcress File Rex Harrison – My Fair Lady Best Foreign Actor – Lee Marvin – Cat Ballou and The Killers Anthony Quinn – Alexis Zorbas Innokenti Smoktunovsky – Hamlet Jack Lemmon – Good Neighbor Sam Jack Lemmon – How to Murder Your Wife Oskar Werner – Ship of Fools 1966
 Best British Actor – Richard Burton – The Spy Who Came in from the Cold and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Michael Caine – Alfie Ralph Richardson – Doctor Zhivago Ralph Richardson – Khartoum Ralph Richardson – The Wrong Box David Warner – Morgan: A Suitable Case for Treatment Best Foreign Actor – Rod Steiger – The Pawnbroker Sidney Poitier – A Patch of Blue Jean-Paul Belmondo – Pierrot le fou Oskar Werner – The Spy Who Came in from the Cold 1967
 Best British Actor – Paul Scofield – A Man for All Seasons Dirk Bogarde – Accident James Mason – The Deadly Affair Dirk Bogarde – Our Mother's House Richard Burton – The Taming of the Shrew Best Foreign Actor – Rod Steiger – In the Heat of the Night Warren Beatty – Bonnie and Clyde Orson Welles – Campanadas a medianoche Sidney Poitier – In the Heat of the Night 1968 – Spencer Tracy – Guess Who's Coming to Dinner as Matt Drayton
 Ron Moody – Oliver! Trevor Howard – The Charge of the Light Brigade Nicol Williamson – The Bofors Gun 1969 – Dustin Hoffman – John and Mary as John, and Midnight Cowboy as Enrico 'Ratso' Rizzo
 Walter Matthau – Hello, Dolly! Walter Matthau – The Secret Life of an American Wife Nicol Williamson – Inadmissible Evidence Alan Bates – Women in Love 1970s 
 1970 – Robert Redford – Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid as the Sundance Kid, Downhill Racer as David Chappellet, and Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here as Deputy Sheriff Christopher Cooper
 Paul Newman – Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid George C. Scott – Patton Elliott Gould – MASH Elliott Gould – Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice 1971 – Peter Finch – Sunday Bloody Sunday as Dr. Daniel Hirsh
 Albert Finney – Gumshoe Dustin Hoffman – Little Big Man Dirk Bogarde – Morte a Venezia 1972 – Gene Hackman – The French Connection as Jimmy 'Popeye' Doyle, and The Poseidon Adventure as Reverend Frank Scott
 Marlon Brando – The Godfather Marlon Brando – The Nightcomers George C. Scott – The Hospital George C. Scott – They Might Be Giants Robert Shaw – Young Winston 1973 – Walter Matthau – Charley Varrick as Charley Varrick, and Pete 'n' Tillie as Pete
 Marlon Brando – Ultimo tango a Parigi Donald Sutherland – Steelyard Blues Donald Sutherland – Don't Look Now Laurence Olivier – Sleuth 1974 – Jack Nicholson – Chinatown as J.J. 'Jake' Gittes, and The Last Detail as Billy Buddusky
 Gene Hackman – The Conversation Albert Finney – Murder on the Orient Express Al Pacino – Serpico 1975 – Al Pacino – The Godfather Part II as Michael Corleone, and Dog Day Afternoon as Sonny Wortzik
 Richard Dreyfuss – Jaws Gene Hackman – French Connection II Gene Hackman – Night Moves Dustin Hoffman – Lenny 1976 – Jack Nicholson – One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest as Randle McMurphy
 Robert De Niro – Taxi Driver Dustin Hoffman – All the President's Men Dustin Hoffman – Marathon Man Walter Matthau – The Bad News Bears Walter Matthau – The Sunshine Boys 1977 – Peter Finch – Network as Howard Beale
 William Holden – Network Woody Allen – Annie Hall Sylvester Stallone – Rocky 1978 – Richard Dreyfuss – The Goodbye Girl as Elliot Garfield
 Peter Ustinov – Death on the Nile Anthony Hopkins – Magic Brad Davis – Midnight Express 1979 – Jack Lemmon – The China Syndrome as Jack Godell
 Woody Allen – Manhattan
 Robert De Niro – The Deer Hunter
 Martin Sheen – Apocalypse Now

 1980s 
 1980 – John Hurt – The Elephant Man as John Merrick
 Dustin Hoffman – Kramer vs. Kramer
 Roy Scheider – All That Jazz
 Peter Sellers – Being There

 1981 – Burt Lancaster – Atlantic City as Lou Pascal
 Jeremy Irons – The French Lieutenant's Woman
 Robert De Niro – Raging Bull
 Bob Hoskins – The Long Good Friday

 1982 – Ben Kingsley – Gandhi as Mahatma Gandhi
 Warren Beatty – Reds
 Henry Fonda – On Golden Pond
 Albert Finney – Shoot the Moon
 Jack Lemmon – Missing

 1983 – Michael Caine – Educating Rita as Dr. Frank Bryant and Dustin Hoffman – Tootsie  as Michael Dorsey / Dorothy Michaels
 Michael Caine – The Honorary Consul
 Robert De Niro – The King of Comedy

 1984 – Haing S. Ngor – The Killing Fields as Dith Pran
 Sam Waterston – The Killing Fields
 Tom Courtenay – The Dresser
 Albert Finney – The Dresser

 1985 – William Hurt – Kiss of the Spider Woman as Luis Molina
 F. Murray Abraham – Amadeus
 Harrison Ford – Witness
 Victor Banerjee – A Passage to India

 1986 – Bob Hoskins – Mona Lisa as George
 Woody Allen – Hannah and Her Sisters
 Michael Caine – Hannah and Her Sisters
 Paul Hogan – Crocodile Dundee

 1987 – Sean Connery – Der Name der Rose as William of Baskerville
 Gérard Depardieu – Jean de Florette
 Yves Montand – Jean de Florette
 Gary Oldman – Prick Up Your Ears

 1988 – John Cleese – A Fish Called Wanda as Archie Leach
 Kevin Kline – A Fish Called Wanda as Otto West
 Michael Douglas – Fatal Attraction as Dan Gallagher
 Robin Williams – Good Morning, Vietnam as Adrian Cronauer

 1989 – Daniel Day-Lewis – My Left Foot as Christy Brown
 Dustin Hoffman – Rain Man as Raymond Babbit
 Robin Williams – Dead Poets Society as John Keating
 Kenneth Branagh – Henry V as Henry V

 1990s 
 1990 – Philippe Noiret – Nuovo cinema Paradiso as Alfredo
 Robert De Niro – Goodfellas as Jimmy Conway
 Sean Connery – The Hunt for Red October as Captain Marko Ramius
 Tom Cruise – Born on the Fourth of July as Ron Kovic

 1991 – Anthony Hopkins – The Silence of the Lambs as Dr. Hannibal Lecter
 Kevin Costner – Dances with Wolves as Lieutenant Dunbar
 Alan Rickman – Truly, Madly, Deeply as Jamie
 Gérard Depardieu – Cyrano de Bergerac as Cyrano de Bergerac

 1992 – Robert Downey, Jr. – Chaplin as Charlie Chaplin
 Stephen Rea – The Crying Game as Fergus
 Tim Robbins – The Player as Griffin Mill
 Daniel Day-Lewis – The Last of the Mohicans as Nathaniel Poe

 1993 – Anthony Hopkins – Shadowlands as C. S. Lewis
 Anthony Hopkins – The Remains of the Day as James Stevens
 Liam Neeson – Schindler's List as Oskar Schindler
 Daniel Day-Lewis – In the Name of the Father as Gerry Conlon

 1994 – Hugh Grant – Four Weddings and a Funeral as Charles
 Tom Hanks – Forrest Gump as Forrest Gump
 Terence Stamp – The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert as Ralph / Bernadette Bassenger
 John Travolta – Pulp Fiction as Vincent Vega

 1995 – Nigel Hawthorne – The Madness of King George as George III
 Jonathan Pryce – Carrington as Lytton Strachey
 Nicolas Cage – Leaving Las Vegas as Ben Sanderson
 Massimo Troisi – Il Postino as Mario Ruoppolo

 1996 – Geoffrey Rush – Shine as David Helfgott
 Ralph Fiennes – The English Patient as Count Laszlo de Almásy
 Ian McKellen – Richard III as Richard III
 Timothy Spall – Secrets & Lies as Maurice Purley

 1997 – Robert Carlyle – The Full Monty as Gaz
 Kevin Spacey – L.A. Confidential as Jack Vincennes
 Billy Connolly – Mrs Brown as John Brown
 Ray Winstone – Nil by Mouth as Ray

 1998 – Roberto Benigni – Life Is Beautiful (La vita è bella) as Guido
 Michael Caine – Little Voice as Ray Say
 Tom Hanks – Saving Private Ryan as Captain John H. Miller
 Joseph Fiennes – Shakespeare in Love as William Shakespeare

 1999 – Kevin Spacey – American Beauty as Lester Burnham
 Om Puri – East Is East as George Khan
 Ralph Fiennes – The End of the Affair as Maurice Bendrix
 Russell Crowe – The Insider as Jeffrey Wigand
 Jim Broadbent – Topsy-Turvy as W. S. Gilbert

 2000s 
 2000 – Jamie Bell as Billy Elliot – Billy Elliot Russell Crowe as Maximus Decimus Meridius – Gladiator
 Michael Douglas as Grady Tripp – Wonder Boys
 Tom Hanks as Chuck Noland – Cast Away
 Geoffrey Rush as Marquis de Sade – Quills

 2001 – Russell Crowe as John Nash – A Beautiful Mind Jim Broadbent as John Bayley – Iris
 Ian McKellen as Gandalf – The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
 Kevin Spacey as Quoyle – The Shipping News
 Tom Wilkinson as Matt Fowler – In the Bedroom

 2002 – Daniel Day-Lewis as William "Bill the Butcher" Cutting – Gangs of New York Adrien Brody as Wladyslaw Szpilman – The Pianist
 Nicolas Cage as Charlie and Donald Kaufman – Adaptation.
 Michael Caine as Thomas Fowler – The Quiet American
 Jack Nicholson as Warren Schmidt – About Schmidt

 2003 – Bill Murray as Bob Harris – Lost in Translation Benicio del Toro as Jack Jordan – 21 Grams
 Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow – Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
 Jude Law as W. P. Inman – Cold Mountain
 Sean Penn as Paul Rivers – 21 Grams
 Sean Penn as Jimmy Markum – Mystic River

 2004 – Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles – Ray Jim Carrey as Joel Barish – Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
 Johnny Depp as James M. Barrie – Finding Neverland
 Leonardo DiCaprio as Howard Hughes – The Aviator
 Gael García Bernal as Ernesto "Che" Guevara – The Motorcycle Diaries (Diarios de motocicleta)

 2005 – Philip Seymour Hoffman as Truman Capote – Capote Ralph Fiennes as Justin Quayle – The Constant Gardener
 Heath Ledger as Ennis Del Mar – Brokeback Mountain
 Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash – Walk the Line
 David Strathairn as Edward R. Murrow – Good Night, and Good Luck

 2006 – Forest Whitaker as Idi Amin – The Last King of Scotland Daniel Craig as James Bond – Casino Royale
 Leonardo DiCaprio as Billy Costigan – The Departed
 Richard Griffiths as Hector – The History Boys
 Peter O'Toole as Maurice – Venus

 2007 – Daniel Day-Lewis as Daniel Plainview – There Will Be Blood George Clooney as Michael Clayton – Michael Clayton
 James McAvoy as Robbie Turner – Atonement
 Viggo Mortensen as Nikolai – Eastern Promises
 Ulrich Mühe as Gerd Wiesler – The Lives of Others (Das Leben der Anderen) 

 2008 – Mickey Rourke as Randy "The Ram" Robinson – The Wrestler Frank Langella as Richard Nixon – Frost/Nixon
 Dev Patel as Jamal Malik – Slumdog Millionaire
 Sean Penn as Harvey Milk – Milk
 Brad Pitt as Benjamin Button – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

 2009 – Colin Firth as George Falconer – A Single Man Jeff Bridges as Bad Blake – Crazy Heart
 George Clooney as Ryan Bingham – Up in the Air
 Jeremy Renner as SFC. William James – The Hurt Locker
 Andy Serkis as Ian Dury – Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll

 2010s 
 2010 – Colin Firth as King George VI – The King's Speech Javier Bardem as Uxbal – Biutiful
 Jeff Bridges as Reuben J. "Rooster" Cogburn – True Grit
 Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg – The Social Network
 James Franco as Aron Ralston – 127 Hours2011 - Jean Dujardin as George Valentin – The Artist'''George Clooney as Matt King – The DescendantsMichael Fassbender as Brandon Sullivan – ShameGary Oldman as George Smiley – Tinker Tailor Soldier SpyBrad Pitt as Billy Beane – Moneyball''

Other websites
 BAFTA Awards Database

BAFTA Awards