The Best Actress Award () is an award presented at the Cannes Film Festival since 1946. It is given to an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance and chosen by the jury from the films in official competition slate at the festival.
Its most recent winners were Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto for All of a Sudden at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival.
History The award was first presented in 1946 at the 1946 Cannes Film Festival, Michèle Morgan was the inaugural winner of the award for Pastoral Symphony.
The prize was not awarded on three occasions (1947, 1953, and 1954). The festival was not held at all in 1948, 1950, and 2020. In 1968, no awards were given as the festival was called off mid-way due to the May 1968 events in France.
On six occasions, the jury has awarded multiple women (more than 2) the prize for the same film. The films were: A Big Family (1955), Brink of Life (1958), A World Apart (1988), Volver (2006), Emilia Pérez (2024), and All of a Sudden (2026).
Vanessa Redgrave, Barbara Hershey, Helen Mirren, and Isabelle Huppert have won the most awards in this category, each winning twice. Hershey is the only actress to win the award in consecutive years, for Shy People (1987) and A World Apart (1988).
Isabelle Adjani is the only actress to win for roles in two different films in the same competition, for her performances in Possession and Quartet in 1981.
The award can be for lead or supporting roles, with the exception of the period from 1979 to 1981, when the festival used to award a separate "Best Supporting Actress" prize. The jury also, on occasion, cites actresses with a special citation that is separate from the main award.
Winners
+ Table key Indicates the Best Supporting Actress winner
1940s Year Actress Role(s) English Title Original Title 1946 Gertrude La Symphonie pastorale 1949 Au-delà des grilles
1950s Year Actress Role(s) English Title Original Title 1951 1952 1955 Больша́я семья́ 1956 1957 Le notti di Cabiria 1958 Nära livet 1959
1960s Year Actress Role(s) English Title Original Title 1960 Ilya Ποτέ την Κυριακή Moderato cantabile 1961 Cesira La ciociara 1962 Josephine ("Jo") 1963 Regina L'ape regina 1964 1965 1966 1967 1969
1970s Year Actress Role(s) English Title Original Title 1970 Ersilia 1971 1972 Cathryn 1973 1974 Elle / Michel's wife Les Violons du bal 1975 1976 L'eredità Ferramonti Déryné Déryné hol van? 1977 J.A. Martin photographe 1978 Violette Nozière 1979 Marie
1980s Year Actress Role(s) English Title Original Title 1980 Salto nel vuoto Kaca Посебан третман Carla 1981 Anna / Helen Ona Группа крови „Ноль“ 1982 Egymásra nézve 1983 Eugenia Storia di Piera 1984 Marcella 1985 La Historia Oficial Cher 1986 Eu Sei que Vou Te Amar 1987 Ruth 1988 Elsie 1989
1990s Year Actress Role(s) English Title Original Title 1990 Przesłuchanie 1991 Weronika / Véronique La double vie de Véronique 1992 Den goda viljan 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 Valerie 1998 La Vie rêvée des anges 1999 Dominio L'humanité Rosetta
2000s Year Actress Role(s) English Title Original Title 2000 Björk 2001 La Pianiste 2002 Irma Mies vailla menneisyyttä 2003 Nathalie Les Invasions barbares 2004 2005 Hanna 2006 Raimunda Irene Soledad ("Sole") Agustina Paula Tía Paula 2007 밀양 2008 Cleuza 2009 She
2010s Year Actress Role(s) English Title Original Title 2010 Copie conforme 2011 Justine 2012 Alina După dealuri Voichita 2013 Le passé / گذشته 2014 2015 2016 Rosa 2017 Aus dem Nichts 2018 Ayka Айка 2019
2020s Year Actress Role(s) English Title Original Title 2021 Julie Verdens verste menneske 2022 Arezoo Rahimi عنکبوت مقدس 2023 Nuray Kuru Otlar Üstüne 2024 Karla Sofía GascónEmilia PerezEmilia Pérez Selena GomezJessi del Monte Adriana PazEpifanía Flores Zoe SaldañaRita Mora Castro2025 Nadia MellitiFatimaThe Little SisterLa Petite Dernière2026Tao OkamotoMari MorisakiAll of a SuddenSoudain / 急に具合が悪くなるVirginie EfiraMarie-Lou Fontaine
Multiple winners
The following individuals have received multiple Best Actress awards:
Number of Wins Actress Nationality Films2 Barbara Hershey United States Shy People (1987) and A World Apart (1988) Helen Mirren United Kingdom Cal (1984) and The Madness of King George (1995) Isabelle Huppert France Violette Nozière (1978) and The Piano Teacher (2001)Isabelle AdjaniPossession (1981) and Quartet (1981) [The only actress to win for two different movies on the same year] Vanessa Redgrave United Kingdom Morgan – A Suitable Case for Treatment (1966) and Isadora (1969)
See also The following individuals have also received Best Actress award(s) at Venice or Berlin Film Festival.
Winning Year at Cannes Actress Festival Year English Title Nationality 1951 Venice 1937 Kid Galahad and Marked Woman United States 1958 Berlin 1963 The Mistress Sweden 1959 Berlin 1971 Le Chat France 1961 Venice 1958 The Black Orchid Italy 1962 Venice 1934 Little Women United States 19661969 Venice 1994 Little Odessa England 19782001 Venice 1988 Story of Women France 1995 La Cérémonie 1981 Berlin 1989 Camille Claudel France 1983 Berlin 1979 The Marriage of Maria Braun Germany 19841995 Venice 2006 The Queen England 1986 Venice 1981 Marianne and Juliane Germany 1989 Berlin 2003 The Hours United States 1993 Berlin 1988 Broadcast News United States 2004 Berlin 1992 Center Stage Hong Kong 2006 Venice 2021 Parallel Mothers Spain 2010 Venice 1993 Three Colours: Blue France Berlin 1997 The English Patient 2014 Venice 2002 Far from Heaven United States Berlin 2003 The Hours
Notes
A: This year the award was changed to Prix d'Interpretation (Acting Award), without gender differentiation. B: The entire male and female cast of A Big Family (Больша́я семья́) was recipient of this award in a tie with Spencer Tracy for Bad Day at Black Rock. C: This year award was given as Prix collectif d'interprétation féminine Un Certain Regard (Collective Female Acting Award – Un Certain Regard) to the female cast of Brink of Life (Nära livet). D: This year award was given as Prix Le Premier Regard Un Certain Regard (Premiere Award – Un Certain Regard) to the lead male and female cast of Long Day's Journey into Night and A Taste of Honey (ex aequo). E: Performer to receive a joint award which honor the outstanding work in multiple different films in the same official competition slate.
References
External links Cannes Film Festival official website Cannes Film Festival at IMDb .