Helpmann Award for Best Female Actor in a Play

The Helpmann Award for Best Female Actor in a Play is an award presented by Live Performance Australia (LPA) (the trade name for the Australian Entertainment Industry Association (AEIA)), an employers' organisation which serves as the peak body in the live entertainment and performing arts industries in Australia. The accolade is handed out at the annual Helpmann Awards, which celebrates achievements in musical theatre, contemporary music, comedy, opera, classical music, theatre, dance and physical theatre.

Cate Blanchett has the most wins in this category with four, for Hedda Gabler, Uncle Vanya, Gross und Klein (Big and Small) and The Maids.

Winners and nominees In the following list winners are listed first and marked in gold, in boldface, and the nominees are listed below with no highlight.

Source:

Year Actor Production Character(s) 2001(1st) Caroline O'Connor Piaf Edith Piaf Amanda Muggleton The Book Club Deborah Robyn Nevin A Cheery Soul Miss Docker Leah Purcell Box the Pony Leah/Steff 2002(2nd) Amanda Muggleton Master Class Maria Callas Essie Davis The School for Scandal Lady Teazle Kris McQuade Cloudstreet Dolly Pickle Caroline O'Connor Bombshells Various 2003(3rd) Rachel Griffiths Proof Catherine Deborah Mailman The Seven Stages of Grieving (co-written by Mailman) Woman Miranda Otto A Doll's House Nora Helmer Sigrid Thornton The Blue Room Various 2004(4th) Maggie Smith Talking Heads – A Bed Among the Lentils Susan Carol Burns A Conversation The Mother Judy Davis Victory Bradshaw Helen Morse Frozen Nancy 2005(5th) Cate Blanchett Hedda Gabler Hedda Gabler Julie Forsyth The Ham Funeral Alma Lusty Deborah Mailman The Sapphires Cynthia Mcrae Pamela Rabe Dinner Paige 2006(6th) Caroline O'Connor End of the Rainbow Judy Garland Jennifer Flowers Doubt Sister Aloysius Victoria Longley The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? Stevie Leah Purcell Stuff Happens Condoleezza Rice 2007(7th) Ursula Yovich Capricornia Capricornia Elena Kalinina Uncle Vanya Sonia Pamela Rabe Mother Courage and Her Children Mother Courage Alison van Reeken The Carnivores Nill and Neka 2008(8th) Leah Purcell The Story of the Miracles at Cookie's Table Annie Kate Dickie Aalst Cathy Delaney Catherine McClements Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Martha Genevieve Picot Rock 'n' Roll Eleanor/Esme 2009(9th) Robyn Nevin Women of Troy Hecuba Alison Bell Blackbird Una Cate Blanchett War of the Roses Richard II Pamela Rabe War of the Roses Richard III 2010(10th) Julie Forsyth Happy Days Winnie Kathryn Hunter Kafka's Monkey Ape Jane Menelaus August: Osage County Barbara Fordham Robyn Nevin August: Osage County Violet Weston 2011(11th) Cate Blanchett Uncle Vanya Yelena Robin McLeavy Measure for Measure Isabella Robyn Nevin Long Day's Journey into Night Mary Cavan Tyrone Ursula Yovich Waltzing the Wilarra Elsa 2012(12th) Cate Blanchett Gross und Klein (Big and Small) Lotte Robyn Nevin Neighbourhood Watch Ana Bernadette Robinson Songs For Nobodies Various Helen Thomson Summer of the Seventeenth Doll Pearl 2013(13th) Alison Bell Hedda Gabler Hedda Gabler Tesman Alison Bell Constellations Marianne Helen ThomsonMrs. Warren's ProfessionMrs Kitty Warren Christen O'Leary End of the Rainbow Judy Garland 2014(14th) Cate Blanchett The Maids Claire Zahra Newman The Mountaintop Camae Alison Whyte The Bloody Chamber Ursula Yovich Mother Courage and her Children Mother Courage 2015(15th)Pamela RabeThe Glass MenagerieJulie ForsythNight on Bald Mountain Robyn NevinSuddenly Last SummerSarah PeirseSwitzerland 2016(16th)Paula ArundellThe Bleeding TreeCate BlanchettThe PresentNoni HazlehurstMotherCatherine McClementsThe Events 2017(17th)Kate MulvanyRichard 3Helen MorseJohnLeah PurcellThe Drover's WifeAlison WhyteFaith Healer 2018(18th)Pamela RabeThe ChildrenMiranda DaughtryA Doll's HouseHelen MorseMemorialSarah PeirseThe Children 2019(19th) Kate Mulvany Every Brilliant Thing Helen Thomson Mary StuartQueen Elizabeth I Sarah Snook Saint Joan Saint Joan Melita Jurisic Arbus & WestMae WestPaula Arundell Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Parts One and Two)Hermione Granger (older)

Helpmann Award for Best Female Actor in a Play

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