The IFTA Award for Lead Actress – Film is an award presented annually by the Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA). It has been presented since the 1st Irish Film & Television Awards ceremony in 2003 to an Irish actress who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role in a feature film.
The record for most wins is six, held by Saoirse Ronan, while Eva Birthistle and Jessie Buckley have both won the award twice. Ronan also holds the record for most nominations with nine. Seána Kerslake has the most nominations without winning, with four. Buckley is the award's most recent winner, winning her second award for her performance in Hamnet (2025).
Eligibility The award is exclusively open to Irish actresses; there is a separate International award for non-Irish actresses. The rules define an Irish person as follows: Born in Ireland (32 counties) or Have Irish Citizenship or Be full-time resident in Ireland (minimum of 3 years)
Winners and nominees In the following table, the years are listed as the year of film. The first three ceremonies were held at the end of the year, but since the 4th Irish Film & Television Awards the ceremonies have generally been held the following year. As there was no ceremony in 2019, the 16th Irish Film & Television Awards covered a period of two years.
+ Table key ‡ Indicates the winner † Indicates a posthumous winner
2000s Year Actress Film 2003(1st) Bloom Spin the Bottle Mystics Goldfish Memory Solaris 2004(2nd) Ae Fond Kiss Timbuktu Omagh Inside I'm Dancing Adam & Paul 2005(3rd) Trouble with Sex Winter's End Pavee Lackeen 2006(4th) Middletown Gypo Isolation 2007(5th) Cré na Cille 2008(6th) Eden Dorothy Kisses City of Ember 2009(7th) Zonad Eamon Happy Ever Afters
2010s Year Actress Film 2010(8th) Rewind 2011(9th) Hanna Behold the Lamb Stella Days 2012(10th) Grabbers Sanctuary Dollhouse What Richard Did 2013(11th) Byzantium 3096 Days Black Ice Life's a Breeze 2014(12th) Noble I Used to Live Here Jimmy's Hall 2015(13th) Brooklyn Swansong Pursuit My Name Is Emily 2016(14th) Loving In View Property of the State 2017(15th) Lady Bird Halal Daddy Kissing Candice 2018/19(16th) Wild Rose Rosie Little Women
2020s Year Actress Film 2020/21(17th) Wildfire I'm Thinking of Ending Things Herself Dating Amber Wildfire 2021/22(18th) Censor Deadly Cuts You Are Not My Mother 2022/23(19th) Róise & Frank Ann Lakelands Tarrac Ballywalter Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical 2023(20th) Lies We Tell Fingernails Flora and Son Foe My Sailor, My Love Verdigris 2024(21st) Oddity Wicked Little Letters Kathleen Is Here Small Things Like These Abigail 2025(22nd) Hamnet Horseshoe Aontas Four Mothers Báite Hot Milk
Multiple awards and nominations The following individuals have received two or more Lead Actress awards: Wins Actress Nominations 6 Saoirse Ronan 9 2 Jessie Buckley 5 Eva Birthistle 4
The following individuals have received two or more Lead Actress nominations: Nominations Actress 9 Saoirse Ronan 5 Jessie Buckley 4 Eva Birthistle Seána Kerslake 2 Angeline Ball Carolyn Bracken Ruth Bradley Antonia Campbell-Hughes Hazel Doupe Bronagh Gallagher Bríd Ní Neachtain Ruth Negga Eileen Walsh Alisha Weir
Notes
References
External links IFTA.ie (official IFTA website)