The Empire Award for Best Actress was an Empire Award presented annually by the British film magazine Empire to honor an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role, while working within the film industry. The Empire Award for Best Actress was one of five ongoing awards which were first introduced at the 1st Empire Awards ceremony in 1996 (the others being Best Actor, Best Director, Best Film, and Best British Film), with Nicole Kidman receiving the award for her role in To Die For. Winners were chosen by the readers of Empire magazine.
Since its inception, the award was given to 20 actresses. Nicole Kidman has received the most awards in this category, with two awards. Cate Blanchett and Nicole Kidman were nominated on five occasions, more than any other actress. Daisy Ridley was the most recent winner in this category, for her role in Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
Winners and nominees In the list below, winners are listed first in the colored row in boldface, followed by the other nominees. The number of the ceremony (1st, 2nd, etc.) appears in parentheses after the awards year, linked to the article (if any) on that ceremony.
+ Table key Key Description Indicates the winner
1990s Year Actress Character Film 1996 Nicole Kidman Suzanne Stone-Maretto To Die For 1997 Frances McDormand Marge Gunderson Fargo 1998 Joan Allen Elizabeth Proctor The Crucible 1999 Cate Blanchett Queen Elizabeth I Elizabeth Gwyneth Paltrow Helen Quilley Sliding Doors Helen Hunt Carol Connelly As Good as It Gets Jennifer Lopez Karen Sisco Out of Sight Pam Grier Jackie Brown Jackie Brown
2000s Year Actress Character Film 2000 Gwyneth Paltrow Viola de Lesseps Shakespeare in Love Nicole Kidman Alice Harford Eyes Wide Shut Rene Russo Catherine Banning The Thomas Crown Affair Sophie Marceau Elektra King The World Is Not Enough Toni Collette Lynn Sear The Sixth Sense 2001 Connie Nielsen Lucilla Gladiator Angelina Jolie Lisa Rowe Girl, Interrupted Hilary Swank Brandon Teena Boys Don't Cry Julia Roberts Erin Brockovich Erin Brockovich Kate Winslet Madeleine "Maddy" LeClerc Quills 2002 Nicole Kidman Satine Moulin Rouge! Audrey Tautou Amélie Poulain Amélie Frances O'Connor Monica Swinton A.I. Artificial Intelligence Nicole Kidman Grace Stewart The Others Renée Zellweger Bridget Jones Bridget Jones's Diary 2003 Kirsten Dunst Mary Jane Watson Spider-Man Halle Berry Giacinta "Jinx" Johnson Die Another Day Hilary Swank Det. Ellie Burr Insomnia Jennifer Connelly Alicia Nash A Beautiful Mind Miranda Otto Éowyn The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers 2004 Uma Thurman The Bride Kill Bill: Volume 1 Cate Blanchett Veronica Guerin Veronica Guerin Julianne Moore Cathy Whitaker Far from Heaven Maggie Gyllenhaal Lee Holloway Secretary Nicole Kidman Ada Monroe Cold Mountain 2005 Julie Delpy Céline Before Sunset Bryce Dallas Howard Ivy Elizabeth Walker The Village Cate Blanchett Katharine Hepburn The Aviator Kirsten Dunst Mary Jane Watson Spider-Man 2 Uma Thurman The Bride / Beatrix Kiddo Kill Bill: Volume 2 2006 Thandiwe Newton Christine Thayer Crash Hilary Swank Mary Margaret "Maggie" Fitzgerald Million Dollar Baby Keira Knightley Elizabeth Bennet Pride & Prejudice Naomi Watts Ann Darrow King Kong Renée Zellweger Mae Braddock Cinderella Man 2007 Penélope Cruz Raimunda Volver Helen Mirren Queen Elizabeth II The Queen Kate Winslet Sarah Pierce Little Children Keira Knightley Elizabeth Swann Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest Reese Witherspoon June Carter Walk the Line 2008 Keira Knightley Cecilia Tallis Atonement Angelina Jolie Mariane Pearl A Mighty Heart Cate Blanchett Queen Elizabeth I Elizabeth: The Golden Age Emma Watson Hermione Granger Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Katherine Heigl Alison Scott Knocked Up 2009 Helena Bonham Carter Mrs. Lovett Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street Angelina Jolie Christine Collins Changeling Elliot Page Juno MacGuff Juno Olga Kurylenko Camille Montes Quantum of Solace Sally Hawkins Pauline "Poppy" Cross Happy-Go-Lucky
2010s Year Actress Character Film 2010 Zoe Saldaña Neytiri Avatar Anne-Marie Duff Julia Lennon Nowhere Boy Carey Mulligan Jenny Mellor An Education Emily Blunt Queen Victoria The Young Victoria Mélanie Laurent Shosanna Dreyfus / Emmanuelle Mimieux Inglourious Basterds 2011 Noomi Rapace Lisbeth Salander The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Emma Watson Hermione Granger Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 Helena Bonham Carter Queen Elizabeth The King's Speech Natalie Portman Nina Sayers / The Swan Queen Black Swan Olivia Williams Ruth Lang The Ghost Writer 2012 Olivia Colman Hannah Tyrannosaur Carey Mulligan Irene Drive Meryl Streep Margaret Thatcher The Iron Lady Michelle Williams Marilyn Monroe My Week with Marilyn Rooney Mara Lisbeth Salander The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo 2013 Jennifer Lawrence Katniss Everdeen The Hunger Games Anne Hathaway Selina Kyle / Catwoman The Dark Knight Rises Jessica Chastain Maya Zero Dark Thirty Judi Dench M Skyfall Naomi Watts Maria Bennett The Impossible 2014 Emma Thompson P. L. Travers Saving Mr. Banks Amy Adams Sydney Prosser American Hustle Cate Blanchett Jeanette "Jasmine" Francis Blue Jasmine Jennifer Lawrence Katniss Everdeen The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Sandra Bullock Dr. Ryan Stone Gravity 2015 Rosamund Pike Amy Elliott Dunne Gone Girl Alicia Vikander Ava Ex Machina Emily Blunt Sergeant Rita Vrataski Edge of Tomorrow Felicity Jones Jane Hawking The Theory of Everything Keira Knightley Joan Clarke The Imitation Game 2016 Alicia Vikander Gerda Wegener The Danish Girl Emily Blunt Kate Macer Sicario Brie Larson Joy "Ma" Newsome Room Jennifer Lawrence Katniss Everdeen The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 Charlize Theron Imperator Furiosa Mad Max: Fury Road 2017 Felicity Jones Jyn Erso Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Emma Stone Mia Dolan La La Land Ruth Negga Mildred Loving Loving Natalie Portman Jacqueline "Jackie" Kennedy Jackie Amy Adams Louise Banks Arrival 2018 Daisy Ridley Rey Star Wars: The Last Jedi Star Wars The Last Jedi and Thor Ragnarok Lead Empire Awards 2018 Nominations Gal Gadot Diana Prince / Wonder Woman Wonder Woman Frances McDormand Mildred Hayes Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Tiffany Haddish Dina Girls Trip Emma Watson Belle Beauty and the Beast
Multiple awards and nominations
Multiple awards The following individual received two or more Best Actress awards:
Awards Film 2 Nicole Kidman
Multiple nominations The following individuals received two or more Best Actress nominations:
Nominations Film 5 Cate Blanchett Nicole Kidman 4 Keira Knightley 3 Angelina Jolie Emily Blunt Emma Watson Hilary Swank Jennifer Lawrence 2 Alicia Vikander Amy Adams Carey Mulligan Felicity Jones Frances McDormand Gwyneth Paltrow Helena Bonham Carter Kate Winslet Kirsten Dunst Naomi Watts Natalie Portman Renée Zellweger Uma Thurman
Notes
References
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