The Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Actress is an award given out at the annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards. The awards are presented by the Critics Choice Association (CCA), and was first presented in 1995. There were no official nominees announced until 2001. As of 2026, there are currently six nominees annually, and there have been three ties in this category (2008, 2009, 2018). The record for most wins is three, held by Cate Blanchett, and six other actresses have won the award twice. 16 winners have gone on to also win the corresponding Academy Award, while Nicole Kidman's win for To Die For (1995) is the only to have not also received a nomination for the Academy Award.
This is the main Best Actress award for leading performances by an actress. Previously, two other genre-specific categories were presented: Best Actress in a Comedy (from 2012 to 2019); and Best Actress in an Action Movie (from 2012 to 2016).
For the Supporting Actress category, see Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Winners and nominees
+ Table key Indicates the winner Indicates a posthumous winner Indicates an Academy Award nominee Indicates the Academy Award winner
1990s Year Actress Character Work 1995 Nicole Kidman Suzanne Stone-Maretto To Die For 1996 Frances McDormand Marge Gunderson ''Fargo |- ! rowspan="1" style="text-align:center;" | 1997 | style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Helena Bonham Carter || style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Kate Croy || style="background:#B0C4DE;" | The Wings of the Dove |- ! rowspan="1" style="text-align:center;" | 1998 | style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Cate Blanchett || style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Queen Elizabeth I || style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Elizabeth |- ! rowspan="1" style="text-align:center;" | 1999 | style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Hilary Swank || style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Brandon Teena || style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Boys Don't Cry''
2000s Year Actress Character Work 2000 Julia Roberts Erin Brockovich Erin Brockovich 2001 Sissy Spacek Ruth Fowler In the Bedroom Nicole Kidman Satine Moulin Rouge! Renée Zellweger Bridget Jones Bridget Jones's Diary 2002 Julianne Moore Cathy Whitaker Far from Heaven Salma Hayek Frida Kahlo Frida Nicole Kidman Virginia Woolf The Hours Diane Lane Constance "Connie" Sumner Unfaithful 2003 Charlize Theron Aileen Wuornos Monster Jennifer Connelly Kathy Nicolo House of Sand and Fog Diane Keaton Erica Barry Something's Gotta Give Nicole Kidman Ada Monroe Cold Mountain Samantha Morton Sarah Sullivan In America Naomi Watts Cristina "Cris" Peck 21 Grams 2004 Hilary Swank Margaret "Maggie" Fitzgerald Million Dollar Baby Annette Bening Julia Lambert Being Julia Catalina Sandino Moreno María Álvarez Maria Full of Grace Imelda Staunton Vera Drake Vera Drake Uma Thurman Beatrix Kiddo Kill Bill: Volume 2 Kate Winslet Clementine Kruczynski Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind 2005 Reese Witherspoon June Carter Cash Walk the Line Joan Allen Terry Wolfmeyer The Upside of Anger Judi Dench Laura Henderson Mrs Henderson Presents Felicity Huffman Sabrina "Bree" Osbourne Transamerica Keira Knightley Elizabeth Bennet Pride & Prejudice Charlize Theron Josey Aimes North Country 2006 Helen Mirren Queen Elizabeth II The Queen Penélope Cruz Raimunda Volver Judi Dench Barbara Covett Notes on a Scandal Meryl Streep Miranda Priestly The Devil Wears Prada Kate Winslet Sarah Pierce Little Children 2007 Julie Christie Fiona Anderson Away from Her Amy Adams Princess Giselle Enchanted Cate Blanchett Queen Elizabeth I Elizabeth: The Golden Age Marion Cotillard Édith Piaf La Vie en Rose Angelina Jolie Mariane Pearl A Mighty Heart Elliot Page Juno MacGuff Juno 2008 Anne Hathaway (TIE) Kym Buchman Rachel Getting Married Meryl Streep (TIE) Sister Aloysius Beauvier Doubt Kate Beckinsale Rachel Armstrong Nothing but the Truth Cate Blanchett Daisy Fuller (adult) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Angelina Jolie Christine Collins Changeling Melissa Leo Ray Eddy Frozen River 2009 Sandra Bullock (TIE) Leigh Anne Tuohy The Blind Side Meryl Streep (TIE) Julia Child Julie & Julia Emily Blunt Queen Victoria The Young Victoria Carey Mulligan Jenny Miller An Education Saoirse Ronan Susie Salmon The Lovely Bones Gabourey Sidibe Claireece "Precious" Jones Precious
2010s Year Actress Character Work 2010 Natalie Portman Nina Sayers Black Swan |- | Annette Bening || Dr. Nicole "Nic" Allgood || The Kids Are All Right |- | Nicole Kidman || Becca Corbett || Rabbit Hole |- | Jennifer Lawrence || Ree Dolly || Winter's Bone |- | Noomi Rapace || Lisbeth Salander || The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo |- | Michelle Williams || Cynthia "Cindy" Heller || Blue Valentine |- ! rowspan="6" style="text-align:center;" | 2011 | style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Viola Davis || style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Aibileen Clark || style="background:#B0C4DE;"| The Help |- | Elizabeth Olsen || Martha || Martha Marcy May Marlene |- | Meryl Streep || Margaret Thatcher || The Iron Lady |- | Tilda Swinton || Eva Khatchadourian || We Need to Talk About Kevin |- | Charlize Theron || Mavis Gary || Young Adult |- | Michelle Williams || Marilyn Monroe || My Week with Marilyn |- ! rowspan="6" style="text-align:center;" | 2012 | style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Jessica Chastain || style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Maya Harris || style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Zero Dark Thirty |- | Marion Cotillard || Stéphanie || Rust and Bone |- | Jennifer Lawrence || Tiffany Maxwell || Silver Linings Playbook |- | Emmanuelle Riva || Anne Laurent || Amour |- | Quvenzhané Wallis || Hushpuppy || Beasts of the Southern Wild |- | Naomi Watts || Maria Bennett || The Impossible |- ! rowspan="6" style="text-align:center;" | 2013 | style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Cate Blanchett || style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Jeanette "Jasmine" Francis || style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Blue Jasmine |- | Sandra Bullock || Dr. Ryan Stone || Gravity |- | Judi Dench || Philomena Lee || Philomena |- | Brie Larson || Grace Howard || Short Term 12 |- | Meryl Streep || Violet Weston || August: Osage County |- | Emma Thompson || P. L. Travers || Saving Mr. Banks |- ! rowspan="6" style="text-align:center;" | 2014 | style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Julianne Moore || style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Dr. Alice Howland || style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Still Alice |- | Jennifer Aniston || Claire Bennett || Cake |- | Marion Cotillard || Sandra Bya || Two Days, One Night |- | Felicity Jones || Jane Wilde Hawking || The Theory of Everything |- | Rosamund Pike || Amy Elliott-Dunne || Gone Girl |- | Reese Witherspoon || Cheryl Strayed || Wild |- ! rowspan="6" style="text-align:center;" | 2015 | style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Brie Larson || style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Joy "Ma" Newsome || style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Room |- | Cate Blanchett || Carol Aird || Carol |- | Jennifer Lawrence || Joy Mangano || Joy |- | Charlotte Rampling || Kate Mercer || 45 Years |- | Saoirse Ronan || Eilis Lacey || Brooklyn |- | Charlize Theron || Imperator Furiosa || Mad Max: Fury Road |- ! rowspan="6" style="text-align:center;" | 2016 | style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Natalie Portman || style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Jackie Kennedy || style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Jackie |- | Amy Adams || Dr. Louise Banks || Arrival |- | Annette Bening || Dorothea Fields || 20th Century Women |- | Isabelle Huppert || Michèle Leblanc || Elle |- | Ruth Negga || Mildred Loving || Loving |- | Emma Stone || Mia Dolan || La La Land |- ! rowspan="6" style="text-align:center;" | 2017 | style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Frances McDormand || style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Mildred Hayes || style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri |- | Jessica Chastain || Molly Bloom || Molly's Game |- | Sally Hawkins || Elisa Esposito || The Shape of Water |- | Margot Robbie || Tonya Harding || I, Tonya |- | Saoirse Ronan || Christine "Lady Bird" McPherson || Lady Bird |- | Meryl Streep || Katharine Graham || The Post |- ! rowspan="7" style="text-align:center;" | 2018 | style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Glenn Close (TIE) || style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Joan Castleman || style="background:#B0C4DE;" | The Wife Lady Gaga (TIE) Ally Maine A Star Is Born Yalitza Aparicio Cleodegaria "Cleo" Gutiérrez Roma Emily Blunt Mary Poppins Mary Poppins Returns Toni Collette Annie Graham Hereditary Olivia Colman Queen Anne The Favourite Melissa McCarthy Lee Israel Can You Ever Forgive Me? 2019 Renée Zellweger Judy Garland Judy Awkwafina Billi Wang The Farewell Cynthia Erivo Harriet Tubman Harriet Scarlett Johansson Nicole Barber Marriage Story Lupita Nyong'o Adelaide Wilson / Red Us Saoirse Ronan Josephine "Jo" March Little Women Charlize Theron Megyn Kelly Bombshell
2020s Year Actress Character Work 2020 Carey Mulligan Cassandra "Cassie" Thomas Promising Young Woman Viola Davis Ma Rainey Ma Rainey's Black Bottom Andra Day Billie Holiday The United States vs. Billie Holiday Sidney Flanigan Autumn Callahan Never Rarely Sometimes Always Vanessa Kirby Martha Weiss Pieces of a Woman Frances McDormand Fern Nomadland Zendaya Marie Jones Malcolm & Marie 2021 Jessica Chastain Tammy Faye Bakker The Eyes of Tammy Faye Olivia Colman Leda Caruso The Lost Daughter Alana Haim Alana Kane Licorice Pizza Nicole Kidman Lucille Ball Being the Ricardos Lady Gaga Patrizia Reggiani House of Gucci Kristen Stewart Princess Diana Spencer 2022 Cate Blanchett Lydia Tár Tár Viola Davis General Nanisca The Woman King Danielle Deadwyler Mamie Till Till Margot Robbie Nellie LaRoy Babylon Michelle Williams Mitzi Fabelman The Fabelmans Michelle Yeoh Evelyn Wang Everything Everywhere All at Once 2023 Emma Stone Bella Baxter Poor Things Lily Gladstone Mollie Kyle Killers of the Flower Moon Sandra Hüller Sandra Voyter Anatomy of a Fall Greta Lee Nora Moon Past Lives Carey Mulligan Felicia Montealegre Bernstein Maestro Margot Robbie Barbie Barbie 2024 Demi Moore Elisabeth Sparkle The Substance Cynthia Erivo Elphaba Thropp Wicked Karla Sofía Gascón Emilia Pérez Emilia Pérez Marianne Jean-Baptiste Pansy Deacon Hard Truths Angelina Jolie Maria Callas Maria Mikey Madison Anora "Ani" Mikheeva Anora 2025 Jessie Buckley Agnes Shakespeare Hamnet Rose Byrne Linda If I Had Legs I'd Kick You Chase Infiniti Willa Ferguson One Battle After Another Renate Reinsve Nora Borg Sentimental Value Amanda Seyfried Ann Lee The Testament of Ann Lee Emma Stone Michelle Fuller Bugonia
Multiple nominees
6 nominations Cate Blanchett Nicole Kidman Meryl Streep
5 nominations Charlize Theron
4 nominations Saoirse Ronan
3 nominations Annette Bening Jessica Chastain Marion Cotillard Viola Davis Judi Dench Angelina Jolie Jennifer Lawrence Frances McDormand Carey Mulligan Margot Robbie Emma Stone Michelle Williams
2 nominations Amy Adams Emily Blunt Sandra Bullock Olivia Colman Cynthia Erivo Lady Gaga Brie Larson Julianne Moore Natalie Portman Hilary Swank Naomi Watts Kate Winslet Reese Witherspoon Renée Zellweger
Multiple winners 3 wins Cate Blanchett
2 wins Jessica Chastain Frances McDormand Julianne Moore Natalie Portman Meryl Streep (consecutive) Hilary Swank
See also Academy Award for Best Actress Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
References
External links Critics' Choice Movie Awards (official site)