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Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress
Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress
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Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress
Best Actress Award
Prix d'interprétation féminine (French)
2025 recipient: Nadia Melliti
Awarded forBest Performance by an Actress
CountryFrance
Presented byCannes Film Festival
First award1946
Currently held byNadia Melliti for The Little Sister (2025)
Websitewww.festival-cannes.com/en/

The Best Actress Award (French: Prix d'interprétation féminine) 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.

At the 1st Cannes Film Festival held in 1946, Michèle Morgan was the first winner of this award for her performance in Pastoral Symphony, while Nadia Melliti is the most recent winner in this category for her role in The Little Sister at the 78th Cannes Film Festival in 2025.

History

[edit]

The award was first presented in 1946. 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 five occasions, the jury has awarded multiple women (more than 2) the prize for one film. The five films were A Big Family (1955), Brink of Life (1958), A World Apart (1988), Volver (2006), and Emilia Pérez (2024).

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

[edit]
Michèle Morgan was the first recipient for Pastoral Symphony (1946)
Bette Davis won for All About Eve (1950)
Jeanne Moreau won for Seven Days... Seven Nights (1960)
Sophia Loren won for Two Women (1961)
Katharine Hepburn won for Long Day's Journey into Night (1962)
Vanessa Redgrave won twice for Morgan – A Suitable Case for Treatment (1966) and Isadora (1969)
Isabelle Adjani won for two films in the same year, Possession and Quartet in 1981.
Isabelle Huppert won twice for Violette Nozière (1978) and The Piano Teacher (2001)
Dame Helen Mirren won twice for Cal (1984) and The Madness of King George (1995)
Meryl Streep won for A Cry in the Dark (1989)
Penélope Cruz won along with five of her castmates for Volver (2006)
Juliette Binoche won for Certified Copy (2010)
Kirsten Dunst won for Melancholia (2011)
Rooney Mara won for Carol (2015)
Renate Reinsve won for The Worst Person in the World (2021)
Zar Amir Ebrahimi won for Holy Spider (2023)
Table key
‡ Indicates the Best Supporting Actress winner

1940s

[edit]
Year Actress Role(s) English Title Original Title Ref.
1946 Michèle Morgan Gertrude Pastoral Symphony La Symphonie pastorale [1]
1949 Isa Miranda Marta Manfredini The Walls of Malapaga Au-delà des grilles [2]

1950s

[edit]
Year Actress Role(s) English Title Original Title Ref.
1951 Bette Davis Margo Channing All About Eve [3]
1952 Lee Grant The Shoplifter Detective Story [4]
1955
[A] [B] 		Elena Dobronravova Katya Travnikova A Big Family Больша́я семья́ [5]
Vera Kuznetsova Agafya Karpovna Zhurbina
Klara Luchko Lida Zhurbina
Ekaterina Savinova Dunyasha Zhurbina
Iya Arepina Tanya Zhurbina
Larisa Kronberg Zina Ivanova
1956
[A] 		Susan Hayward Lillian Roth I'll Cry Tomorrow [6]
1957 Giulietta Masina Maria "Cabiria" Ceccarelli Nights of Cabiria Le notti di Cabiria [7]
1958 Bibi Andersson[C] Hjördis Petterson Brink of Life Nära livet [8]
[9]
Eva Dahlbeck[C] Stina Andersson
Barbro Hiort af Ornäs[C] Nurse Brita
Ingrid Thulin[C] Cecilia Ellius
1959 Simone Signoret Alice Aisgill Room at the Top [10]

1960s

[edit]
Year Actress Role(s) English Title Original Title Ref.
1960 Melina Mercouri Ilya Never on Sunday Ποτέ την Κυριακή [11]
Jeanne Moreau Anne Desbarèdes Seven Days... Seven Nights Moderato cantabile
1961 Sophia Loren Cesira Two Women La ciociara [12]
1962 Katharine Hepburn[D] Mary Cavan Tyrone Long Day's Journey into Night [13]
[14]
Rita Tushingham[D] Josephine ("Jo") A Taste of Honey
1963 Marina Vlady Regina The Conjugal Bed L'ape regina [15]
1964 Anne Bancroft Jo Armitage The Pumpkin Eater [16]
Barbara Barrie Julie Cullen Richards One Potato, Two Potato
1965 Samantha Eggar Miranda Grey The Collector [17]
1966 Vanessa Redgrave Leonie Delt Morgan – A Suitable Case for Treatment [18]
1967 Pia Degermark Elvira Madigan Elvira Madigan [19]
[20]
1969 Vanessa Redgrave Isadora Duncan Isadora [21]

1970s

[edit]
Year Actress Role(s) English Title Original Title Ref.
1970 Ottavia Piccolo Ersilia Metello [22]
1971 Kitty Winn Helen Reeves The Panic in Needle Park [23]
1972 Susannah York Cathryn Images [24]
1973 Joanne Woodward Beatrice Hunsdorfer The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds [25]
1974 Marie-José Nat Elle / Michel's wife Violins at the Ball Les Violons du bal [26]
1975 Valérie Perrine Honey Bruce Lenny [27]
1976 Dominique Sanda Irene Carelli Ferramonti The Inheritance L'eredità Ferramonti [28]
Mari Törőcsik Déryné Mrs. Dery Where Are You? Déryné hol van?
1977 Shelley Duvall Mildred "Millie" Lammoreaux 3 Women [29]
Monique Mercure Rose-Aimee Martin J.A. Martin Photographer J.A. Martin photographe
1978 Jill Clayburgh Erica Benton An Unmarried Woman [30]
Isabelle Huppert Violette Nozière Violette Nozière
1979 Sally Field Norma Rae Webster Norma Rae [31]
[32]
Eva Mattes ‡ Marie Woyzeck

1980s

[edit]
Year Actress Role(s) English Title Original Title Ref.
1980 Anouk Aimée Marta Ponticelli A Leap in the Dark Salto nel vuoto [33]
[34]
Milena Dravić ‡ # Kaca Special Treatment Посебан третман
Carla Gravina ‡ # Carla La terrazza
1981 Isabelle Adjani [E] Anna / Helen Possession [35]
[36]
Marya 'Mado' Zelli Quartet
Elena Solovey ‡ Ona Faktas Группа крови „Ноль“
1982 Jadwiga Jankowska-Cieślak Eva Szalanczky Another Way Egymásra nézve [37]
1983 Hanna Schygulla Eugenia The Story of Piera Storia di Piera [38]
1984 Helen Mirren Marcella Cal [39]
1985 Norma Aleandro Alicia Marnet de Ibáñez The Official Story La Historia Oficial [40]
Cher Florence "Rusty" Dennis Mask
1986 Barbara Sukowa Rosa Luxemburg Rosa Luxemburg [41]
Fernanda Torres The Woman Love Me Forever or Never Eu Sei que Vou Te Amar
1987 Barbara Hershey Ruth Shy People [42]
1988 Barbara Hershey Diana Roth A World Apart [43]
Jodhi May Molly Roth
Linda Mvusi Elsie
1989 Meryl Streep Lindy Chamberlain A Cry in the Dark [44]

1990s

[edit]
Year Actress Role(s) English Title Original Title Ref.
1990 Krystyna Janda Antonina 'Tonia' Dziwisz Interrogation Przesłuchanie [45]
1991 Irène Jacob Weronika / Véronique The Double Life of Veronique La double vie de Véronique [46]
1992 Pernilla August Anna Åkerblom Bergman The Best Intentions Den goda viljan [47]
1993 Holly Hunter Ada McGrath The Piano [48]
1994 Virna Lisi Catherine de' Medici La Reine Margot [49]
1995 Helen Mirren Queen Charlotte The Madness of King George [50]
1996 Brenda Blethyn Cynthia Rose Purley Secrets & Lies [51]
1997 Kathy Burke Valerie Nil by Mouth [52]
1998 Élodie Bouchez Isabelle 'Isa' Tostin The Dreamlife of Angels La Vie rêvée des anges [53]
Natacha Régnier Marie Thomas
1999 Séverine Caneele Dominio Humanité L'humanité [54]
Émilie Dequenne Rosetta Rosetta

2000s

[edit]
Year Actress Role(s) English Title Original Title Ref.
2000 Björk Selma Ježková Dancer in the Dark [55]
2001 Isabelle Huppert Erika Kohut The Piano Teacher La Pianiste [56]
2002 Kati Outinen Irma The Man Without a Past Mies vailla menneisyyttä [57]
2003 Marie-Josée Croze Nathalie The Barbarian Invasions Les Invasions barbares [58]
2004 Maggie Cheung Emily Wang Clean [59]
2005 Hanna Laslo Hanna Free Zone [60]
2006 Penélope Cruz Raimunda Volver [61]
Carmen Maura Irene
Lola Dueñas Soledad ("Sole")
Blanca Portillo Agustina
Yohana Cobo Paula
Chus Lampreave Tía Paula
2007 Jeon Do-yeon Lee Shin-ae Secret Sunshine 밀양 [62]
2008 Sandra Corveloni Cleuza Linha de Passe [63]
2009 Charlotte Gainsbourg She Antichrist [64]

2010s

[edit]
Year Actress Role(s) English Title Original Title Ref.
2010 Juliette Binoche The Woman Certified Copy Copie conforme [65]
2011 Kirsten Dunst Justine Melancholia [66]
2012 Cristina Flutur Alina Beyond the Hills După dealuri [67]
Cosmina Stratan Voichita
2013 Bérénice Bejo Marie Brisson The Past Le passé / گذشته [68]
2014 Julianne Moore Havana Segrand Maps to the Stars [69]
2015 Emmanuelle Bercot Marie-Antoinette Jézéquel My King Mon Roi [70]
Rooney Mara Therese Belivet Carol
2016 Jaclyn Jose Rosa Ma' Rosa [71]
2017 Diane Kruger Katja Sekerci In the Fade Aus dem Nichts [72]
2018 Samal Yeslyamova Ayka Ayka Айка [73]
2019 Emily Beecham Alice Woodard Little Joe [74]

2020s

[edit]
Year Actress Role(s) English Title Original Title Ref.
2021 Renate Reinsve Julie The Worst Person in the World Verdens verste menneske [75]
2022 Zar Amir Ebrahimi Arezoo Rahimi Holy Spider عنکبوت مقدس [76]
2023 Merve Dizdar Nuray About Dry Grasses Kuru Otlar Üstüne [77]
2024 Karla Sofía Gascón Emilia Perez Emilia Pérez [78]
Selena Gomez Jessi del Monte
Adriana Paz Epifanía Flores
Zoe Saldaña Rita Mora Castro
2025 Nadia Melliti Fatima The Little Sister La Petite Dernière [79]

Multiple winners

[edit]

The following individuals have received multiple Best Actress awards:

Number of Wins Actress Nationality Films
2 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)
Vanessa Redgrave United Kingdom Morgan – A Suitable Case for Treatment (1966) and Isadora (1969)

See also

[edit]

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 Bette Davis Venice 1937 Kid Galahad and Marked Woman United States
1958 Bibi Andersson Berlin 1963 The Mistress Sweden
1959 Simone Signoret Berlin 1971 Le Chat France
1961 Sophia Loren Venice 1958 The Black Orchid Italy
1962 Katharine Hepburn Venice 1934 Little Women United States
1966
1969 		Vanessa Redgrave Venice ‡ 1994 Little Odessa England
1978
2001 		Isabelle Huppert Venice 1988 Story of Women France
1995 La Cérémonie
1981 Isabelle Adjani Berlin 1989 Camille Claudel France
1983 Hanna Schygulla Berlin 1979 The Marriage of Maria Braun Germany
1984
1995 		Helen Mirren Venice 2006 The Queen England
1986 Barbara Sukowa Venice 1981 Marianne and Juliane Germany
1989 Meryl Streep Berlin # 2003 The Hours United States
1993 Holly Hunter Berlin 1988 Broadcast News United States
2004 Maggie Cheung Berlin 1992 Center Stage Hong Kong
2006 Penélope Cruz Venice 2021 Parallel Mothers Spain
2010 Juliette Binoche Venice 1993 Three Colours: Blue France
Berlin 1997 The English Patient
2014 Julianne Moore Venice 2002 Far from Heaven United States
Berlin # 2003 The Hours

Notes

[edit]

References

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