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The Best Actress award has been presented 96 times, to 79 actresses. The first winner was Janet Gaynor for her roles in 7th Heaven, Street Angel, and Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans. The most recent winner is Emma Stone for her role in Poor Things (2023); she had previously won the award for her role in La La Land (2016).
- 2023: Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All at Once. Yeoh made history as the first Asian actress to win in the category for her leading performance as Evelyn Wang in the absurdist action film.
- 2022: Jessica Chastain, The Eyes of Tammy Faye. Chastain won for her portrayal of the late televangelist personality in this biographical film.
- 2021: Frances McDormand, Nomadland. McDormand's award-winning character, Fern, sells her possessions and embarks on a nomadic life, driving a van around the country after the death of her husband.
- 2020: Renée Zellweger, Judy. Zellweger retold the life and career of a Hollywood icon in the Judy Garland biopic.
- Every Best Actress Oscar Winner. Oscar’s best actress winners over the decades have included a great range of characters, from devoted moms to hookers to activists.
- Michelle Yeoh. “Everything Everywhere All at Once” Michelle Yeoh became the first Asian woman to win the best actress Oscar at the 2023 ceremony for the Daniels’ imaginative multiverse movie.
- Jessica Chastain. “The Eyes of Tammy Faye” Jessica Chastain was the victor in what seemed to be one of the evening’s tightest races. She played televangelist Tammy Faye Messner, optioning the material after seeing a documentary on her and husband Jim Bakker; the actress worked 12 years to get the film made.
- Frances McDormand. “Nomadland” Frances McDormand became only the third person to win three lead-acting Oscars, after Katharine Hepburn and Daniel Day-Lewis.
Based on the strength of those two films plus Street Angel (1928), Janet received the very first Academy Award for best actress. This was the first and only time an actress won the Oscar for multiple roles.
May 7, 2024 · Katharine Hepburn has won the most Academy Awards for best actress (four), and Frances McDormand has received three. A number of actresses have earned two awards, notably Meryl Streep , who holds the record for the most nominations in the category (17).
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
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Nov 3, 2023 · The Academy Award for best actress is one of the honors that continues to make history at the Oscars. Look back at the Oscars 95-year-long history with a complete list of the best...
May 25, 2022 · Every year since 1929, the Academy has nominated several talented women for Best Actress and then crowned their favorite with an Oscar. To be nominated is a career achievement.
