The Best Female Lead Performances in Cinema

The following is an aggregation of what I've determined to be the film world's greatest female lead performances of the years 1925-2017. This is part of my ongoing Years in Review project. 723 performances are noted here. With each year, they are listed in order of preference. Those in bold, in the first half of this piece, are those that were awarded the Best Actress Academy Award. In the second half of the article, I collect a list of the actors who I've noted for two or more performances, in order to determine the finest film actors of all time; the list further serves as a guide to the notable career highs each actor has contributed. Here we go:

1925: Greta Garbo, JOYLESS STREET (2nd: Mary Philbin, The Phantom of the Opera, followed by: Mae Murray, The Merry Widow; Renee Adoree, The Big Parade; Belle Bennett, Stella Dallas) (5)

1926: Vera Baranovskaya, MOTHER (2nd: Greta Garbo, Flesh and the Devil, followed by: Camilla Horn, Faust) (3)

1927: Janet Gaynor, SUNRISE (2nd: Clara Bow It, followed by: Janet Gaynor, 7th Heaven; Brigitte Helm, Metropolis) (4)

1928: Renee Maria Falconetti, THE PASSION OF JEANNE D'ARC (2nd: Eleanor Boardman, The Crowd, followed by: Lillian Gish, The Wind; Marion Davies, Show People) (4)

1929: Louise Brooks, PANDORA'S BOX (2nd: Gloria Swanson, Queen Kelly, followed by: Louise Brooks, Diary of a Lost Girl; Mary Pickford, Coquette; Helen Morgan, Applause) (5)

1930: Marlene Dietrich, THE BLUE ANGEL (2nd: Greta Garbo, Anna Christie, followed by: Marie Dressler, Min and Bill; Marlene Dietrich, Morocco; Norma Shearer, The Divorcee) (5)

1931: Sylvia Sidney, STREET SCENE (2nd: Jean Harlow, Platinum Blonde, followed by: Helen Hayes, The Sin of Madelin Claudet; Hertha Thiele, Mädchen in Uniform; Dorothea Wieck, Mädchen in Uniform; Virginia Cherrill, City Lights; Irene Dunne, Cimarron) (7)

1932: Miriam Hopkins, TROUBLE IN PARADISE (2nd: Marlene Dietrich, Shanghai Express, followed by: Helen Hayes, A Farewell to Arms; Constance Bennett, What Price Hollywood?; Irene Dunne, Back Street) (5)

1933: Greta Garbo, QUEEN CHRISTINA (2nd: Mae West, She Done Him Wrong, followed by: Miriam Hopkins, Design for Living; Katherine Hepburn, Morning Glory; Barbara Stanwyck, The Bitter Tea of General Yen; May Robson, Lady for a Day; Janet Gaynor, State Fair; Fay Wray, King Kong; Ruby Keeler, 42nd Street) (9)

1934: Carole Lombard, TWENTIETH CENTURY (2nd: Bette Davis, Of Human Bondage, followed by: Claudette Colbert, It Happened One Night; Myrna Loy, The Thin Man; Dita Parlo, L'Atalante; Claudette Colbert, Imitation of Life; Marlene Dietrich, The Scarlet Empress) (7)

1935: Katharine Hepburn, SYLVIA SCARLETT (2nd: Jean Arthur, The Whole Town‘s Talking, followed by: Bette Davis, Dangerous; Ginger Rogers, Top Hat; Katharine Hepburn, Alice Adams; Greta Garbo, Anna Karenina; Miriam Hopkins, Becky Sharp) (7)

1936: Ingrid Bergman, INTERMEZZO (2nd: Carole Lombard, My Man Godfrey, followed by: Sylvia Sidney, Fury; Jean Arthur, Mr Deeds Goes to Town; Irene Dunne, Theodora Goes Wild; Greta Garbo, Camille; Luise Rainer, The Great Ziegfeld) (7)

1937: Irene Dunne, THE AWFUL TRUTH (2nd: Carole Lombard, Nothing Sacred, followed by: Beulah Bondi, Make Way for Tomorrow; Barbara Stanwyck, Stella Dallas; Jean Arthur, Easy Living; Janet Gaynor, A Star is Born) (6)

1938: Wendy Hiller, PYGMALION (2nd: Katharine Hepburn, Bringing Up Baby, followed by: Jean Arthur, You Can’t Take it With You; Bette Davis, Jezebel; Norma Shearer, Marie Antoinette) (5)

1939: Vivien Leigh, GONE WITH THE WIND (2nd: Greta Garbo, Ninotchka, followed by: Jean Arthur, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington; Ingrid Bergman, Intermezzo; Bette Davis, Dark Victory; Judy Garland, The Wizard of Oz; Merle Oberon, Wuthering Heights; Irene Dunne, Love Affair; Rosalind Russell, The Women; Marlene Dietrich, Destry Rides Again) (10)

1940: Rosalind Russell, HIS GIRL FRIDAY (2nd: Bette Davis, The Letter, followed by: Joan Fontaine, Rebecca; Margaret Sullivan, The Shop Around the Corner; Ginger Rogers, Kitty Foyle; Katharine Hepburn, The Philadelphia Story; Carole Lombard, They Knew What They Wanted; Irene Dunne, My Favorite Wife) (8)

1941: Barbara Stanwyck, THE LADY EVE (2nd: Barbara Stanwyk, Ball of Fire, followed by: Bette Davis, The Little Foxes; Olivia de Havilland, Hold Back the Dawn; Joan Fontaine, Suspicion; Vivien Leigh, That Hamilton Woman; Wendy Hiller, Major Barbara; Irene Dunne, Penny Seranade; Mary Astor, The Maltese Falcon; Jean Arthur, The Devil and Miss Jones) (10)

1942: Bette Davis, NOW VOYAGER (2nd: Ginger Rogers, The Major and the Minor, followed by: Ingrid Bergman, Casablanca; Carole Lombard, To Be or Not To Be; Katharine Hepburn, Woman of the Year; Claudette Colbert, The Palm Beach Story; Teresa Wright, The Pride of the Yankees; Jean Arthur, The Talk of the Town; Greer Garson, Mrs. Miniver) (9)

1943: Joan Fontaine, THE CONSTANT NYMPH (2nd: Jean Arthur, The More the Merrier, followed by: Teresa Wright, Shadow of a Doubt; Jennifer Jones, The Song of Bernadette; Lisbeth Movin, Day of Wrath) (5)

1944: Barbara Stanwyck, DOUBLE INDEMNITY (2nd: Betty Hutton, The Miracle of Morgan's Creek, followed by: Tallulah Bankhead, Lifeboat; Ingrid Bergman, Gaslight; Claudette Colbert, Since You Went Away; Judy Garland, Meet Me in St. Louis; Joan Bennett, The Woman in the Window; Celia Johnson, This Happy Breed; Bette Davis, Mr. Skeffington; Lauren Bacall, To Have and Have Not) (10)

1945: Celia Johnson, BRIEF ENCOUNTER (2nd: Joan Crawford, Mildred Pierce, followed by: Wendy Hiller, "I Know Where I’m Going!"; Joan Bennett, Scarlet Street; Ingrid Bergman, Spellbound; Arletty, Children of Paradise; Gene Tierney, Leave Her to Heaven; Judy Garland, The Clock) (8)

1946: Dorothy McGuire, THE SPIRAL STAIRCASE (2nd: Olivia de Havilland, To Each His Own, followed by: Myrna Loy, The Best Years of Our Lives; Donna Reed, It's A Wonderful Life; Lana Turner, The Postman Always Rings Twice; Ingrid Bergman, Notorious; Barbara Stanwyck, The Strange Love of Martha Ivers; Rita Hayworth, Gilda) (8)

1947: Deborah Kerr, BLACK NARCISSUS (2nd: Loretta Young, The Farmer’s Daughter, followed by: Claire Trevor, Born to Kill; Joan Crawford, Possessed; Gene Tierney, The Ghost and Mrs Muir) (5)

1948: Olivia De Havilland, THE SNAKE PIT (2nd: Joan Fontaine, Letter from an Unknown Woman, followed by: Barbara Stanwyck, Sorry, Wrong Number; Irene Dunne, I Remember Mama; Jennifer Jones, Portrait of Jennie; Jane Wyman, Johnny Belinda; Myrna Loy, Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House; Moira Shearer, The Red Shoes) (8)

1949: Olivia De Havilland, THE HEIRESS (2nd: Setsuko Hara, Late Spring, followed by: Katharine Hepburn, Adam’s Rib; Loretta Young, Come to the Stable; Joan Bennett, The Reckless Moment; Patricia Neal, The Fountainhead; Jane Greer, The Big Steal; Jennifer Jones, Madame Bovary; Deborah Kerr, Edward My Son; Jeanne Crain, Pinky) (10)

1950: Gloria Swanson, SUNSET BLVD. (2nd: Peggy Cummins, Gun Crazy, followed by: Bette Davis, All About Eve; Judy Holliday, Born Yesterday; Anne Baxter, All About Eve; Eleanor Parker, Caged; Barbara Stanwyck, The Furies; Ingrid Bergman, Stromboli; Gloria Grahame, In a Lonely Place; Gertrude Lawrence, The Glass Menagerie) (10)

1951: Vivien Leigh, A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE (2nd: Setsuko Hara, Early Summer, followed by: Katharine Hepburn, The African Queen; Elizabeth Taylor, A Place in the Sun; Leslie Caron, An American in Paris; Shelley Winters, A Place in the Sun; Ingrid Bergman, Europa ’51) (7)

1952: Julie Harris, THE MEMBER OF THE WEDDING (2nd: Barbara Stanwyck, Clash by Night, followed by: Shirley Booth, Come Back, Little Sheba; Debbie Reynolds, Singin’ in the Rain; Ginger Rogers, Monkey Business; Judy Holliday, The Marrying Kind; Joan Crawford, Sudden Fear) (7)

1953: Harriet Andersson, SUMMER WITH MONIKA (2nd: Setsuko Hara, Tokyo Story, followed by: Maggie McNamara, The Moon is Blue; Ingrid Bergman, Voyage to Italy; Danielle Darrieux, Madame de…; Audrey Hepburn, Roman Holiday; Jean Arthur, Shane; Ethel Merman, Call Me Madam; Deborah Kerr, From Here to Eternity) (9)

1954: Judy Garland, A STAR IS BORN (2nd: Giulietta Masina, La Strada, followed by: Shirley Booth, About Mrs Leslie; Jane Wyman, Magnificent Obsession; Joan Crawford, Johnny Guitar; Dorothy Dandridge, Carmen Jones; Grace Kelly, Dial M for Murder; Audrey Hepburn, Sabrina; Debbie Reynolds, Susan Slept Here) (9)

1955: Simone Signoret, LES DIABOLIQUES (2nd: Martine Carol, Lola Montes, followed by: Katharine Hepburn, Summertime; Hideko Takamine, Floating Clouds; Jane Wyman, All That Heaven Allows; Anna Magnani, The Rose Tattoo; Susan Hayward, I’ll Cry Tomorrow; Eva Dahlbeck, Smiles of a Summer Night; Julie Harris, East of Eden) (9)

1956: Elizabeth Taylor, GIANT (2nd: Vera Miles, The Wrong Man, followed by: Carroll Baker, Baby Doll; Katherine Hepburn, The Rainmaker; Marilyn Monroe, Bus Stop; Deborah Kerr, The King and I; Nancy Kelly, The Bad Seed) (7)

1957: Giulietta Masina, NIGHTS OF CABIRIA (2nd: Audrey Hepburn, Funny Face, followed by: Joanne Woodward, The Three Faces of Eve; Tatiana Samoilova, The Cranes Are Flying; Marlene Dietrich, Witness for the Prosecution; Deborah Kerr, Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison; Jeanne Moreau, Elevator to the Gallows; Patricia Neal, A Face in the Crowd; Isuzu Yamada, Throne of Blood; Barbara Stanwyck, Forty Guns) (10)

1958: Rosalind Russell, AUNTIE MAME (2nd: Shirley MacLaine, Some Came Running, followed by: Susan Hayward, I Want to Live!; Kim Novak, Vertigo; Elizabeth Taylor, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof; Jeanne Moreau, The Lovers; Deborah Kerr, Separate Tables; Inger Stevens, Cry Terror!) (8)

1959: Marilyn Monroe, SOME LIKE IT HOT (2nd: Audrey Hepburn, The Nun’s Story, followed by: Emmanuelle Riva, Hiroshima, Mon Amour; Katharine Hepburn, Suddenly Last Summer; Simone Signoret, Room at the Top; Doris Day, Pillow Talk; Jeanne Moreau, Les Liaisons Dangereuses; Lana Turner, Imitation of Life; Lee Remick, Anatomy of a Murder; Elizabeth Taylor, Suddenly Last Summer) (10)

1960: Hayley Mills, POLLYANNA (2nd: Shirley MacLaine, The Apartment, followed by: Sophia Loren, Two Women (won in 1961); Monica Vitti, L’Avventura; Doris Day, Midnight Lace; Jean Simmons, Elmer Gantry; Barbara Steele, Black Sunday; Melina Mercouri, Never on Sunday; Dorothy McGuire, The Dark at the Top of the Stairs; Jean Seberg, Breathless) (10)

1961: Natalie Wood, SPLENDOR IN THE GRASS (2nd: Deborah Kerr, The Innocents, followed by: Harriet Andersson, Through a Glass, Darkly; Marilyn Monroe, The Misfits; Claudia MacNeil, A Raisin in the Sun; Piper Laurie, The Hustler; Rita Tushingham, A Taste of Honey; Billie Whitelaw, Payroll; Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany’s; Geraldine Page, Summer and Smoke) (10)

1962: Patricia Gozzi, SUNDAYS AND CYBELE (2nd: Bette Davis, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, followed by: Katharine Hepburn, Long Day’s Journey into Night; Monica Vitti, L’Eclisse; Anne Bancroft, The Miracle Worker; Shirley Jones, The Music Man; Anna Magnani, Mamma Roma; Leslie Caron, The L-Shaped Room; Jeanne Moreau, Jules and Jim; Lee Remick, Days of Wine and Roses) (10)

1963: Julie Harris, THE HAUNTING (2nd: Ingrid Thulin, Winter Light, followed by: Ingrid Thulin, The Silence; Tippi Hedren, The Birds; Sophia Loren, Yesterday Today and Tomorrow; Rachel Roberts, This Sporting Life; Audrey Hepburn, Charade; Madhabi Mukherjee, The Big City; Natalie Wood, Love With the Proper Stranger) (9)

1964: Kim Stanley, SEANCE ON A WET AFTERNOON (2nd: Catherine Deneuve, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, followed by: Jeanne Moreau, Diary of a Chambermaid; Barbara Barrie, One Potato, Two Potato; Julie Andrews, Mary Poppins; Abbey Lincoln, Nothing But a Man; Constance Towers, The Naked Kiss; Paula Prentiss, Man's Favorite Sport?; Sophia Loren, Marriage, Italian Style; Anne Bancroft, The Pumpkin Eater) (10)

1965: Catherine Deneuve, REPULSION (2nd: Julie Andrews, The Sound of Music, followed by: Ida Kaminska, The Shop on Main Street; Giulietta Masina, Juliet of the Spirits; Tura Satana, Faster, Pussycat, Kill! Kill!; Samantha Eggar, The Collector; Julie Christie, Doctor Zhivago) (7)

1966: Elizabeth Taylor, WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? (2nd: Bibi Andersson, Persona, followed by: Chantal Goya, Masculin Feminin; Vanessa Redgrave, Morgan! A Suitable Case for Treatment; Anouk Aimée, A Man and a Woman; Liv Ullmann, Persona; Lynn Redgrave, Georgy Girl) (7)

1967: Audrey Hepburn, TWO FOR THE ROAD (2nd: Edith Evans, The Whisperers, followed by: Anne Bancroft, The Graduate; Catherine Deneuve, Belle Du Jour; Faye Dunaway, Bonnie and Clyde; Nadine Nortier, Mouchette; Audrey Hepburn, Wait Until Dark; Barbara Jefford, Ulysses; Julie Christie, Far From the Madding Crowd; Katharine Hepburn, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner) (10)

1968: Mia Farrow, ROSEMARY'S BABY (2nd: Joanne Woodward, Rachel, Rachel, followed by: Katharine Hepburn, The Lion in Winter; Tuesday Weld, Pretty Poison; Liv Ullmann, Shame; Vanessa Redgrave, Isadora; Julie Christie, Petulia; Barbra Streisand, Funny Girl; Stéphane Audran, Les Biches; Patricia Neal, The Subject Was Roses) (10) 

1969: Shirley Knight, THE RAIN PEOPLE (2nd: Maggie Smith, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, followed by: Jane Fonda, They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?; Liza Minnelli, The Sterile Cuckoo; Glenda Jackson, Women in Love (won in 1970); Shirley Stoler, The Honeymoon Killers; Shirley MacLaine, Sweet Charity) (7)

1970: Barbara Loden, WANDA (2nd: Carrie Snodgress, Diary of a Mad Housewife, followed by: Holly Woodlawn, Trash; Dominique Sanda, The Garden of the Finzi-Continis; Stéphane Audran, Le Boucher; Sarah Miles, Ryan’s Daughter; Julie Christie, The Go-Between) (7)

1971: Jane Fonda, KLUTE (2nd: Ruth Gordon, Harold and Maude, followed by: Julie Christie, McCabe and Mrs. Miller; Kitty Winn, Panic in Needle Park; Jessica Walter, Play Misty for Me; Liv Ullmann, The Emigrants; Zohra Lampert, Let’s Scare Jessica to Death; Glenda Jackson, Sunday, Bloody Sunday; Jenny Agutter, Walkabout; Geraldine Page, The Beguiled) (10)

1972: Susannah York, IMAGES (2nd: Liza Minnelli, Cabaret, followed by: Liv Ullmann, Cries and Whispers; Ingrid Thulin, Cries and Whispers; Barbra Streisand, What’s Up, Doc?; Cicely Tyson, Sounder; Diana Ross, Lady Sings the Blues; Olga Bellin, Tomorrow; Joanne Woodward, The Effect of Gamma-Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds) (9)

1973: Liv Ullmann, SCENES FROM A MARRIAGE (2nd: Ellen Burstyn, The Exorcist, followed by: Sissy Spacek, Badlands; Pam Grier, Coffy; Barbara Streisand, The Way We Were; Julie Christie, Don’t Look Now; Kay Lenz, Breezy; Charlotte Rampling, The Night Porter) (8)

1974: Gena Rowlands, A WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE (2nd: Ellen Burstyn, Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, followed by: Cicely Tyson, The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman; Brigitte Mira, Ali: Fear Eats the Soul; Faye Dunaway, Chinatown; Marilyn Burns, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre; Diahann Carroll, Claudine) (7)

1975: Ann-Margret, TOMMY (2nd: Isabelle Adjani, The Story of Adele H.., followed by: Delphine Seyrig, Jeanne Dielman 23 quai du Commerce 1080 Bruxelles; Diane Keaton, Love and Death; Angela Winkler, The Lost Honor of Katherina Blum; Maureen Stapleton, Queen of the Stardust Ballroom) (6)

1976: Faye Dunaway, NETWORK (2nd: Sissy Spacek, Carrie, followed by: Sally Field, Sybil; Liv Ullmann, Face to Face; Joanne Woodward, Sybil; Sonia Braga, Doña Flor and Her Two Husbands; Allison Steadman, Nuts in May; Jodie Foster, The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane) (8)

1977: Diane Keaton, ANNIE HALL (2nd: Allison Steadman, Abigail's Party, followed by: Shelley Duvall, 3 Women; Gena Rowlands, Opening Night; Sissy Spacek, 3 Women; Diane Keaton, Looking for Mr. Goodbar; Lily Tomlin, The Late Show) (7)

1978: Jill Clayburgh, AN UNMARRIED WOMAN (2nd: Geraldine Page, Interiors, followed by: Jane Fonda, Coming Home; Ingrid Bergman, Autumn Sonata; Tuesday Weld, Who’ll Stop The Rain; Genevieve Bujold, Coma; Melanie Mayron, Girlfriends; Glenda Jackson, Stevie) (8)

1979: Sally Field, NORMA RAE (2nd: Jill Clayburgh, Starting Over, followed by: Diane Lane, A Little Romance; Jane Fonda, The China Syndrome; Judy Davis, My Brilliant Career; Nastassja Kinski, Tess; Hannah Schygulla, The Marriage of Maria Braun; Bette Midler, The Rose; Amy Irving, Voices; Conchata Ferrell, Heartland) (10)

1980: Sissy Spacek, COAL MINER‘S DAUGHTER (2nd: Ellen Burstyn, Resurrection, followed by: Mary Tyler Moore, Ordinary People; Linda Manz, Out of the Blue; Vanessa Redgrave, Playing for Time; Theresa Russell, Bad Timing (A Sexual Obsession); Debra Winger, Urban Cowboy; Shelley Duvall, The Shining) (8)

1981: Diane Keaton, REDS (2nd: Sissy Spacek, Raggedy Man, followed by: Kathleen Turner, Body Heat; Katherine Hepburn, On Golden Pond; Isabelle Huppert, Coup De Torchon; Meryl Streep, The French Lieutenant’s Woman; Kate Nelligan, Eye of the Needle; Faye Dunaway, Mommie Dearest) (8)

1982: Meryl Streep, SOPHIE‘S CHOICE (2nd: Diane Keaton, Shoot the Moon, followed by: Mary Beth Hurt, Chilly Scenes of Winter; Barbara Hershey, The Entity; Jessica Lange, Frances; Sissy Spacek, Missing; Wendy Hughes, Lonely Hearts; Ewa Froling, Fanny and Alexander, Julie Andrews Victor/Victoria; Debra Winger, An Officer and a Gentleman) (10)

1983: Shirley MacLaine, TERMS OF ENDEARMENT (2nd: Julie Walters, Educating Rita, followed by: Debra Winger, Terms of Endearment; Meryl Streep, Silkwood; Isabelle Huppert, Entre Nous; Jane Alexander, Testament; Bonnie Bedelia, Heart Like A Wheel; Wendy Hughes, Careful, He Might Hear You) (8)

1984: Mia Farrow, BROADWAY DANNY ROSE (2nd: Judy Davis, A Passage to India, followed by: Sally Field, Places in the Heart; Debra Winger, Mike‘s Murder; Vanessa Redgrave, The Bostonians; Genevieve Bujold, Choose Me; Kathleen Turner, Romancing the Stone; Karen Allen, Starman; Frances McDormand, Blood Simple) (9)

1985: Norma Aleandro, THE OFFICIAL STORY (2nd: Mia Farrow, The Purple Rose of Cairo, followed by: Sandrine Bonnaire, Vagabonde; Geraldine Page, The Trip to Bountiful; Miranda Richardson, Dance with a Stranger; Theresa Russell, Insignificance; Whoopi Goldberg, The Color Purple; Kathleen Turner, Prizzi‘s Honor) (8)

1986: Marie Riviere, LE RAYON VERT (The Green Ray, aka Summer) (2nd: Chloe Webb, Sid and Nancy, followed by: Sigourney Weaver, Aliens; Melanie Griffith, Something Wild; Marlee Matlin, Children of a Lesser God; Beatrice Dalle, Betty Blue; Sissy Spacek, ‘night Mother; Martha Henry, Dancing in the Dark) (8)

1987: Holly Hunter, BROADCAST NEWS (2nd: Meryl Streep, Ironweed, followed by: Cher, Moonstruck; Christine Lahti, Housekeeping; Joanne Woodward, The Glass Menagerie; Stephane Audran, Babette's Feast; Holly Hunter, Raising Arizona; Glenn Close, Fatal Attraction) (8)

1988: Juliette Binoche, THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF BEING (2nd: Glenn Close, Dangerous Liasons, followed by: Jodie Foster, The Accused; Carmen Maura, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown; Isabelle Adjani, Camille Claudel; Gena Rowlands, Another Woman; Ruth Sheen, High Hopes; Meryl Streep, A Cry in the Dark) (8)

1989: Jessica Tandy, DRIVING MISS DAISY (2nd: Michelle Pfieffer, The Fabulous Baker Boys, followed by: Andie McDowell, Sex, Lies and Videotape; Annabella Sciorra, True Love; Meg Ryan, When Harry Met Sally; Lena Stolze, The Nasty Girl; Helen Mirren, The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover; Winona Ryder, Heathers) (8)

1990: Alison Steadman, LIFE IS SWEET (2nd: Anjelica Huston, The Grifters, followed by: Joanne Woodward, Mr. and Mrs. Bridge; Jessica Lange, Men Don’t Leave; Laura Dern, Wild at Heart; Jennifer Jason Leigh, Miami Blues; Juliet Stevenson, Truly, Madly, Deeply) (7)

1991: (TIE) Mimi Rogers, THE RAPTURE and Lili Taylor, DOGFIGHT, (2nd: Gong Li, Raise the Red Lantern, followed by: Irene Jacob, The Double Life of Veronique; Jodie Foster, The Silence of the Lambs; Laura Dern, Rambling Rose; Susan Sarandon, Thelma and Louise; Geena Davis, Thelma and Louise) (8)

1992: Emma Thompson, HOWARDS END (2nd: Sheryl Lee, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, followed by: Michelle Pfeiffer, Batman Returns; Mary McDonnell, Passion Fish; Catherine Deneuve, Indochine; Gong Li, The Story of Qui Ju; Susan Sarandon, Lorenzo's Oil; Romane Bohringer, Savage Nights) (8)

1993: Juliette Binoche, THREE COLORS: BLUE (2nd: Holly Hunter, The Piano, followed by: Emma Thompson, The Remains of the Day; Patricia Arquette, True Romance; Ashley Judd, Ruby in Paradise; Debra Winger, Shadowlands; Stockard Channing, Six Degrees of Separation; Angela Bassett, What’s Love Got to Do With It?; Holly Hunter, The Positively True Story of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom) (9)

1994: Irene Jacob, THREE COLORS: RED (2nd: Linda Fiorentino, The Last Seduction, followed by: Kate Winslet, Heavenly Creatures; Jennifer Jason Leigh, Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle; Juliette Lewis, Natural Born Killers; Natalie Portman, Leon; Melanie Lynskey, Heavenly Creatures; Meg Ryan, When A Man Loves a Woman; Jessica Lange, Blue Sky) (9)

1995: Elizabeth Shue, LEAVING LAS VEGAS (2nd: Julianne Moore, Safe, followed by: Meryl Streep, The Bridges of Madison County; Sandrine Bonnaire, La Ceremonie; Sharon Stone, Casino; Alicia Silverstone, Clueless; Nicole Kidman, To Die For; Susan Sarandon, Dead Man Walking; Jennifer Jason Leigh, Georgia) (9)

1996: Emily Watson, BREAKING THE WAVES (2nd: Victoire Thivisol, Ponette, followed by: Laura Dern, Citizen Ruth; Frances McDormand, Fargo; Brenda Blethyn, Secrets and Lies; Reese Witherspoon, Freeway; Patricia Arquette, Flirting with Disaster; Kristin Scott Thomas, The English Patient; Jena Malone, Bastard Out of Carolina) (9)

1997: Pam Grier, JACKIE BROWN (2nd: Joan Allen, The Ice Storm, followed by: Susanne Lothar, Funny Games; Helen Hunt, As Good As It Gets; Rebecca Pidgeon, The Spanish Prisoner; Helena Bonham Carter, The Wings of The Dove; Katrin Cartlidge, Career Girls; Lynda Steadman, Career Girls) (8)

1998: Fernanda Montenegro, CENTRAL STATION (2nd: Jane Horrocks, Little Voice, followed by: Christina Ricci, The Opposite of Sex; Emily Watson, Hillary and Jackie; Gwenyth Paltrow, Shakespeare in Love; Cate Blanchett, Elizabeth; Elodie Bouchez, The Dreamlife of Angels; Barbara Hershey, A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries) (8)

1999: Reese Witherspoon, ELECTION (2nd: Annette Bening, American Beauty, followed by: Nicole Kidman, Eyes Wide Shut; Cecelia Roth, All About My Mother; Julianne Moore, The End of the Affair; Hillary Swank, Boys Don’t Cry; Sigourney Weaver, A Map of the World; Diane Lane, A Walk on the Moon; Edie Falco, Judy Berlin; Janet McTeer, Tumbleweeds) (10)

2000: Gillian Anderson, THE HOUSE OF MIRTH (2nd: Bjork, Dancer in the Dark, followed by: Ellen Burstyn, Requiem for a Dream; Laura Linney, You Can Count on Me; Charlotte Rampling, Under the Sand; Joan Allen, The Contender; Jennifer Connelly, Waking the Dead; Maggie Cheung, In The Mood for Love; Julia Roberts, Erin Brockovich) (9)

2001: Naomi Watts, MULHOLLAND DR. (2nd: Isabelle Huppert, The Piano Teacher, followed by: Sissy Spacek, In The Bedroom; Nicole Kidman, Moulin Rouge!; Thora Birch, Ghost World; Halle Berry, Monster’s Ball; Maribel Verdu, Y Tu Mama Tambien; Emma Thompson, Wit) (8)

2002: Julianne Moore, FAR FROM HEAVEN (2nd: Leslie Manville, All or Nothing, followed by: Jennifer Aniston, The Good Girl; Diane Lane, Unfaithful; Samantha Morton, In America; Samantha Morton, Morvern Callar; Nicole Kidman, The Hours; Renee Zellweger, Chicago) (8)

2003: Zooey Deschanel, ALL THE REAL GIRLS (2nd: Nicole Kidman, Dogville, followed by: Liv Ullmann, Saraband; Charlize Theron, Monster; Jessica Lange, Normal; Scarlett Johansson, Lost in Translation; Jennifer Connelly, House of Sand and Fog) (7)

2004: Imelda Staunton, VERA DRAKE (2nd: Nicole Kidman, Birth, followed by: Hillary Swank, Million Dollar Baby; Kate Winslet, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind; Catalina Sandino Moreno, Maria Full of Grace; Annette Bening, Being Julia) (6)

2005: Q’Orianka Kilcher, THE NEW WORLD (2nd: Juliette Binoche, Cache; followed by: Dina Korzun, Forty Shades of Blue; Cameron Diaz, In Her Shoes; Toni Collette, In Her Shoes; Reese Witherspoon, Walk the Line; Charlize Theron, North Country) (7)

2006: Catinca Untaru, THE FALL (2nd: Laura Dern, Inland Empire, followed by: Kate Winslet, Little Children; Julie Christie, Away From Her; Helen Mirren, The Queen; Judy Dench, Notes on a Scandal; Maggie Gyllenhaal, Sherrybaby) (7)

2007: Marion Cotillard, LA VIE EN ROSE (2nd: Anna Faris, Smiley Face, followed by: Anamaria Marinca, 4 Months 3 Weeks & 2 Days; Laura Linney, The Savages; Keri Russell, Waitress; Ellen Page, Juno; Amy Adams, Enchanted) (7)

2008: Michelle Williams, WENDY AND LUCY (2nd: Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky,  followed by: Tilda Swinton, Julia; Michelle Monaghan, Trucker; Angelena Jolie, Changeling; Meryl Streep, Doubt; Kristin Scott Thomas, I've Loved You for So Long) (7)

2009: Charlotte Gainsbourg, ANTICHRIST (2nd: Katie Jarvis, Fish Tank, followed by: Catalina Saavedra, The Maid, Gabourey Sidibe, Precious; Abbie Cornish, Bright Star; Carey Mulligan, An Education; Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side) (7)

2010: Leslie Manville, ANOTHER YEAR (2nd: Emma Stone, Easy A, followed by: Yun Jeong-he, Poetry; Natalie Portman, Black Swan; Michelle Williams, Blue Valentine; Juliette Binoche, Certified Copy; Jennifer Lawrence, Winter’s Bone; Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right) (8)

2011: Kirsten Dunst, MELANCHOLIA (2nd: Tilda Swinton, We Need To Talk About Kevin, followed by: Anna Paquin, Margaret; Michelle Williams, Take This Waltz; Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn; Elizabeth Olsen, Martha Marcy Mae Marlene; Leila Hatami, A Separation; Kristen Wiig, Bridesmaids) (8)

2012: Ann Dowd, COMPLIANCE (2nd: Emmanuelle Riva, Amour, followed by: Greta Gerwig, Frances Ha; Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty; Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook; Qu’venzhane Wallis, Beasts of the Southern Wild; Meryl Streep, Hope Springs; Onata Aprile, What Maisie Knew) (8)

2013: Adele Exarchopoulos, BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR (2nd: Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine, followed by: Paulina Garcia, Gloria; Brie Larson, Short Term 12; Sandra Bullock, Gravity; Meryl Streep, August: Osage County; Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Enough Said; Lindsay Burge, A Teacher) (8)

2014: Marion Cotillard, TWO DAYS, ONE NIGHT (2nd: Essie Davis, The Babadook, followed by: Reese Witherspoon, Wild; Lisa Loven Kongsli, Force Majeure; Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl; Jackie Monahan, The Foxy Merkins; Lisa Haas, The Foxy Merkins; Julianne Moore, Still Alice; Sara Robbin, A Standing Still) (9)

2015: Charlotte Rampling, 45 YEARS (2nd: Ronit Elkabetz, Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem, followed by: Rooney Mara, Carol; Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn; Krisha Fairchild, Krisha; Teyonah Parris, Chi-Raq; Cate Blanchette, Carol; Blythe Danner, I'll See You in My Dreams) (8)

2016: Emma Stone, LA LA LAND (2nd: Annette Bening, 20th Century Women, followed by: Kate Beckinsale, Love and Friendship; Isabelle Huppert, Things to Come; Rebecca Hall, Christine; Natalie Portman, Jackie; Ruth Negga, Loving)

2017: Jennifer Lawrence, MOTHER! (2nd: Saoirse Ronan, Lady Bird, followed by: Salma Hayek, Beatriz at Dinner; Brooklynn Prince, The Florida Project; Sally Hawkins, Maudie; Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing. Missouri; Maryana Spivak, Loveless; Vicki Krieps, Phantom Thread; Judi Dench, Victoria and Abdul)

731 performances are noted in total. One year is tied: 1991, with both Mimi Rogers for The Rapture and Lili Taylor for Dogfight. (NOTE: With the Academy Awards, there was one tie with Best Actress in 1968, with Katherine Hepburn for Guess Who's Coming to Dinner and Barbra Streisand for Funny Girl). Jean Arthur is the actress who's been nominated most without a win. Greta Garbo won two (Joyless Street and Queen Christina), followed by Barbara Stanwyk (The Lady Eve and Double Indemnity), Elizabeth Taylor (Giant and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?), Vivien Leigh (Gone with the Wind and A Streetcar Named Desire), Juliette Binoche (The Unbearable Lightness of Being and Three Colors: Blue); Olivia de Havilland (The Snake Pit and The Heiress--the sole back-to-back win in both male and female races); Julie Harris (The Member of the Wedding and The Haunting); Diane Keaton (Annie Hall and Reds); Mia Farrow (Rosemary's Baby and Broadway Danny Rose); Rosalind Russell (His Girl Friday and Auntie Mame) and Marion Cotillard (La Vie En Rose and Two Days One Night)

A single actor topped both male and female categories with the most nominations:

15 nominations 

Katherine Hepburn--Morning Glory, Sylvia Scarlett, Alice Adams, Bringing Up Baby, The Philadelphia Story, Woman of the Year, Adam's Rib, The African Queen, Summertime, The Rainmaker, Suddenly Last Summer, Long Day’s Journey into Night, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, The Lion in Winter, On Golden Pond

10 nominations

Bette Davis--Of Human Bondage, Dangerous, Jezabel, Dark Victory, The Letter, The Little Foxes, Now Voyager, Mr. Skeffington, All About Eve, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?

9 nominations

Jean Arthur--The Whole Town‘s Talking, Mr Deeds Goes to Town, Easy Living, You Can’t Take it With You, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, The Devil and Miss Jones, The Talk of the Town, The More the Merrier, Shane

Ingrid Bergman—Intermezzo (Swedish version), Intermezzo (American version), Casablanca, Gaslight, Spellbound, Notorious, Stromboli, Europa '51, Autumn Sonata

Barbara Stanwyck--The Bitter Tea of General Yen, The Lady Eve, Ball of Fire, Double Indemnity, The Strange Love of Martha Ivers. Sorry Wrong Number, The Furies, Clash by Night, Forty Guns

Meryl Streep--The French Lieutenant’s Woman, Sophie's Choice, Silkwood, Ironweed, A Cry in the Dark, The Bridges of Madison County, Doubt, Hope Springs, August: Osage County 

8 nominations

Audrey Hepburn--Roman Holiday, Sabrina, Funny Face, The Nun's Story, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Charade, Two for the Road, Wait Until Dark

Irene Dunne--Cimarron, Back Street, Theodora Goes Wild, The Awful Truth, Love Affair, My Favorite Wife, Penny Seranade, I Remember Mama

Sissy Spacek--Badlands, Carrie, 3 Women, Coal Miner's Daughter, Raggedy Man, Missing, ‘night Mother, In The Bedroom

7 nominations

Julie Christie--Doctor Zhivago, Far From the Madding Crowd, Petulia, The Go-Between, McCabe and Mrs. Miller, Don’t Look Now, Away From Her

Greta Garbo--Joyless Street, Flesh and the Devil, Anna Christie, Queen Christina, Anna Karenina, Camille, Ninotchka

Deborah Kerr--Black Narcissus, Edward My Son, From Here to Eternity, The King and I, Heaven Knows Mr. Allison, Separate Tables, The Innocents

Liv Ullmann--Persona, Shame, The Emigrants, Cries and Whispers, Scenes from a Marriage, Face to Face, Saraband

6 nominations

Marlene Dietrich--The Blue Angel, Morocco, Shanghai Express, The Scarlet Empress, Destry Rides Again, Witness for the Prosecution

Nicole Kidman--To Die For, Eyes Wide Shut, Moulin Rouge!, The Hours, Dogville, Birth

Joanne Woodward--The Three Faces of Eve, Rachel Rachel, The Effect of Gamma-Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds, Sybil, The Glass Menagerie, Mr. and Mrs. Bridge

5 nominations

Diane Keaton--Love and Death, Annie Hall, Looking for Mr. Goodbar, Reds, Shoot the Moon

Carole Lombard--Twentieth Century, My Man Godfrey, Nothing Sacred, They Knew What They Wanted, To Be or Not To Be

Elizabeth Taylor--A Place in the Sun, Giant, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Suddenly Last Summer, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Debra Winger--Urban Cowboy, An Officer and a Gentleman, Terms of Endearment, Mike‘s Murder, Shadowlands

4 nominations

Annette Bening--American Beauty, Being Julia, The Kids are All Right, 20th Century Women

Juliette Binoche--The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Three Colors: Blue, Cache, Certified Copy

Ellen Burstyn--The Exorcist, Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, Resurrection, Requiem for a Dream

Claudette Colbert--It Happened One Night, Imitation of Life, The Palm Beach Story, Since You Went Away

Joan Crawford--Mildred Pierce, Possessed, Sudden Fear, Johnny Guitar

Olivia de Havilland--Hold Back the Dawn, To Each His Own, The Snake Pit, The Heiress

Catherine Deneuve--The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, Repulsion, Belle Du Jour, Indochine

Laura Dern--Wild at Heart, Rambling Rose, Citizen Ruth, Inland Empire

Jane Fonda--They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?, Klute, Coming Home, The China Syndrome

Joan Fontaine--Rebecca, Suspicion, The Constant Nymph, Letter from an Unknown Woman

Judy Garland--The Wizard of Oz, Meet Me in St. Louis, The Clock, A Star is Born

Holly Hunter--Broadcast News, Raising Arizona, The Piano, The Positively True Story of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom

Isabelle Huppert--Coup De Torchon, Entre Nous, The Piano Teacher, Things to Come

Jessica Lange--Frances, Men Don’t Leave, Blue Sky, Normal

Shirley MacLaine--Some Came Running, The Apartment, Sweet Charity, Terms of Endearment

Julianne Moore--Safe, The End of the Affair, Far From Heaven, Still Alice

Jeanne Moreau--Elevator to the Gallows, The Lovers, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Jules and Jim

Geraldine Page--Summer and Smoke, The Beguiled, Interiors, The Trip to Bountiful

Vanessa Redgrave--Morgan! A Suitable Case for Treatment, Isadora, Playing for Time, The Bostonians

Ginger Rogers--Top Hat, Kitty Foyle, The Major and the Minor, Monkey Business

Michelle Williams--Wendy and Lucy, Blue Valentine, Take This Waltz, My Week with Marilyn

Reese Witherspoon--Freeway, Election, Walk the Line, Wild

3 nominations

Julie Andrews--Mary Poppins, The Sound of Music, Victor/Victoria

Anne Bancroft--The Miracle Worker, The Pumpkin Eater, The Graduate

Joan Bennett--The Woman in the Window, Scarlet Street, The Reckless Moment

Cate Blanchette--Elizabeth, Blue Jasmine, Carol

Faye Dunaway--Bonnie and Clyde, Chinatown, Network

Mia Farrow--Rosemary's Baby, Broadway Danny Rose, The Purple Rose of Cairo

Sally Field--Sybil, Norma Rae, Places in the Heart

Jodie Foster--The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane, The Accused, The Silence of the Lambs

Janet Gaynor--Sunrise, 7th Heaven, State Fair, A Star is Born 

Setsuko Hara--Late Spring. Early Summer, Tokyo Story

Julie Harris--The Member of the Wedding, East of Eden, The Haunting 

Wendy Hiller--Pygmalion, Major Barbara, "I Know Where I’m Going!"

Miriam Hopkins--Trouble in Paradise, Design for Living, Becky Sharp

Glenda Jackson--Women in Love, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Stevie 

Jennifer Jones--The Song of Bernadette, Portrait of Jennie, Madame Bovary

Diane Lane--A Little Romance, A Walk on the Moon, Unfaithful 
 
Jennifer Jason Leigh--Miami Blues. Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle. Georgia

Vivien Leigh--Gone with the Wind, That Hamilton Woman, A Streetcar Named Desire

Myrna Loy--The Thin Man, The Best Years of Our Lives, Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House

Giulietta Masina--La Strada, Nights of Cabiria, Juliet of the Spirits

Marilyn Monroe--Bus Stop, Some Like It Hot, The Misfits

Patricia Neal--The Fountainhead, A Face in the Crowd, The Subject Was Roses 

Natalie Portman--Leon, Black Swan, Jackie

Charlotte Rampling--The Night Porter, Under the Sand, 45 Years 

Gena Rowlands--A Woman Under The Influence, Opening Night, Another Woman

Rosalind Russell--The Women, His Girl Friday, Auntie Mame

Sarah Sarandon--Thelma and Louise, Lorenzo's Oil, Dead Man Walking

Allison Steadman--Nuts in May, Abigail's Party, Life is Sweet

Barbra Streisand--Funny Girl, What’s Up, Doc?, The Way We Were

Emma Thompson--Howards End, The Remains of the Day, Wit

Ingrid Thulin--Winter Light, The Silence, Cries and Whispers

Kathleen Turner--Body Heat, Romancing the Stone, Prizzi‘s Honor 

Kate Winslet--Heavenly Creatures, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Little Children 

Jane Wyman--Johnny Belinda, Magnificent Obsession, All That Heaven Allows

2 nominations

Isabelle Adjani--The Story of Adele H., Camille Claudel
Joan Allen--The Ice Storm, The Contender
Harriet Andersson--Summer with Monika, Through a Glass Darkly
Patricia Arquette--True Romance, Flirting with Disaster
Shirley Booth--Come Back Little Sheba, About Mrs. Leslie
Sonia Braga--Doña Flor and Her Two Husbands, Aquarius
Louise Brooks--Pandora's Box, Diary of a Lost Girl
Genevieve Bujold--Coma, Choose Me
Sandra Bullock--The Blind Side, Gravity
Leslie Caron--An American in Paris, The L-Shaped Room
Jill Clayburgh--An Unmarried Woman, Starting Over
Glenn Close--Fatal Attraction, Dangerous Liasons
Jennifer Connelly--Waking the Dead, House of Sand and Fog
Marion Cotillard--La Vie En Rose, Two Days One Night
Judy Davis--My Brilliant Career, A Passage to India
Doris Day--Pillow Talk, Midnight Lace
Shelley Duvall--3 Women, The Shining
Pam Grier--Coffy, Jackie Brown
Helen Hayes--The Sin of Madelin Claudet, A Farewell to Arms
Susan Hayward--I'll Cry Tomorrow, I Want to Live!
Barbara Hershey--The Entity, A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries
Judy Holliday--Born Yesterday, The Marrying Kind
Wendy Hughes--Careful He Might Hear You, Lonely Hearts
Irene Jacob--The Double Life of Veronique, Three Colors: Red
Celia Johnson--This Happy Breed, Brief Encounter
Jennifer Lawrence--Winter's Bone, Silver Linings Playbook
Gong Li—Raise the Red Lantern, The Story of Qui Ju
Laura Linney--You Can Count On Me, The Savages
Sophia Loren--Two Women, Yesterday Today and Tomorrow
Anna Magnani--The Rose Tattoo, Mamma Roma
Leslie Manville--All or Nothing, Another Year
Frances McDormand--Blood Simple, Fargo
Dorothy McGuire--The Spiral Staircase, The Dark at the Top of the Stairs
Helen Mirren--The Cook The Thief His Wife and Her Lover, The Queen
Samantha Morton--In America, Morvern Callar
Michelle Pfieffer--The Fabulous Baker Boys, Batman Returns
Lee Remick--Anatomy of a Murder, Days of Wine and Roses
Debbie Reynolds--Singin' in the Rain, Susan Slept Here
Emmanuelle Riva--Hiroshima Mon Amour, Amour
Theresa Russell--Bad Timing (A Sexual Obsession), Insignificance
Meg Ryan--When Harry Met Sally, When A Man Loves a Woman
Norma Shearer--The Divorcee, Marie Antoinette
Sylvia Sidney--Street Scene, Fury
Simone Signoret--Les Diaboliques, Room at the Top
Emma Stone--Easy A, La La Land
Hillary Swank--Boys Don't Cry, Million Dollar Baby
Gloria Swanson--Queen Kelly, Sunset Blvd.
Tilda Swinton--Julia, We Need To Talk About Kevin
Gene Tierney--Leave Her to Heaven, The Ghost and Mrs Muir
Charlize Theron--Monster, North Country
Kristen Scott Thomas--The English Patient, I've Loved You for So Long
Lana Turner--The Postman Always Rings Twice, Imitation of Life
 Cicely Tyson--Sounder, The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman
Emily Watson--Breaking the Waves, Hillary and Jackie
Sigourney Weaver--Aliens, A Map of the World
Tuesday Weld--Pretty Poison, Who'll Stop The Rain?
Natalie Wood--Splendor in the Grass, Love With the Proper Stranger
Teresa Wright--The Pride of the Yankees, Shadow of a Doubt
Loretta Young--The Farmer’s Daughter, Come to the Stable

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