The Gold Derby Film Awards have existed since 2002, when our community of knowledgeable film lovers and awards watchers started letting us know what films and performances they’ve admired the most. Sometimes the Oscars have the good sense to agree with us, and sometimes they don’t. Scroll down to see every Best Actress winner in our history and which stellar performances they were up against.
From 2002 to 2010 our voting was conducted via secret ballot through our message boards. Starting with our ninth annual awards honoring the best achievements of 2011, we transferred voting to our predictions center, where any registered user is able to participate, free of charge. Gold Derby has some of the savviest movie fans online, and thousands of them have made their voices heard over the years.
In our first round, nominations are decided by a preferential vote in which participants rank their favorites in each category, with more points going to their first-place selection. Winners in most categories — including Best Actress — are then decided by a plurality vote: just select your favorite contender from the list of nominees, and whoever gets the most votes wins.
But that’s not all. In addition to our yearly awards, our readers get a chance to pick the best achievements of the decade at the end of every 10-year cycle, with our first Decade Awards celebrating the cream of the crop from 2000 to 2009 and our second Decade Awards covering 2010 to 2019. And you can also come to Gold Derby every year to vote for our Gold Derby TV Awards and our Gold Derby Music Awards, giving our users the opportunity to sound off across the wide media landscape.
So what do you think of our Best Actress selections over the years? Should the Oscars crib from us more often?
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Michelle Yeoh, ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ (2022)
Image Credit: A24 Also nominated for Best Actress:
Cate Blanchett, “TAR”
Danielle Deadwyler, “Till”
Mia Goth, “Pearl”
Michelle Williams, “The Fabelmans” -
Kristen Stewart, “Spencer” (2021)
Image Credit: Neon Also nominated for Best Actress:
Jessica Chastain, “The Eyes of Tammy Faye”
Olivia Colman, “The Lost Daughter”
Lady Gaga, “House of Gucci”
Alana Haim, “Licorice Pizza” -
Carey Mulligan, “Promising Young Woman” (2020)
Image Credit: Focus Features Also nominated for Best Actress:
Viola Davis, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
Sidney Flanigan, “Never Rarely Sometimes Always”
Vanessa Kirby, “Pieces of a Woman”
Frances McDormand, “Nomadland” -
DECADE (2010-2019) Natalie Portman, “Black Swan”
Image Credit: Courtesy Image Also nominated for Best Actress of the decade:
Amy Adams, “Arrival”
Cate Blanchett, “Blue Jasmine”
Toni Collette, “Hereditary”
Olivia Colman, “The Favourite”
Brie Larson, “Room”
Frances McDormand, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
Lupita Nyong’o, “Us”
Rosamund Pike, “Gone Girl”
Emma Stone, “La La Land” -
Lupita Nyong’o, “Us” (2019)
Image Credit: Universal Also nominated for Best Actress:
Awkwafina, “The Farewell”
Scarlett Johansson, “Marriage Story”
Saoirse Ronan, “Little Women”
Renee Zellweger, “Judy” -
Olivia Colman, “The Favourite” (2018)
Image Credit: Courtesy of Fox Searchlight Also nominated for Best Actress:
Yalitza Aparicio, “Roma”
Glenn Close, “The Wife”
Toni Collette, “Hereditary”
Lady Gaga, “A Star Is Born” -
Frances McDormand, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” (2017)
Image Credit: Fox Searchlight Pictures Also nominated for Best Actress:
Sally Hawkins, “The Shape of Water”
Margot Robbie, “I, Tonya”
Saoirse Ronan, “Lady Bird”
Meryl Streep, “The Post” -
Emma Stone, “La La Land” (2016)
Image Credit: Lionsgate Also nominated for Best Actress:
Amy Adams, “Arrival”
Annette Bening, “20th Century Women”
Isabelle Huppert, “Elle”
Natalie Portman, “Jackie” -
Brie Larson, “Room” (2015)
Image Credit: Courtesy of A24 Also nominated for Best Actress:
Cate Blanchett, “Carol”
Charlotte Rampling, “45 Years”
Saoirse Ronan, “Brooklyn”
Charlize Theron, “Mad Max: Fury Road” -
Rosamund Pike, “Gone Girl” (2014)
Image Credit: Courtesy Image Also nominated for Best Actress:
Jennifer Aniston, “Cake”
Marion Cotillard, “Two Days, One Night”
Julianne Moore, “Still Alice”
Reese Witherspoon, “Wild” -
Cate Blanchett, “Blue Jasmine” (2013)
Image Credit: Sony Pictures Classics Also nominated for Best Actress:
Amy Adams, “American Hustle”
Sandra Bullock, “Gravity”
Adele Exarchopoulos, “Blue Is the Warmest Colour”
Emma Thompson, “Saving Mr. Banks” -
Jennifer Lawrence, “Silver Linings Playbook” (2012)
Image Credit: Courtesy Image Also nominated for Best Actress:
Jessica Chastain, “Zero Dark Thirty”
Emmanuelle Riva, “Amour”
Quvenzhane Wallis, “Beasts of the Southern Wild”
Naomi Watts, “The Impossible” -
Meryl Streep, “The Iron Lady” (2011)
Image Credit: Courtesy Image Also nominated for Best Actress:
Viola Davis, “The Help”
Rooney Mara, “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”
Tilda Swinton, “We Need to Talk About Kevin”
Michelle Williams, “My Week with Marilyn” -
Natalie Portman, “Black Swan” (2010)
Image Credit: Fox Searchlight Pictures Also nominated for Best Actress:
Annette Bening, “The Kids Are All Right”
Nicole Kidman, “Rabbit Hole”
Jennifer Lawrence, “Winter’s Bone”
Michelle Williams, “Blue Valentine” -
DECADE (2000-2009) Charlize Theron, “Monster”
Image Credit: Lionsgate Also nominated for Best Actress of the decade:
Marion Cotillard, “Le Vie En Rose”
Judi Dench, “Notes on a Scandal”
Sally Hawkins, “Happy-Go-Lucky”
Felicity Huffman, “Transamerica”
Nicole Kidman, “Moulin Rouge”
Helen Mirren, “The Queen”
Julianne Moore, “Far from Heaven”
Hilary Swank, “Million Dollar Baby”
Kate Winslet, “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” -
Meryl Streep, “Julie and Julia” (2009)
Image Credit: Courtesy Image Also nominated for Best Actress:
Sandra Bullock, “The Blind Side”
Carey Mulligan, “An Education”
Gabourey Sidibe, “Precious”
Tilda Swinton, “Julia” -
Meryl Streep, “Doubt” (2008)
Image Credit: Courtesy of Miramax Films Also nominated for Best Actress:
Cate Blanchett, “Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
Anne Hathaway, “Rachel Getting Married”
Sally Hawkins, “Happy-Go-Lucky”
Kate Winslet, “Revolutionary Road” -
Marion Cotillard, “La Vie en Rose” (2007)
Image Credit: Courtesy Image Also nominated for Best Actress:
Amy Adams, “Enchanted”
Helena Bonham Carter, “Sweeney Todd: Demon Barber of Fleet Street”
Julie Christie, “Away from Her”
Ellen Page, “Juno” -
Helen Mirren, “The Queen” (2006)
Image Credit: Courtesy of Miramax Films Also nominated for Best Actress:
Penelope Cruz, “Volver”
Judi Dench, “Notes on a Scandal”
Meryl Streep, “The Devil Wears Prada”
Kate Winslet, “Little Children” -
Felicity Huffman, “Transamerica” (2005)
Image Credit: IFC Also nominated for Best Actress:
Joan Allen, “The Upside of Anger”
Keira Knightley, “Pride & Prejudice”
Naomi Watts, “King Kong”
Reese Witherspoon, “Walk the Line” -
Hilary Swank, “Million Dollar Baby” (2004)
Image Credit: Merie W. Wallace Also nominated for Best Actress:
Julie Delpy, “Before Sunset”
Imelda Staunton, “Vera Drake”
Uma Thurman, “Kill Bill, Volume 2”
Kate Winslet, “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” -
Charlize Theron, “Monster” (2003)
Image Credit: Lionsgate Also nominated for Best Actress:
Keisha Castle-Hughes, “Whale Rider”
Scarlett Johansson, “Lost in Translation”
Uma Thurman, “Kill Bill, Volume 1”
Naomi Watts, “21 Grams” -
Julianne Moore , “Far from Heaven” (2002)
Image Credit: Focus Features Also nominated for Best Actress:
Nicole Kidman, “The Hours”
Diane Lane, “Unfaithful”
Meryl Streep, “The Hours”
Renee Zellweger, “Chicago”
