It has been awarded since the 1st Academy Awards to an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role in a film released that year. The award is traditionally presented by the previous year's Best Actor winner. However, in recent years, it has shifted towards being presented by previous years' Best Actress winners instead.
The Best Actress award has been presented 97 times, to 79 actresses. The most recent winner is Emma Stone for her role in Poor Things ; she had previously won the award for her role in La La Land The record for most wins is four, held by Katharine Hepburn. Frances McDormand has won thrice, while thirteen other actresses have won the award twice.
Meryl Streep has received the most nominations in this categoryβseventeenβand has won twice. Deborah Kerr holds the record in this category for most nominations six without a win βalbeit in , she was an Honorary Oscar recipient. At the 41st Academy Awards , Barbra Streisand and Katharine Hepburn received the same number of votes and thus tied for Best Actress the only time this has occurred.
Italian actress Sophia Loren became the first actor, in any category, to win for a foreign language performance in Two Women Elliot Page was nominated for his role in Juno prior to his transition.
Nominees are currently determined by single transferable vote within the actors branch of AMPAS; winners are selected by a plurality vote from the entire eligible voting members of the Academy.
