Academy Award for Best Actress

An annual Academy Award honoring an actress’s leading performance in a film. The award is voted on by members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Katharine Hepburn: An American actor who won four Academy Awards for Best Actress, more than any other performer in that category. Her four wins remain the category’s record.
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences: A professional organization whose members vote on the Academy Awards. Its membership supplies the voters for the Best Actress award.
1st Academy Awards: The 1929 ceremony that presented the first Academy Awards for films released in 1927 and 1928. Janet Gaynor received the first award in this category.
Academy Award records: Notable statistical achievements and recurring records across the history of the Academy Awards. Category records make the award’s distribution of wins visible.
Halle Berry: An American actor whose performance in Monster’s Ball won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 2002. She became the first Black woman to win this award.
Academy Award nomination: Formal recognition that a work or person has been selected as a contender for an Academy Award. A Best Actress winner is chosen from the category’s nominated performers.
Janet Gaynor: An American actor who received the first Academy Award for Best Actress in 1929. Her award established the category’s first winner.
Oscar campaign: A publicity effort designed to persuade Academy members to nominate or award a film or performance. Studios campaign for actresses and performances during awards season.
Meryl Streep: An American actor known for a long film career and three competitive Academy Awards. Her wins and nominations illustrate sustained recognition in the category.
Academy Awards voting: The process by which Academy members nominate and select Academy Award winners. Voting rules shape who can nominate and choose the category’s winner.

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