The Best Actress Award (french: Prix d'interprétation féminine) is an award presented at the Cannes Film Festival since 1946. It is given to an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance and chosen by the jury from the films in official competition slate at the festival. At the 1st Cannes Film Festival held in 1946, Michèle Morgan was the first winner of this award for her performance in '' Pastoral Symphony'', and Zar Amir Ebrahimi is the most recent winner in this category for her role in '' Holy Spider'' at the 75th Cannes Film Festival in 2022.

History

The award was first presented in 1946. The prize was not awarded on three occasions (1947, 1953, and 1954). The festival was not held at all in 1948, 1950, and 2020. In 1968, no awards were given as the festival was called off mid-way due to the May 1968 events in France. On four occasions, the jury has awarded multiple women (more than 2) the prize for one film. The four films were '' A Big Family'' (1955), '' Brink of Life'' (1958), '' A World Apart'' (1988), and '' Volver'' (2006). Vanessa Redgrave, Barbara Hershey,

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, and Isabelle Huppert have won the most awards in this category, each winning twice. Hershey is the only actress to win the award in consecutive years, for '' Shy People'' (1987) and ''A World Apart'' (1988). Isabelle Adjani is the only actress to win the award for two different films in the same competition, for her roles in ''

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'' (1981). The award can be for lead or supporting roles, with the exception of the period from 1979 to 1981, when the festival used to award a separate "Best Supporting Actress" prize. The jury also, on occasion, cites actresses with a special citation that is separate from the main award.

Winners

Multiple winners

The following individuals have received multiple Best Actress awards:

Notes

:A: This year the award was changed to ''Prix d'Interpretation'' (Acting Award), without gender differentiation. :B: The entire male and female cast of '' A Big Family'' (''Больша́я семья́'') was recipient of this award in a tie with Spencer Tracy for '' Bad Day at Black Rock''. :C: This year award was given as ''Prix collectif d'interprétation féminine Un Certain Regard'' (Collective Female Acting Award - Un Certain Regard) to the female cast of '' Brink of Life'' (''Nära livet''). :D: This year award was given as ''Prix Le Premier Regard Un Certain Regard'' (Premiere Award - Un Certain Regard) to the lead male and female cast of '' Long Day's Journey into Night'' and ''

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'' (ex aequo). :E: Performer to receive a single award which honor the outstanding work in multiple different films in the same official competition slate.

References

External links