Best Actress Oscar Winners

Congratulations to Lily Gladstone for Oscar win as Best Actress

Want to know the best Best Actress Oscar Winners? How about the worst Best Actress Oscar Winners? Curious about Best Actress Oscar Winners box office grosses or which Best Actress Oscar Winners picked up the most Oscar® nominations? Need to know which Best Actress Oscar Winners got the best reviews from critics and audiences and which one got the worst reviews? Well you have come to the right place …. because we have all of that information.

Since 1927, there have been 90 Best Actress Oscar Winners. This page will rank all 90 Best Actress Oscar Winning movies from Best to Worst in five different sortable columns of information. If you use the sort and search buttons the massive table becomes very interactive.

Best Actress Oscar Winners Can Be Ranked 6 Ways In The Table Below

The really cool thing about ther table is that it is “user-sortable”. Rank the movies anyway you want.

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Sort Best Actress Oscar Winning Movies by Ultimate Movie Rankings (UMR) Score. UMR Movie Score puts box office, reviews and awards into a mathematical equation and gives each movie a score. The ceiling to earn points for box office is $200 million…once a movie passes that mark it stops earning points in that category.

R	Movie (Year)	UMR Co-Star Links			Adj. B.O. Worldwide (mil)				UMR Score
1	Gone with the Wind (1939) AA Best Picture Win	Vivien Leigh	56.6	2,179.1	3,842.80	1	92	13 / 08	100.0
2	One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) AA Best Picture Win	Louise Fletcher	109.0	573.1	858.60	3	90	09 / 05	100.0
3	The Silence of the Lambs (1991) AA Best Picture Win	Jodie Foster	130.7	334.8	698.40	4	91	07 / 05	99.9
4	Annie Hall (1977) AA Best Picture Win	Diane Keaton	48.9	236.4	236.40	11	92	05 / 04	99.9
5	It Happened One Night (1934) AA Best Picture Win	Claudette Colbert	5.2	243.9	402.40	3	90	05 / 05	99.9
6	Terms of Endearment (1983) AA Best Picture Win	Shirley MacLaine	108.4	371.0	371.00	2	83	11 / 05	99.9
7	Mrs. Miniver (1942) AA Best Picture Win	Greer Garson	15.3	569.1	942.90	2	81	12 / 06	99.9
8	Driving Miss Daisy (1989) AA Best Picture Win	Jessica Tandy	106.6	289.4	395.90	9	81	09 / 04	99.8
9	Million Dollar Baby (2004) AA Best Picture Win	Hilary Swank	100.5	174.4	376.30	24	90	07 / 04	99.8
10	Network (1976) AA Best Picture Nom	Faye Dunaway	42.2	213.5	213.50	13	91	10 / 04	99.7
11	Shakespeare in Love (1998) AA Best Picture Win	Gwyneth Paltrow	100.3	230.6	665.00	17	70	13 / 07	99.7
12	Cabaret (1972) AA Best Picture Nom	Liza Minnelli	61.4	389.1	389.10	5	85	10 / 08	99.7
13	Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) AA Best Picture Nom	Elizabeth Taylor	28.0	274.4	274.40	5	84	13 / 05	99.7
14	A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) AA Best Picture Nom	Vivien Leigh	13.7	295.7	295.70	4	85	12 / 04	99.6
15	The Lion in Winter (1968) AA Best Picture Nom	Katharine Hepburn	28.6	235.2	235.20	10	88	07 / 03	99.6
16	Mary Poppins (1964) AA Best Picture Nom	Julie Andrews	75.6	866.7	1,816.90	1	81	13 / 05	99.5
17	The Great Ziegfeld (1936) AA Best Picture Win	Luise Rainer	10.3	444.0	671.70	2	64	07 / 03	99.5
19	La La Land (2016) AA Best Picture Nom	Emma Stone	151.1	188.3	553.20	19	82	14 / 06	99.5
18	Moonstruck (1987) AA Best Picture Nom	Cher	80.6	222.3	222.30	5	84	06 / 03	99.4
20	Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927) AA Best Picture Win	Janet Gaynor	3.5	119.5	119.50	9	89	04 / 03	99.3
20	On Golden Pond (1981) AA Best Picture Nom	Katharine Hepburn	112.8	437.3	437.30	2	79	10 / 03	99.3
21	The Good Earth (1937) AA Best Picture Nom	Luise Rainer	8.0	332.0	589.90	5	85	05 / 02	99.3
22	Gaslight (1944) AA Best Picture Nom	Ingrid Bergman	7.3	245.9	501.30	29	83	07 / 02	99.3
24	Funny Girl (1968) AA Best Picture Nom	Barbra Streisand	52.4	430.8	430.80	3	82	08 / 01	99.3
25	The Song of Bernadette (1943) AA Best Picture Nom	Jennifer Jones	13.4	482.5	482.50	4	77	12 / 04	99.3
26	Roman Holiday (1953) AA Best Picture Nom	Audrey Hepburn	9.1	163.3	163.30	22	89	10 / 03	99.2
28	Suspicion (1941) AA Best Picture Nom	Joan Fontaine	5.2	198.7	312.80	26	86	03 / 01	99.2
27	Mildred Pierce (1945) AA Best Picture Nom	Joan Crawford	9.7	306.8	500.50	16	82	06 / 01	99.1
31	The Heiress (1949) AA Best Picture Nom	Olivia de Havilland	6.4	160.2	160.20	32	89	08 / 04	99.1
29	Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022) AA Best Picture Win	Michelle Yeoh	76.9	78.7	113.50	25	91	11 / 07	99.1
32	Silver Linings Playbook (2012) AA Best Picture Nom	Jennifer Lawrence	132.1	178.9	320.20	23	87	08 / 01	99.1
30	Coal Miner's Daughter (1980) AA Best Picture Nom	Sissy Spacek	81.5	337.8	337.80	6	80	07 / 01	99.1
33	Born Yesterday (1950) AA Best Picture Nom	Judy Holliday	11.8	264.0	264.00	5	81	05 / 01	99.0
34	The Rose Tattoo (1955) AA Best Picture Nom	Anna Magnani	12.0	248.8	248.80	21	75	08 / 03	99.0
35	Erin Brockovich (2000) AA Best Picture Nom	Julia Roberts	125.6	251.2	512.50	13	79	05 / 01	98.9
36	The Country Girl (1954) AA Best Picture Nom	Grace Kelly	18.3	428.5	428.50	6	77	07 / 02	98.9
37	Johnny Belinda (1948)	Jane Wyman	11.2	302.5	302.50	2	80	12 / 01	98.8
38	Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967) AA Best Picture Nom	Katharine Hepburn	52.5	467.7	467.70	4	71	10 / 02	98.7
39	Jezebel (1938) AA Best Picture Nom	Bette Davis	4.3	170.2	233.20	36	84	05 / 02	98.6
40	Walk the Line (2005)	Reese Witherspoon	119.5	201.3	314.00	16	81	05 / 01	98.4
41	To Each His Own (1946)	Olivia de Havilland	9.7	299.7	299.70	21	81	02 / 01	98.1
42	Anastasia (1956)	Ingrid Bergman	14.3	280.0	280.00	13	79	02 / 01	97.8
43	Hud (1963)	Patricia Neal	14.3	179.1	179.10	18	79	07 / 03	97.8
45	Kitty Foyle (1940) AA Best Picture Nom	Ginger Rogers	4.9	188.1	262.30	17	73	05 / 01	97.5
44	As Good as It Gets (1997)	Helen Hunt	148.5	348.7	737.90	6	73	07 / 02	97.5
47	I Want to Live! (1958)	Susan Hayward	9.1	164.3	164.30	18	83	06 / 01	96.9
46	The Farmer's Daughter (1947)	Loretta Young	8.9	259.9	259.90	21	74	02 / 01	96.8
48	The Blind Side (2009) AA Best Picture Nom	Sandra Bullock	256.0	367.9	444.40	8	67	02 / 01	96.5
49	Black Swan (2010)	Natalie Portman	106.6	145.6	449.50	25	87	05 / 01	96.2
51	Klute (1971)	Jane Fonda	24.2	158.4	158.40	14	84	02 / 01	96.0
50	The Piano (1993) AA Best Picture Nom	Holly Hunter	40.2	104.6	104.70	37	88	08 / 03	96.0
53	Come Back, Little Sheba (1952)	Shirley Booth	9.7	190.6	190.60	11	72	03 / 01	95.9
52	Coming Home (1978) AA Best Picture Nom	Jane Fonda	29.6	136.2	136.20	20	77	08 / 03	95.9
54	Misery (1990)	Kathy Bates	61.3	156.2	156.20	19	84	01 / 01	95.6
55	Places in the Heart (1984) AA Best Picture Nom	Sally Field	34.9	112.0	112.00	25	84	07 / 02	95.1
56	A Touch of Class (1973) AA Best Picture Nom	Glenda Jackson	22.4	136.6	136.60	16	77	05 / 01	94.9
57	Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974)	Ellen Burstyn	23.9	138.0	138.00	25	84	03 / 01	94.7
58	Two Women (1960)	Sophia Loren	8.6	133.9	133.90	35	85	01 / 01	94.2
59	Min and Bill (1930)	Marie Dressler	3.8	202.8	291.90	11	64	01 / 01	94.1
60	Norma Rae (1979) AA Best Picture Nom	Sally Field	30.0	129.0	129.00	30	76	04 / 02	94.1
61	Howards End (1992) AA Best Picture Nom	Emma Thompson	26.1	67.9	67.90	48	88	09 / 03	93.3
62	Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) AA Best Picture Nom	Frances McDormand	54.5	65.5	189.30	52	90	07 / 02	93.0
63	The Miracle Worker (1962)	Anne Bancroft	7.1	102.7	102.70	37	86	05 / 02	92.8
64	Dead Man Walking (1995)	Susan Sarandon	43.7	108.3	108.30	39	86	04 / 01	92.8
65	The Divorcee (1930) AA Best Picture Nom	Norma Shearer	2.6	139.6	139.60	35	69	04 / 01	92.6
64	Fargo (1996) AA Best Picture Nom	Frances McDormand	24.6	60.0	147.80	66	91	07 / 02	92.5
67	The Hours (2002) AA Best Picture Nom	Nicole Kidman	41.7	77.5	202.30	57	83	09 / 01	91.8
68	The Queen (2006)	Helen Mirren	56.4	92.5	202.10	57	87	06 / 01	91.8
70	Butterfield 8 (1960)	Elizabeth Taylor	21.6	337.1	479.90	6	54	02 / 01	91.4
71	Sophie's Choice (1982)	Meryl Streep	30.0	110.1	110.10	23	79	05 / 01	90.7
73	Darling (1965) AA Best Picture Nom	Julie Christie	9.9	104.5	104.50	25	71	05 / 03	90.5
72	Nomadland (2020)	Frances McDormand	2.1	2.5	6.40	50	81	06 / 03	90.3
74	Children of a Lesser God (1986) AA Best Picture Nom	Marlee Matlin	31.9	92.6	92.60	32	76	05 / 01	89.9
73	Poor Things (2023) AA Best Picture Nom	Emma Stone	34.6	34.6	111.90	61	86	11 / 04	89.8
75	The Accused (1988)	Jodie Foster	32.1	84.1	84.10	35	83	01 / 01	88.8
76	Room at the Top (1959) AA Best Picture Nom	Simone Signoret	2.7	48.8	48.80	89	83	06 / 02	88.6
77	The Three Faces of Eve (1957)	Joanne Woodward	4.0	77.0	77.00	61	81	01 / 01	86.8
78	Room (2015) AA Best Picture Nom	Brie Larson	14.7	18.8	45.30	104	90	04 / 01	86.5
79	Women in Love (1969)	Glenda Jackson	8.4	63.4	63.40	34	81	04 / 01	86.3
80	The Favourite (2018) AA Best Picture Nom	Olivia Colman	34.4	40.7	113.30	79	76	10 / 01	85.8
81	Monster (2003)	Charlize Theron	34.5	61.6	107.90	81	79	01 / 01	83.9
82	Blue Jasmine (2013)	Cate Blanchett	33.4	44.3	129.30	85	82	03 / 01	83.7
83	Monster's Ball (2001)	Halle Berry	31.3	59.7	85.70	76	78	02 / 01	83.4
84	The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969)	Maggie Smith	5.7	43.4	43.40	45	82	02 / 01	83.1
85	Boys Don't Cry (1999)	Hilary Swank	11.5	24.6	24.60	116	87	02 / 01	82.4
86	The Sin of Madelon Claudet (1931)	Helen Hayes	1.9	98.8	98.80	55	61	01 / 01	80.4
87	Coquette (1929)	Mary Pickford	4.5	137.8	137.80	15	47	01 / 01	79.2
87	The Trip to Bountiful (1985)	Geraldine Page	7.5	22.8	22.80	102	82	02 / 01	79.1
88	Still Alice (2014)	Julianne Moore	18.8	24.7	57.90	117	82	01 / 01	78.9
89	The Reader (2008)	Kate Winslet	34.2	51.3	163.50	82	70	05 / 01	78.9
91	Dangerous (1935)	Bette Davis	1.3	59.8	92.90	101	68	01 / 01	76.6
92	Morning Glory (1933)	Katharine Hepburn	1.1	50.5	77.90	92	70	01 / 01	76.2
93	Judy (2019)	Renée Zellweger	24.3	28.6	49.40	89	74	02 / 01	73.8
94	La Vie en Rose (2007)	Marion Cotillard	10.3	16.1	135.20	138	75	03 / 02	72.9
95	The Iron Lady (2011)	Meryl Streep	30.0	40.8	156.30	101	59	02 / 02	60.7
96	The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2021)	Jessica Chastain	2.4	2.5	2.50	90	70	02 / 02	60.0
97	Blue Sky (1994)	Jessica Lange	3.4	8.9	8.90	153	69	01 / 01	57.5

Audrey Hepburn in 1953's Roman Holiday — Audrey Hepburn in 1953’s Roman Holiday

Academy Award® and Oscar® are the registered trademarks of the Academy of Motion Arts and Sciences.

Conspiracy Theory: The time…the 59th Academy Awards®. As is the custom the previous year’s Best Actor winner was the presenter of the Best Actress Award. In this case that meant William Hurt had the duty to announce the category. At the time Hurt was in a relationship Marlee Matlin. Hurt and Matlin had starred in Children Of A Lesser God together and had become an off screen couple. What if Sigourney Weaver’s name was really the winner and Hurt called the love of his life…Marlee Matlin? Only three people in the entire world would know the truth…..Hurt and the two accountants responsible for keeping the results secret. Would the two accountants really rush on to the stage during one of the most heart felt Oscar® acceptance speeches and take the Oscar® away from the hearing impaired Matlin?

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89 thoughts on “Best Actress Oscar Winners”

caterpillarheadshot3 says:

December 2, 2015 at 9:48 am

thanks for posting.

http://www.fromewebsitedesign.co.uk/

1. Cogerson says:
  
  December 2, 2015 at 6:57 pm
  
  Hey caterpillar….no problem
  
Chris says:

July 28, 2015 at 6:11 pm

Hi

I think Oscars are subjective, but for the record I think Louise Fletcher was one of the best wins ever. Sadly she never made anything worth mentioning after that, which when you think of her talent is amazing. I suppose Oscar wins are really just popularity contests and whoever is hot and favourite usually wins.
The thing is now that there’s no element of surprise. With the Golden Globes and other similar awards, you have a good idea of who’s going to win.
I remember in 1980, I always liked Mary Tyler Moore and wanted her to win for Ordinary People, but hey Sissy Spasek got it.
But it seems lately that a lot of wins are from movies that hardly anyone sees, Marion Cottillard was brilliant but I don’t think too many would know.
And one more thing. as much as I admire Meryl Streep, I think the habit of her getting nominated every year is getting a bit of a joke, laziness from the Academy members. They see her name and must instantly nominate her, regardless of her actual performance in said movie.

1. Cogerson says:
  
  July 29, 2015 at 10:54 am
  
  Hey Chris…without a doubt the Oscars are very subjective. Sometimes it is a reward for a great career…like when Newman won for The Color of Money and Pacino won for Scent of Woman. The fact that there are already websites that list possible nominees for the next Oscars…is crazy especially when the movie are still months away from being seen……like Leonardo DiCaprio being the leading contender for The Revenant.
  
  Moore was good in Ordinary People…but her character was so unlikeable……it made it easy to vote for Spacek. I know the voters gets special screenings….but movies like La Vie en Rose and last year’s Still Alice earned very little money at the box office when they got nominations and eventually wins. I fell in love with Marion Cotillard in A Good Year with Russell Crowe….I could not believe that was the same actress at the end of La Vie en Rose.
  
  As for Streep….she even got a nomination for playing a witch in a pretty average movie….not thinking that is going to stop this year….she might get two nominations this year….as Best Actress in Ricki and the Flash….and Best Supporting Actress in Suffragette. At this rate she will end up with close to 30 nominations.
  
  I think Julianne Moore has a nomination locked up…..she plays a lesbian cop with cancer who is fighting for the rights of her partner to her pension benefits. I do not care if the movie gets a 10% on RottenTomatoes….there is no way that the Hollywood crowd will let that movie not be talked about on the Oscar show.
  
  As always…I appreciate your input.
  
  1. Chris says:
    
    July 31, 2015 at 5:34 pm
    
    Hi
    
    I never heard of The Conspiracy Theory but in reality if it was true, what could anyone have done on live TV? But the idea is quite amusing, you could have a drunken presenter just saying anyone’s name. It would be awful for the nominee but it would make great TV. Another scenario would be Brad Pitt being the presenter, Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Aniston nominated, with Jen really winning but Brad saying Angelina. Now that would be TV gold.
    I remember a couple of years ago at the golden globes, some guy had won for best actor but he insisted that Jack Lemon should’ve been the winner and he dragged him on stage and presented him with the award. I couldn’t see it happening at the Oscars because they’re too stage managed.
    You mention some of the sites dedicated to future Oscar winners, I find them quite amusing, last year they said that Jennifer Aniston would be a cert to be nominated for Cake, a year before Nicole Kidman for Grace of Monaco. I mean by the time the Golden Globes nominations are released, we have a good idea who’s going to be nominated for the Oscars.
    You mention Juliana Moore, she won a Bafta in February this year for Still Alice and yet the film wasn’t released in the British Isles until April. And why she was terrific in the film, I thought the film itself reminded me more of a TV movie.
    
    1. Cogerson says:
      
      August 4, 2015 at 7:39 am
      
      Hey Chris….first of all…sorry for the delay in the response….this part of the year is crazy around my house..July 31 to August 4 sees 3 birthdays and an anniversary to celebrate….so I have not even been on my own website lately. Actually thanks to Reddit (with no help from me) Sunday was the best day ever at UMR.com when it comes to views…..maybe I am not needed…lol.
      
      Good thoughts on my Conspiracy Theory…some of those scenarios would indeed be tv gold. The Oscar prediction sites are starting to really get going in about another month or two….but there are still some out there already. Not thinking Adam Sandler’s Pixels is going to get a Best Picture nomination…lol. I have not seen Still Alice yet….but I will see it in the near future. Of the 88 Best Actress Winners I have watched almost all of the performances….so Still Alice is a required viewing. As always….thanks for stopping by.
      
kittythedreamer says:

June 5, 2015 at 1:44 pm

Just wanted to drop in and say hello. Great page as usual!

1. Cogerson says:
  
  June 5, 2015 at 1:44 pm
  
  Thank you…kittythedreamer
  
mary 615 says:

June 5, 2015 at 1:43 pm

I like so many of these actresses, I really have no favorite. Oh wait, yes, my favorite actress of all time if Ingrid Bergman!

Casablanca is a favorite movie, too.

1. Cogerson says:
  
  June 5, 2015 at 1:43 pm
  
  Hey Mary…..thanks for checking out so many of my pages today…your efforts are greatly appreciated. Ingrid Bergman is on the table twice and she will be on the Best Supporting Actress hub I am working on….not bad….. 3 Oscars for an actress that could not speak English when she appeared in her first American movie. As always I appreciate the votes the share and the visit.
  
Jools99 says:

June 5, 2015 at 1:42 pm

Bruce, very interesting page back for a second visit. Frances McDormand is still my favourite – what a character! And Elizabeth Taylor in Butterfield 8 – she looks amazing and this is one of her absolute best movies

1. Cogerson says:
  
  June 5, 2015 at 1:42 pm
  
  Hey Jools99…..thanks for the return visit. Frances McDormand is outstanding in Fargo….I actually think Elizabeth Taylor is better in Whose Afraid of Virginia Wolfe…but she is pretty good in Butterfield 8. I am working on a movie page that features the Best Supporting Actor and Actresses….I will have that done for the upcoming award season

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