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The Best Actress Award (french: Prix d'interprétation féminine) is an award presented at the
Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films ...
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 The Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68, also known as the ''Pastoral Symphony'' (German: ''Pastorale''), is a symphony composed by Ludwig van Beethoven and completed in 1808. One of Beethoven's few works containing explicitly programmatic con ...
'', and 
Zar Amir Ebrahimi Zahra Amir Ebrahimi ( fa, زهرا اميرابراهيمی; born July 9, 1981) known professionally as Zar Amir Ebrahimi (), is an Iranian-French actress, producer and director. She is best known for her performance as journalist Arezoo Rahim ...
 is the most recent winner in this category for her role in ''
Holy Spider ''Holy Spider'' ( fa, عنکبوت مقدس, Ankabut-e moqaddas) is a 2022 Persian-language crime thriller film directed by Ali Abbasi (director), Ali Abbasi, starring Mehdi Bajestani and Zar Amir Ebrahimi. Based on the true story of Saeed Hanaei ...
'' at the 
75th Cannes Film Festival The 75th annual Cannes Film Festival is an upcoming film festival scheduled to take place from 17 to 28 May 2022. The festival will see a tribute to actor Tom Cruise, whose film '' Top Gun: Maverick'' is due to premiere at the festival. The of ...
 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 Beginning in May 1968, a period of civil unrest occurred throughout France, lasting some seven weeks and punctuated by demonstrations, general strikes, as well as the occupation of universities and factories. At the height of events, which ...
. On four occasions, the jury has awarded multiple women (more than 2) the prize for one film. The four films were ''
A Big Family ''A Big Family'' (russian: Больша́я семья́, translit. Bolshaya semya) is a 1954 Soviet drama film directed by Iosif Kheifits. It was entered into the 1955 Cannes Film Festival. It was based on Vsevolod Kochetov's novel ''Zhur ...
'' (1955), ''
Brink of Life ''Brink of Life'', ( sv, Nära livet, and known as ''So Close to Life'' in the UK) is a 1958 Swedish drama film directed by Ingmar Bergman. Bergman won the Best Director Award and Andersson, Dahlbeck, Ornäs and Thulin won the Best Actress ...
'' (1958), '' A World Apart'' (1988), and ''
Volver ''Volver'' (, meaning "to go back") is a 2006 Spanish comedy-drama film written and directed by Pedro Almodóvar. The film features an ensemble cast that includes Penélope Cruz, Carmen Maura, Lola Dueñas, Blanca Portillo, Yohana Cobo, and Chu ...
'' (2006).
Vanessa Redgrave Dame Vanessa Redgrave (born 30 January 1937) is an English actress and activist. Throughout her career spanning over seven decades, Redgrave has garnered numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Television Award, tw ...
,
Barbara Hershey Barbara Lynn Herzstein, better known as Barbara Hershey (born February 5, 1948), is an American actress. In a career spanning more than 50 years, she has played a variety of roles on television and in cinema in several genres, including weste ...
,
Helen Mirren Dame Helen Mirren (born Helen Lydia Mironoff; born 26 July 1945) is an English actor. The recipient of numerous accolades, she is the only performer to have achieved the Triple Crown of Acting in both the United States and the United Kingdom ...
, and
Isabelle Huppert Isabelle Anne Madeleine Huppert (; born 16 March 1953) is a French actress. Described as "one of the best actresses in the world", she is known for her portrayals of cold and disdainful characters devoid of morality. She is the recipient of sev ...
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 '' Possession'' and ''
Quartet In music, a quartet or quartette (, , , , ) is an ensemble of four singers or instrumental performers; or a musical composition for four voices and instruments. Classical String quartet In classical music, one of the most common combinations o ...
'' (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:


See also

*
Silver Bear for Best Actress The Silver Bear for Best Actress (german: Silberner Bär/Beste Darstellerin) was an award presented at the Berlin International Film Festival from 1956 to 2020. It was given to an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance and was chos ...
*
Volpi Cup for Best Actress The Volpi Cup for Best Actress is an award presented by the Venice Film Festival. It is given by the festival jury in honor of an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance from the films in the competition slate. It is named in honor o ...


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 ''A Big Family'' (russian: Больша́я семья́, translit. Bolshaya semya) is a 1954 Soviet drama film directed by Iosif Kheifits. It was entered into the 1955 Cannes Film Festival. It was based on Vsevolod Kochetov's novel ''Zhur ...
'' (''Больша́я семья́'') was recipient of this award in a tie with
Spencer Tracy Spencer Bonaventure Tracy (April 5, 1900 – June 10, 1967) was an American actor. He was known for his natural performing style and versatility. One of the major stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, Tracy was the first actor to win two cons ...
for ''
Bad Day at Black Rock ''Bad Day at Black Rock'' is a 1955 American neo-Western film directed by John Sturges with screenplay by Millard Kaufman. It stars Spencer Tracy and Robert Ryan with support from Anne Francis, Dean Jagger, Walter Brennan, John Ericson, Ernest ...
''. :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 ''Brink of Life'', ( sv, Nära livet, and known as ''So Close to Life'' in the UK) is a 1958 Swedish drama film directed by Ingmar Bergman. Bergman won the Best Director Award and Andersson, Dahlbeck, Ornäs and Thulin won the Best Actress ...
'' (''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 ''
A Taste of Honey ''A Taste of Honey'' is the first play by the British dramatist Shelagh Delaney, written when she was 19. It was intended as a novel, but she turned it into a play because she hoped to revitalise British theatre and address social issues that ...
'' (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


Cannes Film Festival official website

Cannes Film Festival at IMDb
. {{DEFAULTSORT:Cannes Film Festival Award For Best Actress Cannes Film Festival Awards for actresses Film awards for lead actress Film awards for supporting actress Cannes, Best Actress