The Empire Award for Best British Actress was an
Empire Award presented annually by the British
film magazine
Film periodicals combine discussion of individual films, genres and directors with in-depth considerations of the medium and the conditions of its production and reception. Their articles contrast with film reviewing in newspapers and magazines whi ...
''Empire'' to honor a British
actress
An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...
who has delivered an outstanding performance in a
leading role
A leading actor, leading actress, or simply lead (), plays the role of the protagonist of a film, television show or play. The word ''lead'' may also refer to the largest role in the piece, and ''leading actor'' may refer to a person who typica ...
, while working within the
film industry
The film industry or motion picture industry comprises the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking, i.e., film production companies, film studios, cinematography, animation, film production, screenwriting, pre-production, ...
. The Empire Award for Best British Actress was first introduced at the
1st Empire Awards
The 1st Empire Awards ceremony, presented by the British film magazine ''Empire'', honored the best films of 1995 and took place in 1996. During the ceremony, ''Empire'' presented Empire Awards in eight categories as well as one honorary award. ...
ceremony in 1996, with
Kate Winslet
Kate Elizabeth Winslet (; born 5 October 1975) is an English actress. Known for her work in independent films, particularly period dramas, and for her portrayals of headstrong and complicated women, she has received numerous accolades, inc ...
receiving the award for her role in ''
Heavenly Creatures
''Heavenly Creatures'' is a 1994 New Zealand biographical psychological drama film directed by Peter Jackson, from a screenplay he co-wrote with his partner, Fran Walsh, and starring Kate Winslet and Melanie Lynskey in their feature film debut ...
'', and last presented at the
10th Empire Awards ceremony in 2005. It was one of three Best British awards retired that year (the others being
Best British Actor and
Best British Director). Winners were voted by the readers of ''Empire'' magazine.
Since its inception, the award has been given to six actress. Kate Winslet had received the most awards in this category, with five awards, and was nominated on six occasions, more than any other actress. Winslet was the last winner in this category, for her role in ''
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
''Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind'' (also simply known as ''Eternal Sunshine'') is a 2004 American romantic science fiction drama film written by Charlie Kaufman, directed by Michel Gondry, and starring Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet. Pi ...
''.
Winners and nominees
In the list below, winners are listed first in bold, followed by the other nominees. The number of the ceremony (1st, 2nd, etc.) appears in parentheses after the awards year, linked to the article (if any) on that ceremony.
1990s
2000s
Multiple awards and nominations
Multiple awards
The following individual received two or more Best British Actress awards:
Multiple nominations
The following individuals received two or more Best British Actress nominations:
References
External links
{{Empire Awards
Actress
An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...
Film awards for lead actress