Academy Awards for Best Leading Actress: All winners (1928 - 2026)
The Best Leading Actress category of the Academy Awards has been presented since 1928. Throughout the history of these awards, a total of 98 prizes have been awarded in this category. The first actress to win was Janet Gaynor in 1928 for the film Seventh Heaven (7th Heaven) , while the most recent winner is Jessie Buckley, recognized in 2026 for Hamnet.
Complete list of winning actresses in this category by year
Actresses with the most awards in this category
| Actress | Awards | |
 Katharine Hepburn |
4 | |
| Frances McDormand |
3 | |
| Jodie Foster |
2 | |
| Emma Stone |
2 | |
| Meryl Streep |
2 | |
| Sally Field |
2 | |
| Hilary Swank |
2 | |
| Elizabeth Taylor |
2 | |
| Jane Fonda |
2 | |
| Ingrid Bergman |
2 | |
| Bette Davis |
2 | |
| Olivia de Havilland |
2 | |
| Glenda Jackson |
2 | |
| Vivien Leigh |
2 | |
 Luise Rainer |
2 |
Best Picture