So without further ado — and in honor of the 97th annual Academy Awards airing on March 2 — our breakdown of the 21st century’s Best Actress Oscar Winners to date, from worst to best.

The rich history of the Academy Award for best actress is as fascinating as the history of the film industry itself. The list of winners tells a story about female representation onscreen ...

No, not best picture. The best actress race is often considered one of the toughest races to win, including in recent years when Oscar pundits were split on whether Michelle Yeoh or Cate Blanchett ...

Best actress contenders arguably get more of the Oscar spotlight, but the supporting actress category at the Academy Awards always gives us scene-stealing winners that pop off the screen in ...

As more women have been invited to become Oscar voters, the average age of the best-actress winner has risen, and nearly all of the recent winners have been over 40. If it’s a seasoned candidate ...

The 2025 Best Actress Oscar race was one for the ages. Mikey Madison won the award Sunday night for Anora to enter the Oscar annals as one of the youngest champs in the category ever. At 25 years ...

In much the same way that Elphaba soars through the sky while singing "Defying Gravity," "Wicked" has taken off in the Oscar ...

Natasha Chivers, The Hills of California Jon Clark, Stranger Things: The First Shadow (WINNER) Heather Gilbert and David ...

In the documentary, Taraji P. Henson and Whoopi Goldberg also express incredulity over the lack of Black best actress Oscar winners. “Wait a minute, none of us were good enough?” Goldberg asks.

Explore the most impactful Oscar acceptance speeches that championed diversity, resilience, and representation in Hollywood's history. Discover how these moments transcended the awards themselves and ...