Every year the Academy evaluates a year's worth of brilliant performances and picks what they believe to be the best of the best, nominating these for the most prestigious acting awards in cinema: the Oscars. This in itself is an honor - just to be nominated for an Academy Award. But only one person can win each year, and the women listed here have all taken home Oscar gold for Best Actress in a Leading Role - so which Best Actress Oscar winners are the best?
Of the leading women who have won Best Actress, who is the best Best Actress? Is it the most nominated women of all time Meryl Streep, with 15 nominations? Is it a classic actress like Katharine Hepburn (who has the most wins, with four)? What about Audrey Hepburn, or Grace Kelly? Maybe a more modern choice like Hilary Swank, Cate Blanchett, Jennifer Lawrence, or Julianne Moore?
With so many options choosing the best is hard, but that's where you come in. Vote up the very best actresses of all the Best Actress Academy Award winners below!
1
1,287617Katharine Hepburn
Dec. at 96 (1907-2003)Morning Glory (1932), Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967), The Lion in Winter (1968), On Golden Pond (1984)2
1,639887Meryl Streep
Age: 71Sophie's Choice (1982), The Iron Lady (2011)3
625326Maggie Smith
Age: 86California Suite (1979), The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1970)
4
1,217533Faye Dunaway
Age: 79Network (1977)
5
974637Cate Blanchett
Age: 51Blue Jasmine (2013)6
803510Helen Mirren
Age: 75The Queen (2006), The Last Station (2010)
7
1,052695Jodie Foster
Age: 58The Accused (1988), Silence of the Lambs (1991)8
815521Sally Field
Age: 74Norma Rae (1979), Places in the Heart (1984)9
741368Jessica Lange
Age: 71Blue Sky (1995)
10
630371Anne Bancroft
Dec. at 74 (1931-2005)The Miracle Worker (1962)
11
788521Julie Andrews
Age: 85Mary Poppins (1964)12
959595Joan Crawford
Dec. at 73 (1904-1977)Mildred Pierce (1945)13
890646Bette Davis
Dec. at 81 (1908-1989)Dangerous (1935), Jezebel (1938)14
621368Grace Kelly
Dec. at 53 (1929-1982)The Country Girl (1954)
15
819560Kate Winslet
Age: 45The Reader (2008)16
759526Kathy Bates
Age: 72Misery (1990)17
831615Vivien Leigh
Dec. at 54 (1913-1967)Gone with the Wind (1939), A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)18
1,009855Audrey Hepburn
Dec. at 64 (1929-1993)Roman Holiday (1953)19
577414Emma Thompson
Age: 61Howard's End (1992)20
482273Susan Hayward
Dec. at 58 (1917-1975)I Want to Live! (1959)
21
707614Ingrid Bergman
Dec. at 67 (1915-1982)Gaslight (1944), Anastasia (1956)22
625483Julianne Moore
Age: 60Still Alice (2014)23
619464Reese Witherspoon
Age: 44Walk the Line (2005)24
592612Julia Roberts
Age: 53Erin Brockovich (2000)25
634649Sandra Bullock
Age: 56The Blind Side (2009)
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25