| Empire Award for British Best Actress | |
| Awarded For: | Best performance by a British actress in a leading role |
| Presenter: | Empire magazine |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Year: | 1996 |
| Year2: | 2005 |
| Holder: | Kate Winslet - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2005) |
| Main: | Empire Awards |
The Empire Award for Best British Actress was an Empire Award presented annually by the British film magazine Empire to honor a British actress who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role, while working within the film industry. The Empire Award for Best British Actress was first introduced at the 1st Empire Awards ceremony in 1996, with Kate Winslet receiving the award for her role in Heavenly Creatures, 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.
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.
| Year | Actress | Film | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Kate Winslet | Heavenly Creatures | [1] |
| 1997 | Brenda Blethyn | Secrets & Lies | [2] |
| 1998 | Kate Winslet | Hamlet | [3] |
| 1999 | Kate Winslet | Titanic | [4] |
| Anna Friel | The Land Girls | ||
| Catherine Zeta-Jones | The Mask of Zorro | ||
| Emily Watson | The Boxer | ||
| Minnie Driver | Good Will Hunting |
| Year | Actress | Film | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Helena Bonham Carter | Fight Club | [5] |
| Brenda Blethyn | Little Voice | ||
| Kate Winslet | Hideous Kinky | ||
| Minnie Driver | An Ideal Husband | ||
| Olivia Williams | Rushmore, and The Sixth Sense | ||
| 2001 | Julie Walters | Billy Elliot | [6] |
| Brenda Blethyn | Saving Grace | ||
| Kathy Burke | Kevin & Perry Go Large | ||
| Samantha Morton | Sweet and Lowdown | ||
| Thandie Newton | |||
| 2002 | Kate Winslet | Enigma | [7] |
| Catherine Zeta-Jones | Traffic | ||
| Helena Bonham Carter | Planet of the Apes | ||
| Olivia Williams | Lucky Break | ||
| Rachel Weisz | The Mummy Returns | ||
| 2003 | Samantha Morton | Minority Report | [8] |
| Emily Watson | Red Dragon | ||
| Helen Mirren | Gosford Park | ||
| Keira Knightley | Bend It Like Beckham | ||
| Kelly Macdonald | Gosford Park | ||
| 2004 | Emma Thompson | Love Actually | [9] |
| Emily Mortimer | Young Adam | ||
| Helen Mirren | Calendar Girls | ||
| Julie Walters | Calendar Girls | ||
| Keira Knightley | |||
| 2005 | Kate Winslet | Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind | [10] |
| Imelda Staunton | Vera Drake | ||
| Kate Ashfield | Shaun of the Dead | ||
| Keira Knightley | King Arthur | ||
| Samantha Morton | Enduring Love |
The following individual received two or more Best British Actress awards:
The following individuals received two or more Best British Actress nominations:
| Nominations | Film |
|---|---|
| 6 | Kate Winslet |
| 3 | Brenda Blethyn |
| Keira Knightley | |
| Samantha Morton | |
| 2 | Catherine Zeta-Jones |
| Emily Watson | |
| Helen Mirren | |
| Helena Bonham Carter | |
| Julie Walters | |
| Minnie Driver | |
| Olivia Williams |