| Golden Rooster Awards for Best Actress | |
| Awarded For: | Best Actress of the year |
| Country: | China |
| Year: | 1981 |
| Year2: | 2023 |
| Holder Label: | Winner (2023) |
| Holder: | He Saifei for Off the Stage |
| Website: | Golden Rooster Awards |
| Previous: | 35th |
| Main: | 36th Golden Rooster Awards |
| Next: | 37th |
The Golden Rooster Award for Best Actress (中国电影金鸡奖最佳女主角) is the main category of Competition of Golden Rooster Awards, awarding actresses with outstanding performances in leading roles in cinema of China.
| Indicates winning Hundred Flowers Award for Best Actress for the same role |
| Year | Actress(es) | Film | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 1st | Zhang Yu | Evening Rain | Liu Wenying |
| Romance on Lushan Mountain | Zhou Jun | ||
| Tian Hua | In and Out of Court | Shang Qin | |
| Wang Fuli | Legend of Tianyun Mountain | Song Wei | |
| 1982 2nd | Li Xiuming | Xu Mao and His Daughters | Xu Xiuyun |
| Ren Yexiang | Longing for Home | Tian Cuicui | |
| Zhang Yu | On a Small Street | Yu Zhen | |
| 1983 3rd | Pan Hong (tie) | At Middle Age | Lu Wenting |
| Siqin Gaowa (tie) | Rickshaw Boy | Hu Niu | |
| 1984 4th | Gong Xue | Under the Bridge | Qin Nan |
| Li Ling | Ward 16 | Chang Lin | |
| 1985 5th | Li Ling | Girl from Huangshan Mountain | Gong Lingling |
| Gu Yongfei | Thunderstorm | Fanyi | |
| 1986 6th | Yue Hong | Wild Mountains | Guilan |
| Fang Shu | Sunrise | Chen Bailu | |
| Xu Lei | Spring into Autumn | Zhou Lianghui | |
| Zhang Xiaolei | Xiangsi Woman's Hotel | Zhang Guanyin | |
| 1987 7th | Liu Xiaoqing | Hibiscus Town | Hu Yuyin |
| Naren Hua | Married to a Child | Xiaoxiao | |
| 1988 8th | Pan Hong | The Well | Xu Lisha |
| Li Kechun | The Third Party | Sang Yuchen | |
| Liu Xiaoqing | Savage Land | Jinzi | |
| 1989 9th | Xu Shouli | The Happy Hero & The Dead and the Living | Yusuan |
| Wu Yujuan | Obsession | Qingqing | |
| 1990 | |||
| 1991 11th | Xi Meijuan | A False Woman's True Love | Wang Yujuan |
| Lü Liping | Unexpected Passion | Liang Xiaoqing | |
| Ma Xiaoqing | Good Morning, Beijing | Ai Hong | |
| 1992 12th | Song Xiaoying | Her Smile Through the Candlelight | Wang Shuangling |
| Ding Yi | Bell of Purity Temple | Aunt Yangjiao | |
| Zhao Lirong | The Spring Festival | mother | |
| 1993 13th | Gong Li | The Story of Qiu Ju | Qiu Ju |
| Xu Fan | After Separation | Lin Zhouyun | |
| 1994 14th | Pan Hong | Shanghai Fever | Fan Li |
| Bai Han | Romance in Metropolitan Shanghai | Luo Naiqian | |
| Ning Jing | Red Firecracker, Green Firecracker | Chunzhi | |
| 1995 15th | Ai Liya | Ermo | Ermo |
| Pu Chaoying | Women Flowers | Shang Meiju | |
| Xu Fan | Gone Forever with My Love | Lin Gege | |
| 1996 16th | Song Chunli | Jiuxiang | Jiuxiang |
| Cao Cuifen | Orphan's Tears | Geng Ernu | |
| Guo Keyu | Red Cherry | Chuchu | |
| 1997 17th | Yu Hui | Xilian | Xilian |
| Gai Ke | After Divorce | Shi Hui | |
| Xi Meijuan | A Tree | Zhu Zhu | |
| 1998 18th | Tao Hong (born 1972) | Colors of the Blind | Ding Lihua |
| Ai Liya | Genghis Khan | Hoelun | |
| Pan Yu | Live in Peace and Contentment | Granny Axi | |
| 1999 19th | Ning Jing | Lover's Grief over the Yellow River | An Jie |
| Xu Fan | Be There or Be Square | Li Qing | |
| Yuan Quan | Once Upon a Time in Shanghai | Li Huirong | |
| 2000 20th | Gong Li | Breaking the Silence | Sun Liying |
| Tenzin Dolkar | Song of Tibet | Yeshe Dolma | |
| Zhang Ziyi | The Road Home | Zhao Di | |
| 2001 21st | Song Chunli | To Be With You Forever | Cai Chang |
| Wu Jing | Sunshine Days | Zhuo Liying | |
| Yuan Quan | A Love of Blueness | Liu Yun | |
| 2002 22nd | Ni Ping (tie) | Pretty Big Feet | Zhang Meili |
| Tao Hong (born 1969) (tie) | Life Show | Lai Shuangyang | |
| Naren Hua | Heavenly Grassland | Burmaa | |
| 2003 23rd | Yu Nan | Jingzhe | Guan Ermei |
| Jiang Wenli | My Bitter Sweet Taiwan | mother | |
| Li Jia | Nuan | Nuan | |
| 2004 24th | Zhang Ziyi (tie) | Jasmine Women | Mo |
| Zheng Zhenyao (tie) | Shanghai Story | mother | |
| Jiang Qinqin | My Sister's Dictionary | Niu Hongmei | |
| Tao Hong (born 1969) | Taekwondo | Liu Li | |
| 2005 25th | Jin Yaqin | You and Me | grandma |
| Li Bingbing | Waiting Alone | Liu Rong | |
| Mei Ting | Aspirin | Wen Jing | |
| Zhang Jingchu | Huayao Bride in Shangri-la | Fengmei | |
| 2007 26th | Carina Lau (tie) | Curiosity Kills the Cat | Qianyu |
| Yan Bingyan (tie) | Teeth of Love | Qian Yehong | |
| Li Bingbing | The Knot | Wang Jindi | |
| Rene Liu | Kidnap | Ho Yuan-chun | |
| Zhu Yuanyuan | The Forest Ranger | Taohua | |
| 2009 27th | Jiang Wenli (tie) | And the Spring Comes | Wang Cailing |
| Zhou Xun (tie) | The Equation of Love and Death | Li Mi | |
| Helen Yao | Blossom | Yueming | |
| Zhang Ziyi | Forever Enthralled | Meng Xiaodong | |
| Zhao Wei | Painted Skin | Peirong | |
| 2011 28th | Naren Hua | Mother | Tsetsegmaa |
| Lü Liping | City Monkey | Luo Sufang | |
| Qian Peiyi | Eternal Watch | Amin | |
| Qin Hailu | The Piano in a Factory | Shuxian | |
| Xu Fan | Aftershock | Li Yuanni | |
| Yan Bingyan | Close to Me | Xue Ziying | |
| 2013 29th | Song Jia | Falling Flowers | Xiao Hong |
| Liang Jing | Son of the Stars | Liang Zhengzheng | |
| Yan Bingyan | Feng Shui | Li Baoli | |
| Yang Zishan | So Young | Zheng Wei | |
| Zhang Ziyi | The Grandmaster | Gong Er | |
| 2015 30th | Badema | Norjmaa | Norjmaa |
| Lü Zhong | Red Amnesia | Deng Meijuan | |
| Zhao Wei | Dearest | Li Hongqin | |
| Tang Wei | The Golden Era | Xiao Hong | |
| Xu Fan | When a Peking Family Meets Aupair | Wen Juan | |
| 2017 31st | Fan Bingbing | I Am Not Madame Bovary | Li Xuelian |
| Bai Baihe | Monster Hunt | Huo Xiaolan | |
| Yan Ni | Relocate | Liu Chunyan | |
| Song Jia | When Larry Met Mary | Ma Li | |
| Zhou Dongyu | Soul Mate | An Sheng | |
| 2019 32nd | Yong Mei | So Long, My Son | Wang Liyun |
| Bai Baihe | A City Called Macau | Mei Xiao'ou | |
| Yao Chen | Send Me to the Clouds | Sheng Nan | |
| Ma Yili | Lost, Found | Li Jie | |
| Zhou Dongyu | Us and Them | Fang Xiaoxiao | |
| Zhao Xiaoli | To Live to Sing | manager | |
| 2020 33rd | Zhou Dongyu | Better Days | Chen Nian |
| Tan Zhuo | Sheep Without a Shepherd | Ayu | |
| Zhu Xijuan | The Empty Nest | Zhao Yimei | |
| Ada Liu | My Dear Liar | Yue Miaomiao | |
| Ren Suxi | Almost a Comedy | Momo | |
| 2021 34th[1] | Zhang Xiaofei | Hi, Mom | Li Huanying |
| Liu Mintao | Let Life Be Beautiful | Zhou Lan | |
| Zhang Zifeng | Sister | An Ran | |
| Liu Haocun | A Little Red Flower | Ma Xiaoyuan | |
| 2022 35th[2] | Xi Meijuan | Song of Spring | Feng Jizhen |
| Ni Ni | Yanagawa | Ah Chuan | |
| Louise Wong | Anita | Anita Mui | |
| Yang Enyou | Lighting Up the Stars | Wu Xiaowen | |
| Yangshik Tso | Black Tent | Yang Jin | |
| 2023 36th[3] | He Saifei | Off the Stage | teacher Qi |
| Kara Wai | Love Never Ends | Li Huiru | |
| Yan Ni | Heart's Motive | Jin Ximei | |
| Yin Tao | Home Coming | Bai Hua | |
| Huang Yao | The Shadowless Tower | Ouyang Wenhui | |