Best Actress in a Leading Role

Out of 479 nominations for Best Actress in a Leading Role, 6% or 27 have gone to women of color. The first nomination was in 1936 (Merle Oberon). The first win was in 2000 and went to Hilary Swank. Although Hilary Swank has Hispanic/Latino heritage, she may not personally identify with this community. The only other women of color to win this award were Halle Berry (2002) and Michelle Yeoh (2023). There have been 73 years when no women of color have been nominated in this category.

There have been 14 Black/African American women nominated for this award, beginning in 1955 (Dorothy Dandridge). Nine Hispanic/Latina women have been nominated, with the first nomination in 1999 (Fernanda Montenegro). Two Asian women (Merle Oberon, Michelle Yeoh) have been nominated, with one win (Michelle Yeoh). One Middle Eastern/North African woman has been nominated in this category (Salma Hayek, 2003). Four indigenous women have been nominated for this award (Merle Oberon, Keisha Castle-Hughes, Yalitza Aparicio, Lily Gladstone). Notably, Lily Gladstone is the first Native American woman nominated for an Academy Award® in this category.