Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

The Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role is awarded by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television to the best Canadian actress.

1st Genie Awards

* Kate Lynch, "Meatballs"
* Louise Portal, "Cordélia"
* Louise Marleau, "Heartbreak"
* Micheline Lanctôt, "A Scream of Silence"
* Claire Pimpaire, "Yesterday (Gabrielle)"

2nd Genie Awards

*Marie Tifo, "Les Bons débarras"
*Geneviève Bujold, "Final Assignment"
*Jennifer Dale, "Suzanne"
*Charlotte Laurier, "Les Bons débarras"
*Andrée Pelletier, "L'Homme à tout faire"

3rd Genie Awards

*Margot Kidder, "Heartaches"
*Kim Cattrall, "Ticket to Heaven"
*Lesleh Donaldson, "Funeral Home"
*Ronalda Jones, "Alligator Shoes"
*Monique Spaziani, "Les Beaux Souvenirs"

4th Genie Awards

*Rae Dawn Chong, "La Guerre du Feu"
*Sara Botsford, "By Design"
*Hélène Loiselle, "Doux Aveux"
*Monique Mercure, "La Quarantaine"
*Andrée Pelletier, "Latitude 55°"

5th Genie Awards

*Martha Henry, "The Wars"
*Carole Laure, "Maria Chapdelaine"
*Barbara March, "Deserters"
*Marie Tifo, "Lucien Brouillard"
*Marie Tifo, "Rien qu'un jeu"

6th Genie Awards

* Louise Marleau, "La Femme de l'hôtel"
*Pascale Bussières, "Sonatine"
*Linda Griffiths, "Reno and the Doc"
*Isabelle Mejias, "Unfinished Business"
*Andrée Pelletier, "Walls"
*Sonja Smits, "That's My Baby!"

7th Genie Awards

*Margaret Langrick, "My American Cousin"
*Charlotte Laurier, "La Dame en couleurs"
*Christine Pak, "90 Days"
*Monique Spaziani, "Le Matou"
*Mary Steenburgen, "One Magic Christmas"

8th Genie Awards

*Martha Henry, "Dancing in the Dark"
*Dorothée Berryman, "Le Déclin de l'empire américain"
*Jackie Burroughs, "John and the Missus"
*Tantoo Cardinal, "Loyalties"
*Helen Shaver, "Lost!"
*Marie Tifo, "Pouvoir intime"

9th Genie Awards

* Sheila McCarthy, "I've Heard the Mermaids Singing"
*Frédérique Collin, "Marie s'en va-t-en ville"
*Jacinta Cormier, "Life Classes"
*Kate Lynch, "Taking Care"
*Gabrielle Rose, "Family Viewing"

10th Genie Awards

* Jackie Burroughs, "A Winter Tan"
*Geneviève Bujold, "Dead Ringers"
*Kerrie Keane, "Hitting Home"
*Josette Simon, "Milk and Honey"
*Monique Spaziani, "Les Portes tournantes"

11th Genie Awards

* Rebecca Jenkins, "Bye Bye Blues"
*Colleen Dewhurst, "Termini Station"
*Megan Follows, "Termini Station"
*Margaret Langrick, "Cold Comfort"
*Gabrielle Rose, "Speaking Parts"
*Catherine Wilkening, "Jésus de Montréal"

12th Genie Awards

* Pascale Montpetit, "H"
*Alice Diabo, "The Company of Strangers"
*Cissy Meddings, "The Company of Strangers"
*Kate Nelligan, "White Room"
*Nina Petronzio, "Vincent et moi"

13th Genie Awards

* Janet Wright, "Bordertown Café"
*Viveca Lindfors, "North of Pittsburgh"
*Enrica Maria Modugno, "La Sarrasine"
*Janet-Laine Green, "The Shower"
*Valerie Pearson, "Solitaire"

14th Genie Awards

*Sheila McCarthy, "The Lotus Eaters"
*Élise Guilbault, "Cap Tourmente"
*Andrée Lachapelle, "Cap Tourmente"
*Pauline Lapointe, "La Florida"
*Aloka McLean, "The Lotus Eaters"

15th Genie Awards

*Sandra Oh, "Double Happiness"
*Nancy Beatty, "Henry & Verlin"
*Geneviève Bujold, "Mon amie Max"
*Valérie Kaprisky, "Mouvements du désir"
*Marie Tifo, "Les Pots cassés"

16th Genie Awards

*Helena Bonham Carter, "Margaret's Museum"
*Pascale Bussières, "Eldorado"
*Pascale Montpetit, "Eldorado"
*Isabel Richer, "Eldorado"
*Pascale Bussières, "When Night is Falling"

17th Genie Awards

*Martha Henry, "Long Day's Journey into Night"
*Helene Clarkson, "Blood & Donuts"
*Marie Brassard, "Le Polygraphe"
*Louise Portal, "Sous-sol"
*Brenda Fricker, "Swann"

18th Genie Awards

*Molly Parker, "Kissed"
*Isabelle Cyr, "Karmina"
*Alberta Watson, "Shoemaker"
*Sarah Polley, "The Sweet Hereafter"
*Gabrielle Rose, "The Sweet Hereafter"

19th Genie Awards

*Sandra Oh, "Last Night"
*Ginette Reno, "C't'à ton tour, Laura Cadieux"
*Pierrette Robitaille, "C't'à ton tour, Laura Cadieux"
*Pascale Montpetit, "Le Coeur au poing"
*Anne-Marie Cadieux, "Nô"

20th Genie Awards

*Sylvie Moreau, "Post Mortem"
*Elaine Cassidy, "Felicia's Journey"
*Jennifer Ehle, "Sunshine"
*Rosemary Harris, "Sunshine"
*Mary-Louise Parker, "The Five Senses"

21st Genie Awards

*Marie-Josée Croze, "Maelström"
*Kim Hunter, "Here's to Life!"
*Ginette Reno, "Laura Cadieux...La Suite"
*Pierrette Robitaille, "Laura Cadieux...La Suite"
*Tilda Swinton, "Possible Worlds"

22nd Genie Awards

*Élise Guilbault, "La Femme qui boit"
*Katja Riemann, "Desire"
*Jillian Fargey, "Protection"
*Sarah Polley, "The Law of Enclosures"
*Anna Friel, "The War Bride"

23rd Genie Awards

*Arsinée Khanjian, "Ararat"
*Deborah Kara Unger, "Between Strangers"
*Molly Parker, "Men With Brooms"
*Polly Walker, "Savage Messiah"
*Isabelle Blais, "Savage Messiah"

24th Genie Awards

*Sarah Polley, "My Life Without Me"
*Micheline Lanctôt, "Comment ma mère accoucha de moi durant sa ménopause"
*Molly Parker, "Marion Bridge"
*Rebecca Jenkins, "Marion Bridge"
*Karine Vanasse, ""

25th Genie Awards

* Pascale Bussières, "Ma vie en cinémascope"
* Isabelle Blais, "Les Aimants"
* Emily Hampshire, "Blood"
* Jacinthe Laguë, "Elles étaient cinq"
* Céline Bonnier, "Monica la mitraille"

26th Genie Awards

* Seema Biswas, "Water"
* Gina Chiarelli, "See Grace Fly"
* Macha Grenon, "Familia"
* Arsinée Khanjian, "Sabah"
* Sylvie Moreau, "Familia"

27th Genie Awards

* Julie LeBreton, "Maurice Richard"
* Jodelle Ferland, "Tideland"
* Fatou N'Diaye, "Un dimanche à Kigali" ("A Sunday in Kigali")
* Ginette Reno, "Le secret de ma mère"
* Sigourney Weaver, "Snow Cake"

28th Genie Awards

* Julie Christie, "Away from Her"
* Anne-Marie Cadieux, "Toi"
* Ellen Page, "The Tracey Fragments"
* Molly Parker, "Who Loves the Sun"
* Béatrice Picard, "Ma tante Aline"