| Awarded for Best Actress in a Play Official website Olivier Awards.com | Location United Kingdom Category of Laurence Olivier Award | |
| Currently held by Denise Gough for People, Places and Things (2016) Presented by The Society of London Theatre People also search for Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical Winners & Nominees Cherry JonesThe Glass Menagerie, Cherry Jones, Nominee, Glenda JacksonKing Lear, Glenda Jackson, Nominee, Billie PiperYerma, Billie Piper, Nominee, Ruth WilsonHedda Gabler, Ruth Wilson, Nominee, Denise GoughPeople - Places and Things, Denise Gough, Winner, Janet McTeerLes Liaisons Dangereuses, Janet McTeer, Nominee, Gemma ArtertonNell Gwynn, Gemma Arterton, Nominee, Lia WilliamsOresteia, Lia Williams, Nominee, Nicole KidmanPhotograph 51, Nicole Kidman, Nominee, Penelope WiltonTaken at Midnight, Penelope Wilton, Winner, Imelda StauntonGood People, Imelda Staunton, Nominee, Gillian AndersonA Streetcar Named Desire, Gillian Anderson, Nominee, Kristin Scott ThomasElectra, Kristin Scott Thomas, Nominee, Lesley ManvilleGhosts, Lesley Manville, Winner, Hayley AtwellThe Pride, Hayley Atwell, Nominee, Anna ChancellorPrivate Lives, Anna Chancellor, Nominee, Judi DenchPeter and Alice, Judi Dench, Nominee, Helen MirrenThe Audience, Helen Mirren, Winner, Billie PiperThe Effect, Billie Piper, Nominee, Kristin Scott ThomasOld Times, Kristin Scott Thomas, Nominee, Hattie MorahanA Doll's House, Hattie Morahan, Nominee | ||
The Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Play is an annual award presented by The Society of London Theatre in recognition of achievements in commercial British theatre. The awards were established as the Society of West End Theatre Awards in 1976, and, renamed in 1984 in honour of English actor Lord Olivier.
Contents
The award has been known by its current name of Best Actress since 1993, previously it was known as Actress of the Year. From 1976-1984 and again in 1988, there were two Actress of the Year awards. One for Actress of the Year in a New Play and the other for Actress of the Year in a Revival.
Multiple awards and nominations for Best Actress
Note: The below awards and nominations include individuals awarded and nominated under the now-defunct categories Actress of the Year in a New Play and Actress of the Year in a Revival as well as the current combined Best Actress category.