NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture#2010s
{{Short description|Annual film award}}
{{Infobox award
| name = NAACP Image Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture
| awarded_for = Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role in a Motion Picture
| image = Kerry Washington, Deliver Commencement Address GWU (8755052944) (cropped).jpg
| image_upright = 0.7
| caption = The 2025 recipient: Kerry Washington
| presenter = NAACP
| location = Pasadena, California
| year = Estelle Evans for The Learning Tree (1969)
| holder = Kerry Washington for The Six Triple Eight (2024)
| website =
}}
This article lists the winners and nominees for the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture. The award has also been called Outstanding Lead Actress in a Motion Picture. Out of 12 films which featured African-Americans in leading roles in 1980, Cicely Tyson was the only female in that category. She played opposite Richard Pryor in Bustin' Loose. Because of this, she and officials at the annual NAACP Image Awards program decided that she should not accept the award.
Winners and nominees
{{More citations needed|date=March 2025|1=section}}
For each year in the tables below, the winner is listed first and highlighted in bold.
=1960s=
| class="wikitable" style="width:90%;" |
| style="background:#bebebe;"
!scope="col" style="width:5em;"| Year !scope="col" style="width:11em;"| Actress !scope="col"| Film !scope="col" style="width:3em;"| {{abbr|Ref|Reference citations}} |
| scope="row"| 1969
| style="background:#B0C4DE; font-weight:bold;"|Estelle Evans | style="background:#B0C4DE; font-weight:bold;"|The Learning Tree |style="text-align:center;"| |
|---|
=1970s=
| class="wikitable" style="width:90%;" |
| style="background:#bebebe;"
!scope="col" style="width:5em;"| Year !scope="col" style="width:11em;"| Actress !scope="col"| Film !scope="col" style="width:3em;"| {{abbr|Ref|Reference citations}} |
| scope="row"| 1970
| style="background:#B0C4DE; font-weight:bold;"|Barbara McNair | style="background:#B0C4DE; font-weight:bold;"| If He Hollers Let Him Go |style="text-align:center;"| |
|---|
| scope="row" rowspan="6"| 1971
|style="background:#B0C4DE; font-weight:bold;"| Jane Fonda |style="background:#B0C4DE; font-weight:bold;"| Klute | rowspan="6" style="text-align:center;"| {{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000345/1971|title=1971 Image Award Winners|website=IMDb|access-date=August 2, 2016}} |
| Virginia Capers
| Big Jake |
| Susan Clark |
| Rosalind Cash |
| Stephanie Faulkner |
| Diana Sands |
| scope="row"| 1972
|style="background:#B0C4DE; font-weight:bold;"| Diana Ross |style="background:#B0C4DE; font-weight:bold;"| Lady Sings The Blues | style="text-align:center;"| |
| scope="row"| 1973
| colspan="3" {{n/a}} |
| scope="row" rowspan="5"| 1974
|style="background:#B0C4DE; font-weight:bold;"| Ester Anderson |style="background:#B0C4DE; font-weight:bold;"| A Warm December | rowspan="5" style="text-align:center;"| {{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000345/1974|title=1974 Image Award Winners|website=IMDb|access-date=May 17, 2016}} |
| Yvonne Elliman |
| Paula Kelly |
| Janet MacLachlan
| Maurie |
| Paulene Myers
| Maurie |
| scope="row" rowspan="5"| 1975
|style="background:#B0C4DE; font-weight:bold;"| Diahann Carroll |style="background:#B0C4DE; font-weight:bold;"| Claudine | rowspan="5" style="text-align:center;"| {{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000345/1975|title=1975 Image Award Winners|website=IMDb|access-date=August 2, 2016}} |
| Rosalind Cash |
| Vonetta McGee |
| Madge Sinclair
| Conrack |
| Clarice Taylor |
| scope="row"| 1976
|style="background:#B0C4DE; font-weight:bold;"| Denise Nicholas |style="background:#B0C4DE; font-weight:bold;"| Let's Do It Again |style="text-align:center;"| |
| scope="row"| 1977
| style="background:#B0C4DE; font-weight:bold;"|Cicely Tyson |style="background:#B0C4DE; font-weight:bold;"| The River Niger |style="text-align:center;"| |
| scope="row"| 1978
|style="background:#B0C4DE; font-weight:bold;"| Cicely Tyson |style="background:#B0C4DE; font-weight:bold;"| A Hero Ain't Nothin' but a Sandwich |style="text-align:center;"| |
| scope="row"| 1979
|style="background:#B0C4DE; font-weight:bold;"| Mavis Washington |style="background:#B0C4DE; font-weight:bold;"| Fastbreak |style="text-align:center;"| |
=1980s=
| class="wikitable" style="width:90%;" |
| style="background:#bebebe;"
!scope="col" style="width:5em;"| Year !scope="col" style="width:11em;"| Actress !scope="col"| Film !scope="col" style="width:3em;"| {{abbr|Ref|Reference citations}} |
| scope="row"| 1980
|style="background:#B0C4DE; font-weight:bold;"| Irene Cara |style="background:#B0C4DE; font-weight:bold;"| Fame | style="text-align:center;"| {{citation needed|date=October 2022}} |
|---|
| scope="row"| 1981
| colspan="3" {{n/a}} |
| scope="row" rowspan="3"| 1982
| style="background:#B0C4DE; font-weight:bold;"|Jayne Kennedy |style="background:#B0C4DE; font-weight:bold;"| Body and Soul | rowspan="3" style="text-align:center;"| {{citation needed|date=October 2022}} |
| Wilhelmenia Fernandez
| Diva |
| Rosalind Cash |
| scope="row" rowspan="3"| 1983
|style="background:#B0C4DE; font-weight:bold;"| Jennifer Beals |style="background:#B0C4DE; font-weight:bold;"| Flashdance | rowspan="3" style="text-align:center;"| {{citation needed|date=October 2022}} |
| Pam Grier |
| Diahnne Abbott |
| scope="row"| 1984
|style="background:#B0C4DE; font-weight:bold;"| Alfre Woodard |style="background:#B0C4DE; font-weight:bold;"| Cross Creek | style="text-align:center;"| {{citation needed|date=October 2022}} |
| scope="row"| 1985
|style="background:#B0C4DE; font-weight:bold;"| Tina Turner |style="background:#B0C4DE; font-weight:bold;"| Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome | style="text-align:center;"| {{citation needed|date=October 2022}} |
| scope="row"| 1986
|style="background:#B0C4DE; font-weight:bold;"| Whoopi Goldberg |style="background:#B0C4DE; font-weight:bold;"| The Color Purple |style="text-align:center;"| {{citation needed|date=October 2022}} |
| scope="row" rowspan="5"| 1987
|style="background:#B0C4DE; font-weight:bold;"| Traci Wolfe |style="background:#B0C4DE; font-weight:bold;"| Lethal Weapon | rowspan="5" style="text-align:center;"| {{citation needed|date=February 2025}} |
| Nichelle Nichols |
| Helen Martin |
| Kelly Jo Minter |
| Sandra Reaves-Phillips |
| scope="row" rowspan="4"| 1988
|style="background:#B0C4DE; font-weight:bold;"| Whoopi Goldberg |style="background:#B0C4DE; font-weight:bold;"| Fatal Beauty | rowspan="4" style="text-align:center;"| {{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-11-11-ca-885-story.html|title=1988 Image Award Nominees|last=Snow|first=Shaun|newspaper=LA Times|date=11 November 1988 |access-date=August 3, 2016}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-11-11-ca-885-story.html|title = Nominees for 21st Image Awards Announced| website=Los Angeles Times |date = 11 November 1988}} |
| Pam Grier |
| C.C.H. Pounder |
| Beverly Todd
| Moving |
| scope="row" rowspan="4"| 1989
|style="background:#B0C4DE; font-weight:bold;"| Ruby Dee |style="background:#B0C4DE; font-weight:bold;"| Do the Right Thing | rowspan="4" style="text-align:center;"| {{cite web|last=Snow|first=Shauna|title=Nominees for 21st Image Awards Announced|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-11-11-ca-885-story.html|website=Los Angeles Times|access-date=21 January 2017|date=11 November 1988}}{{Cite web|url=https://apnews.com/cfd3c3b2a0fbaafc5c8d66028812f133|title=NAACP Image Award Nominees Announced|website=Associated Press News }} |
| Whoopi Goldberg |
| Sheryl Lee Ralph |
| Beverly Todd |
=1990s=
=2000s=
{{More citations needed|date=April 2025|1=section}}
| class="wikitable" style="width:90%;" |
| style="background:#bebebe;"
!scope="col" style="width:5em;"| Year !scope="col" style="width:11em;"| Actress !scope="col"| Film !scope="col" style="width:3em;"| {{abbr|Ref|Reference citations}} |
| scope="row" rowspan="5"| 2000
| style="background:#B0C4DE; font-weight:bold;"|Nia Long |style="background:#B0C4DE; font-weight:bold;"| The Best Man | rowspan="5" style="text-align:center;"| |
|---|
| Monica Calhoun |
| Rosario Dawson |
| Lisa Gay Hamilton |
| Debbi Morgan |
| scope="row" rowspan="5"| 2001
| style="background:#B0C4DE; font-weight:bold;"|Sanaa Lathan | style="background:#B0C4DE; font-weight:bold;"|Love and Basketball | rowspan="5" style="text-align:center;"| |
| Angela Bassett |
| Nia Long |
| Jada Pinkett Smith |
| Vanessa Williams
| Shaft |
| scope="row" rowspan="5"| 2002
|style="background:#B0C4DE; font-weight:bold;"| Halle Berry |style="background:#B0C4DE; font-weight:bold;"| Swordfish | rowspan="5" style="text-align:center;"| |
| Vivica A. Fox |
| Whoopi Goldberg |
| Regina King |
| Alfre Woodard
| K-PAX |
| scope="row" rowspan="5"| 2003
| style="background:#B0C4DE; font-weight:bold;"|Angela Bassett | style="background:#B0C4DE; font-weight:bold;"|Sunshine State | rowspan="5" style="text-align:center;"| |
| Vivica A. Fox |
| Sanaa Lathan |
| Jennifer Lopez |
| Thandie Newton |
| scope="row" rowspan="5"| 2004
|style="background:#B0C4DE; font-weight:bold;"| Queen Latifah |style="background:#B0C4DE; font-weight:bold;"| Bringing Down the House | rowspan="5" style="text-align:center;"| {{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000345/2004|title=2004 Image Award Winners|website=IMDb|access-date=August 2, 2016}} |
| Halle Berry
| Gothika |
| Beyoncé |
| Keisha Castle-Hughes |
| Gabrielle Union |
| scope="row" rowspan="5"| 2005
| style="background:#B0C4DE; font-weight:bold;"|Kerry Washington |style="background:#B0C4DE; font-weight:bold;"| Ray | rowspan="5" style="text-align:center;"| |
| Angela Bassett
| Mr. 3000 |
| Kimberly Elise |
| Irma P. Hall |
| Gabrielle Union |
| scope="row" rowspan="5"| 2006
|style="background:#B0C4DE; font-weight:bold;"| Kimberly Elise | style="background:#B0C4DE; font-weight:bold;"|Diary of a Mad Black Woman | rowspan="5" style="text-align:center;"| |
| Rosario Dawson
| Rent |
| Queen Latifah |
| Zoe Saldana |
| Zhang Ziyi |
| scope="row" rowspan="5"| 2007
|style="background:#B0C4DE; font-weight:bold;"| Keke Palmer |style="background:#B0C4DE; font-weight:bold;"| Akeelah and the Bee | rowspan="5" style="text-align:center;"| |
| Beyoncé |
| Penélope Cruz
| Volver |
| Sanaa Lathan |
| Queen Latifah |
| scope="row" rowspan="5"| 2008
| style="background:#B0C4DE; font-weight:bold;"|Jurnee Smollett | style="background:#B0C4DE; font-weight:bold;"|The Great Debaters | rowspan="5" style="text-align:center;"| |
| Halle Berry |
| Taraji P. Henson |
| Angelina Jolie |
| Jill Scott |
| scope="row" rowspan="5"| 2009
|style="background:#B0C4DE; font-weight:bold;"| Rosario Dawson |style="background:#B0C4DE; font-weight:bold;"| Seven Pounds | rowspan="5" style="text-align:center;"| |
| Angela Bassett |
| Dakota Fanning
| rowspan="2"| The Secret Life of Bees |
| Queen Latifah |
| Alfre Woodard |
=2010s=
{{More citations needed|date=March 2025|1=section}}
=2020s=
Multiple wins and nominations
=Wins=
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
; 5 wins
; 4 wins
{{col-2}}
; 2 wins
{{col-end}}
=Nominations=
{{col-begin}}
{{col-3}}
; 11 nominations
; 9 nominations
; 7 nominations
; 6 nominations
{{col-3}}
; 5 nominations
; 4 nominations
; 3 nominations
- Rosalind Cash
- Rosario Dawson
- Pam Grier
- Vivica A. Fox
- Whitney Houston
- Nia Long
- Keke Palmer
- Kerry Washington
{{col-3}}
; 2 nominations
- Jennifer Beals
- Beyoncé
- Ruby Dee
- Kimberly Elise
- Robin Givens
- Jennifer Hudson
- Janet Jackson
- Regina King
- Amandla Stenberg
- Jada Pinkett Smith
- Tessa Thompson
- Beverly Todd
- Cicely Tyson
- Gabrielle Union
- Quvenzhané Wallis
- Vanessa Williams
{{col-end}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{NAACP Image Awards}}
{{NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture}}