Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress

See Olivier Awards for more information about the awards and a full list of categories and winners.

The Laurence Olivier Awards are a series of awards presented annually by The Society of London Theatre. They are presented in recognition of achievements in commercial British theatre, most notably plays and musicals in the West End of London, an area commonly referred to as "Theatreland". The awards were established as the Society of West End Theatre Awards in 1976 and, in 1984 they we renamed in honour of the renowned British actor Lord Olivier. The Olivier Awards are the most prestigious theatrical awards in the United Kingdom and are the UK equivalent of the Tony Awards.

This list comprises the winners of the Best Actress category shown in bold. Where possible other nominees are shown in italics.

• 2011 – Nancy Carroll for After the Dance
• 2010 – Rachel Weisz for A Streetcar Named Desire
• 2009 – Margaret Tyzack for The Chalk Garden
• 2008 – Kristin Scott Thomas for The Seagull
• 2007 – Tamsin Greig for Much Ado About Nothing
• 2006 – Eve Best for Hedda Gabler
• 2005 – Clare Higgins for Hecuba
• 2004 – Eileen Atkins for Honour
• 2003 – Clare Higgins for Vincent in Brixton
• 2002 – Lindsay Duncan for Private Lives
• 2001 – Julie Walters for All My Sons
• 2000 – Janie Dee for Comic Potential
• 1999 – Eileen Atkins for The Unexpected Man
• 1998 – Zoë Wanamaker for Electra
• 1997 – Janet McTeer for A Doll's House
• 1996 – Judi Dench for Absolute Hell
• 1995 – Clare Higgins for Sweet Bird of Youth
• 1994 – Fiona Shaw for Machinal
• 1993 – Alison Steadman for The Rise and Fall of Little Voice
• 1992 – Juliet Stevenson for Death and the Maiden
• 1991 – Kathryn Hunter for The Visit
• 1989&1990 – Fiona Shaw for Electra/ As You Like It/ The Good Person of Sichuan
• 1987 – Judi Dench for Antony and Cleopatra
• 1986 – Lindsay Duncan for Les Liaisons Dangereuses
• 1985 – Yvonne Bryceland for The Road to Mecca