Click through each award to see the full list of nominees and winners!
2020 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best Female Lead
![Judy Renée Zellweger](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/judy-rupert-goold-image.jpg)
Judy
Renée Zellweger
2019 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best Female Lead
![The Wife Glenn Close](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/the-wife-bjorn-runge-image.jpg)
The Wife
Glenn Close
2018 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best Female Lead
![Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Frances McDormand](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/three-billboards-outside-ebbing-missouri-martin-mcdonagh-image.jpg)
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Frances McDormand
2017 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best Female Lead
![Elle Isabelle Huppert](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/elle-paul-verhoeven-image.jpg)
Elle
Isabelle Huppert
2016 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best Female Lead
![Room Brie Larson](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/room-lenny-abrahamson-image.jpg)
Room
Brie Larson
2015 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best Female Lead
![Still Alice Julianne Moore](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/still-alice-richard-glatzer-wash-westmoreland-image.jpg)
Still Alice
Julianne Moore
2014 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best Female Lead
![Blue Jasmine Cate Blanchett](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/blue-jasmine-woody-allen-image.jpg)
Blue Jasmine
Cate Blanchett
2013 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best Female Lead
![Silver Linings Playbook Jennifer Lawrence](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/silver-linings-playbook-david-o.-russell-image.jpg)
Silver Linings Playbook
Jennifer Lawrence
2012 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best Female Lead
![My Week with Marilyn Michelle Williams](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/my-week-with-marilyn-simon-curtis-image.jpg)
My Week with Marilyn
Michelle Williams
2011 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best Female Lead
![Black Swan Natalie Portman](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/black-swan-darren-aronofsky-image.jpg)
Black Swan
Natalie Portman
2010 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best Female Lead
![Precious Gabourey Sidibe](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/precious-lee-daniels-image.jpg)
Precious
Gabourey Sidibe
2009 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best Female Lead
![Frozen River Melissa Leo](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/frozen-river-courtney-hunt-image.jpg)
Frozen River
Melissa Leo
2008 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best Female Lead
![Juno Ellen Page](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/juno-jason-reitman-image.jpg)
Juno
Ellen Page
2007 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best Female Lead
![Half Nelson Shareeka Epps](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/half-nelson-ryan-fleck-image.jpg)
Half Nelson
Shareeka Epps
2006 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best Female Lead
![Transamerica Felicity Huffman](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/transamerica-duncan-tucker-image.jpg)
Transamerica
Felicity Huffman
2005 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best Female Lead
![Maria Full of Grace Catalina Sandino Moreno](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/maria-full-of-grace-joshua-marston-image.jpg)
Maria Full of Grace
Catalina Sandino Moreno
2004 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best Female Lead
![Monster Charlize Theron](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/monster-patty-jenkins-image.jpg)
Monster
Charlize Theron
2003 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best Female Lead
![Far from Heaven Julianne Moore](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/far-from-heaven-todd-haynes-image.jpg)
Far from Heaven
Julianne Moore
2002 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best Female Lead
![In the Bedroom Sissy Spacek](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/in-the-bedroom-todd-field-image.jpg)
In the Bedroom
Sissy Spacek
2001 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best Female Lead
![Requiem for a Dream Ellen Burstyn](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/requiem-for-a-dream-darren-aronofsky-image.jpg)
Requiem for a Dream
Ellen Burstyn
2000 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best Female Lead
![Boys Don't Cry Hilary Swank](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/boys-dont-cry-kimberly-peirce-image.jpg)
Boys Don’t Cry
Hilary Swank
1999 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best Female Lead
![High Art Ally Sheedy](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/high-art-lisa-cholodenko-image.jpg)
High Art
Ally Sheedy
1998 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best Female Lead
![Afterglow Julie Christie](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/afterglow-image.jpg)
Afterglow
Julie Christie
1997 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best Female Lead
![Fargo Frances McDormand](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/fargo-joel-coen-ethan-coen-image.jpg)
Fargo
Frances McDormand
1996 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best Female Lead
![Leaving Las Vegas Elisabeth Shue](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/leaving-las-vegas-mike-figgis-image.jpg)
Leaving Las Vegas
Elisabeth Shue
1995 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best Female Lead
![The Last Seduction Linda Fiorentino](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/the-last-seduction-john-dahl-image.jpg)
The Last Seduction
Linda Fiorentino
1994 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best Female Lead
![Ruby in Paradise Ashley Judd](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/ruby-in-paradise-victor-nunez-image.jpg)
Ruby in Paradise
Ashley Judd
1993 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best Female Lead
![Gas, Food Lodging Fairuza Balk](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/gas-food-lodging-image.jpg)
Gas, Food Lodging
Fairuza Balk
1992 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best Female Lead
![Impromptu Judy Davis](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/impromptu-james-lapine-image.jpg)
Impromptu
Judy Davis
1991 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best Female Lead
![The Grifters Anjelica Huston](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/the-grifters-stephen-frears-image.jpg)
The Grifters
Anjelica Huston
1990 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best Female Lead
![Sex, Lies, and Videotape Andie MacDowell](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/sex-lies-and-videotape-steven-soderbergh-image.jpg)
Sex, Lies, and Videotape
Andie MacDowell
1989 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best Female Lead
![Five Corners Jodie Foster](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/five-corners-tony-bill-image.jpg)
Five Corners
Jodie Foster
1988 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best Female Lead
![Anna Sally Kirkland](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/anna-yurek-bogayevicz-image.jpg)
Anna
Sally Kirkland
1987 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best Female Lead
![Blue Velvet Isabella Rossellini](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/blue-velvet-david-lynch-image.jpg)
Blue Velvet
Isabella Rossellini
1986 Film Independent Spirit Awards – Best Female Lead
![The Trip to Bountiful Geraldine Page](https://www.awardsarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/the-trip-to-bountiful-peter-masterson-image.jpg)