Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical

Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical
Name	Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical
Current awards	80th Golden Globe Awards
Awarded for	Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical
Country	United States
Presenter	Hollywood Foreign Press Association (1943–2023), Golden Globes, LLC (2024–present)
Year	1944

Contents

History and background
Eligibility and nomination process
Winners and nominees
Multiple wins and nominations
Records and statistics
See also

Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical is an accolade presented annually by the Golden Globe Awards, which honors outstanding acting achievements in film. First awarded in 1944, it is one of two performance categories for leading actresses, alongside the award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama. The category recognizes comedic and musical performances in films classified within those genres by the awarding body, and its winners are often strong contenders for the Academy Award for Best Actress.

History and background

The category was introduced at the 1st Golden Globe Awards in 1944, where Ginger Rogers won for her performance in Lady in the Dark. Initially, the awards were presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), a group of international journalists based in Los Angeles. The separation of awards by genre (drama versus comedy/musical) is a distinctive feature of the Golden Globe Awards, setting it apart from ceremonies like the Academy Awards or the BAFTA Awards. Over the decades, the award has reflected evolving trends in Hollywood, from the studio system musicals of the 1950s to the sophisticated comedies of the 1970s and the genre-blending works of the 21st century. The administration of the awards was transferred to Golden Globes, LLC following the dissolution of the HFPA in 2023.

Eligibility and nomination process

To be eligible, an actress must have a leading role in a motion picture classified by the awarding body as a comedy or musical. The film must have been released in the United States during the eligible calendar year, typically with a qualifying run in Los Angeles County. Nominations are determined by a vote of the full membership of the awarding organization. Until 2023, this was the Hollywood Foreign Press Association; since 2024, it has been the voting body of Golden Globes, LLC. The process involves members submitting ballots with their top choices, with the five performances receiving the most votes becoming the official nominees. A second round of voting among all members then determines the winner.

Winners and nominees

Notable winners span the history of cinema and include iconic performances such as Judy Holliday in Born Yesterday, Barbra Streisand in Funny Girl, Diane Keaton in Annie Hall, Julie Andrews in Victor/Victoria, and Emma Stone in La La Land. Recent winners include Michelle Yeoh for Everything Everywhere All at Once and Emma Stone for Poor Things. The list of nominees often includes performances that also receive recognition from the Screen Actors Guild Awards and the Critics' Choice Movie Awards.

Multiple wins and nominations

The record for most wins is held by Rosalind Russell and Julie Andrews, each with three victories. Russell won for Auntie Mame, A Majority of One, and Gypsy, while Andrews won for Mary Poppins, The Sound of Music, and Victor/Victoria. Actresses with the most nominations include Meryl Streep (8), Julie Andrews (7), and Anne Bancroft (6). Streep's nominated performances include roles in films like She-Devil, The Devil Wears Prada, and Julie & Julia.

Records and statistics

Julie Andrews holds the record for the most consecutive wins, having won in 1964, 1965, and 1966. The youngest winner is Mara Wilson, who was 9 years old when she won for Mrs. Doubtfire in 1994. The oldest winner is Maggie Smith, who was 63 when she won for California Suite in 1979. In terms of subsequent Academy Award success, a significant number of winners in this category have gone on to win the Academy Award for Best Actress, including Judy Holliday, Barbra Streisand, Diane Keaton, Cher, and Michelle Yeoh.