| Empire Award for Best British Actor | |
|---|---|
| Awarded for | Best performance by a British actor in a leading role |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Presented by | Empire magazine |
| First awarded | 1996 |
| Last awarded | 2005 |
| Currently held by | Paddy Considine - Dead Man's Shoes (2005) |
The Empire Award for Best British Actor was an Empire Award presented annually by the British film magazine Empire to honor a British actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role while working within the film industry. The Empire Award for Best British Actor was first introduced at the 1st Empire Awards ceremony in 1996 with Ewan McGregor receiving the award for his role in Shallow Grave and last presented at the 10th Empire Awards ceremony in 2005. It was one of three Best British awards retired that year (the others being Best British Actress and Best British Director). Winners were voted by the readers of Empire magazine.
Since its inception, the award has been given to six actors. Ewan McGregor had received the most awards in this category with four awards and was nominated on seven occasions, more than any other actor. Paddy Considine was the last winner in this category for his role in Dead Man's Shoes.