Québec Cinéma presents an annual award for Best Actress (French: Prix Iris de la meilleure interprétation dans un premier rôle féminin) to recognize the best in the Cinema of Quebec.
Until 2016, it was known as the Jutra Award for Best Actress in memory of influential Quebec film director Claude Jutra.[1] Following the withdrawal of Jutra's name from the award, the 2016 award was presented under the name Québec Cinéma.[1] The Prix Iris name was announced in October 2016.[2]
Céline Bonnier received the most nominations in this category, five, and received two awards. Karine Vanasse became the first actress to win the award twice. Marie-Josée Croze, Élise Guilbault and Anne Dorval also won the award twice. Three non-Canadian actresses won the award in consecutive years: Lubna Azabal for Incendies, Vanessa Paradis for Café de Flore and Rachel Mwanza for War Witch (Rebelle), the latter becoming the first black actress to win the award. Ginette Reno is the only actress to receive two nominations for playing the same role in different films, namely It's Your Turn, Laura Cadieux (C't'à ton tour, Laura Cadieux) and Laura Cadieux II (Laura Cadieux...la suite).
Three actresses received nominations for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress in the same year: