The Volpi Cup for Best Actress is an award presented by the Venice Film Festival. It is given by the festival jury in honor of an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance from the films in the competition slate. It is named in honor of Count Giuseppe Volpi di Misurata, the founder of the festival.[1] The first ceremony was held in 1932, when Helen Hayes received the Volpi Cup for the title role in The Sin of Madelon Claudet (1931)—this was the only time that the award was chosen by public voting.[2] From 1942 to 1945, the festival was suspended because of World War II. The student protests in May 1968 opened a period of institutional changes, with no prizes were awarded from 1969 to 1979.[2][3][4]
The name of the award has changed several times. In 1934, Katharine Hepburn was honored with the Great Gold Medal of the National Fascist Association for Entertainment for the Best Actress for her role in Little Women.[5] It was renamed the Volpi Cup for Best Actress the following year.[4] The awards given from 1947 to 1949 were named the International Award for the Best Actress.
The Best Actress Award resumed in 1983. That year, Darling Légitimus became the first black woman to receive the award, for her work in Sugar Cane Alley.[6] In 1992, Ingrid Bergman was honored posthumously for her performance in Europe '51, which was denied by the jury in 1952 because her voice was dubbed from Swedish into Italian (by Lydia Simoneschi).[7][8] The award can be for leading or supporting roles with the exception of the period, when the additional award for Best Supporting Actress was given from 1993 to 1995.[2] At the age of four, Victoire Thivisol became the youngest recipient for the title role in Ponette in 1996.[3][9]
Since its inception, the award has been given to 67 actresses. Only four of them have won more than once: Shirley MacLaine, Isabelle Huppert, Valeria Golino and Cate Blanchett, who have each won the cup twice. Bette Davis is the only actress to win the award for her roles in two different films on the same competition; she won in 1937 for her contribution in Marked Woman and Kid Galahad. In 1988, the award was shared by two actresses in different films: Huppert in Story of Women and MacLaine in Madame Sousatzka. There have been two films, She's Been Away in 1989 and La Cérémonie in 1995, that garnered multiple winners in one year.
As of 2025, Xin Zhilei is the most recent winner for The Sun Rises on Us All.
^This year the award was given named Best Actress.
^This year the award was given named the Great Gold Medal of the National Fascist Association for Entertainment for the Best Actress.
^Performer to receive a single award which honor the outstanding work in multiple different films in the same official competition slate.
^ abcThis year the award was given named International Award for the Best Actress.
^Bergman's performance was denied by the jury because her voice was dubbed from Swedish into Italian (by Lydia Simoneschi). She was honored posthumously in 1992.
^ abcdeThis year the award was given named Best Actress Award.
^The jury deemed the best performances to be Sandrine Bonnaire in Vagabond (Sans toit ni loi) and Jane Birkin in Dust, but decided against awarding the prize as both films won major awards. They also gave a special mention to three other actresses for their performances (Sonja Savić in Zivot je lep, Galya Novents in Mer mankutyan tangon, and Themis Bazaka in Petrina hronia).[40]
^"1. Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica (1932) – Premi" [The 1st Venice International Film Festival (1932) – Awards] (in Italian). Venice Biennale: Historical Archive of Contemporary Arts (ASAC). Retrieved 25 July 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
^"3. Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica (1935) – Premi" [The 3rd Venice International Film Festival (1935) – Awards] (in Italian). Venice Biennale: Historical Archive of Contemporary Arts (ASAC). Retrieved 25 July 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
^"6. Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica (1938) – Premi" [The 6th Venice International Film Festival (1938) – Awards] (in Italian). Venice Biennale: Historical Archive of Contemporary Arts (ASAC). Retrieved 25 July 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
^"9. Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica (1941) – Premi" [The 9th Venice International Film Festival (1941) – Awards] (in Italian). Venice Biennale: Historical Archive of Contemporary Arts (ASAC). Retrieved 25 July 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
^"10. Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica (1942) – Premi" [The 10th Venice International Film Festival (1942) – Awards] (in Italian). Venice Biennale: Historical Archive of Contemporary Arts (ASAC). Retrieved 25 July 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
^"8. Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica (1947) – Premi" [The 8th Venice International Film Festival (1947) – Awards] (in Italian). Venice Biennale: Historical Archive of Contemporary Arts (ASAC). Retrieved 25 July 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
^"9. Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica (1948) – Premi" [The 9th Venice International Film Festival (1948) – Awards] (in Italian). Venice Biennale: Historical Archive of Contemporary Arts (ASAC). Retrieved 19 July 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
^"10. Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica (1949) – Premi" [The 10th Venice International Film Festival (1949) – Awards] (in Italian). Venice Biennale: Historical Archive of Contemporary Arts (ASAC). Retrieved 25 July 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
^"11. Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica (1950) – Premi" [The 11th Venice International Film Festival (1950) – Awards] (in Italian). Venice Biennale: Historical Archive of Contemporary Arts (ASAC). Retrieved 25 July 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
^"12. Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica (1951) – Premi" [The 12th Venice International Film Festival (1951) – Awards] (in Italian). Venice Biennale: Historical Archive of Contemporary Arts (ASAC). Retrieved 25 July 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
^"14. Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica (1953) – Premi" [The 14th Venice International Film Festival (1953) – Awards] (in Italian). Venice Biennale: Historical Archive of Contemporary Arts (ASAC). Retrieved 25 July 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
^"17. Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica (1956) – Premi" [The 17th Venice International Film Festival (1956) – Awards] (in Italian). Venice Biennale: Historical Archive of Contemporary Arts (ASAC). Retrieved 25 July 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
^"18. Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica (1957) – Premi" [The 18th Venice International Film Festival (1957) – Awards] (in Italian). Venice Biennale: Historical Archive of Contemporary Arts (ASAC). Retrieved 25 July 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
^"19. Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica (1958) – Premi" [The 19th Venice International Film Festival (1958) – Awards] (in Italian). Venice Biennale: Historical Archive of Contemporary Arts (ASAC). Retrieved 25 July 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
^"20. Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica (1959) – Premi" [The 20th Venice International Film Festival (1959) – Awards] (in Italian). Venice Biennale: Historical Archive of Contemporary Arts (ASAC). Retrieved 25 July 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
^"21. Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica (1960) – Premi" [The 21st Venice International Film Festival (1960) – Awards] (in Italian). Venice Biennale: Historical Archive of Contemporary Arts (ASAC). Retrieved 25 July 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
^"22. Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica (1961) – Premi" [The 22nd Venice International Film Festival (1961) – Awards] (in Italian). Venice Biennale: Historical Archive of Contemporary Arts (ASAC). Retrieved 25 July 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
^"23. Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica (1962) – Premi" [The 23rd Venice International Film Festival (1962) – Awards] (in Italian). Venice Biennale: Historical Archive of Contemporary Arts (ASAC). Retrieved 25 July 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
^"40. Mostra Internazionale del Cinema (1983) – Premi" [The 40th Venice International Film Festival (1983) – Awards] (in Italian). Venice Biennale: Historical Archive of Contemporary Arts (ASAC). Retrieved 25 July 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
^"41. Mostra Internazionale del Cinema (1984) – Premi" [The 41st Venice International Film Festival (1984) – Awards] (in Italian). Venice Biennale: Historical Archive of Contemporary Arts (ASAC). Retrieved 25 July 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
^"43. Mostra Internazionale del Cinema (1986) – Premi" [The 43rd Venice International Film Festival (1986) – Awards] (in Italian). Venice Biennale: Historical Archive of Contemporary Arts (ASAC). Retrieved 25 July 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
^"44. Mostra Internazionale del Cinema (1987) – Premi" [The 44th Venice International Film Festival (1987) – Awards] (in Italian). Venice Biennale: Historical Archive of Contemporary Arts (ASAC). Retrieved 25 July 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
^"45. Mostra Internazionale del Cinema (1988) – Premi" [The 45th Venice International Film Festival (1988) – Awards] (in Italian). Venice Biennale: Historical Archive of Contemporary Arts (ASAC). Retrieved 25 July 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
^"46. Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica (1989) – Premi" [The 46th Venice International Film Festival (1989) – Awards] (in Italian). Venice Biennale: Historical Archive of Contemporary Arts (ASAC). Retrieved 25 July 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
^"47. Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica (1990) – Premi" [The 47th Venice International Film Festival (1990) – Awards] (in Italian). Venice Biennale: Historical Archive of Contemporary Arts (ASAC). Retrieved 25 July 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
^"48. Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica (1991) – Premi" [The 48th Venice International Film Festival (1991) – Awards] (in Italian). Venice Biennale: Historical Archive of Contemporary Arts (ASAC). Retrieved 25 July 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
^"49. Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica (1992) – Premi" [The 49th Venice International Film Festival (1992) – Awards] (in Italian). Venice Biennale: Historical Archive of Contemporary Arts (ASAC). Retrieved 25 July 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
^"50. Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica (1993) – Premi" [The 50th Venice International Film Festival (1993) – Awards] (in Italian). Venice Biennale: Historical Archive of Contemporary Arts (ASAC). Retrieved 25 July 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
^"51. Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica (1994) – Premi" [The 51st Venice International Film Festival (1994) – Awards] (in Italian). Venice Biennale: Historical Archive of Contemporary Arts (ASAC). Retrieved 25 July 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
^"52. Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica (1995) – Premi" [The 52nd Venice International Film Festival (1995) – Awards] (in Italian). Venice Biennale: Historical Archive of Contemporary Arts (ASAC). Retrieved 25 July 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
^"53. Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica (1996) – Premi" [The 53rd Venice International Film Festival (1996) – Awards] (in Italian). Venice Biennale: Historical Archive of Contemporary Arts (ASAC). Retrieved 25 July 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
^"54. Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica (1997) – Premi" [The 54th Venice International Film Festival (1997) – Awards] (in Italian). Venice Biennale: Historical Archive of Contemporary Arts (ASAC). Retrieved 25 July 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
^"55. Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica (1998) – Premi" [The 55th Venice International Film Festival (1998) – Awards] (in Italian). Venice Biennale: Historical Archive of Contemporary Arts (ASAC). Retrieved 25 July 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
^"56. Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica (1999) – Premi" [The 56th Venice International Film Festival (1999) – Awards] (in Italian). Venice Biennale: Historical Archive of Contemporary Arts (ASAC). Retrieved 25 July 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
^"57. Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica (2000) – Premi" [The 57th Venice International Film Festival (2000) – Awards] (in Italian). Venice Biennale: Historical Archive of Contemporary Arts (ASAC). Retrieved 25 July 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
^"58. Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica (2001) – Premi" [The 58th Venice International Film Festival (2001) – Awards] (in Italian). Venice Biennale: Historical Archive of Contemporary Arts (ASAC). Retrieved 25 July 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
^"59. Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica (2002) – Premi" [The 59th Venice International Film Festival (2002) – Awards] (in Italian). Venice Biennale: Historical Archive of Contemporary Arts (ASAC). Retrieved 25 July 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
^"60. Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica (2003) – Premi" [The 60th Venice International Film Festival (2003) – Awards] (in Italian). Venice Biennale: Historical Archive of Contemporary Arts (ASAC). Retrieved 25 July 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
^"61. Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica (2004) – Premi" [The 61st Venice International Film Festival (2004) – Awards] (in Italian). Venice Biennale: Historical Archive of Contemporary Arts (ASAC). Retrieved 25 July 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
^"62. Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica (2005) – Premi" [The 62nd Venice International Film Festival (2005) – Awards] (in Italian). Venice Biennale: Historical Archive of Contemporary Arts (ASAC). Retrieved 25 July 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
^"63. Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica (2006) – Premi" [The 63rd Venice International Film Festival (2006) – Awards] (in Italian). Venice Biennale: Historical Archive of Contemporary Arts (ASAC). Retrieved 25 July 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
^"64. Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica (2007) – Premi" [The 64th Venice International Film Festival (2007) – Awards] (in Italian). Venice Biennale: Historical Archive of Contemporary Arts (ASAC). Retrieved 25 July 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
^"65. Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica (2008) – Premi" [The 65th Venice International Film Festival (2008) – Awards] (in Italian). Venice Biennale: Historical Archive of Contemporary Arts (ASAC). Retrieved 25 July 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
^"66. Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica (2009) – Premi" [The 66th Venice International Film Festival (2009) – Awards] (in Italian). Venice Biennale: Historical Archive of Contemporary Arts (ASAC). Retrieved 25 July 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
^"67. Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica (2010) – Premi" [The 67th Venice International Film Festival (2010) – Awards] (in Italian). Venice Biennale: Historical Archive of Contemporary Arts (ASAC). Retrieved 25 July 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
^"68. Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica (2011) – Premi" [The 68th Venice International Film Festival (2011) – Awards] (in Italian). Venice Biennale: Historical Archive of Contemporary Arts (ASAC). Retrieved 25 July 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
^"69. Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica (2012) – Premi" [The 69th Venice International Film Festival (2012) – Awards] (in Italian). Venice Biennale: Historical Archive of Contemporary Arts (ASAC). Retrieved 25 July 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
^"70. Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica (2013) – Premi" [The 70th Venice International Film Festival (2013) – Awards] (in Italian). Venice Biennale: Historical Archive of Contemporary Arts (ASAC). Retrieved 25 July 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
^"71. Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica (2014) – Premi" [The 71st Venice International Film Festival (2014) – Awards] (in Italian). Venice Biennale: Historical Archive of Contemporary Arts (ASAC). Retrieved 25 July 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
^"72. Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica (2015) – Premi" [The 72nd Venice International Film Festival (2015) – Awards] (in Italian). Venice Biennale: Historical Archive of Contemporary Arts (ASAC). Retrieved 25 July 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
^"73. Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica (2016) – Premi" [The 73rd Venice International Film Festival (2016) – Awards] (in Italian). Venice Biennale: Historical Archive of Contemporary Arts (ASAC). Retrieved 25 July 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
^"74. Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica (2017) – Premi" [The 74th Venice International Film Festival (2017) – Awards] (in Italian). Venice Biennale: Historical Archive of Contemporary Arts (ASAC). Retrieved 25 July 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
^"75. Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica (2018) – Premi" [The 75th Venice International Film Festival (2018) – Awards] (in Italian). Venice Biennale: Historical Archive of Contemporary Arts (ASAC). Retrieved 25 July 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)