This article lists the winners and nominees for the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture. The award has also been called Outstanding Lead Actress in a Motion Picture. Out of 12 films which featured African-Americans in leading roles in 1980, Cicely Tyson was the only female in that category. She played opposite Richard Pryor in Bustin' Loose. Because of this, she and officials at the annual NAACP Image Awards program decided that she should not accept the award.

Winners and nominees

For each year in the tables below, the winner is listed first and highlighted in bold.

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

2020s

Multiple wins and nominations

Wins

Nominations