The Australian Film Institute Award for Best Lead Actress in Television Drama is awarded annually by the Australian Film Institute as part of the awards in television for excellence in acting in television drama by an actress.
The first Award was made in 1986. Prior to 1990, two awards existed and were called Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini Series and Best Lead Actress in a Telefeature. The awards were merged in 1990 to become Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Telefeature or Mini Series which in 1991 was renamed Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Television Drama. In 2000, the Awards were again awarded in two categories, called Best Performance by an Actress in a Telefeature or Mini Series and Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Television Drama. In 2002, the Awards were again combined under the title Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Television Drama and two years later, in 2004, the Award was named Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Television Drama or Comedy. A separate comedy Award was established in 2006, and this Award became Best Lead Actress in Television Drama.[1]
Claudia Karvan has the most nominations with 11 and the most wins with 4.
| Year | Winner | Mini Series | Network | Other nominees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Deidre Rubenstein | Palace of Dreams | ABC TV | |
| 1987 | Nicole Kidman | Vietnam | Network Ten |
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| 1988 | Anne Phelan | Poor Man's Orange | Ten Network |
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| 1989 | Julia Blake | Edens Lost | ABC |
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| Year | Winner | Telefeature | Network | Other nominees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Candy Raymond | Breaking Up | ||
| 1987 | Michele Fawdon | The Fish Are Safe | ABC |
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| 1988 | Kerry McGuire | Olive | ABC |
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| 1989 | Pat Thomson | Malpractice |
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| Year | Winner | Telefeature or Mini Series | Network | Other nominees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Rebecca Gibney | Come In Spinner | ABC TV |
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| Year | Winner | Television Drama | Episode | Network | Other nominees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Sonia Todd | Police Rescue | "By the book" | ABC TV |
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| 1992 | Lisa Hensley | Brides of Christ | ABC TV |
| |
| 1993 | Denise Roberts | G.P. | "Alone" | ABC TV |
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| 1994 | Monica Maughan | The Damnation of Harvey McHugh | "My brilliant chorea" | ABC TV |
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| 1995 | Jacqueline McKenzie | Halifax f.p. | "Lies of the Mind" | Nine Network |
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| 1996 | Claudia Karvan | G.P. | "Sing me a lullaby" | ABC TV |
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| 1997 | Anne Looby | Simone de Beauvoir's Babies | Episode #3 | ABC TV |
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| 1998 | Rachael Blake | Wildside | Episode #20 | ABC TV |
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| 1999 | Jill Forster | SeaChange | "Manna from heaven" | ABC TV |
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| 2000 | Anne Phelan | Something in the Air | "We will remember them" | ABC TV |
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| 2001 | Kerry Armstrong | SeaChange | ABC TV |
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| 2002 | Juliet Stevenson | The Road from Coorain | ABC TV |
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| 2003 | Angie Milliken | MDA | ABC TV |
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| Year | Winner | Telefeature or Mini Series | Episode | Network | Other nominees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Noni Hazlehurst | Waiting at the Royal | Nine Network |
| |
| 2001 | Angie Milliken | My Brother Jack | Network Ten |
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| Year | Winner | Television Drama or Comedy | Episode | Network | Other nominees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Bojana Novakovic | Marking Time | ABC |
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| 2005 | Claudia Karvan | Love My Way | FOX8 |
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