| Year | Winner | Nominated |
| 1981 | Roberta Maxwell, Stevie |
- Michelle Fisk, Loose Ends
- Lynne Griffin, Arms and the Man
- Joanne McIntyre, The Crackwalker
|
| 1982 | Rosemary Dunsmore, Straight Ahead/Blind Dancers | Clare Coulter, Blood RelationsJennifer Phipps, FilumenaFiona Reid, Night and Day |
| 1983 | Jennifer Phipps, Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You | Margot Dionne, What Is to Be Done?Mary Haney, TranslationsMartha Henry, The Crucible |
| 1984 | Martha Burns, Trafford Tanzi | Jackie Burroughs, White Biting DogRosemary Dunsmore, SingleBarbara Gordon, The Dining RoomKate Trotter, Top Girls |
| 1985 | Doris Petrie, night, Mother | Thuli Dumakude, Poppie NongenaLouise Philippe, De beaux gestes/Beautiful DeedsJennifer Phipps, L'Amante anglaiseNora McLellan, Uncle Vanya |
| 1986 | Martha Burns, The Miracle Worker | Nancy Beatty, The Wedding ScriptNora McLellan, Farther WestPatricia Philips, And a Nightingale SangJoanna Schellenberg, The Miracle Worker |
| 1987 | Lally Cadeau, Saturday Sunday Monday | Patricia Collins, Pack of LiesSusan Coyne, Aunt Dan and LemonDeborah Kipp, Talley & SonDjanet Sears, Other Female Parts |
| 1988 | Susan Wright, A Lie of the Mind | Clare Coulter, Peggy's SongDiane D'Aquila, Nothing SacredBrooke Johnson, Toronto, MississippiNancy Palk, I Am Yours |
| 1989 | Tanja Jacobs, Under the Skin | Patricia Conolly, The Road to MeccaSeana McKenna, The Road to MeccaKate Nelligan, Spoils of WarBrenda Robins, My Memories of You |
| 1990 | Nancy Beatty, Love and Anger | Marianne Copithorne, Laughing WildTanja Jacobs, The Man I LoveMelody A. Johnson, The EuropeansKate Trotter, The Father |
| 1991 | Seana McKenna, Saint Joan | Robin Craig, A Fertile ImaginationNicola Lipman, Clutching the HeatFiona Reid, Daylight SavingTracy Wright, Lion in the Streets |
| 1992 | Nicola Cavendish, Shirley Valentine | Sylvie Drapeau, Elvire Jouvet 40Seana McKenna, Three SistersKate Trotter, Summer and SmokeJanet Wright, Not Wanted on the Voyage |
| 1993 | Fiona Reid, Fallen Angels | Hazel Desbarats, Fallen AngelsRosemary Dunsmore, Fallen AngelsJani Lauzon, WhaleChick Reid, Crimes of the Heart |
| 1994 | Brenda Robins, Dancing at Lughnasa | Michelle Fisk, Homeward BoundTanja Jacobs, AbundanceNancy Palk, Dancing at LughnasaMaria Ricossa, The Taming of the Shrew |
| 1995 | Fiona Reid, Six Degrees of Separation | Janet-Laine Green, Transit of VenusRita Howell, The Wooden HillJoan Orenstein, Transit of VenusFiona Reid, Hay Fever |
| 1996 | Nicola Cavendish, Later Life | Anne-Marie Cadieux, The Seven Streams of the River Ota Joan Heney, The Misfit Yanna McIntosh, A Midsummer Night's Dream Nancy Palk, The Glorious 12th |
| 1997 | Lilo Baur, The Three Lives of Lucie Cabrol | Marion Gilsenan, Thirteen HandsSarah Goggin, Oliver TwistRochelle Oliver, Death of a Salesman Fiona Reid, Arcadia |
| 1998 | Kristen Thomson, Problem Child | Brenda Bazinet, The End of Civilization Colombe Demers, Romeo and Juliet Maggie Huculak, Beating Heart Cadaver Nancy Palk, Molly Sweeney Fiona Reid, A Delicate Balance |
| 1999 | Nancy Beatty, Risk Everything | Maja Ardal, KiltMartha Burns, The Memory of WaterNicola Cavendish, Les Belles soeursNancy Palk, Don Carlos |
| 2000 | Nora McLellan, Music for Contortionist | Linda Griffiths, Alien CreatureRita Lafontaine, Encore une fois, si vous permettez Yanna McIntosh, BelleJane Spidell, Motel Helene |
| 2001 | Kristen Thomson, I, Claudia | Susan Coyne, An Acre of TimeDenise Clarke, ThunderstruckSeana McKenna, WitBrenda Robins, Slavs |
| 2002 | Yanna McIntosh, Skylight | Marie-Hélène Fontaine, Plan BCaroline Gillis, You Are HereTanja Jacobs, Elisa's SkinYanna McIntosh, BelleFiona Reid, Indian InkBrenda Robins, The Bald SopranoJenny Young, The Shape of a Girl |
| 2003 | Kristina Nicoll, Girl in the Goldfish Bowl | Rosemary Dunsmore, The Domino HeartKate Hennig, The Danish PlayBrooke Johnson, The Gwendolyn PoemsMary Krohnert, The Miracle Worker |
| 2004 | Caroline Cave, The Syringa Tree | Martha Burns, Happy DaysNicola Lipman, SimplYanna McIntosh, The Syringa TreeJane Spidell, Bloodd'bi young, da kink in my hair |
| 2005 | Irene Poole, The Leisure Society | Marie-Hélène Fontaine, Le Collier d'HélèneCarolyn Hetherington, Half LifeMelody A. Johnson, Trout StanleyAlison Sealy-Smith, Cast Iron |
| 2006 | d'bi young, blood.claat — one womban story | Christine Brubaker, The Amorous ServantMartha MacIsaac, The Wild DuckYanna McIntosh, The MonumentKaren Robinson, Two Can Play |
| 2007 | Seana McKenna, Orpheus Descending | Caroline Cave, John and BeatriceDiane D'Aquila, Leaving HomeMeg Roe, LucyKristen Thomson, The Chairs |
| 2008 | Lally Cadeau, Rose | Megan Follows, Three SistersMegan Follows, Top GirlsKelli Fox, Top GirlsArsinée Khanjian, The Palace of the EndNicola Lipman, The December Man |
| 2009 | Alison Sealy-Smith, A Raisin in the Sun | Monica Dottor, ScratchNicola Lipman, Another Home InvasionAbena Malika, A Raisin in the SunWaneta Storms, The Patient Hour |
| 2010 | Tara Rosling, If We Were Birds | Laura de Carteret, HamletTara Nicodemo, HamletAnusree Roy, Letters to My GrandmaMichaela Washburn, Such Creatures |
| 2011 | Yanna McIntosh, Ruined | Michelle Monteith, BlastedAnusree Roy, Brothel #9Pamela Mala Sinha, Brothel #9Jane Spidell, Peggy Pickit Sees the Face of God - The Africa Trilogy |
| 2012 | Pamela Mala Sinha, Crash | Maev Beaty, The Happy WomanChristine Horne, AndromacheNicole Underhay, The Small Room at the Top of the StairsMichaela Washburn, White Biting Dog |
| 2013 | Irene Poole, The Little Years | Maev Beaty, ProudMaev Beaty, TerminusClare Coulter, LEARMelody A. Johnson, Miss Caledonia |
| 2014 | Carly Street, Venus in Fur | Lesley Faulkner, LungsHolly Lewis, TribesNancy Palk, 'Fiona Reid, Entertaining Mr Sloane |
| 2015 | Nicky Guadagni, Hooked | Maev Beaty, The De Chardin ProjectRosemary Dunsmore, Tom at the FarmAlanna Hibbert, The MountaintopFiona Reid, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike |
| 2016 | Rebecca Northan, Blind Date | Valerie Buhagiar, Botticelli in the Fire and Sunday in SodomSarah Dodd, MustardMayko Nguyen, Salt-Water MoonAnusree Roy, Bombay Black |
| 2017 | Maev Beaty, The Last Wife | Lisa Berry, Father Comes Home From the Wars Diane Flacks, Body PoliticKatherine Gauthier, A Doll's HouseShruti Kothari, Little Pretty and the Exceptional |
| 2018 | 'Michaela Washburn, Confederation & Riel | Vivien Endicott-Douglas, Lo Seana McKenna, LearBrenda Robins, A Delicate BalanceMichaela Washburn, Scandal & Rebellion |
