{{Short description|Annual British TV award}} {{Use British English|date=May 2022}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2022}} {{Infobox award | name = British Soap Award for Best Leading Performer | image = Lacey Turner 2010.jpg | caption = The 2025 recipient: Lacey Turner | country = United Kingdom | year = {{Start date and age|2022}} | holder = Lacey Turner, ''EastEnders'' (2025) }}
The '''British Soap Award for Best Leading Performer''' is an award presented annually by The British Soap Awards. The award was introduced to the ceremony in 2022, succeeding the categories for Best Actress and Best Actor as a gender neutral replacement.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Frost |first1=Caroline |title=British Soap Awards Go Gender-Neutral: TV Stars Battle For Best Leading Performer |url=https://deadline.com/2022/04/british-soap-awards-gender-neutral-categories-1235004634/ |access-date=19 May 2022 |work=Deadline Hollywood |date=17 April 2022}}</ref> Alongside accolades including Best British Soap and Villain of the Year, the award is voted for by the public. An initial longlist is announced, and after an initial round of voting, the performers with the highest number of votes advance to the shortlist, after which voting is opened for a second time.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Cremona |first1=Patrick |title=British Soap Awards 2022 nominations shortlist confirmed |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/soaps/british-soap-awards-2022-nominations-newsupdate/ |access-date=19 May 2022 |work=Radio Times |date=10 May 2022}}</ref> The award is currently held by ''EastEnders'' actress Lacey Turner.
==Winners and nominees== [[File:Paige Sandhu 1.jpg|150px|thumb|right|alt=Woman with dark brown hair wearing a mint green dress and matching eyeshadow smiling.|2022 winner Paige Sandhu.]] [[File:Danielle Harold 2023.jpg|150px|thumb|right|alt=Woman with platinum blonde hair smiling.|2023 winner Danielle Harold.]] [[File:Lacey Turner 2016.jpg|150px|thumb|right|alt=Woman with light brown hair smiling.|2025 winner Lacey Turner.]] {| class="wikitable" ! Year ! Winner ! Shortlisted{{efn|name=Shortlist|These performers were voted through to the shortlist round.}} ! Longlisted{{efn|name=Longlist|These performers were unsuccessful in being voted through to the shortlist.}} |- ! scope="row" | 2022<ref>{{cite news |last1=Houghton |first1=Rianne |title=British Soap Awards 2022 reveals longlist for viewer categories |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/coronation-street/a39781595/british-soap-awards-2022-vote-longlist-categories/ |access-date=19 May 2022 |work=Digital Spy |publisher=(Hearst Communications) |date=21 April 2022}}</ref> | Paige Sandhu (Meena Jutla in ''Emmerdale'') | * Sally Carman (Abi Webster in ''Coronation Street'') * Linda Henry (Shirley Carter in ''EastEnders'') * Gillian Wright (Jean Slater in ''EastEnders'') * Mark Charnock (Marlon Dingle in ''Emmerdale'') | * Charlie De Melo (Imran Habeeb in ''Coronation Street'') * Tina O'Brien (Sarah Platt in ''Coronation Street'') * Dido Miles (Emma Reid in ''Doctors'') * Jan Pearson (Karen Hollins in ''Doctors'') * Chris Walker (Rob Hollins in ''Doctors'') * Zaraah Abrahams (Chelsea Fox in ''EastEnders'') * Rebecca Sarker (Manpreet Sharma in ''Emmerdale'') * Kéllé Bryan (Martine Deveraux in ''Hollyoaks'') * Jamie Lomas (Warren Fox in ''Hollyoaks'') * Gary Lucy (Luke Morgan in ''Hollyoaks'') |- ! scope="row" | 2023<ref>{{cite news |last1=Cormack |first1=Morgan |title=British Soap Awards 2023 longlist: EastEnders' Ravi vs Corrie's Stephen |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/soaps/british-soap-awards-2023-longlist-newsupdate/ |access-date=11 April 2023 |work=Radio Times |date=11 April 2023}}</ref> | Danielle Harold (Lola Pearce-Brown in ''EastEnders'') | * Charlotte Jordan (Daisy Midgeley in ''Coronation Street'') * Shona McGarty (Whitney Dean in ''EastEnders'') * Dominic Brunt (Paddy Kirk in ''Emmerdale'') * Sally Dexter (Faith Dingle in ''Emmerdale'') | * Paddy Bever (Max Turner in ''Coronation Street'') * Sair Khan (Alya Nazir in ''Coronation Street'') * Elle Mulvaney (Amy Barlow in ''Coronation Street'') * Ryan Prescott (Ryan Connor in ''Coronation Street'') * Dex Lee (Bear Sylvester in ''Doctors'') * Dido Miles (Emma Reid in ''Doctors'') * Adrian Lewis Morgan (Jimmi Clay in ''Doctors'') * Ashley Rice (Sid Vere in ''Doctors'') * Elisabeth Dermot Walsh (Zara Carmichael in ''Doctors'') * Jamie Borthwick (Jay Brown in ''EastEnders'') * James Farrar (Zack Hudson in ''EastEnders'') * Diane Parish (Denise Fox in ''EastEnders'') * Jeff Hordley (Cain Dingle in ''Emmerdale'') * Lucy Pargeter (Chas Dingle in ''Emmerdale'') * Michael Wildman (Al Chapman in ''Emmerdale'') * Niamh Blackshaw (Juliet Nightingale in ''Hollyoaks'') * Richard Blackwood (Felix Westwood in ''Hollyoaks'') * Anna Passey (Sienna Blake in ''Hollyoaks'') * Ijaz Rana (Imran Maalik in ''Hollyoaks'') * Owen Warner (Romeo Nightingale in ''Hollyoaks'') |- ! scope="row" | 2025<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kilkelly |first1=Daniel |title=British Soap Awards 2025 announces first nominees as Corrie, EastEnders, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks compete |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/coronation-street/a64403890/british-soap-awards-2025-longlist-nominations/ |access-date=7 April 2025 |work=Digital Spy}}</ref> | Lacey Turner (Stacey Slater in ''EastEnders'') | * Kellie Bright (Linda Carter in ''EastEnders'') * Beth Cordingly (Ruby Fox-Miligan in ''Emmerdale'') * Eden Taylor-Draper (Belle Dingle in ''Emmerdale'') | * Charlotte Jordan (Daisy Midgeley in ''Coronation Street'') * Alison King (Carla Connor in ''Coronation Street'') * Jack P. Shepherd (David Platt in ''Coronation Street'') * Channique Sterling-Brown (Dee Dee Bailey in ''Coronation Street'') * Diane Parish (Denise Fox in ''EastEnders'') * Angela Wynter (Yolande Trueman in ''EastEnders'') * Mark Charnock (Marlon Dingle in ''Emmerdale'') * Danny Miller (Aaron Dingle in ''Emmerdale'') * Jennifer Metcalfe (Mercedes McQueen in ''Hollyoaks'') * Nadine Mulkerrin (Cleo McQueen in ''Hollyoaks'') * Kieron Richardson (Ste Hay in ''Hollyoaks'') * Isabelle Smith (Frankie Osborne in ''Hollyoaks'') |}
==Wins and nominations by soap== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" |- ! scope="col" | Soap opera ! scope="col" | Wins ! scope="col" | Shortlist nominations{{efn|These nominations did not result in a win.}} |- | ''EastEnders'' | 2 | 4 |- | ''Emmerdale'' | 1 | 5 |- | ''Coronation Street'' | 0 | 2 |- | ''Doctors'' | 0 | 0 |- | ''Hollyoaks'' | 0 | 0 |- |}
==Notes== {{Notelist}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{The British Soap Awards|state=expanded}}
Category:Soap opera awards Category:The British Soap Awards