The category was introduced in 1995, at the 2nd Star Awards ceremony; Fann Wong received the award for her role in Chronicle of Life and it is given in honour of a Mediacorp actress who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role.
The nominees are determined by a team of judges employed by Mediacorp; winners are selected by a majority vote from the entire judging panel.
Kym Ng is the most recent winner in this category for her role in Till the End.
Since the ceremony held in 2024, Huang remains as the only actress to win in this category five times, surpassing Zoe Tay who has four wins.
Jesseca Liu and Jacelyn Tay are currently the actresses who have the most nominations without a win, with five.