Here are 8 Female Directors Ever Nominated for the Oscars

The field of film directing has traditionally been male-dominated, with a significant majority of Best Director Oscar nominations going to men. Nevertheless, several pioneering women have shattered barriers and secured nominations at the Academy Awards. To be precise, eight female directors have collectively earned nine nominations. Take a journey through our curated list to revisit the achievements of these women who have been nominated for Oscars in the Best Director category over the years.

Lina Wertmuller (1977)

Lina Wertmuller, an Italian director, achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first woman ever nominated for the Best Director category at the Oscars. Overcoming gender-based challenges, Wertmuller’s film, “Seven Beauties,” which portrays an Italian soldier captured by Germans during World War II, added another layer of complexity by being in a foreign language—Italian. Despite her remarkable achievement, she ultimately lost to John G. Avildsen for “Rocky.”

Jane Campion (1993 and 2022)

Originating from New Zealand, Jane Campion achieved the distinction of being the second woman ever nominated for Best Director through her contributions to the 1993 film “The Piano,” which revolves around a mute piano player. Despite not clinching the Best Director award, as it went to Steven Spielberg for “Schindler’s List,” Campion still earned recognition, securing the Best Original Screenplay award. Furthermore, she broke new ground by becoming the first woman to receive two nominations for Best Director, with her second nod in 2022 for “The Power of the Dog,” ultimately winning the coveted award.

Sofia Coppola (2003)

Sofia Coppola made history as the first American woman to receive a nomination for Best Director. In 2003, her film “Lost in Translation,” which explores the connection between two strangers amidst the bustling backdrop of Tokyo, faced tough competition against “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.” Consequently, Coppola did not secure the Best Director award, as it went to Peter Jackson. However, akin to Campion’s experience earlier, Coppola did take home the Best Original Screenplay Oscar.

Kathryn Bigelow (2009)

Kathryn Bigelow made history by becoming the first woman to clinch the Oscar for Best Director. Her achievement was realised with the 2009 film “The Hurt Locker,” which portrays a team of Iraqi soldiers specialising in explosives. Additionally, Bigelow became the pioneering woman to direct a Best Picture-winning film. Despite being on the verge of another nomination in 2012 with “Zero Dark Thirty,” her exceptional work faced the unexpected disappointment of being overlooked.

Greta Gerwig (2017)

Greta Gerwig garnered praise for her inaugural solo directorial effort, “Lady Bird,” a coming-of-age narrative featuring Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf portraying a nuanced daughter-mother relationship. Despite the acclaim, Gerwig did not secure the directorial prize, which went to Guillermo del Toro for “The Shape of Water.” The year 2017 stood out as a noteworthy period for female filmmakers, with other prominent names in Oscar discussions including Sofia Coppola (“The Beguiled”), Dee Rees (“Mudbound”), Patty Jenkins (“Wonder Woman”), and Kathryn Bigelow (“Detroit”).

Chloe Zhao (2020)

Zhao made history as the first Asian woman to secure both a nomination and a subsequent victory for Best Director with “Nomadland.” In a remarkable year, she received four nominations for producer, director, adapted screenplay, and film editing, winning the first two. Zhao’s triumph marked her as only the second female director to achieve this accolade in the Academy’s 93-year history, following in the footsteps of Bigelow 11 years earlier.

Emerald Fennell (2020)

Emerald Fennell’s directorial debut, “Promising Young Woman,” followed her career as an actress in various movies and TV shows. The English filmmaker earned an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for her work on the female empowerment film. However, she did not secure wins in the directing and producing categories, losing to Zhao from ‘Nomadland.’

Justine Triet (2024)

Justine Triet made her mark as the eighth female director nominee in Oscar history with a French film that stars Sandra Hüller as a woman accused of murdering her husband. Although not submitted by France for consideration in the Best International Feature Film category, “Anatomy of a Fall” received five nominations in other categories: picture, director, actress, original screenplay, and film editing. “Anatomy of A Fall” also clinched the 2023 Palme d’Or in Cannes.