The (very) brief Oscars history of women nominated for Best Director

In the Academy Awards' 96-year history, only eight women have been nominated in the category.
By
Teodosia Dobriyanova
 on 
a collage of the female directors and the films that got them Best Director nominations. Caption reads: 96 years (in yellow font), 8 women (in white)
Watch Next

In her 1993 speech at the Oscars, just before she presented the Academy Award for Best Director, Barbara Streisand envisioned a future in which women are so often in the leading filmmaking roles, that no special focus on their gender is necessary. Three decades later, we look at the history of the Best Director category to see how close, if at all, we have gotten to living in the future Streisand spoke about.

Topics Film Oscars

Picture of Teodosia
Teodosia Dobriyanova
Video Producer

Teodosia is a video producer at Mashable UK, focussing on stories about climate resilience, urban development, and social good.


Latest Videos



'Eddington' trailer: Joaquin Phoenix doomscrolls through 2020 in Ari Aster's latest
Joaquin Phoenix and Pedro Pascal in "Eddington."

John Oliver takes a deep dive into Trump's tariffs
A man in a suit sits behind a talk show desk.


'SNL' Weekend Update takes on Trump's tariffs on China
Two men in suits sit behind a news desk in front of a world map backdrop, appearing to host a news or comedy segment.

Trump interrupts 'Jesus,' riffs on Easter, tariffs, and more in 'SNL' cold open
Man in blue suit with red tie

Michael Shannon and Judy Greer on the profound poignancy of 'Eric LaRue'
Eric LaRue

Ncuti Gatwa and Varada Sethu play 'Slash or Pass: Doctor Who Edition'
By Kristy Puchko and Warren Shaw
'Doctor Who' Slash or Pass

The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!