Thanks to Glimmer for pointing out this post on Women & Hollywood: The Oscar Numbers — it’s really horrifying, isn’t it?
BEST DIRECTOR
Nominees – 392 total, 2 women — .5%; Winners – 80 total, 0 women — 0%
BEST PICTURE (producers)
Nominees – 431 total, 32 women — 7%; Winners – 92 total, 5 women — 5%
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Nominees – 521 total, 0 women — 0%; Winners – 80 total, 0 women — 0%
BEST EDITOR
Nominees- 365 total, 53 women — 15%; Winners- 98 total, 12 women — 12%
BEST ART DIRECTION
Nominees- 1,324 total, 93 women — 7%; Winners- 269 total, 17 women — 6%
BEST WRITER
Nominees- 1,198 total, 96 women — 8%; Winners- 226 total, 20 women — 9%
BEST DOCUMENTARY
Nominees – 318 total, 81 women — 25%; Winners- 88 total, 16 women — 18%
BEST SCORE
Nominees- 654 total, 12 women — 2%; Winners- 145 total, 5 women — 3%
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Nominees- 448 total, 218 women — 49%; Winners- 95 total, 49 women — 52%
No Response for "A Sorry State for Women in Hollywood"
Wow.
How many of those 12 editing wins went to Thelma Schoonmaker?
And there hasn’t been a single woman nominated for cinematography?!
It would be nice if a time breakdown could be provided. Of course the number of nominations and wins are going to be dominated by men, because for the first 50-60 years of the Oscars were held before the feminist revolution of the 70s. That’s going to skew the data considerably. I’d like to see the findings from the last 30 years, 20 years and 10 years presented, so we can actually see the progress (and shocking lack of progress) that has been made in each category.
there were 3 women nominated for director
Sorry but some of the numbers are wrong… for example:
In Best Directing, 83 statuettes had been bestowed, in the first year, it were two best directing categories (Lewis Milestone won for comedy and Frank Borzage for drama), in 1962 Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins share the Best Directing for West Side Story and in 2008 Joe Coen & Ethan Coen for No Country for Old Men. So we have 6 in only 3 years and 1 for each one of the other 77 years. In total: 83, no 80.
In fact, 61 men had won the Best Directing Oscar.
Yikes, AAG you’re freaking me out with the numbers Maybe there are minor details here or there but the gist is right on the money. So the three women were Lena Wertmuller, Jane Campion and Sofia Coppola, yeah?
I wonder what the industry demographics are. Namely, what percentage of films made are directed by women?
Yeah, I mean how many major women filmmakers are there really? Cinematographers? I can’t imagine many.
And how many lifetime achievement awards for women? ZERO!
“Wow.
How many of those 12 editing wins went to Thelma Schoonmaker?”
LOL – That was my reaction too. Go Thelma!!!
I would imagine the numbers are quite high in the Best Actress category?
While these numbers are both interesting and sad, this isn’t the Academy’s fault. I think the industry is heavily male-centric. Studios need to greenlight projects with women at the helm, both “Oscar-y” films and blockbusters. Oh by the way, how many of these nominees were racial minorities? Winners?
I couldn’t even name a female cinematographer.
“I couldn’t even name a female cinematographer.”
Mandy Walker, “Australia”
The shutout may well end this year. In fact, I’m betting she wins.
Schoonmaker has only won three Oscars, Dede Allen has none. I think Schoonmaker is the only woman with multiple wins as an editor.
I have only worked with one female cinematographer on a narrative feature and that was over ten years ago. I don’t think she’s still working as a DP. There are probably more women DPs shooting documentaries.
TIME BREAKDOWN:
ART DIRECTION
40s – 4 women / 8 nominations
50s – 4 women / 4 nominations
60s – 5 women / 6 nominations
70s – 3 women / 4 nominations
80s – 15 women / 20 nominations
90s – 24 women / 34 nominations
00s – 27 women / 39 nominations
FILM EDITING
30s – 4 women / 7 nominations
40s – 3 women / 4 nominations
50s – 6 women / 8 nominations
60s – 6 women / 7 nominations
70s – 7 women / 9 nominations
80s – 11 women / 11 nominations
90s – 10 women / 11 nominations
00s – 7 women / 9 nominations
MAKEUP
80s – 6 women / 7 nominations
90s – 17 women / 28 nominations
00s – 15 women / 16 nominations
COSTUME DESIGN
40s – 6 women / 7 nominations
50s – 19 women / 57 nominations
60s – 19 women / 46 nominations
70s – 21 women / 28 nominations
80s – 24 women / 31 nominations
90s – 25 women / 40 nominations
00s – 23 women / 34 nominations
TIME BREAKDOWN:
MUSIC (SCORE)
40s – 1 woman / 1 nomination
70s – 2 women / 3 nominations
80s – 1 woman / 1 nomination
90s – 3 women / 4 nominations
00s – 1 woman / 1 nomination
MUSIC (SONG)
30s – 1 woman / 2 nominations
40s – 1 woman / 1 nomination
50s – 1 woman / 2 nominatons
60s – 2 women / 5 nominations
70s – 8 women / 16 nominations
80s – 10 women / 15 nomination
90s – 10 women / 15 nominations
00s – 14 women / 14 nominations
BEST PICTURE
70s – 3 women / 4 nominations
80s – 6 women / 7 nominations
90s – 13 women / 13 nominations
00s – 17 women / 20 nominations
WRITING
20s – 3 women / 3 nominations
30s – 15 women / 17 nominations
40s – 17 women / 20 nominations
50s – 11 women / 15 nominations
60s – 8 women / 8 nominations
70s – 15 women / 15 nominations
80s – 16 women / 17 nominations
90s – 14 women / 15 nominations
00s – 17 women / 19 nominations
Does this prove that the Academy is doing anything wrong? Should they make a point of nominating an equal amount of women in areas where there are far more men working? Hasn’t this got something to say about the industry, not the Academy? And should the Academy being nominating more men in areas where the majority of recent nominees have been women?
I also kind of find it funny that they include the costume design category, dominated by women, but seem to stop there as if they know they’ve crossed the line into territory where their theories don’t hold up anymore…
I think that’s the point – that this article is aimed at the industry, not the Academy.
I wholeheartedly agree that the industry needs a serious shakeup. They don’t want women directing, writing or producing; they don’t want movies about women; they don’t want movies for women. In this day and age it’s something of a joke.
Its surprising that more than any other art form(perhaps including music and painting but not literature) women have been so utterly sidelined in film-making. Apart from obviously the actresses, we have very few women working behind the scenes it seems in important positions.
I once read about an Indian woman film-maker, that once on a really deserted location shoot, she and the lead actress were the only female members out of a crew of about 100.
Hopefully things will change. I’d like to see Jenny Lumet get a nomination (and win) in best original screenplay for ‘Rachel Getting Married’.
that’s not true! if you take a look back you will see that 100% of the nominees for best actress were women! the same with best supporting actress!
[...] source – awards daily [...]
thanks sasha !
and thank you academyawardsguru for the breakdowns.
Red Wine: “I once read about an Indian woman film-maker, that once on a really deserted location shoot, she and the lead actress were the only female members out of a crew of about 100.”
She was the filmmaker…she could have hired other women…she had the choice, but she chose 98 men to work with.
Yeah I think these numbers are only relevant for the last 20 years & even in that time period it is not like female filmmakers have been showered with recognition (yeah we got Sophia Coppola & Jane Campion but after that?)
The real question should how many times has an awards worthy female directed or written film have been dismissed.
For one Courtney Hunt at the very least should have her script nominated for Original Screenplay but has no shot in directing (obviously, right)
I would love to see it when a female director finally wins the Oscar. Would the Academy not be sexist enough to vote that way? I think it depends on the movie more than anything. Like who are the stars in, what kind of story, etc.
What female director working right now has the best shot?
What are the numbers for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress? There were a lot of women nominees and winners in those categories, right?
Before I get attacked, that was a joke. In all seriousness, this has more to do with the industry than the Academy.
Statistically speaking, it would be more accurate (and take a lot more time) to determine the actual number of eligible films each year and the percentage of women that worked in each category of eligible films. These numbers should be compared to the percentages of women nominated each year in each category.
I think Jenny Lumet will get an Oscar nod for Rachel Getting Married.
I mean Alvin Sargent won for Ordinary People, right? Why shouldn’t she?
Here’s some women that I’d like to get more work and recognition:
Khali Khouri, Nora Ephron, Nancy Myers, Diane Keaton as Director, Kimberly Peirce, Ruth Prawer Jhabvala…
“Rachel Getting Married – Ordinary People”
You’re trying for an analogy here, but it’s not even making sense.
Kevin is right: 3 women were nominated. In addition to Jane Campion and Sofia Coppola, Lina Wertmuller was nominated for Seven Beauties in 1977. Since she was the first woman to be nominated, I am surprised she was overlooked.
Perhaps, it has more to do with personal choices. I’m sure a woman’s personal decision not to engage in some aspects of filmmaking plays a role in the numbers. I strongly doubt the academy is discriminatory. And, I’d be quite upset if the Academy sought to remedy (assuming such remedial efforts are necessary) the imbalance by implementing a policy which proportions the number of women nominated, thus inflating the number of women who win (a form of affirmative action if you will). It would diminish the quality of academy award winners and nominees.
The gender of the person who produces the score to a film is fairly irrelevant to me. If the academy and/or particular industries were practicing invidious discrimination, then I’d have a problem. If the explanation behind these numbers has more to do with a woman’s personal choice (which I suspect), then I see no problem with the imbalance.
The vast majority of directors are men. It seems fairly plausibly then that the vast majority of winners and nominees for director (and perhaps other categories) turn out to be men. Past discrimination explains part of this phenomena, but other factors play a role as well.
If a woman wins best director in the next few years, I’d want her to win for the strength of her film, not for her gender.
@ Academy Awards Guru
Thanks for all that effort and research. Great work! It’s a real asset to the discussion.
You know me and my Oscar Numerology. When I saw those neat columns and decade by decade breakdowns this morning I had a multiple stato’gasm.
For all those people saying it’s the industry’s fault…
The Academy is the industry!
The people who make movies, greenlight projects and hire people for films are the ones voting for the Oscars.
Who cares if there is a man or woman behind the camera or doing the editing? Shouldn’t we just value the work at hand. I’m sure the numbers are just as grim for minorities, but the value of cinema extends beyond who is creating it. Pointing out the obvious seems counterproductive. How many women directors/editors are there? More importantly, how many of them are creating great work? Perhaps the issue has more to do with the quality of their work? Perhaps there is a cultural explanation. One can’t immediately blame the industry, when there may be other factors contributing to the numbers.
This all seems very pointless…
Nila,
Voters are likely voting for the best product or producer out there. I doubt gender has much to do with it.
It’s been 14 years since they gave an Honorary Oscar to a woman. Deborah Kerr, great actress and classy lady by the way, was the last woman to receive such award.
For Your Consideration:
1. Angela Lansbury – Three-time Academy Award-nominated and four-time Tony Award-winning legendary actress and singer
2. Lauren Bacall – Academy Award-nominated and two-time Tony Award-winning iconic actress
3. Doris Day – Academy Award-nominated legendary actress and singer
4. Eleanor Parker – Three-time Academy Award-nominated legendary actress
5. Jeanne Moreau – BAFTA Award-winning legendary actress and singer
6. Maureen O’Hara – Irish legendary actress and singer
7. Liv Ullmann – Two-time Academy Award-nominated legendary actress
8. Jean Simmons- Two-time Academy Award-nominated actress
9. Debbie Reynolds – Academy Award-nominated legendary actress, singer, and dancer
10. Marni Nixon – American singer and actress, singing voice behind leading ladies in The King and I, An Affair to Remember, West Side Story, My Fair Lady
11. Monica Vitti – BAFTA Award-nominated legendary actress
12. Danielle Darrieux – French legendary actress and singer
13. Michele Morgan – French legendary actress
14. Catherine Deneuve – Academy Award-nominated iconic actress
15. Gina Lollobrigida – Golden Globe Award-winning legendary actress
These stats are mind blowing.
Sarah Polley should have been the 4th female nominated for best director last year for Away From Her.
Too bad last year’s Palme d’Or winner “4 months, 3 weeks and 2 days” didn’t get any Oscar attention. It was an excellant film dealing with abortion; an issue that any young woman could potentially have to deal with. The film was so well-acted and directed that it was easy to forget it was just a movie.
I have to take issue with this comment from Daniel:
“I also kind of find it funny that they include the costume design category, dominated by women, but seem to stop there as if they know they’ve crossed the line into territory where their theories don’t hold up anymore…”
Since when is being 50 percent of the nominees dominating??? I’d call that parity.
I don’t even want to know about Sound and Visual Effects…
This is sad, and it’s sadder when awesome work by female directors is overlooked:
Just in the 2000’s…
Mary Harron – American Psycho
Miranda July – Me and you and everyone we know
Sarah Polley – Away from Her
Adrienne Shelly – Waitress
Sofia Coppola – Marie Antoinette
Valerie Faris – Little Miss Sunshine (*)
Shari Springer Berman – American Splendor (*)
Niki Caro – Whale Rider
Julie Taymor – Across the Universe
To name a few… and the best directing work so far this year, according to me, was a woman’s! Lucía Puenzo’s XXY!!!
(*)= co-directed with a man
Jonathan,
Why did I use the word dominating? I have no idea. I apologize.
I have to agree with KL, though. The difference in personal choice by each gender is obviously a large factor. Also, the fact that there are many more men working as directors/producers and creating the “awards” movies means that there should be many more men being nominated. If more women film-makers become part of the industry, then I’d love to see more of them nominated for and winning awards.
We can make as many lists of women that should be recognized as we want, but let’s not forget that there are also many men that haven’t been recognized that should have been long ago, so who’s to say those women haven’t been nominated because of discrimination?
“And how many lifetime achievement awards for women? ZERO!”
Well I’m sure that’s not low, but the fact that its so low as to be dominutive, is quite concerning.
I was surprised to see how low the numbers were for writers, perhaps because of, well, last year, I thought female writers were a bit more prolifically nominated. But apparently not.
The numbers are really really low. It is a white boy’s game. Still. I guess that’s just reality, but it is bad – it shows who’s wielding all the power in the industy, and its not women or minorities.
I am a fierce proponent for the rights of women. However, I find it inappropriate for some to react angrily to numbers without any empirical import. We simply do not know what variables account for the numbers. Until a social scientist thoroughly examines the numbers, I think it is prudent of us to suspend our judgment.
[...] justify this post because it relates directly to Sasha’s two recent pieces about the “Sorry State for Women in Hollywood” and the sad “Lack of Females” in contention for awards this year, or any other [...]
Leave a reply
All comments should respect the Awards Daily House Rules. If you think a particular comment breaks these rules then please let us know, quoting the comment in question.