The Academy Awards, a prestigious celebration of cinematic achievement, will reach a significant milestone in 2026, marking nearly a century since their inception. However, despite the long history of the event, the representation of women in the Best Director category remains strikingly low, with only nine female filmmakers nominated since the awards began in 1929.
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The upcoming ceremony is scheduled for 15th March 2026, airing live at 7 p.m. ET on ABC and Hulu. This year already promises to be historic, as the film *Sinners* has garnered an astounding 16 nominations. Among those nominated is Chloé Zhao, who has made history by becoming one of the rare women to receive nods for Best Director twice, alongside fellow filmmaker Jane Campion. Zhao’s latest nomination is for *Hamnet*, a film adapted from Maggie O’Farrell’s acclaimed 2020 novel, which delves into the life of William Shakespeare’s family as they cope with the tragic loss of their son.
Chloé Zhao joins an elite group of female directors, a list that remains frustratingly short. Lina Wertmüller holds the distinction of being the first woman nominated for Best Director in 1976 for her wartime drama *Seven Beauties*. Furthermore, it wasn’t until 2004 that Kathryn Bigelow became the first female winner in this category for her impactful film *The Hurt Locker*.
The achievements of women in directing have shifted notably over the past few decades. Jane Campion was the second woman to be recognised, first nominated in 1993 for *The Piano*. Despite not winning for directing at that time, she did receive the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. Campion would return to the Oscars nearly three decades later, triumphing for her direction of *The Power of the Dog* in 2022, thus becoming the first woman to be nominated in this category twice. Her victory symbolised a changing landscape for female directors, coming alongside her recognition at other prestigious award ceremonies.
Sofia Coppola joined this exclusive cohort in 2003 when she received a nomination for *Lost in Translation*. Like Campion, she also claimed an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. However, a significant gap followed her nomination, with Greta Gerwig’s inclusion in 2017 for *Lady Bird*, marking another leap for women in directing. Gerwig’s film was celebrated critically but ultimately left without any awards that year, prompting her commentary on the Academy’s need for greater female representation.
Chloé Zhao made history again in 2021, becoming the second woman to win the Best Director award, as well as the first woman of Asian descent to achieve this honour. In a hopeful statement following her victory, she expressed a desire for her success to inspire others with similar backgrounds to pursue their dreams in filmmaking.
Emerald Fennell stood out in 2021’s awards as well, being the first year in which two women were nominated for Best Director—Fennell for *Promising Young Woman*—while also securing an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. Meanwhile, French filmmaker Justine Triet was nominated in 2024 for her film *Anatomy of a Fall*, but the award for Best Director went to Christopher Nolan for *Oppenheimer*. Nonetheless, Triet’s nomination and subsequent win for Best Original Screenplay provided significant visibility for female directors.
Coralie Fargeat further demonstrated the ongoing journey towards inclusivity in the 2025 awards, receiving a nomination for her film *The Substance*. This recognition sparked excitement and a conversation about the barriers still faced by women in film. Despite being only the ninth woman ever nominated for the award, Fargeat’s enthusiasm and dedication to her craft underscore a commitment to increasing representation in the film industry, highlighting the ongoing challenges women face in achieving such recognition.
As the 2026 Academy Awards approach, the representation of women in the Best Director category remains a crucial talking point. While progress has been made, the disparity continues to be a glaring reminder of the road ahead in the pursuit of equity within the film industry. As each of these talented women has demonstrated, the achievements of female directors are not just milestones; they are beacons of hope for future generations striving to break through barriers in this competitive realm.