Nominations for the 2020 Oscars have arrived and nominees in the directing category all appear to have a glaring commonality; their gender. The Academy’s ‘Best Director’ nominations were extended to a handful of men – no women. Only five women in the 92-year history have ever been nominated in this category, most recently Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker back in 2010; the sole female winner in the division.
Among those to voice their frustrations with the Academy is actress, director, and producer Issa Rae. She clapped back on Monday morning while announcing the nominations in a live segment from the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. “Congratulations to those men” she responded.
This is not the first time that the Academy has received backlash for its nomination choices. In 2015, #OscarsSoWhite began trending on social media in response to the lineup’s blatant lack of diversity. A-List actors of color such as Will Smith began boycotting the ceremony, propelling Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs to release a statement acknowledging the underrepresentation. Isaacs responded by amending the Academy’s membership policies and expressed a future focus on ensuring the inclusion of minorities “in all aspects of motion pictures”.
Directing nominees for the 2020 Oscars are Martin Scorsese (The Irishman), Todd Phillips (Joker), Sam Mendes (1917), Quentin Tarantino (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) and Bong Joon-ho (Parasite).
The Oscars will air on Sunday, February 9 at 5pm PST on ABC.
By Rachel Hallett
Photo: AMPAS
