Female representation dropped overall this year in the nominations for 18 non-acting categories for the 94th Academy Awards, according to a Women’s Media Center analysis.
The report, “WMC Investigation 2022: Gender and Non-Acting Oscar Nominations,” examines the representation of women behind the scenes, including in the influential producing, directing, writing, and editing categories. Of the 205 total nominees, 55 or 27% are women, and 150 or 73% are men. This is the lowest rate of female behind-the-scenes representation at the Oscars in three years and a reversal of the modest gains seen over the previous two consecutive years.
The report notes that this is especially disappointing considering the industry-wide effort to make changes since the #MeToo/Time’s Up movements gained prominence in 2017-2018. In addition, WMC analyzed race and ethnicity data for three categories: directing, writing (original screenplay), and writing (adapted screenplay). No women of color were nominated in any of these categories.
“It’s disturbing to see that these numbers are trending in the wrong direction,” said Julie Burton, president and CEO of the Women’s Media Center. “Female representation decreased in most of these categories, and there are no women of color nominated as directors or writers. These behind-the-scenes positions of power are critical in shaping the images and representation of women on the big screen — especially women of color. Hollywood must do better in providing opportunity and equality for everyone.”
Women made small-to-modest gains in representation in five categories: Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Original Score, Original Song, and Animated Feature. But in 12 other categories, including Director, Original Screenplay, Makeup and Hairstyling, Costume Design, and Visual Effects, female representation decreased from 2021 to 2022. While 16 of the 18 categories feature at least one female nominee, no women were nominated in Best Original Screenplay (for the first time since 2016) and Best Visual Effects (which last year had seen just its second female nominee since 2000).
“This report underscores the vital and urgent work of the Women’s Media Center to break through the barriers so that women receive the recognition they have earned and deserve from the Academy. We will persist and remain vigilant until women achieve parity,” said Janet Dewart Bell, WMC board chair.
Jane Campion, the driving force behind The Power of the Dog, received three individual nominations for producing, writing, and directing. She is the only woman nominated this year for Best Director, resulting in a gender breakdown of 80% men to 20% women. If she does win, the Academy will make history with back-to-back wins for women in the category: Last year, Chloé Zhao became the first female director of color to be nominated and to win, for Nomadland. The Power of the Dog makes history as the first film directed by a woman to lead the field with the most nominations, garnering 12 overall. In the Best Director category, one out of the five nominees, or 20%, is a person of color: Ryusuke Hamaguchi (Drive My Car).
“The message of 12 nominations for The Power of the Dog is that women deliver. Women deserve a seat at the table, and when they are given one, their excellence shines through,” said WMC Co-Founder Jane Fonda. “Our stories and voices should be heard in Hollywood and beyond. Let’s work together to level the playing field.”
Eight of the 29 producers nominated for Best Picture are women, up from seven last year. But the percentage of women nominated for Best Picture is slightly lower, dropping from 30% in 2021 to 28% in 2022 — a result of 21 male producers (72%) being nominated this year, compared to 16 last year.
Other report highlights:
- WRITING: All seven writers nominated for Original Screenplay are men. This marks the first time since 2016 that zero female writers were nominated in the category. In the Adapted Screenplay category, three women (38%) and eight men (62%) received nods.
- EDITING: For the third year in a row, there is just one female nominee in the Best Editing category: Pamela Martin, nominated for her work on the Best Picture nominee King Richard. Five of the six editors nominated this year are men, resulting in women comprising only 17% of the nominees, and men 83%.
- CINEMATOGRAPHY: Only one of the five (20%) nominees in Best Cinematography this year is a woman, and four (80%) are men. Ari Wegner became just the second woman in 94 years of Oscar history to receive a nomination in the category.
Regina Hall, Wanda Sykes and Amy Schumer will co-host this year's awards. This will be the first time since 1977 that multiple women host an Oscars ceremony. The 94th Academy Awards will take place on March 27 and will air on ABC.
The Women’s Media Center, co-founded by Jane Fonda, Robin Morgan, and Gloria Steinem, is an inclusive and feminist organization that works to raise the visibility, viability, and decision-making power of women and girls in media to ensure that their stories get told and their voices are heard.
