Today in news that makes us want to scream, women make up only 20 percent of this year’s non-acting Academy Award nominations, according to research from the Women’s Media Center (WMC).
In a press release, WMC reports that the number of female nominees decreased by two percent (2%) since the 2016 nominations, “despite an overhaul of membership last year, where hundreds of new members were invited, including many women and people of color.”
WMC found that women were “woefully underrepresented” in the major categories, with no women directors and only one woman screenwriter receiving a nomination, Allison Schroeder for co-writing “Hidden Figures.” (Note: No women directors were nominated in the Directing category, but a few women-directed films received recognition, including Ava DuVernay’s “13th,” nominated for Best Documentary, and Maren Ade’s “Toni Erdmann,” nominated for Best Foreign Language Film)
“We have a saying, ‘If you can see it, you can be it,’” WMC President Julie Burton said in a statement. “But in the crucial behind-the-scenes non-acting roles […] what you see is 80 percent of all nominees are men. Four out of five nominees are men — meaning male voices and perspectives are largely responsible for what we see on screen.”
Burton argued that these statistics come as no surprise, considering the recent report from the Center for the Study of Women in Television & Film. Their research found women only comprised 17 percent of the behind-the-camera roles on 2016’s top 250 domestic grossing films. “Clearly, women cannot get through the door and if they cannot get through the door, they cannot be recognized — and rewarded — for their excellence and impact,” Burton commented.
The WMC research also notes that there are award categories that “exclude women 100 percent of the time, including cinematography.” Others, like the animation races, “do not represent women in their ranks overall.”
Overall, women represent just 19 percent of all Academy Award nominations from 2005 to 2016, the WMC details.
Even with these dismal statistics, the WMC report does feature some good news. Nine women producers received nominations for Best Picture. And people of color received more nominations “than in any other year in Oscar history.” If nothing else, it seems that the Academy took the push for more inclusivity seriously after two years of #OscarsSoWhite.
Additionally, the research found that there are a few breakthrough nominations this year. “Jackie” composer Mica Levy is the first woman to receive a nod for Best Original Score since the 2000 awards. Joi McMillan’s (“Moonlight”) nomination for Best Editing marks the first time a black woman has received the honor.
The release makes special mention of Dede Gardner. The producer has garnered five Best Picture nods since 2012, including her work on “12 Years a Slave,” “Selma,” and “Moonlight.”
Founded in 2005 by Jane Fonda, Robin Morgan, and Gloria Steinem, the Women’s Media Center “works to make women visible and powerful in media.” The WMC trains and promotes women leaders in media fields, and conducts research “on media inclusion and accuracy.”
Check out the 2017 Oscars infographic below or go to the WMC website for more information.
The Oscars will broadcast Sunday, February 26.
