Jordan Peele could make history in 2018. He’s just the fifth Black director ever nominated for an Academy Award for Best Director (“Get Out”), and if he wins the Oscar at the 90th Academy Awards, he’ll be the first.
Four other Black men nominated for Best Director since the Oscars began include John Singleton for 1991’s “Boyz n the Hood,”Lee Daniels for 2009’s “Precious,” Steve McQueen for 2013’s “12 Years a Slave” and Barry Jenkins for the 2017 best-picture winner, “Moonlight.”
The #OcarsSoWhite movement helped usher in unprecedented disruption in Hollywood’s inequality, but a Black woman has never won an Oscar for Best Director, and it’s not going to happen in 2018 either.
Congrats to all of the #Oscar nominees especially @maryjblige, @octaviaspencer, @JordanPeele, #DeeRees, #DenzelWashington #DanielKaluuya and #GetOut!
— Viola Davis (@violadavis) January 23, 2018
Since the first woman was nominated for best director in 1977, just five women have been nominated for directing. and only one of them won — Kathryn Bigelow, for “The Hurt Locker” in 2010.
This year, director, writer, and actor Greta Gerwig is the fifth woman nominated for best director for “Lady Bird”. The Academy Awards have been held annually since 1929.
…and Mary! Of course.
— Me (@RowenaKT) January 23, 2018
What a great morning! Super,DUPER congrats to @maryjblige !!!! pic.twitter.com/CKPvx9LXMP
— Gabby Sidibe (@GabbySidibe) January 23, 2018
Here are three women of color who deserve recognition at the 2018 Academy Awards for directing:
Dee Rees, for “Mudbound”, Amma Asante, for “A United Kingdom”, and Margaret Betts, for “Novitiate”.