Rachel Morrison just made Oscar history as the first woman ever nominated for Best Cinematography for her work on director Dee Rees’ period drama “Mudbound.”
She faces off against Roger Deakins for “Blade Runner 2049,” Bruno Delbonnel for “Darkest Hour,” Hoyte van Hoytema for “Dunkirk” and Dan Laustsen for “The Shape of Water.”
Two weeks ago, Morrison became the first female cinematographer nominated in the feature-film category for the 32nd annual American Society of Cinematographers Awards.
The 39-year-old, who joined the ASC just last year, has served as cinematographer on such acclaimed projects as the 2014 Jennifer Aniston vehicle “Cake,” Rick Famuyiwa‘s 2015 Sundance breakout “Dope” and Famuyiwa‘s 2016 HBO movie “Confirmation” starring Kerry Washington as Anita Hill.
Morrison recently wrapped her most high-profile project to date, Ryan Coogler’s Marvel superhero movie “Black Panther,” due in theaters next month.
The ASC has nominated women for their work in television, but Morrison was the first to be honored in the theatrical feature category.
All 16 Oscar Best Picture Nominees Directed by a Woman, From 'The Piano' to 'Nomadland' (Photos)
In the history of the Academy Awards, only seven women have gotten a Best Director nomination. But a dozen-plus films with a female director have scored Best Picture nods -- particularly since the Academy expanded the lead category to include more than five nominees.
Randa Haines' "Children of a Lesser God" (1986) • Haines' drama about a teacher at a school for the deaf earned five nominations, and won one for Marlee Matlin's breakout lead performance. But Haines herself didn't get a nod.
Paramount
Penny Marshall's "Awakenings" (1990) • The Robert De Niro-Robin Williams medical drama picked up three nods, including for Steven Zaillian's script -- but no love for Marshall.
Columbia Pictures
Barbra Streisand's "The Prince of Tides" (1991) • The directing snub for Streisand, who also produced and starred in this tear-jerking drama, prompted that year's Oscar host, Billy Crystal, to quip: "Seven nominations on the shelf, did this film direct itself?" (It went home with no trophies.)
Columbia Pictures
Jane Campion's "The Piano" (1993) • Campion became only the second woman nominated as Best Director (after Lina Wertmuller) and took home an Oscar for her screenplay. The film earned eight nominations in total, and won three -- including for Holly Hunter and Anna Paquin.
Miramax
Sofia Coppola's "Lost in Translation" (2003) • Coppola's two-hander earned four nominations in all. While she did earn a directing nomination, like Campion she was only rewarded for her screenplay.
Focus Features
Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris' "Little Miss Sunshine" (2006) • Once again, this oddball family dramedy earned a Best Picture nod but nothing for its co-directors. The film took home two Oscars in all, for supporting actor Alan Arkin and screenwriter Michael Arndt, out of four total nominations.
Fox Searchlight
Kathryn Bigelow's "The Hurt Locker" (2009) • Bigelow's war drama earned nine nominations and took home six awards -- including Best Picture. She also became the first woman to win Best Director (and beat her ex-husband and "Avatar" auteur James Cameron).
Summit
Lone Scherfig's "An Education" (2009) • In the first year in which the Academy expanded the Best Picture field to 10, Scherfig's British indie scored three nominations, including for its breakout star, Carey Mulligan.
Sony Classics
Lisa Cholodenko's "The Kids Are All Right" (2010) • Cholodenko's drama about a long-standing lesbian couple picked up four nominations, including for actors Annette Bening and Mark Ruffalo. But the Academy showed no love for Cholodenko's direction.
Focus Features
Debra Granik's "Winter's Bone" (2010) • Jennifer Lawrence earned her first Oscar nomination for her breakout role in this indie, which picked up a total of four nominations.
Roadside Attractions
Kathryn Bigelow's "Zero Dark Thirty" (2012) • Bigelow's Gulf War drama snagged five nominations -- though not for directing -- but only took home a prize for its sound editing.
Columbia Pictures
Ava DuVernay's "Selma" (2014) • DuVernay's Martin Luther King Jr. biopic picked up two nominations, and won Best Original Song for Common and John Legend's stirring "Glory."
Paramount
Greta Gerwig's "Lady Bird" (2017) • Gerwig's feature directorial debut earned five nominations, including for Gerwig's screenplay and directing, but went home empty-handed.
Greta Gerwig's "Little Women" (2019) • Two years later, Gerwig returned to the race with her adaptation of the Louisa May Alcott classic -- though she lost out on a directing nomination. (The film did win Best Costume Design.)
Sony
Chloé Zhao's "Nomadland" (2020) • Chloé Zhao's film earned six nominations -- including four for the Chinese-born filmmaker herself as producer, writer, director and editor.
Searchlight
Emerald Fennell's "Promising Young Woman" (2020) • The actress' debut feature as a director earned five nominations, including for Fennell's directing and her screenplay.
Focus Features
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Chloé Zhao and Emerald Fennell are the most recent to join the elite list
In the history of the Academy Awards, only seven women have gotten a Best Director nomination. But a dozen-plus films with a female director have scored Best Picture nods -- particularly since the Academy expanded the lead category to include more than five nominees.
Paramount
