In the last 10 years, women only accounted for 19 percent of Oscar nominations in non-acting categories, a new study found.
According to a Women’s Media Center analysis, 327 women were nominated compared to 1,387 men.
19 categories were analyzed in the past 10 years — behind-the-scenes roles analyzed included producers, writers, directors and cinematographers. From 2006 to 2015, women accounted for 24 percent of the total 217 producing nominees for Best Picture.
Out of 52 total nominees for Best Director from 2006 to 2015, Kathryn Bigelow was the only woman to be nominated, despite seven Best Picture nominees in the same time period being directed by women. In the Academy’s entire 88-year history, only 12 films directed by women have been nominated for Best Picture.
Women accounted for zero percent of the total cinematographers nominated for an Oscar between 2006 and 2015. In the entire history of the Academy Awards, no female has ever been nominated for an Oscar in the cinematography category.
Women have the strongest representations in the categories for costume design (73 percent), production design (46 percent), makeup (32 percent), short film (47.5 percent) and documentary (31 percent).
“There is a clear connection between the low numbers of women hired for behind-the-scenes jobs in film and women’s low representation among Oscar nominees,” said Julie Burton, president of the Women’s Media Center. “If they’re not hired in these non-acting categories, they’ll never have a chance to be recognized for their excellence.”
“The number of women film directors, especially black female directors, is abysmally low in an industry that too often is insular and resistant to change,” added Amma Asanta, director, writer, and recipient of the WMC Award for Directorial Excellence. “The makeup of the Academy is only part of the problem. Most often, it’s the lack of opportunity available to women, and it’s especially hard if you are a woman of color.”
The Academy has been under fire lately since it failed to nominate a single person of color in acting categories for the second year in a row. Trending hashtag #OscarsSoWhite was a rally cry for more diversity in the industry, while several actors and filmmakers have decided against attending the Feb. 28 ceremony. The Academy, in response, announced a series of changes to its membership rules in hopes to double its number of women and minority voters by 2020.
The study also revealed that 76 percent of Academy members are men with a median age of 63 — a statistic that shows Academy membership diversity has not changed much since it was founded in 1927.
“Women in film– and especially women of color — continue to face discriminatory hurdles,” said Jane Fonda, WMC co-founder and co-chair. “Hollywood is still an all-boys’ club.”