Chloe Zhao made history at the Golden Globes on Sunday, 28 February, as she became just the second woman ever to win the Best Director award. Zhao is also the first Asian woman and second Asian director to take home the prize at the Golden Globes.
Zhao won the honour for her film Nomadland, which also won the Best Motion Picture (Drama) at the awards.
According to Variety, Zhao became the most-awarded filmmaker in a single awards season – after she directed, wrote, produced, and edited the acclaimed film.
In 2021, making history, three female directors were nominated for the award, including Emerald Fennell for Promising Young Woman and Regina King for One Night in Miami. The trio competed against David Fincher for Mank, and Aaron Sorkin for The Trial of the Chicago 7 for the top honours.
Only 5 Nominations & a Singular Win in the Past
This was not only the first time three women have been recognised for their work, but also the first time that more than one woman has been nominated for the category at the coveted Golden Globes.
In the almost 80-year-old history of the award, only five female directors have been nominated.
- Barbra Streisand, in 1984 for Yentl and in 1991 for The Prince of Tides
- Jane Campion, in 1994 for The Piano
- Sofia Coppola, in 2004 for Lost in Translation
- Kathryn Bigelow, in 2010 for The Hurt Locker and 2013 for Zero Dark Thirty
- Ava DuVernay, in 2015 for Selma
With the only other winner being Barbra Streisand – that too almost 40 years ago.
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