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The Number of Women Who Won Oscars This Year Is Depressing

4 minute read

Despite the lip-service paid to the #TimesUp and #MeToo movements from Oscars producers and winners alike on Sunday night, six women took home gold statues this year — the fewest female winners since 2012, when only four women won Oscars.

This year, four women took home Oscars in categories not specifically designated for actresses — best actress in a supporting role and best actress in a lead role.

Women had the most wins in 2014 and 2016; both those years saw 12 women bringing home Academy Awards.

One noticeably absent winner this year was Greta Gerwig and her critically acclaimed film Lady Bird, which did not win any accolades despite being nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.

Only one woman has ever won the Oscar for Best Director, and that was Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker in 2010.

We tallied up all of the female Oscars since that 2012 low point of just four women winners.

Here they are:

2018 – 6 women

  • Frances McDormand, Actress in a Leading Role, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
  • Allison Janney, Actress in a Supporting Role, I, Tonya
  • Darla K. Anderson, Animated Feature Film, Coco
  • Lucy Sibbick (with Kazuhiro Tsuji, David Malinowski), Makeup and Hairstyling, Darkest Hour
  • Rachel Shenton (with Chris Overton), Short Film (Live Action), The Silent Child
  • Kristen Anderson-Lopez (with Robert Lopez), Music (Original Song), “Remember Me” from Coco
  • 2017 – 9 women

  • Emma Stone, Actress in a Leading Role, La La Land
  • Viola Davis, Actress in a Supporting Role, Fences
  • Dede Gardner and Adele Romanski (with Jeremy Kleiner), Best Picture, Moonlight
  • Caroline Waterlow (with Ezra Edelman), Documentary (Feature), O.J.: Made in America
  • Joanna Natasegara (with Orlando von Einsiedel), Documentary (Short), The White Helmets
  • Anna Udvardy (with Kristof Deak), Short Film (Live Action), Sing
  • Sandy Reynolds-Wasco (with David Wasco), Production Design, La La Land
  • Colleen Atwood, Costume Design, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
  • 2016 – 12 women

  • Brie Larsen, Actress in a Leading Role, Room
  • Alicia Vikander, Actress in a Supporting Role, The Danish Girl
  • Blye Pagon Faus and Nicole Rocklin (with Steve Golin, Michael Sugar), Best Picture, Spotlight
  • Jenny Bevan, Costume Design, Mad Max: Fury Road
  • Serena Armitage (with Benjamin Cleary), Short Film (Live Action), Stutterer
  • Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Documentary (Short), A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness
  • Margaret Sixel, Best Film Editing, Mad Max: Fury Road
  • Sara Bennett (with Andrew Whitehurst, Paul Norris, Mark Ardington), Visual Effects, Ex Machina
  • Lesley Vanderwalt and Elka Wardega (with Damian Martin), Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Mad Max: Fury Road
  • Lisa Thompson – Set Decoration (with Colin Gibson – Production Design), Best Production Design, Mad Max: Fury Road
  • 2015 – 10 women

  • Julianne Moore, Actress in a Leading Role, Still Alice
  • Patricia Arquette, Actress in a Supporting Role, Boyhood
  • Laura Poitras and Mathilde Bonnefoy (with Dirk Wilutzky), Documentary (Feature), Citizen Four
  • Milena Canonero, Costume Design, The Grand Budapest Hotel
  • Frances Hannon (with Mark Coulier), Makeup and Hairstyling, The Grand Budapest Hotel
  • Anna Pinnock – Set Decoration (with Adam Stockhausen – Production Design), Best Production Design, The Grand Budapest Hotel
  • Kristina Reed (with Patrick Osborne), Short Film (Animated), Feast
  • Ellen Goosenberg Kent and Dana Perry, Documentary (Short), Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1
  • 2014 – 12 women

  • Cate Blanchett, Actress in a Leading Role, Blue Jasmine
  • Lupita Nyong’o, Actress in a Supporting Role, 12 Years a Slave
  • Dede Gardner (with Brad Pitt, Jeremy Kleiner, Steve McQueen and Anthony Katagas), Best Picture, 12 Years a Slave
  • Jennifer Lee (with Chris Buck, Peter Del Vecho), Animated Feature Film, Frozen
  • Catherine Martin, Costume Design, The Great Gatsby
  • Caitrin Rogers (with Morgan Neville, Gil Friesen), Documentary (Feature), 20 Feet from Stardom
  • Adruitha Lee and Robin Mathews, Makeup and Hairstyling, Dallas Buyers Club
  • Kristen Anderson-Lopez (with Robert Lopez), Music (Original Song), “Let it Go” from Frozen
  • Catherine Martin – Production Design and Beverley Dunn – Set Decoration, Best Production Design, The Great Gatsby
  • Laurent Witz (with Alexandre Espigares), Short Film (Animated), Mr. Hublot
  • 2013 – 9 women

  • Jennifer Lawrence, Actress in a Leading Role, Silver Linings Playbook
  • Anne Hathaway, Actress in a Supporting Role, Les Miserables
  • Adele (with Paul Epworth), Music (Original Song), “Skyfall” from Skyfall
  • Brenda Chapman (with Mark Andrews), Feature (Animated), Brave
  • Jacqueline Durran, Costume Design, Anna Karenina
  • Andrea Nix Fine (with Sean Fine), Documentary (Short), Inocente
  • Lisa Westcott and Julie Dartnell, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Les Miserables
  • Karen Baker Landers (with Per Hallberg), Sound Editing, Skyfall
  • 2012 – 4 women

  • Meryl Streep, Actress in a Leading Role, The Iron Lady
  • Octavia Spencer, Actress in a Supporting Role, The Help
  • Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy (with Daniel Junge), Documentary (Short), Saving Face
  • Francesca Lo Schiavo – Set Decoration (Dante Ferretti – Production Design), Best Art Direction, Hugo
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