L-R: Frances McDormand, Chloe Zhao, Carey Mulligan, Emerald Fennell — 20th Century Studios/Focus Features (LOS ANGELES) — For the first time in Oscars history, two women are nominated in the best director category.

Chloé Zhao earned a nomination for Nomadland and Emerald Fennell for Promising Young Woman when the nominations for the 93rd Academy Awards were announced by Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra Monday morning.

Nominated alongside them are Lee Isaac Chung for Minari, David Fincher for Mank and Thomas Vinterberg for Another Round.

With her nomination, Zhao is the first Asian woman to be nominated for best director Oscar. She won the Golden Globe for best director just weeks ago.

Prior to this year, only five women had ever been nominated in the best director category at the Academy Awards. These include Italian director Lina Wertmüller for Seven Beauties in 1977, New Zealand director Jane Campion for The Piano in 1994, Sofia Coppola for Lost in Translation in 2004, Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker in 2010,  and Greta Gerwig for Lady Bird in 2018.  Bigelow is, so far, the only woman to win the best director Oscar.

The Academy Awards have never recognized a Black female director with a nomination.

Both leading ladies from Zhao and Fennell’s films — Frances McDormand for Nomadland and Carey Mulligan for Promising Young Woman — were also nominated in the best actress category.

Nomadland garnered six total nominations to the five Promising Young Woman received.

The Oscars will air Sunday, April 25, live on ABC at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

By Carson Blackwelder
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