Golden Globes Diversity Push Fails to Boost Female Directors

Almost two years after Natalie Portman sniped “here are the all-male nominees” when announcing the best director award at the Golden Globes, women aren’t faring any better.

All five best director nominees that will be contending for a Golden Globe award on Jan. 5 are male. And the films competing for the best picture prize for drama, including “The Irishman” and “The Two Popes,” largely focus on the stories of men.

While there were no major surprises among the 2019 film nominees, it’s a sign that efforts to diversify Hollywood are hitting speed bumps. Last year, things seemed to be improving when actress Sandra Oh took to the Golden Globes stage to laud advancements around racial diversity. However, women are repeatedly shut out of contention for the top directing prize.

A report from the Directors Guild of America released in 2018 showed part of the problem is there are fewer female directors to choose from. Though women are gaining more of a foothold in the industry, they still only accounted for 12% of directing spots in films earning at least $250,000 in 2017.

Females fared better in the television categories in this year’s Golden Globes nominations. “Big Little Lies,” “Killing Eve” and “The Morning Show,” all dramas centered on women characters, were nominated for best dramatic television series.