The Hollywood Foreign Press Association received backlash today after nominating five white men for a Golden Globe award under the Best Director: Motion Picture category. Online critics called out the HFPA for ignoring standout female and black directors who deserved the nod.
Among the snubbed filmmakers were Greta Gerwig, who helmed the witty Lady Bird starring Saoirse Ronan, Patty Jenkins, who directed Wonder Woman (which became the highest-grossing live action film directed by a woman—ever), Dee Rees, who directed the critically-acclaimed Mudbound, and Jordan Peele, who's brainchild Get Out became a modern cult favorite.
Though missing from the prestigious directing category, these films earned nods in other categories. Lady Bird, for example, is in the running for Best Screenplay and Best Motion Picture: Musical or Comedy. Get Out is also a contender in the latter category, and lead actor Daniel Kaluuya earned a Best Actor nomination. Mudbound's Mary J. Blige earned a nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
The lack of women director nominees comes as a disappointment after people have pushed for more diversity—and gender equality—in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations against powerful men in Hollywood. The Oscars Academy responded to the scandals by instilling "standards of conduct." Meanwhile the HFPA nominated five well-known white men for Best Director: Guillermo del Toro (The Shape of Water), Martin McDonagh (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri), Christopher Nolan (Dunkirk), Ridley Scott (All The Money in the World), and Steven Spielberg (The Post).
Twitter didn't hold back:
Saoirse Ronan, a Best Actress nominee, stood up for her Lady Bird director. "And I think that Greta [Gerwig] should have been nominated for directing," she said in a statement. "As a filmmaker, the work she has done is really extraordinary. The film's nomination that's really her nomination and so well-deserved."
The Golden Globes airs on Sunday, January 7 on NBC.
