Golden Globes draw outrage after snubbing female directors as HFPA attempts diversity comeback

Though the Hollywood Foreign Press Association attempted to diversify its voting ranks amid a racial exclusion scandal, the 2023 Golden Globes nominations snubbed female filmmakers in the Best Director category.

After nods were revealed Monday morning by actresses Selenis Leyva and Mayan Lopez, many took to social media to point out that this year's Best Director roster included only men, despite Sarah Polley (Women Talking), Gina Prince-Bythewood (The Woman King), Charlotte Wells (Aftersun), Chinonye Chukwu (Till), and more helming critically lauded titles that have earned major recognition elsewhere on the awards trail.

Additionally, none of the Globes' 10 Best Picture nominees across both the Drama and Musical/Comedy brackets were directed by women.

Women Talking and The Woman King did, however, earn nominations in other categories. The former received nods for Polley's screenplay and Hildur Guðnadóttir's score, while the latter secured Viola Davis a lead actress nomination.

Mike Coppola/Getty Images; Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images Sarah Polley and Gina Prince-Bythewood were snubbed by the Golden Globes.

In 2021, prior to a Los Angeles Times exposé that revealed the group had no Black members among its votership, the organization did nominate a record number of women for Best Director, including Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman), Regina King (One Night in Miami), and eventual winner Chloé Zhao (Nomadland).

Though they didn't receive nominations from the HFPA, Women Talking — about a group of women who rebel against their religious colony — earned stellar reviews from critics out of the fall festivals, where it was a runner-up for the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival People's Choice Award. The Woman King, which follows Davis as the leader of a real-life militia of female warriors in 19th-century Africa, also became a box office hit with $67.1 million in domestic ticket sales.

The 80th Golden Globes ceremony — hosted by comedian and actor Jerrod Carmichael — airs live Tuesday, Jan. 10, on NBC.

Check out more from EW's The Awardist, featuring exclusive interviews, analysis, and our podcast diving into all the highlights from the year's best in TV.

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