Only three women have won Best Director in Academy history — Kathryn Bigelow, Chloé Zhao, and Jane Campion. Female directors who won best director Oscar share a hard-won legacy every film fan should know by heart.

Kathryn Bigelow won for The Hurt Locker in 2010 — the first woman ever to claim Best Director. Female directors who won best director Oscar begin with her historic breakthrough ending decades of all-male winners.

Chloé Zhao won for Nomadland in 2021 — the second woman and first woman of color in the category. Female directors who won best director Oscar gained a landmark voice from her patient, location-driven craft.

Jane Campion won for The Power of the Dog in 2022 on her second nomination decades after The Piano. Female directors who won best director Oscar now include a filmmaker who waited nearly thirty years for the prize.

Each victory landed on a globally televised podium before millions of viewers. Female directors who won best director Oscar turned personal craft into cultural milestones that reshaped awards-season conversations worldwide.