The night of the 2022 Oscars was a historic night for women in film.

The beloved award show made its anticipated return to the live stage after going digital last year due to Covid-19. And while the night was certainly chaotic, it also served as a historic night for women in film.

This year, the Oscars honoured and celebrated women creatives more than ever before. (Although many might argue the award recipient ratio leaves much to be desired). Firstly, this is the first time three women—two of whom are people of colour—hosted the Oscars. Moreover, revered stars like Billie Eilish, Jane Campion, Sian Heder, and more were just some of the female voices and stories placed front and centre.

Here are few of the most memorable moments for women at the 2022 Oscars:

The Host Trio

For the first time in history, three women took centre-stage to host the Oscars. Amy Schumer, Wanda Sykes, and Regina Hall certainly made history this year. The trio brought out their raw comedy and openly called out the misogyny by using humour.

Ariana DuBose’s Win

Ariana DuBose broke not one, but two industry barriers when she received the award for Best Supporting Actress. She became the first openly queer, Afro-Latina woman to win an Oscar. Although it’s certainly important to remember how often we celebrate industry firsts–how often we applaud gatekeepers for ‘letting down their barriers’, it’s also important to celebrate the wins of women.

Jane Campion Won Best Director

Jane Campion became the third woman in history to win a directing Oscar (for Power of the Dog). She was also the first woman to win the year after another woman (Chloé Zhao for Nomadland).

Heder’s Coda Won Best Picture

This was the first Oscars with two front-runners for best picture that were directed by women. The first was “The Power of the Dog”, and the second was “CODA”. In the history of the Oscars, only 7 women have been nominated for best picture (Campion twice). CODA follows the story of a hearing child of deaf parents who wants to become a singer. When CODA took best picture, it was the third time in 93 years that a female-directed film had one.

Apart from these, there were many more memorable moments from the night. Firstly, we have Beyoncé’s performance of Be Alive from King Richard. The Queen of Basketball, a documentary about the first woman NBA player, won Best Short Documentary. And Jessica Chastain honoured ‘all those who feel hopeless’ in her acceptance speech for Best Actress.

While some eagerly celebrated women’s places in the show, others pointed out how it’s questionable to applaud industry gatekeepers for ‘lowering their barriers’. Nonetheless, the Oscars was a historic night for women in film.

Published by HOLR Magazine.