Research shows older women are winning more Oscars – here's why

Traditionally, younger actresses have been favoured by the Oscars – but as statistics highlight, that's changing. Is it a sign that female ageism in the film industry is on its way out? When Michelle Yeoh collected her best actress Oscar for Everything Everywhere All at Once in 2023, aged 60, she declared, "Ladies, don't let anybody tell you [that] you are ever past your prime. Never give up." That Yeoh felt the need to say that publicly reflects her position as one of only seven women who've been over the age of 60 when they've won the best actress trophy. Only one winner, Jessica Tandy, has been over 80; only one other, Katharine Hepburn, was over 70. The Academy Awards voters have traditionally favoured women in their 20s and 30s, with a clear discrepancy in winners' ages between the best actor and best actress category. Adrien Brody remains the only best actor winner under 30, while 32 actresses have won in their 20s. But times have been, slowly but surely, changing. BBC research shows that the average age of best actress nominees has been consistently increasing decade by decade. So whereas the average age of a best actress nominee was 33 in the 1940s, it rose to 36 by the 197