LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Even as the nominations for the 90th Oscars were announced on Tuesday, with The Shape Of Water, Dunkirk and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri leading the pack, the statistics made for entertaining analysis too.
Female film-makers recognised: The 7,000-plus voters of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences managed to remember this year that women make movies too.
Greta Gerwig, recognised for Lady Bird, is only the fifth female best director nominee, and the first since Kathryn Bigelow won for The Hurt Locker in 2010.
Rachel Morrison, director of photography on Mudbound, is the first woman to receive a nomination for cinematography.
Long live Queen Meryl: Meryl Streep increases her lead as the most nominated performer in history with her 21st nod for Steven Spielberg's The Post. Her three wins were for Kramer Vs Kramer (1979), Sophie's Choice (1982) and The Iron Lady (2011).
All hail the maestro: John Williams adds to his record number of music scoring nominations with his 46th for Star Wars: The last Jedi. His overall total of 51 - including five for original song - is the most for any living person, and second only to Walt Disney at 59.
Kobe Bryant: Oscars MVP?: Basketballer Kobe Bryant, an 18-time NBA all-star, is an Oscar nominee thanks to his collaboration with artist Glen Keane and composer John Williams for the short Dear Basketball.
Snubs and surprises: Among this year's big snubs were Golden Globes nominees Armie Hammer (Call Me By Your Name) and Hong Chau (Downsizing), as well as Wonder Woman, which did not get a single nomination.
Mudbound and The Big Sick were absent from the best picture category.
Steven Spielberg (The Post) and Martin McDonagh (Three Billboards ) were both left out of the best director category.
But Denzel Washington picked up a surprise eighth nomination for acting, expanding his own record as the most-nominated black actor in Oscars history. He has won twice, for Glory and Training Day. He also has a nomination for best picture for Fences, which he directed and co-produced.
