LOS ANGELES — The Academy Awards this year have a record number of female nominees, but women are still lagging behind in the top categories.

In the 20 non-gendered categories, 52 women are nominated, up eight from last year. Yet there are no female nominees for directing, cinematography, editing, score or visual effects. And overall, men make up over 75 per cent of this year’s Oscar nominees.

The directing category gets the most scrutiny because of the power the position holds on a film set and in the industry. There have been only five women ever nominated for best director and only one winner in Kathryn Bigelow.

Film academy president John Bailey says that parity is an industry matter, not just an academy matter.

Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press