2 women were nominated for best director in the same year at the Oscars for the 1st time ever

• Chloé Zhao and Emerald Fennell landed nominations for best director at the Oscars.
• This is the first time two women have been nominated for the award in the same year.
• Zhao was nominated for "Nomadland," while Fennell was nominated for "Promising Young Woman."

Chloé Zhao and Emerald Fennell just made history at the Academy Awards.

The two women, who helmed "Nomadland" and "Promising Young Woman" respectively, were just nominated for best director - the first time that two women have been nominated for this award in the same year.

While "Nomadland" follows a woman (Frances McDormand), who loses her job after the recession, "Promising Young Woman," centers a medical school drop out dedicated to catching predatory men.

The Academy announced their Oscar nominations, which seem to be one of the most diverse years ever, on Monday morning.

Zhao and Fennell have become the sixth and seventh women directors nominated for the award, with only five other women nominated before them. Greta Gerwig was the latest of those, earning a nomination for "Lady Bird" in 2018.

The other four women who were nominated include Lina Wertmüller for "Seven Beauties" in 1976, Jane Campion for "The Piano" in 1993, Sofia Coppola for "Lost in Translation" in 2003, and Kathryn Bigelow for "The Hurt Locker" in 2009.

Bigelow is the only one of those filmmakers to actually win.

Zhao could change that, however. She is the favorite to win the award after taking home the Golden Globe for the same prize earlier this year.

Zhao and Fennell also earned nominations for writing their movies, too. Zhao picked up a best adapted screenplay nod for "Nomadland," while Fennell was nominated for best original screenplay for "Promising Young Woman." Zhao also earned a bid for best film editing, while both movies were nominated for best picture.

Zhao, who also becomes the first Asian woman nominated for the award, and Fennell are part of a diverse list of best director nominees that also includes Lee Isaac Chung ("Minari,") David Fincher ("Mank"), and Thomas Vinterberg ("Another Round").

Fincher's "Mank" leads the Oscar nominations this year.

Zhao and Fennell beat out fierce competition to land their nods with major awards contendors such as Aaron Sorkin for "The Trial of the Chicago 7" and Florian Zeller for "The Father" missing out. Regina King, director of "One Night in Miami," was tipped to earn a nomination but she, too, missed out.