Rock n' role

For all the cop-outs and raised eyebrows, there’s no doubt this year’s Oscars shone a light on some incredibly talented women

- Deepanjana Pal

Soon after the nominations for the Academy Awards were announced, two things became clear. The Best Actress in a Leading Role category had some of the strongest contenders in Oscar history. However, despite the stellar performances, there was no competition.

Jessie Buckley's performance as Agnes, William Shakespeare's wife, in Hamnet, was the overwhelming favourite.

The other nominated performances — Rose Byrne in If I Had Legs I'd Kick You, Renate Reinsve in Sentimental Value, Kate Hudson in Song Sung Blue and Emma Stone in Bugonia — likely still had the Academy's voters in a quandary. They are all outstanding and, in a particularly satisfying coincidence, all play unusual, difficult women.