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$Three years ago, Kathryn Bigelow became the first female to ever win the Oscar for best director for "The Hurt Locker." Though her follow-up film, "Zero Dark Thirty," received a best picture nomination, Bigelow was not one of the five directors recognized. <style type="text/css"> /* Main div */ div.ent-must-reads { width: 620px; margin-top: 20px; height: auto; overflow: hidden; } div.article#content div.ent-must-reads a{ color:#000000; text-decoration: none;} /* Picks */ div.ent-pick { float: left; margin: 0px auto; width: 206px; } div.ent-pick img{ margin:3px 7px 2px 0px; height: 105px; width:187px; display: inline-block; float: left; } div.ent-pick a img { border: none; } div.ent-pick a { margin: 3px; } /* Headers */ div.article#content h2#title{ font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; padding: 0; margin-bottom: 10px; font-style: normal; } div.article#content p#ent-hed{ font-size: 13px; margin: 6px; width: 192px; font-style: normal; } </style>  <div class="ent-must-reads">  <h2 id="title"><a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/">MORE OSCAR COVERAGE</a></h2>  <div class="ent-pick">  <a href="http://ballots.latimes.com/oscar-ballot-2013/" target="_top"> <img src="http://www.trbimg.com/img-50eed8b2/turbine/la-et-oscars-three-story-feature-well/187/16x9" alt="" /> </a>  <a href="http://ballots.latimes.com/oscar-ballot-2013/" target="_top"> <p id="ent-hed">WINNING BALLOT: A list of the 2013 winners</p> </a> </div>  <div class="ent-pick">  <a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/moviesnow/la-et-mn-oscars-2013-best-worst-pictures,0,6884693.photogallery" target="_top"> <img src="http://www.trbimg.com/img-512e415d/turbine/la-et-mn-oscars-2013-best-worst-pictures/400/16x9" alt="" /> </a>  <a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/moviesnow/la-et-mn-oscars-2013-best-worst-pictures,0,6884693.photogallery" target="_top"> <p id="ent-hed">PHOTOS: Best & worst moments</p> </a> </div>  <div class="ent-pick">  <a href="http://timelines.latimes.com/academy-awards/" target="_top"> <img src="http://www.latimes.com/media/thumbnails/storylink/2012-02/68371665-25105515.jpg" alt="" /> </a>  <a href="http://timelines.latimes.com/academy-awards/" target="_top"> <p id="ent-hed">TIMELINE: Academy Awards through the years</p> </a> </div> </div>$

Kathryn Bigelow

( Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times / December 4, 2012 )

Three years ago, Kathryn Bigelow became the first female to ever win the Oscar for best director for "The Hurt Locker." Though her follow-up film, "Zero Dark Thirty," received a best picture nomination, Bigelow was not one of the five directors recognized.