Female directors were shut out of the nominations for the 77th Golden Globes while Robert De Niro was also a surprise snub.

Greta Gerwig was tipped by many for a best director nod for Little Women while Hustlers’ Lorene Scafaria and The Farewell’s Lulu Wang were also expected to be in the frame.

However they missed out, leaving an all-male shortlist of Martin Scorsese for The Irishman, Quentin Tarantino for Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood, Sam Mendes for 1917, Todd Phillips for Joker and Bong Joon-ho for Parasite.

While the absence of female filmmakers is likely to prove controversial, only five women have ever been nominated for best director in the Globes’ 77-year history.

Greta Gerwig
Little Women director Greta Gerwig has missed out on a Golden Globe nomination (Yui Mok/PA)

Barbra Streisand was the only winner, triumphing in 1984 with Yentl.

De Niro’s leading role in The Irishman had been billed as another career high for one of Hollywood’s greatest actors, but it was not enough to earn him recognition from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA).

Little Women has been well received but it received only two nominations, for Saoirse Ronan for best actress and best original score.

Game Of Thrones paid the price for its divisive eighth and final season, only picking up one nod for star Kit Harington.

Another TV series to miss out was Netflix’s acclaimed drama When They See Us.

Ava DuVernay’s harrowing account of five young men falsely accused of an horrific attack on a New York City jogger was overlooked by the HFPA voters.

The Big Bang Theory, one of the most popular sitcoms in recent TV history, bowed out earlier this year but was another absentee on the nominations list.

Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift’s Beautiful Ghosts is up for best original song (PA)

Another hugely popular show to depart in the last 12 months, Veep, was also snubbed, with star Julia Louis-Dreyfus failing to score a nod for best TV comedy actress.

The Handmaid’s Tale, This Is Us and Euphoria were also shut out.

Cats, the star-studded adaptation of the beloved stage musical, has proven to be one of the year’s more divisive films due to its distinctive animation style.

It is due to be released later this month but was eligible for the Golden Globes, however it only scored one nomination, with Taylor Swift’s Beautiful Ghosts up for best original song.

The 77th Golden Globes take place in Beverly Hills on January 5.