It’s the Power of Jane. 

Jane Campion took home the Academy Award for best director for The Power of the Dog on Sunday night, as thunderous applause rang through the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Claiming her Oscar from presenter Kevin Costner, Campion thanked the Academy for a “lifetime honor.”

Her win came on the heels of a historic nomination. Campion is the first woman ever to be nominated twice in the category — she previously earned a nod in 1994 for The Piano — and only the third woman director ever to win, following Kathryn Bigelow in 2009 for The Hurt Locker and Chloé Zhao in 2021 for Nomadland. 

“I love directing because it’s a deep dive into story,” she said in her speech, stressing that she’s been lucky to work with “actors I’m moved to call my friends.” Campion specifically thanked Kirsten Dunst, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Benedict Cumberbatch — who blew her a kiss of gratitude — all of whom were nominated in acting categories for their work in The Power of the Dog, as well as author Thomas Savage, who wrote the 1967 book that inspired the film. “He wrote about cruelty, wanting the opposite: kindness,” she said. 

For the full list of 2022 Academy Award winners, head over to the Academy of Moving Picture Arts and Sciences website here.