All-female, diverse Vanity Fair stars - including Saoirse Ronan - put Oscars in the shade

An age-bending, all-female, diverse cover of Vanity Fair magazine is being seen as redressing the Oscars race balance, with Ireland’s Saoirse Ronan and three black actresses featuring alongside Hollywood legends such as Diane Keaton and Helen Mirren.

Shot by celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz, the cover of its Hollywood 2016 issue is billed as a tribute to “Hollywood’s Fiercest Women” and features Jane Fonda, Viola Davis, and Jennifer Lawrence.

The portfolio of all 13 actresses also includes Cate Blanchett, Charlotte Rampling, Brie Larson, Rachel Weisz, Lupita Nyong’o, Alicia Vikander, and Gugu Mbatha-Raw.