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The POC Nominees Who Won Big at This Year’s Oscars

Estimated reading time ~ 1 min
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Regina King accepting her Oscar (courtesy of Vanity Fair)

Four years ago, activist April Reign blasted through the status quo when she coined the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite to criticize the lack of diversity among nominees. The impact of that initial tweet (#OscarsSoWhite they asked to touch my hair. 😒) still reverberates today.

The Hollywood Reporter notes that the Academy itself has “worked to diversify its membership” (which influences who and what is nominated) — “issuing invitations to more women, people of color and international filmmakers. The organization invited 322 new members in 2015, 683 in 2016, 774 in 2017 and 928 in 2018.” And Spike Lee (who is nominated for best picture, best director, and best adapted screenplay), thanked Reign for calling attention to the fact that “Hollywood discovers black people” every 10 years despite their ongoing work in entertainment.

This year in particular, a wide variety of people of color are getting their shine, being recognized for their contributions to music, costume work, acting, directing, and more. Here are the POCs that triumphed at the 91st Academy Awards in what will, hopefully, be a new era.

Actress in a Supporting Role

Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk

Best Documentary Feature

Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin, Free Solo

Costume Design

Ruth E. Carter, Black Panther

Production Design

Hannah Beachler, Black Panther

Cinematography

Alfonso Cuarón, Roma

Foreign Language Film

Mexico, Roma

Actor in a Supporting Role

Mahershala Ali, Green Book

Animated Feature

Peter Ramsey, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Animated Short Film

Domee Shi, Bao

Documentary Short

Rayka Zehtabchi, Period. End of Sentence.

Adapted Screenplay

Kevin Wilmott, Spike Lee, BlacKkKlansman

Best Actor in a Leading Role

Rami Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody

Directing

Alfonso Cuarón, Roma

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