Autumn Durald Arkapaw has made history after becoming the first woman to win the Academy Award for Best Cinematography at the 98th Academy Awards, marking a major milestone in the film industry.
Arkapaw won the award for her work on the film “Sinners,” directed by Ryan Coogler.
Her victory also made her the first woman of colour to claim the prize in the category, which has existed for nearly a century and has long been dominated by male cinematographers.
Taking the stage to accept the award, Arkapaw acknowledged the women who supported her journey in filmmaking and encouraged them to stand in recognition of their contributions to the industry.
“I’m so honoured to be here, and I really want all the women in the room to stand up because I feel like I don’t get here without you guys.
“I have felt so much love from all the women on this whole campaign and gotten to meet so many people, and I just feel like moments like this happen because of you guys, and I want to thank you for that,” Arkapaw said.
The win is particularly significant given the category’s history.
Prior to Arkapaw’s victory, only three women had ever been nominated for Best Cinematography: Rachel Morrison for “Mudbound,” Ari Wegner for “The Power of the Dog,” and Mandy Walker for “Elvis.”
Arkapaw, whose previous credits include “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” also made history as the first female cinematographer to shoot on IMAX 65mm and Ultra Panavision for “Sinners.”
During her thank-you speech, she thanked director Ryan Coogler and said, “Thank you for believing in me and thank you for trusting me, and that’s the kind of guy I get to make films with.”
The 2026 Oscars ceremony, held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, featured several major wins for “Sinners”, including Best Actor for Michael B. Jordan and Best Original Screenplay for Coogler.
Filmmaker Ryan Coogler’s win also placed him in the history books as only the second Black writer to win the Best Original Screenplay category, after Jordan Peele won for Get Out in 2018.
AFP
