So, the nominations for the 2016 Academy Awards were announced in Hollywood and hot damn have they done a number to address the whole #OscarsSoWhite fiasco of years past.
For the first time in Oscars history, people of colour have been nominated in every. Single. Category. Every one. Let’s take a moment to think about this.
People of colour. In every category. For the first time. In Oscars history.
Want more history-making? Not only is a POC nommed in every category but Viola Davis (absolute goddess and star of my not-so-secret guilty pleasure, How To Get Away With Murder) is the first-ever black actress to cop three noms. Three!
Joi McMillon is the first black woman to be nominated in the Best Film Editing category for her work on Moonlight, and is also the second-ever person of African-descent to be nominated in this category.
Barry Jenkins, who also worked tirelessly on Moonlight, has made history by being the first black filmmaker to be nominated for three awards – Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay.
Just turned my phone on here in Amsterdam. It’s ummmmmm… yeah. Oh my. So much love, overwhelmed. Literally and figuratively
— Barry Jenkins (@BandryBarry) January 24, 2017
Now, this is not to dismiss the fact that hey, we still have a hell of a long way to go in regards to equal representation on the silver screen, but the fact that the Academy is *actually* recognising the enormous amount of work that POC do in the film industry is a step in the right direction.
Source: Academy Awards.
Photo:
