“Sinners,” a 2025 American horror film, was the most nominated film in Oscars history. And now, its cinematographer has made history on her own.
Among the movie’s unprecedented 16 nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director for Ryan Coogler, Autumn Durald Arkapaw had made history in January as the first woman of color to ever be nominated in the category.
At the 2026 Academy Awards, Arkapaw became the first woman to ever win the prize.
Only three other women have ever been nominated for the award – Rachel Morrison for war drama “Mudbound” in 2018; Ari Wegner for Western romance “The Power of the Dog” in 2021; and Mandy Walker for dazzling biopic “Elvis” in 2022.
Arkapaw, who is Filipina and Creole, was up against an all-male roster of fellow nominees for this year’s Oscar. The unprecedented nature of her nomination, and her win, wasn’t lost in the moment – on Arkapaw herself, or her contemporaries. “I have felt so much love from all the women on this whole campaign and gotten to meet so many people,” she said during her acceptance speech. “I just feel like moments like this happen because of you guys, and I want to thank you for that.”
Also notable among the litany of “Sinners” nominations is that of Ruth E. Carter, the costume designer who has now become the most nominated Black woman in Oscars history. Though she didn’t win this year, this was her fifth nomination, following nods for work on both “Black Panther” films, as well as 1992 biographical drama “Malcolm X” and 1997 historical drama “Amistad.”
At the Oscars, “Sinners” ultimately took home four statues, the other three going to Coogler for Best Original Screenplay, star Michael B. Jordan for Best Lead Actor, and Best Original Score.
Prior to “Sinners,” Arkapaw worked on 2022 Marvel smash-hit sequel “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” – also directed by Coogler – 2024 drama “The Last Showgirl” and 2021 superhero TV series “Loki,” among numerous other film, TV and music credits.
In a 2025 interview with Vogue, she recalled the dearth of role models she had to look up to when she was younger. “I started looking up who shot the films that I appreciated and I didn’t find a woman cinematographer,” she recalled. But as her career has progressed, young girls have found her in their own pursuits of women to look up to – and she doesn’t take that position for granted.
“There aren’t many people who look like Ryan [Coogler] or me making films at this level with such reach to wide audiences, and we take that responsibility very seriously,” she told Vogue. “We know there will be Black and brown girls and boys who see themselves in us, looking for inspiration.”
Arkapaw continued: “If we approach our work with care, it can help light the way for someone else’s journey – and to me, that’s truly beautiful.”
This post, first published January 22, 2026, had been updated to reflect Arkapaw’s win.