Record Breakers: Diverse Artists Shine at the Oscars

This year's Oscar nominations showcase a remarkable surge in diversity, with "Sinners" leading the pack with 16 nods, including 10 for Black artists, matching a historic record. Director Ryan Coogler is among those recognized across multiple categories, with his wife Zinzi Coogler also making history as a Black woman and Filipina producer nominated for Best Picture. Craftspeople like Hannah Beachler and Autumn Durald Arkapaw achieved long-overdue milestones in their respective fields. Latino artists and international storytellers have also achieved unprecedented recognition. Guillermo del Toro's "Frankenstein" earned him the title of most-nominated Latino producer. Wagner Moura became the first Brazilian nominated for Best Actor, contributing to a record number of Brazilian nominees. Meanwhile, Yvett Merino made history as the first Latina nominated in animation. Chloé Zhao achieved another first, becoming the first person of color nominated twice for Best Director. Further milestones include Geeta Gandbhir as the first Indian woman double-nominated, and Jafar Panahi as the first non-French director of a non-French film nominated for Best International Feature. The nominations also honored posthumous achievements and saw Dede Gardner surpass previous records for Best Picture nominations as a producer. Age proved to be just a number with several young actors achieving new records. Timothée Chalamet became the youngest male actor to earn three acting nominations and the youngest person double-nominated for producing and acting in the same year. Emma Stone also set records for her career nominations, becoming the second-youngest person to reach seven nominations and the youngest woman to do so, surpassing Meryl Streep. Record-breaking performances extended to non-English language films, with four nominated in a single year, a first for the Academy. Diane Warren continued her streak with her ninth consecutive nomination for original song. Notably, a record 74 women were nominated overall, and the first all-women sound team received a nomination. The 98th Oscars are scheduled for March 15, 2026.