In nearly 100 years of Oscar history, only three women have ever been nominated for the Best Cinematography category. On Sunday night, Autumn Durald Arkapaw, director of photography for Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, and the first Black woman ever recognized in the category, made all of them matter.
The win at the 98th Academy Awards was a long time coming, as is evidenced by the sheer lack of women in the field. Women made up just 7% of cinematographers on the top 250 films in 2025, according to San Diego State University’s annual Celluloid Ceiling report. Cinematography also consistently ranks among the lowest categories in terms of female representation across all of Hollywood’s behind-the-scenes roles.
