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.
During her acceptance speech, Arkapaw recognized the weight of the history she was making: breaking a glass ceiling for women in filmmaking.
“I really want all the women in the room to stand up, because I feel like I don’t get here without you guys,” she said. “I really, really, truly mean that. 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.”
A cinematographer, also known as a director of photography (DP), is the person responsible for capturing the visual look and feel of a film or TV production. They are essentially the bridge between the director’s creative vision and what actually appears on screen.
