It has been five years since April Reign kicked off the #OscarsSoWhite campaign, calling out the Academy Awards for overlooking professionals of color in the entertainment industry. But Sunday's awards ceremony may turn out to be a banner year for representation, with nominees including Steven Yeun, the first ever Asian American nominated for best actor, and Chloé Zhao, the first Asian woman nominated for Best Director. They are just two among many other nominees of color, seen in the chart below.
Guests:
Jenny Korn - research affiliate and founder and coordinator of the race, tech and media working group at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University.
Elena Creef - professor of women’s and gender studies at Wellesley College. She specializes in Asian American visual history in photography, film and popular culture.
Our Oscars POC Watchlist:
| ROLE/NOMINATION | NAME | FILM |
| Best Picture | Shaka King, Charles D. King, Ryan Coogler | "Judas and the Black Messiah" |
| Christina Oh | "Minari" | |
| Chloe Zhao | "Nomadland" | |
| Best Director | Chloé Zhao | "Nomadland" |
| Lee Isaac Chung | "Minari" | |
| Actor (Leading) | Steven Yeun | "Minari" |
| Riz Ahmed | "Sound of Metal" | |
| Chadwick Boseman | "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" | |
| Actor (Supporting) | Leslie Odom Jr | "One Night in Miami" |
| Daniel Kaluuya | "Judas and the Black Messiah" | |
| Lakeith Stanfield | "Judas and the Black Messiah" | |
| Actress (Leading) | Andra Day | "The United States vs. Billie Holiday" |
| Viola Davis | "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" | |
| Best Actor (Supporting) | Daniel Kaluuya | "Judas and the Black Messiah" |
| Leslie Odom Jr. | "One Night in Miami" | |
| Lakeith Stanfield | "Judas and the Black Messiah" | |
| Best Actress (Supporting) | Yuh-jung Youn | "Minari" |
| Best Animated Film | Gennie Rim and Peilin Chou | "Over the Moon" |
| Best Animated Shorts | Erick Oh | "Opera" |
| Best Live Action Shorts | Travon Free | "Two Distant Strangers" |
| Farah Nabulsi, Ossama Bawardi | "The Present" | |
| Best Adapted Screenplay | Chloé Zhao | "Nomadland" |
| Kemp Powers | "One Night in Miami" | |
| Ramin Bahrani | "The White Tiger" | |
| Best Original Screenplay | Shaka King | "Judas and the Black Messiah" |
| Lee Isaac Chung | "Minari" | |
| Best Original Song | H.E.R. (music), Dernst Emile II (music), Tiara Thomas (lyrics) | "Fight for You" — "Judas and the Black Messiah" |
| Celeste Waite (lyrics) | "Hear My Voice" — "The Trial of the Chicago 7" | |
| Savan Kotecha (music and lyrics) | "Húsavík" — "Eurovision Song Contest" | |
| Leslie Odom Jr. (music and lyrics) | "Speak Now" — "One Night in Miami" | |
| Best Original Score | Terence Blanchard | "Da 5 Bloods" |
| Jon Batiste | "Soul" | |
| Best Documentary Feature | Maite Alberdi, Marcela Santibáñez | "The Mole Agent" |
| Garrett Bradley, Lauren Domino | "Time" | |
| Best Documentary (Short) | Kris Bowers | "A Concerto Is a Conversation" |
| Sophia Nahli Allison, Janice Duncan | "A Love Song for Latasha" | |
| Best Film Editing | Chloé Zhao | "Nomadland" |
| Best Makeup and Hairstyling | Jamika Wilson, Mia Neal, Sergio Lopez-Rivera | "Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom" |
