Autumn Durald Arkapaw made history at the 98th Academy Awards as the first woman and first Black nominee to win Best Cinematography for Sinners, which also took home Oscars for Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score, and Best Actor. In her speech, she called on women in the room to stand and later reflected on inspiring young girls.
At the 2026 Oscars on Sunday night, Sinners cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw became the first woman and woman of color nominated—and the first woman to win—in the Best Cinematography category. The film set a record with 16 nominations and secured additional wins for Best Original Screenplay (Ryan Coogler), Best Original Score (Ludwig Göransson), and Best Actor (Michael B. Jordan).
During her acceptance speech, Arkapaw said, “I really want all the women in the room to stand up, because I [wouldn’t be] here without you guys.” Backstage, she elaborated, “A lot of little girls that look like me will sleep well tonight because they’ll want to become cinematographers... [This] will change so many girls’ lives because they’ll be inspired when they weren’t before.”
Arkapaw, daughter of a Filipina mother and Black Creole father, attended with her 10-year-old son (shared with husband Adam, also a cinematographer), carrying a photo of her grandfather Guillermo Pagan Bautista, a major influence. She wore a custom Thom Browne ensemble: sheer silk shirt with pleated corset, hobble skirt, silk tie, under a tweed and silk overcoat. In Harper’s Bazaar, she said of her son, “I wouldn’t have come without him—it’s important that he’s a part of this.”
Her prior credits include Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and The Last Showgirl. For Sinners, she pioneered as the first female DP to shoot large-format IMAX film using 65mm with IMAX 15-perf and Ultra Panavision 70 cameras, in collaboration with director Ryan Coogler. She praised him: “Ryan had women as heads of department... He trusts us [and] opens doors.”
