An Oscar statue is shown in a shopping mall next in Los Angeles, California, U.S., February 7, 2020. (REUTERS)
LOS ANGELES – It’s a year of multiple firsts at this year’s Oscars, the 93rd Academy Awards ceremony for the highest achievement in film.
Following is a list of major milestones this year. The winners will be announced at a ceremony in Los Angeles on Sunday.
CHLOE ZHAO – First Asian woman and first woman of color to be nominated for best director (“Nomadland”).
EMERALD FENNELL – First woman to be nominated best director for her feature film debut (“Promising Young Woman”).
DIRECTORS – This is the first time two women have been nominated for directing in the same year.
WOMEN received a record 76 nominations across all categories.
RIZ AHMED – First Muslim to be nominated best actor (“Sound of Metal”).
(Mahershala Ali was the first Muslim actor to win for his supporting roles in “Moonlight” (2016) and “Green Book” (2018)).
CHADWICK BOSEMAN – First Oscar nomination for Boseman, who died of cancer in August 2020, before the release of his final film (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”).
“JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH” – First best picture nominee made by an all-Black production team.
YOUN YUH-JUNG – First South Korean actor or actress to land an Oscar nomination (“Minari”).
STEVEN YEUN – First Asian American to receive a best actor nomination (“Minari”).
VIOLA DAVIS – Her fourth acting nomination makes Davis the most nominated Black actress in Oscar history. (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”) She has won once.
ANTHONY HOPKINS – At age 83, Hopkins is the oldest best actor nominee ever.
TUNISIA – First nomination for the North African country (“The Man Who Sold His Skin”).
ROMANIA – First nomination for Romania (“Collective”), which is competing in both the international film field and best documentary categories.
MARIA BAKALOVA – First Bulgarian actress to be Oscar nominated (“Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”).
DIVERSITY – A record nine of the 20 acting nominees are people of color: Andra Day, Chadwick Boseman, Leslie Odom Jr., LaKeith Stanfield, Riz Ahmed, Daniel Kaluuya, Viola Davis, Steven Yeun, Youn Yuh-jung.
ACADEMY AWARDS CEREMONY – Will be held on April 25 at Union Station in downtown Los Angeles for the first time, as well as at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.