Autumn Durald Arkapaw made history at the 98th Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars, as the first woman to win the Academy Award for Best Cinematography.
The 46-year-old was recognized for her work on Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners.”
Her victory also made her the first woman of colour to claim the prize in the category, which has existed for nearly a century and has long been dominated by male cinematographers.
While giving her speech, Arkapaw said, “I’m so honoured to be here, and I really want all the women in the room to stand up because I feel like I don’t get here without you guys.
“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, and I want to thank you for that.”
Before Arkapaw’s victory, only three women had ever been nominated for Best Cinematography: Rachel Morrison for “Mudbound,” Ari Wegner for “The Power of the Dog,” and Mandy Walker for “Elvis.”
Arkapaw’s previous credits include “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” and “The Last Showgirl.”
Here are some facts you should know about her.
Autumn Cheyenne Durald Arkapaw was born on December 14, 1979, in California, but she grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is of Black Creole descent on her father’s side and of Filipino descent on her mother’s side.
Arkapaw studied art history at Loyola Marymount University, graduating in 2002. She graduated from the AFI Conservatory’s cinematography program in 2009 and became a member of the American Society of Cinematographers in 2022.
While shooting the 2025 movie Sinners, Arkapaw became the first female director of photography to use a combination of IMAX 65mm and Ultra Panavision on large-format IMAX film. She married Australian cinematographer Adam Arkapaw in 2015, and they have one child.
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