‘Sinners’ cinematographer becomes first woman of Filipino descent nominated for an Oscar

Filipino American cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw made history with her work on the 2026 Oscar-nominated film Sinners.

Born in California, Arkapaw is the first woman of Filipino descent and the first woman of color to receive a nomination for best cinematography from the Academy Awards, announced on Thursday, 22 January.

Prior to the Oscar nomination, Sinners won best cinematography honors from the Boston Society of Film Critics, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association, National Society of Film Critics, New York Film Critics Circle and other organizations.

Arkapaw is also known for her work on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) and the Disney+ series Loki (2021).

In a September 2025 interview with Vogue Philippines, Arkapaw said, “We know there will be Black and brown girls and boys who see themselves in us, looking for inspiration. If we approach our work with care, it can help light the way for someone else’s journey, and to me, that’s truly beautiful.”

Sinners earned a record-breaking 16 nominations at the 98th Academy Awards, including major categories such as best picture, best original screenplay, best director, best film editing and acting awards. The film surpassed the previous record holders All About Eve, Titanic and La La Land, which each received 14 nominations.

Aside from Arkapaw, Filipino American cinematographer Matthew Libatique has also received notable Oscar nominations for Black Swan (2011), A Star Is Born (2018) and Maestro (2023). Libatique was born to Filipino immigrant parents from Dagupan.