Women of color, particularly those of Asian descent, snagged top awards and nominations at Sunday evening Oscars in a series of notable firsts for a Hollywood organization beset by accusations of racism and sexism.
This is the first year two women have been given the nod for best director prize and the first time the Academy Awards nominated two actors of Asian descent for best actor. In another first, an all-African-American team of producers was also nominated for best picture.
Beijing-born director Chloe Zhao was awarded the Best Director trophy for her film “Nomadland” featuring Francis McDormand who also won Best Actress for her portrayal of an itinerant widow through the heartland of America.
Zhao is the first woman of color to win the prestigious directing award and only the second woman since the Academy Awards started nearly 100 years ago.
“This is for anyone who has the faith and courage to hold onto the goodness in themselves,” she said during her acceptance speech.
Mia Neal and Jamika Wilson, part of the hairstyling and makeup team behind “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” also entered the history books on Sunday as the first African-American women to be nominated, and win, the Academy Award for Best Hairstyle and Makeup.
“I want to say thank you to our ancestors who put the work in (and) were denied but never gave up,” Neal said while accepting the award.
The ceremony opened with African-American director Regina King, who directed the Oscar nominated movie “One Night In Miami,” walking through Union Station railway terminal in Los Angeles where the Academy Awards took place this year.
“It has been quite a year. We are still smack dab in the middle of it and we are mourning the loss of so many,” King said.
“I have to be honest, if things had gone differently this past week in Minneapolis, I might have traded in my heels for marching boots,” she added, referring to the murder conviction last week of former police officer Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd.
Union Station was the main stage for the show, with awardees and presenters filtering in and out in line with social distancing restrictions. Much like an actual movie set, people were allowed to go maskless while on camera but had to wear a mouth covering when they left the frame.
Train stations aside, the biggest shock of the night was when Anthony Hopkins received the Best Actor award for his role in “Father” — the late Chadwick Boseman had been viewed as the likely winner after posthumously winning best acting trophies at the Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild and Critics Choice awards.
