Autumn Durald Arkapaw Becomes First Woman to Win Best Cinematography at Oscars
autumn durald arkapaw made history Sunday night (ET) when she won the Academy Award for best cinematography for Ryan Coogler’s Southern gothic film “Sinners. ” She is the first woman to win the category and the first Black cinematographer to take the prize. In her acceptance speech she asked all the women in the room to stand and thanked Coogler for believing in and trusting her.
What happened and why it matters
The award caps a campaign built around a technical and creative leap: “Sinners” was shot in a combination of Ultra Panavision 70 and IMAX 65 mm, an approach the filmmaking team presented as a first for a feature film. The American Society of Cinematographers noted this was the first time a woman cinematographer had shot a feature film in IMAX 65 mm or on any 65 mm film format. That technical milestone, paired with Arkapaw’s visual choices, helped the film stand out on a night that recognized craft across cinema.
Arkapaw used her acceptance to highlight the community behind the win. “I don’t get here without you, ” she told the room when she asked the women present to stand. She also singled out director Ryan Coogler, saying she felt deep gratitude for his trust in her work.
Immediate reactions: Autumn Durald Arkapaw and colleagues
Autumn Durald Arkapaw, cinematographer for “Sinners, ” used her platform onstage to make the moment collective. “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, ” she said during her acceptance remarks. She also expressed thanks to Coogler directly: “Whenever I say thank you to Ryan, he replies and says, ‘No, thank you. ‘ Thank you for believing in me, and thank you for trusting me. “
Ryan Coogler, director of “Sinners, ” was cited in Arkapaw’s remarks as a collaborator who encouraged the risk of marrying two very large film formats and trusting a woman to execute that vision. The win both recognizes an individual achievement in cinematography and signals a shift in how high-format film projects are staffed and credited.
Quick context
Only three other women had ever been nominated for cinematography in the Academy Awards’ history: Rachel Morrison for “Mudbound”, Ari Wegner for “The Power of the Dog” and Mandy Walker for “Elvis”. Arkapaw previously worked with Coogler on the 2022 Marvel film “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” and is also known for her cinematography on “The Last Showgirl” and “Teen Spirit. “
Technically, the film’s decision to alternate between Ultra Panavision 70 and IMAX 65 mm was described as historic for blending the extremely wide and the extremely tall formats, offering both period texture and visceral immediacy in the imagery. Industry bodies highlighted the novelty of combining those large formats on a single feature and the milestone of a woman shooting in those conditions.
What’s next: expect follow-through from the filmmakers. The creative partnership that produced this win has precedent—Arkapaw and Coogler had already collaborated—and the director will continue to pursue new projects, including writing and directing a pilot episode. For autumn durald arkapaw, the Oscar establishes a new professional threshold and is likely to increase the visibility and demand for her work in large-format filmmaking.
