Filipino-American cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw made history and marked several firsts after winning Best Cinematography at the 98th Academy Awards held in Hollywood, California, on Sunday, March 15.
Arkapaw is the first woman of Filipino heritage, the first woman of color, the first Asian and the first woman ever to receive the prestigious award in the category.
She earned the recognition for her work on the 2025 Southern vampire film “Sinners” directed by Ryan Coogler.
The film emerged as one of the night’s biggest winners, taking home four awards, including Best Actor for Michael B. Jordan, Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score for Ludwig Göransson, and Best Cinematography for Arkapaw.
During her acceptance speech, Arkapaw shared the historic moment with fellow women in the industry, acknowledging the support she received throughout the awards campaign.
“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,” she said.
