In its 98-year history, the cinematography category at the Oscars has never been won by a woman.
That all can change this year if "Sinners" cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw takes home the coveted award at the 2026 Oscars on March 15.
Arkapaw's Oscar nomination for cinematography not only made her just the fourth woman to be nominated in the category, but also the first woman of color to be nominated in the category.
As a storyteller, Arkapaw, shared what this moment has meant to her and recognized what it means for other women in film.
"It can feel a bit heavy in a nice way," Arkapaw told ABC News in an interview ahead of the Oscars. "I feel like I really want change for ladies and it'll come in time."
Arkapaw's nomination contributed to "Sinners" breaking the Oscars' all-time record for nominations, with 16 in total.
"Sinners" tells the story of twin brothers Smoke and Stack, both played by Michael B. Jordan, who return to their hometown and open a juke joint before bloodthirsty vampires crash their plan. Since its release last year, the film has been lauded by many across Hollywood, with the entire ensemble winning outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture at the Actor Awards on March 1.
"I'm surprised how much people embraced it and how well the film did, because that's always nice," Arkapaw said. "That doesn't happen often."
Like the film, which sees Smoke and Stack recruiting several people in their community to start the juke joint, Coogler called on Arkapaw, whom he first worked with on "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," to help bring his vision for "Sinners" onscreen.
Arkapaw said her initial call with Coogler was expansive and discussed everything about the story. But one thing he wanted her to use as a reference was Eudora Welty's "Photographs," a book documenting 1930s Mississippi, which Arkapaw said helped her understand his overall vision.
"He's very articulate about his vision and what he's trying to accomplish," Arkapaw said about Coogler, who chose to film "Sinners" on large format film. "He is so inspiring and you want to do a good job for him, but you also want to understand where he's coming from."
In the end, not only did Arkapaw shoot the film on 65 mm large-format film, but she also shot it on 65mm IMAX, a groundbreaking feat that Warner Bros. said made her the first woman in the industry to shoot a feature film on 65mm IMAX.
"It was very ambitious," Arkapaw said. "But for all the right reasons, like ambitious for our ancestors, ambitious for people that look like us, getting to shoot this format, succeeding in that execution with the team. So all those things are really important."
As she reflects on working with Coogler and the rest of the "Sinners" team, whom she regards as family, Arkapaw said she is reminded of her own family and the shoulders of those who have helped pave the way for her in the film industry.
Born to a mom of Filipino descent and a father of Creole heritage, Arkapaw talked about her family's history and how her grandfather, Guillermo Pagan Bautista, was also a storyteller in his own right. Their family's history began in the Philippines, where her grandfather survived the Bataan Death March, evaded Japanese forces and fought with the resistance before joining the U.S. Army and moving his family to England. They eventually resettled in California, where Arkapaw was born in Oxnard and grew up in the Bay Area.
When her grandparents both died, she inherited the photographs they had taken over the years, which she said serve as a constant reminder of where she came from.
On the set of "Sinners," Arkapaw said she printed a photo of her grandparents (her grandfather in uniform) and attached it to the camera for good luck -- a tradition she said she's done since working on the 2018 film "Teen Spirit."
"Sinners" also gave her an opportunity to work with her family on her father's side. She said that her aunt was an extra in the grocery store scene of the film, thanks to Coogler.
As one of the few female cinematographers in film, Arkapaw acknowledges the responsibility that comes with helping pave the way for greater visibility.
Leading up to the Oscars, she won the BAFTA for best cinematography and the NAACP Image Award for outstanding cinematography in a motion picture. This week, she was also honored by Kodak at its 8th Annual Film Awards with the Lumiére Award.
"Just to be out there and showing other girls who you are behind the camera, I think is important because they don't always see women that look like us doing that," she said. "I think just being out there and speaking about it in regards to that stuff has been important to me."
Also nominated for best cinematography are Michael Bauman for "One Battle After Another," Darius Khondji for "Marty Supreme," Dan Laustsen for "Frankenstein" and Adolpho Veloso for "Train Dreams."
The 98th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 15, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. The awards will be televised live on ABC and streamed live on Hulu beginning at 7 p.m., ET.
The Walt Disney Company is the parent company of ABC and Hulu.
