Last year's #OscarsSoWhite will have to be put on hold this year, and possibly forever after this year's nominees were announced. For the first time in the history of the awards, African-Americans are nominated in every acting category. Viola Davis becomes the first African-American actress to have three Academy Award nominations, following her third nomination for Fences. Three predominantly black movies, Hidden Figures, Fences, and Moonlight are nominated for best picture.
A fourth film, Manchester by the Sea, is produced by Kimberly Steward, along with Matt Damon. Kimberly Steward is the daughter of David Steward, owner of one the largest African-American businesses in America. Steward's film was nominated for a total of six Academy Awards this year. Pharrell Williams also earns his second Oscar nod as a producer for Hidden Figures. Williams was previously nominated for best song for "Happy."
Denzel Washington received his third nomination this year for his role in Fences. Ruth Negga, an Ethiopian-Irish actress in nominated for Best Actress for her role in Loving. Mahershela Ali earned a Best Supporting Actor nod for his role in Moonlight. The Best Supporting Actress category is crowded this year with black actresses. Viola Davis for Fences, Naomie Harris for Moonlight, and Octavia Spencer for Hidden Figures will compete with Nicole Kidman and Michelle Williams for the gold statue.
August Wilson becomes the first Pulitzer Prize winner and the eighth writer to be nominated posthumously. Wilson is nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay for Fences. Ava Duvernay's documentary on the black prison population, 13th, earns a nod for Best Documentary, along with I Am Not Your Negro, a documentary by Haitian filmmaker Raoul Peck. Barry Jenkins, fresh off his Golden Globe win for Best Director, is nominated for Moonlight in the Best Director category. All this, just in time for Black History Month. The Oscars air on ABC on February 26, 2017.
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