Oscars 2021 Makes History with Viola Davis, Steven Yeun, 2 Female Directors, & More!

The 2021 Oscar nominations were announced bright and early this morning and there were some major milestones on the list!

First, be sure to check out the full list of the nominations if you haven’t already seen it!

We’re breaking down some of the major milestones right here. Firstly, this is the most nonwhite actors who have ever been nominated for acting awards with a total of nine. The last record was at seven nominations. Those nominated this year include Yuh-Jung Youn, “Minari,” Daniel Kaluuya, “Judas and the Black Messiah,” Leslie Odom, Jr., “One Night in Miami,” LaKeith Stanfield, “Judas and the Black Messiah,” Riz Ahmed, “Sound of Metal,” Chadwick Boseman, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” Steven Yeun, “Minari,” Viola Davis, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” and Andra Day, “The United States vs. Billie Holiday.”

In addition, Viola Davis has become the most nominated Black actress in the history of the Academy Awards with a total of four over the course of her amazing career.

In the Best Directing category, Chloé Zhao and Emerald Fennell made history as the first time the Academy has nominated two women at the same time. They are the sixth and seventh women ever nominated in this category. In addition, Chloé has become the first woman of color to be nominated for Best Director at the Oscars

In the Best Actor category, there were two major historic nominations! Riz Ahmed, who is nominated for The Sound of Metal, became the first Muslim actor to be nominated in the prestigious category. Steven Yeun became the first Asian American actor to receive a best actor nomination for his amazing work in Minari.

Congratulations to all of the nominees!