7 Ways The 2017 Oscar Nominations Have Made History

The 2017 Oscar nominations were released on Jan. 24, and this year’s Academy Award nominees have already made this year’s awards show a historic one.

Following a year of less-than-stellar press, it seems the Academy is making progress. You may remember a boycott and even a hashtag (#Oscarssowhite) that resulted from the Academy’s 2016 choices, which included only white actors in the top four acting categories.

But, this year is a far cry from last, as a diverse group of actors, directors and producers are represented in nearly every category. The Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs told Vanity Fair she is “elated about the inclusion, and for all of our nominees.”

So, before you tune in on February 26 check out how the Academy is making history this year.

1. Viola Davis gets third Oscar nod.

With Tuesday’s nod, Davis becomes the first black woman in history to earn three Oscar nominations. Her role in the film “Fences” garnered her a Best Supporting Actress nomination this year. But, she was previously nominated for Best Supporting Actress for “Doubt”  in 2009 and for Best Actress in “The Help” in 2012.

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2. Black women own the Best Supporting Actress category.

After two years of all-white nominees, the acting categories are looking a lot more inclusive. This year, six out of 20 nominees are black. Three of those nods are in the Best Supporting Actress category—Octavia Spencer (“Hidden Figures”), Naomie Harris (“Moonlight”) and of course, Viola Davis (“Fences”).

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3. Meryl Streep breaks another record.

With the Best Actress nomination for her role in the film “Florence Foster Jenkins,” Streep has broken another record. Tuesday’s nod marks her twentieth nomination (she’s won three times).

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4. Barry Jenkins earns trio of nominations.

Barry Jenkins, director of “Moonlight,” is the first African-American filmmaker to be nominated for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay for the same film. He took to Twitter to share his excitement.

5. Dev Patel is the first Indian actor to win a nod in more than a decade.

For his moving performance in the drama “Lion,” Patel received a much deserved nomination in the Academy’s Best Supporting Actor category. Patel is only the third Indian actor to receive an Oscar nod. The last was Ben Kingsley for his role in 2003 film  “The House Of Sand And Fog.”

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6. Black filmmakers make up four out of five nominees for Best Documentary.

The following black filmmakers are celebrating a banner year in the documentary category: Ava DuVernay (“13th”), Ezra Edelman (“O.J.: Made in America”), Raoul Peck (“I Am Not Your Negro”), and Roger Ross Williams (“Life, Animated”).

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7. “La La Land” nominated 14 times.

This romantic musical joins only two other films in history to be nominated 14 times. In its prestigious company are “All About Eve” and “Titanic.” “La La’s” nods include Best Actor (Ryan Gosling), Best Actress (Emma Stone) and Best Picture.

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