--- description: Fences, Moonlight, Hidden Figures, Lion, Moana, Lion and other films bucked the trend of #OscarsSoWhite. Here are the records that were set. title: Diversity at the 2017 Oscars: These Are the Records That Were Just Broken image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8e2b28e980df5ed8/6988b6fdab6d77b63f6ac978/washington-duvernay-ptel.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [awards](/tag/awards/) ## awards Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Diversity at the 2017 Oscars: These Are the Records That Were Just Broken  by [Eliana Dockterman](/author/eliana-dockterman/)  ## Eliana Dockterman Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Correspondent Jan 24, 2017 7:38 PM CUT  (L-R) Denzel Washington (Fences), Ava DuVernay (The 13th) and Dev Patel (Lion) (L-R) Denzel Washington (Fences), Ava DuVernay (The 13th) and Dev Patel (Lion)Mike Coppola, Amanda Edwards, JB Lacroix—Getty Images(3)  by [Eliana Dockterman](/author/eliana-dockterman/)  ## Eliana Dockterman Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Correspondent Jan 24, 2017 7:38 PM CUT For the last two years, the Academy failed to nominate any nonwhite actors for Oscars. [Critics pointed to the Academy](http://time.com/4180433/oscar-nominations-white-diversity-oscarssowhite/ "undefined")—a body of predominantly [white, male voters](https://www.oscars.org/news/academy-takes-historic-action-increase-diversity "undefined")—as emblematic of the lack of diversity in Hollywood, both on and off screen. In an attempt to answer these critiques, the Academy [diversified its](http://time.com/4191098/academy-changes-diversity-increase/ "undefined") voting pool last year. The immediate result is an Oscar slate that highlights films starring nonwhite actors and made by nonwhite filmmakers, including _Moonlight, Fences, Lion_ and _The 13th_. Of course, Hollywood still has a long way to go. While more black actors were nominated this year, representation of Asian, Latino and other nonwhite actors, directors and writers remains abysmal. Very few women were nominated in non-acting categories. And, of course, there’s the problem of how Hollywood perceives these films—exemplified by the [_“Hidden Fences”_ snafu](http://www.vulture.com/2017/01/jenna-bush-hager-apologizes-for-hidden-fences-snafu.html "undefined") at the Golden Globes where both Jenna Bush and Michael Keaton elided the names of two nominated films starring black actors. Still, filmmakers like Barry Jenkins and Ava DuVernay have the opportunity to make history this year. Here is how the numbers shake out at this year’s Oscars. **6 black actors were nominated, a record** Mahershala Ali (_Moonlight_), Naomie Harris (_Moonlight_), Viola Davis (_Fences_), Denzel Washington (_Fences_), Octavia Spencer (_Hidden Figures_) and Ruth Negga (_Loving_) all snagged nominations. **7 nonwhite actors were nominated, tying 2007’s record** Mahershala Ali (_Moonlight_), Naomie Harris (_Moonlight_), Viola Davis (_Fences_), Denzel Washington (_Fences_), Octavia Spencer (_Hidden Figures_), Ruth Negga (_Loving_) and Dev Patel (_Lion_) helped make this year’s Oscars among the most diverse ever. In 2007, seven nonwhite actors were also nominated. **9 films and documentaries with nonwhite subjects were nominated** Feature films _Moonlight_, _Fences_, _Hidden Figures_, _Loving,_ _Lion_, _Moana_ and documentaries _The 13th_, _I Am Not Your Negro_ and _OJ: Made in America_ expanded the diversity of stories told onscreen. **First year in which black actors were nominated in every acting category** Denzel Washington (_Fences_, Actor), Mahershala Ali (_Moonlight_, Supporting Actor), Ruth Negga (_Loving_, Actress), Viola Davis (_Fences_, Supporting Actress), Naomie Harris (_Moonlight_, Supporting Actress) and Octavia Spencer (_Hidden Figures_, Supporting Actress) were all recognized. **3 nominations for Viola Davis** Viola Davis set a new record for number of acting nominations for a black, female actor. **7 nominations for Denzel Washington** Denzel Washington broke his own record for most Oscar nods for a black, male actor _._ **First year with three black nominees in one acting category** This is the first year that a single acting category (Best Supporting Actress) features three black nominees: Viola Davis (_Fences_), Naomie Harris (_Moonlight_) and Octavia Spencer (_Hidden Figures_). **First black woman to be nominated for editing** Joi McMillon became the first black woman to be nominated in the editing category for her work on _Moonlight_. **3 non-white writers nominated for best screenplay in the same year for the first time** For the first time ever, three black writers, Barry Jenkins (_Moonlight_), Tarell Alvin McCraney (_Moonlight_) and August Wilson (_Fences_), all got nods in the same year. **13 years since an Indian actor was last nominated** Dev Patel became the first Indian actor to be nominated in 13 years for his work in _Lion_. (Ben Kingsley was nominated in 2004.) **20 nominations for Meryl Streep** [“Overrated”](http://time.com/4628999/golden-globes-2017-trump-internet-reactions/ "undefined") actress Meryl Streep broke her own record for most nominated actor—male or female—in the history of the Oscars with her Best Actress nod for _Florence Foster Jenkins_. Jack Nicholson and Katharine Hepburn follow with 12 nominations each. **2 black artists have been nominated for cinematography in Oscar history** Bradford Young became only the second black artist ever to be nominated for Best Cinematography for his work on _Arrival._ **First black artist to be nominated for Best Director, Best Picture and Best Screenplay** _Moonlight_ writer and director Barry Jenkins made history Tuesday as the first black man to ever hit the nomination trifecta. **0 black artists have ever won best director** Barry Jenkins is the fourth black director to be nominated in the category of Best Director and could become the first to win. **0 documentaries by black women have ever won** No film created by a black woman has ever won in the Best Documentary category. Ava DuVernay has a chance to break that record with _The 13th_. **1 woman has won for Best Original or Adapted Screenplay in the past 10 years** There were no women nominated in either screenplay category this year. In the past 10 years, Diablo Cody, who wrote 2007’s _Juno_, has been the only woman to win an Oscar for Best Screenplay. **1 to 88 is the ratio of male to female winners in the best director category** Yet again, no woman was nominated in the Best Director category this year. Only four women have ever been nominated, and only one, Kathryn Bigelow, has won. She was the last woman to be nominated, seven years ago. **638 new members were added to the Academy last year** New Academy rules added a greater diversity of voters in terms of ethnicity, gender and age in an effort to combat [#OscarsSoWhite](http://time.com/4242076/oscars-so-white-presenters/ "undefined"). ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4645315/oscar-nominations-2017-diversity/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4645315/oscar-nominations-2017-diversity/"},"headline":"Diversity at the 2017 Oscars: These Are the Records That Were Just Broken","datePublished":"2017-01-24T19:38:22.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T02:54:59.127Z","description":"Fences, Moonlight, Hidden Figures, Lion, Moana, Lion and other films bucked the trend of #OscarsSoWhite. 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