Meet Autumn Durald Arkapaw, First Woman Of Color To Win The Oscars For Best Cinematography

Autumn Durald Arkapaw has created history at the Academy Awards by becoming the first woman of colour to win the Oscar for Best Cinematography.

She achieved this historic milestone for her work on the film Sinners, marking a significant moment in the history of global cinema.

The award is considered one of the most prestigious honours in filmmaking, and Durald Arkapaw’s win has drawn attention across the film industry because cinematography has traditionally been dominated by men.

With this victory at the 98th Academy Awards in 2026, she also became the first female cinematographer ever to receive the award, breaking a long-standing barrier in Hollywood.

Autumn Cheyenne Durald Arkapaw was born on December 14, 1979, in Oxnard and grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. She comes from a multicultural background, with Filipino roots from her mother’s side and African American Creole heritage from her father’s side.

She studied art history at Loyola Marymount University before pursuing professional training in filmmaking at the American Film Institute Conservatory.

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After graduating in 2009, she began building her career in the film industry, initially working in advertising and later as a camera assistant before establishing herself as a cinematographer.

Over the years, Durald Arkapaw has worked on several well-known film and television projects. Her cinematography credits include films such as Palo Alto and the Marvel blockbuster Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, as well as the popular Disney+ series Loki.

Her work on Sinners received particular praise from critics. The film was shot on 65mm large-format film using IMAX cameras, making her the first female director of photography to shoot a movie on large-format IMAX film.

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Apart from the Oscar win, Durald Arkapaw has also received recognition from several major film organisations, including the New York Film Critics Circle, the National Board of Review, and the National Society of Film Critics.

She is married to Australian cinematographer Adam Arkapaw, and the couple has one child. Her historic Oscar win is widely seen as a milestone for diversity and representation in the global film industry.