A Woman Just Won an Oscar Category for the First Time in Its 98-Year History. How ... Is That Possible?

"I'm so honored to be here and I really want all of the women in the room to stand up because I feel like I don't get here without you guys. At this point, it's a bit passé to remain surprised by the number of Oscar firsts Hollywood still manages to achieve as the years go by, but this one was particularly hard to square."

"We all know that Hollywood has historically been a man's world, but I hadn't realized that, after years of pushing to diversify the industry in nearly every aspect, cinematography remains one of entertainment's most male-dominated sectors. When it comes to the Academy Awards, every category outside of the gendered acting races has seen a woman walk home with a tiny golden man, yet all of the century's 70-plus winning cinematographers have been men."

"For decades, the American Society of Cinematographers, founded in 1919, was, quite literally, a boys' club, only inviting its first woman into the group 60 years after it was established. This is a large difference compared to the Directors Guild of America, which let a woman in for the first time in 1938."

Cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw made history by becoming the first woman to win the Academy Award for Best Cinematography, ending a 98-year streak of male winners. Her achievement highlights cinematography's status as one of entertainment's most male-dominated sectors, despite decades of industry diversification efforts. The first female nomination in this category didn't occur until 2018 when Rachel Morrison was recognized. This disparity reflects the profession's historical exclusion of women, exemplified by the American Society of Cinematographers, founded in 1919, which didn't admit its first female member until 1979—60 years after its establishment. This contrasts sharply with other industry organizations that integrated earlier.

Read at Slate Magazine